(Photo by Universal Pictures. BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY.)
50 Best New Rom-Coms and Romance Movies
The latest: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is Certified Fresh, and atop the franchise including Bridget Jones’s Diary (81%), The Edge of Reason (27%), and Bridget Jones’s Baby (78%).
Meanwhile, something’s come between Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Gorge.
Look, with the recent successes of Anyone But You or even Ticket to Paradise, we’re not saying rom-coms and romance movies are back to full life in theaters, but that their demise has been greatly exaggerated. (Just like our last few dates off the apps.) And besides, in the privacy of our homes? Things are really heating up, with plenty of choices on streaming services, both from abroad and of every outlook.
So when we put together our guide of the 2024’s best rom-coms and romance movies, we’re looking at PDAs for everyone to see in fawning awe (we won’t acknowledge of any other reaction) and what’s happening behind shuttered living room curtains. This includes It Ends With Us (starring Blake Lively, adapting Colleen Hoover‘s multi-million best-seller), Hit Man (starring and co-written Glen Powell…so he’s got brains to go with the rest of the package?), Challengers (featuring Zendaya in a love triangle and sports shorts), The Fall Guy (with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in the Barbenheimer reunification we didn’t know we needed), We Live In Time (the decades-spanning romance with Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh), Fly Me to the Moon (Scarlett Johannsson and Channing Tatum take a gambit on romance), The Idea of You (if Anne Hathaway’s happy, we’re happy), and Upgraded (a good old-fashioned rom-com with Camila Mendes).
We’ve ranked the list by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh movies first. Whether it’s date night or friends outing, or something to cozy up with a partner (even if it is a pint of ice cream), with all the choices, tonight’s the night you’ll find a match.
#1
Critics Consensus: Rudy Mancuso's use of magical realism elevates Música, infusing its familiar narrative framework with a bracingly personal touch.
Synopsis: Based on writer, director and star Rudy Mancuso, Música is a coming-of-age love story that follows an aspiring creator with
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#2
Critics Consensus: A deceptively dark thriller that's also loaded with laughs, Hit Man is an outstanding showcase for leading man Glen Powell -- and one of the most purely entertaining films of Richard Linklater's career.
Synopsis: Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater's sunlit neo-noir stars Glen Powell as strait-laced professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hit
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#3
Critics Consensus: Another marvelous chronicle of America's strivers by writer-director Sean Baker given some extra pizzazz by Mikey Madison's brassy performance, Anora is a romantic drama on the bleeding edge.
Synopsis: Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner ANORA is an audacious, thrilling, and comedic variation on a modern day Cinderella story. Mikey
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#4
Critics Consensus: Lust and violence collide to powerfully pulpy effect in Love Lies Bleeding, a well-acted addition to writer-director Rose Glass' growing body of exceptional work.
Synopsis: From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious
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#5
Critics Consensus: Tracing through the passage of time with a light touch, director Baltasar Kormákur's moving drama is a wistful reverie on life itself.
Synopsis: A romantic and thrilling story that spans several decades and continents; TOUCH follows one widower's emotional journey to find his
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#6
Critics Consensus: A bittersweet romp about new beginnings with another sparkling turn by Renée Zellweger, Mad About the Boy gracefully closes the book on Bridget Jones' diary.
Synopsis: After jumping back into the dating pool, single mother Bridget Jones finds herself caught between a younger man and her
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#7
Critics Consensus: With its trio of outstanding performers volleying their star power back and forth without ever dropping the ball, Challengers is a kinetic and sexy romp at court.
Synopsis: From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force
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#8
Critics Consensus: Unwieldy but rewarding, The Beast uses its sci-fi conceit to explore intriguing themes in largely satisfying fashion.
Synopsis: The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely "erase" their feelings. Hoping
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#9
Critics Consensus: The Idea of You offers a welcome reminder that Anne Hathaway remains a thoroughly delightful romcom lead -- and reaffirms that few filmmakers understand the genre better than Michael Showalter.
Synopsis: Based on the acclaimed, contemporary love story of the same name, The Idea of You centers on Solène (Anne Hathaway),
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#10
Critics Consensus: A mixture of gory slasher and sweet rom-com that ingeniously nails both formulas, Heart Eyes serves up a bloody valentine that'll make the heart skip a beat.
Synopsis: For the past several years, the "Heart Eyes Killer" has wreaked havoc on Valentine's Day by stalking and murdering romantic
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#11
Critics Consensus: Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh's palpable chemistry will snatch audiences' hearts before breaking them in We Live in Time, a powerful melodrama that uses its nonlinear structure to thoughtfully explore grief.
Synopsis: Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through snapshots
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#12
Critics Consensus: A low-key comedy with an ample dose of pathos, Cora Bora can be as aimless as its heroine but gets considerable lift from Megan Stalter's stellar star turn.
Synopsis: Cora (Meg Stalter) goes home to win back her girlfriend, and soon realizes it's much more than her love life
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#13
Critics Consensus: A wickedly delightful genre mashup led by Melissa Barrera, Your Monster is pleasantly packed with songs, guts, and heart.
Synopsis: Your Monster tells the story of the soft-spoken actor Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera), who is dumped by her longtime boyfriend
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#14
Critics Consensus: Lightly entertaining even as it hews to genre conventions, Upgraded is an appealing option for anyone seeking a good old-fashioned rom-com.
Synopsis: Ana (Camila Mendes) is an ambitious intern dreaming of a career in the art world while trying to impress her
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#15
Critics Consensus: A phantasmagorical distillation of William S. Burroughs' preoccupations that's by turns meandering and vital, Queer marks one of Daniel Craig's most sterling performances yet.
Synopsis: 1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts
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#16
Critics Consensus: Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson memorably smolder together in Babygirl, with writer-director Halina Reijn's clinical gaze keeping this sexually frank thriller more provocative than prurient.
Synopsis: A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much
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#17
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Heartbroken and adrift, undocumented Brazilian immigrant Lourenço searches for purpose in the queer mecca of Provincetown. As the summer season
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#18
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After the death of his father, Cole (Michael Cimino) moves with his mother to a new house in a new
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#19
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Turtles All the Way Down tackles anxiety through its 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes. It's not easy being Aza, but she's
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#20
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A young autistic museum guide lives by a strict routine until he falls in love with his coworker and must
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#21
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A Vietnamese woman has endured many difficulties in her life. When she meets her neighbor, they develop feelings for each
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#22
Critics Consensus: Blending romance with vertiginous thrill-seeking, Skywalkers: A Love Story is a documentary of truly dizzying proportions.
Synopsis: A daredevil couple risks it all by going where no one has gone before: the top of the world's second-highest
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#23
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: MARMALADE is an edge-of-the-seat crime-tinged romance tale. Recently incarcerated Baron (Joe Keery) strikes up a friendship with cellmate Otis (Aldis
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#24
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Valentina is a pianist preparing for an audition. David is a games inventor who can only concentrate in complete silence.
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#25
Critics Consensus: Sustained by Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum's screwball chemistry even when its plotting strains credulity, this throwback romance is a pleasant enough trip to the moon and back.
Synopsis: Starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, Fly Me To The Moon is a sharp, stylish romantic comedy set against the
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#26
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two college freshmen make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break, leading them on
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#27
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Mahendra & Mahima, a couple who get together through an arranged marriage, share a common passion for Cricket. Mahendra who
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#28
Critics Consensus: Mixing multiple genres, The Gorge makes for a surprisingly endearing romance until its action-thriller obligations steer proceedings back onto a more predictable path.
Synopsis: Two highly-trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a
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#29
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After defecting from North Korea, Loh Kiwan struggles to obtain refugee status in Belgium, where he encounters a dejected woman
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#30
Critics Consensus: Earnestly performed if marred by clunky dialogue, It Ends With Us is surprisingly at its most graceful when handling the more provocative elements of its melodramatic source material.
Synopsis: IT ENDS WITH US, the first Colleen Hoover novel adapted for the big screen, tells the story of Lily Bloom,
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#31
Critics Consensus: Players proves Gina Rodriguez remains a thoroughly charming lead, even if those charms aren't quite enough to compensate for a frustratingly predictable plot.
Synopsis: New York sportswriter Mack (Gina Rodriguez) has spent years devising successful hook-up "plays" with best friend Adam (Damon Wayans Jr.)
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#32
Critics Consensus: An affectionate callback to classic horror comedies of the '80s, Lisa Frankenstein can be fun in its own right despite not quite measuring up to the movies it imitates.
Synopsis: A coming of RAGE love story from acclaimed writer Diablo Cody (Jennifer's Body) about a misunderstood teenager and her high
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#33
Critics Consensus: The Greatest Hits is built around a genuinely interesting idea, but it's lost in a shallow treatment that's too often content to rely on sentimentality.
Synopsis: Harriet (Lucy Boynton) finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time -- literally.
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#34
Critics Consensus: She Came to Me's uneasy blend of romantic comedy and drama proves frequently frustrating despite the story's admirable aims and strong work from an outrageously talented cast.
Synopsis: SHE CAME TO ME is a truly modern romantic comedy, a multi-generational love story set against the iconic backdrop of
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#35
Critics Consensus: While Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon work well together as catty combatants, tired set pieces and a misjudged romantic subplot make this an invitation you can file under "maybe."
Synopsis: When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, each bridal party is challenged with
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#36
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Based on the popular novel by #1 NY Times Bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, Someone Like You is an achingly beautiful
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#37
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After a failed comeback album, a rock star retreats to a cliffside home on Cyprus, only to find his new
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#38
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A bumbling young man meets the girl of his dreams.
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#39
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Lia, a tea shop owner, is gifted a prophecy that says she will meet her soul mate in five dates
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#40
Critics Consensus: With Lindsay Lohan in the lead, it almost doesn't matter that Irish Wish is a scattered collection of rom-com clichés.
Synopsis: When the love of her life gets engaged to her best friend, Maddie (Lindsay Lohan) puts her feelings aside to
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#41
Critics Consensus: Lonely Planet coasts by on the gravitational pull of its charming stars and setting, but a lack of real heat keeps this romantic drama curiously uninvolving.
Synopsis: A reclusive novelist arrives at a prestigious writer's retreat in Morocco, hoping the remote setting will unlock her writer's block.
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#42
Critics Consensus: Lindsay Lohan and Ian Harding try their best to elevate a tired script, but Our Little Secret is too clumsy for its screwball antics to land.
Synopsis: Two resentful exes are forced to spend Christmas under the same roof after discovering that their current partners are siblings.
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#43
Critics Consensus: Despite Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman's welcome return to rom-com territory, A Family Affair squabbles with its own tonality too much to elevate its litany of clichés.
Synopsis: A surprising romance kicks off comic consequences for a young woman, her mother and her movie star boss as they
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#44
Critics Consensus: Never achieving liftoff despite Emma Roberts' peppy performance, Space Cadet flunks out of the school of high-concept comedy.
Synopsis: Tiffany "Rex" Simpson (Emma Roberts) has always dreamed of going to space, but life isn't going quite as planned. Determined
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#45
Critics Consensus: Fitfully amusing and earnest without ever finding a comedic groove, Kinda Pregnant's best efforts can't overcome the issue that its story is kinda icky.
Synopsis: When Lainy's plan to settle down and start a family falls apart, she puts on a fake baby bump, tells
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#46
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Zach Braff, Vanessa Hudgens, and Evelyne Brochu star in this heartwarming romantic comedy. Gordon, a hopeless romantic, finds his proposal
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#47
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Noah and Nick's relationship seems unwavering despite their parents' attempts to separate them. Nick is willing to strengthen his relationship
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#48
Critics Consensus: A modern noir utterly lacking in intrigue, Killer Heat is disappointingly lukewarm.
Synopsis: A thrilling, contemporary mystery in classic noir style, Killer Heat follows private eye Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an American expat
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#49
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Keir Gilchrist, Lucy Hale, Francesca Eastwood and comic legend Jim Gaffigan star in a brilliantly quirky romantic comedy about celebrating
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#50
Critics Consensus: Mother of the Bride serves an oft-overlooked demographic and takes us to crystalline beaches before it ceremonially drowns in generic waters.
Synopsis: Lana's daughter Emma returns from abroad and drops a bombshell: she's getting married. In Thailand. In a month! Things only
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