Best Romantic Movies on Netflix: 9 Picks for Every Mood
Key takeaways
- There’s a romance for every mood: the picks range from breezy comedies to tender later-life love stories and emotional dramas.
- For a light watch, try Always Be My Maybe or The Perfect Date.
- For coming-of-age romance, choose To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, 20th Century Girl, or Alex Strangelove.
- Netflix availability varies by country and over time, so check your local app before planning your watch.
Table of contents
- Best Romantic Movies on Netflix: 9 Picks for Every Mood
- Key takeaways
- Quick picks
- Best romantic comedies on Netflix
- Best coming-of-age romances on Netflix
- Best romantic dramas on Netflix
- A feel-good romance for a change of scenery
- Which Netflix romance should you choose?
The best romantic movies on Netflix depend on what you’re in the mood for: a breezy comedy, a tender later-life love story, or a romance with more emotional weight. These nine films offer a mix of tones, ages, and cultural perspectives rather than a definitive quality ranking.
Netflix has featured many of these titles in its romance roundups and genre collections, but its catalog changes by country and over time. Check your local Netflix app before planning your watch; the service’s romance category is another place to look for current options.
Quick picks
| If you want… | Try… |
|---|---|
| A warm, modern rom-com | Always Be My Maybe |
| A sweet young-adult romance | To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before |
| A Korean coming-of-age love story | 20th Century Girl |
| A quiet romance about companionship | Our Souls at Night |
| A sensual period drama | Lady Chatterley’s Lover |
| A contemporary career-and-romance story | The Perfect Find |
| An Australian romantic comedy | Ali’s Wedding |
| A teen story about identity and attraction | Alex Strangelove |
| A feel-good getaway romance | Happiness for Beginners |
Best romantic comedies on Netflix
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Childhood friends Sasha and Marcus reconnect as adults after taking very different paths. Sasha is a successful chef, while Marcus is still rooted in the San Francisco neighborhood where they grew up. Their old familiarity gives the comedy an easy, affectionate feel, while their contrasting lives create the central romantic tension.
Choose it for a contemporary rom-com that balances jokes with the awkwardness of finding out whether an old connection still fits. Netflix has included the film in its romance editorial selections.
The Perfect Find (2023)
In this modern romantic comedy, fashion editor Jenna is trying to restart her career when she develops feelings for a younger colleague—who happens to be connected to her boss. The workplace setup brings professional ambition and personal complications into the same story.
It’s a good pick if you want a polished contemporary romance with adult characters and a fashion-industry backdrop. Netflix has featured it in a romance-movie roundup.
Ali’s Wedding (2017)
This Australian romantic comedy follows Ali, the son of a Muslim cleric, as he faces family expectations and an uncertain future. When he falls for Dianne, he has to navigate the gap between what others expect of him and what he wants for himself.
The film offers a different setting and cultural perspective from the familiar American high-school or workplace rom-com. Pick it for a story that mixes romantic complications with family and community pressures. Netflix has included it among its romance selections.
The Perfect Date (2019)
High-school student Brooks creates an app that lets people hire him as a stand-in date. The arrangement gives him a chance to earn money and try on different versions of himself, but it also complicates his feelings and friendships.
This is a light choice for viewers who enjoy teen romances, school settings, and a straightforward feel-good tone. Netflix has listed the film among its romantic favorites.
Best coming-of-age romances on Netflix
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Lara Jean’s private love letters reach the boys they were written for, turning her carefully contained crushes into a very public problem. The resulting romance is sweet and youthful, with much of the appeal coming from Lara Jean’s perspective and her close family relationships.
Choose it for a gentle teen rom-com with a cozy tone rather than high-stakes drama. It’s also a natural starting point if you want a romance centered on first love. Netflix has featured the film in its romance video collection.
20th Century Girl (2022)
Set in 1999, this South Korean romantic drama follows teenager Bo-ra as she agrees to keep an eye on a boy her friend likes. What begins as a favor brings new feelings and friendships into Bo-ra’s life.
The period setting gives the story a nostalgic atmosphere, but its focus is on the intensity of first love and the uncertainty of adolescence. Pick it when you want a coming-of-age romance with more emotional weight than a conventional comedy. Netflix lists it among its romantic dramas.
Alex Strangelove (2018)
Alex is a high-school senior with a girlfriend and a plan for his future, until his feelings for another boy complicate what he thought he knew about himself. The film follows his attempts to understand his identity and be honest with the people around him.
It’s a teen romantic comedy with a coming-of-age focus, so it suits viewers looking for a story about attraction and self-discovery as well as romance. Netflix has included it in its romance selections.
Best romantic dramas on Netflix
Our Souls at Night (2017)
Neighbors Addie and Louis are both widowed and live alone. Addie proposes that they spend nights together—not as a conventional romance at first, but as a way to ease their loneliness and talk. Their arrangement gradually creates room for companionship and intimacy.
This is a quieter, more reflective choice than the list’s teen romances and broad comedies. Try it if you want a love story about connection later in life, with an emphasis on conversation and everyday closeness. Netflix has included it in its romance roundup.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)
Based on D. H. Lawrence’s novel, this period drama follows Connie, whose marriage leaves her feeling isolated, and her growing relationship with Oliver, the gamekeeper on her husband’s estate. The film is more sensual and serious in tone than a standard romantic comedy.
Choose it for a romantic drama about desire, class, and a woman questioning the limits placed on her life. It includes sexual content, so it’s a better fit for viewers looking for a mature romance than a light date-night comedy. Netflix has featured it in its romance-movie selections.
A feel-good romance for a change of scenery
Happiness for Beginners (2023)
After a difficult change in her personal life, Helen joins a wilderness hiking course and finds herself sharing the experience with people from outside her usual routine. Among them is someone she already knows, which adds an unexpected romantic complication to the trip.
The outdoor setting gives this contemporary romance a different rhythm from stories built around school or office life. It’s a good option when you want a hopeful, easygoing watch with a travel-and-reset feel. Netflix has included it in its Romantic Favorites collection.
Which Netflix romance should you choose?
For an upbeat evening, start with Always Be My Maybe or The Perfect Date. If you want a young first-love story, try To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before; for a more emotionally charged coming-of-age film, choose 20th Century Girl. Our Souls at Night is the gentler, more mature pick, while Lady Chatterley’s Lover is the most sensual and dramatic option on this list.
Availability can differ between Netflix regions, and a film’s appearance in a Netflix genre collection doesn’t guarantee it’s in every local catalog. Search the title in your app before you settle on movie night.
