Romance films are always a win in the movies. Whether you’re a romantic at heart or just in the mood for an emotional story to bring out the tear ducts, the best recent romantic films do an excellent job of delivering a story that is both heartwarming and inspiring. One of the greatest examples of old school romance on call is the classic ballad entitled meet me in St. Louis released in 1944 starring Judy Garland. Since then there have been several modern romantic movies with a traditional flair to them.
One such movie is the 2017 hit called The Big Sick. It stars Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan and tells the story of an immigrant love story in the midst of culture and family complications. Another example is La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone made in 2016, who fall in love in the city of stars and music. Both of these films offer unique perspectives in the romance genre and regardless of what your relationship status is, the main characters are sure to move your heart.
The newest addition to the romance genre is Long Shot starring Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. It is considered one of the best comedic romantic films of the year and takes a fresh look at the childhood friend that has grown up and moved on yet finds a second chance at love with their old friend. To round out the newest and best of romance films is the 2016 Oscar winning film, ‘The Notebook’ with actors Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. It follows an old school love story that moves through teenage angst and painful heartbreaks with a touching twist at the end.
Realistic Romance
The best recent romantic films like Silver Linings Playbook, Reality Bites and even Brokeba ck Mountain present a more realistic twist to the genre. Silver Linings Playbook follows two broken people trying to heal each other’s wounds in the most unexpected ways and walks away with several awards. Reality Bites from 1994 is a cult classic that follows a group of friends struggling with post-college life and the power of friendship and love.
Finally, Brokeback Mountain became one of the pioneer films to also touch on the idea of same-sex love in a time when there was no previously accepted norm of it. It is hard to watch but carries a powerful message of love and tragedy.
Rebooted Romance
Romantic films can also be a reboot of a classic story. An example of this is 2018 smash hit Crazy Rich Asians which takes the time-tested strategy of boy meets girl, boy loves girl, girl is too good for boy and spins it into a modern setting. It reeled in audiences aplenty and was touted for its representation of Asian cultures.
Another great film in this same thought is the 2002 classic Love Actually. It stars Hugh Grant, Sienna Guillory, Colin Firth, and Emma Thompson and has recently been remade as TV special from 2018. Love Actually is considered a rom-com masterpiece and did extremely well in the box office.
Finally, for those who want a more adult twist to their modern day romance can look to the 2018 release of Always Be My Maybe starring Ali Wong and Randall Park. It follows a romantic pair brought together by their respective struggles in life with a heavy dose of comedic elements.
