Best-Reviewed Romance Movies 2016

Passion, longing, and heartbreak are familiar themes, but these films prove it’s still possible to spin engaging love stories from fresh perspectives.

The order of the list reflects the scores as of December 31, 2016, but the number displayed on the Adjusted Tomatometer may change as more reviews keep getting added after the end of the year.

#1

Southside With You (2016)
92%

#1

Critics Consensus: Southside With You looks back on a fateful real-life date with strong performances and engaging dialogue, adding up to a romance that makes for a pretty good date movie in its own right.

Synopsis: Future U.S. President Barack Obama (Parker Sawyers) and lawyer Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter) go on a fateful first date in [More]

Starring: Tika Sumpter, Parker Sawyers, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Jerod Haynes

Directed By: Richard Tanne

#2

Maggie's Plan (2015)
86%

#2

Critics Consensus: With a typically absorbing performance from Greta Gerwig leading the way, Maggie's Plan gives rom-com sensibilities a smart, subversive twist.

Synopsis: A woman (Greta Gerwig) falls in love with a married man (Ethan Hawke), then devises a strategy to reunite him [More]

Starring: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader

Directed By: Rebecca Miller

#3

Sunset Song (2015)
81%

#3

Critics Consensus: Achingly lovely on both visual and narrative grounds, Sunset Song adds another small gem to writer-director Terence Davies' filmography.

Synopsis: With World War I brewing and her family scattered across the countryside, a Scottish farm girl struggles to find her [More]

Starring: Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan, Kevin Guthrie, Jack Greenlees

Directed By: Terence Davies

#4

Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)
78%

#4

Critics Consensus: Bridget Jones's Baby might be late on arrival, but fans of the series should still find its third installment a bouncing bundle of joy.

Synopsis: Breaking up with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) leaves Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) over 40 and single again. Feeling that she [More]

Starring: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Emma Thompson

Directed By: Sharon Maguire

#5

Café Society (2016)
71%

#5

Critics Consensus: Café Society's lovely visuals and charming performances round out a lightweight late-period Allen comedy whose genuine pleasures offset its amiable predictability.

Synopsis: Looking for an exciting career, young Bobby Dorfman leaves New York for the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood. After [More]

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, Blake Lively

Directed By: Woody Allen