There are a lot of Christmas-themed romance movies on Netflix right now, including Lindsay Lohan’s latest film, Our Little Secret. That flick has landed on the list of the most popular movies on Netflix, but it doesn’t really belong on our list of the best romance movies on Netflix right now.
Instead, we’re going with The Notebook and The Sweetest Thing. But don’t wait too long to catch those, as both films will be leaving Netflix on December 31. You can catch those titles, as well as the rom-com adventure The Lost City, in our complete list of the best romance movies on Netflix below.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
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The Notebook2004 -
The Sweetest Thing2002
The Notebook (2004)
53%
7.8/10Director Nick Cassavetes’ adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook turned 20 in 2024, and it remains one of the most popular romantic dramas of its era. The story begins before the outbreak of World War II, as Noah Calhoun (Barbie‘s Ryan Gosling) meets Allison “Allie” Hamilton (Rachel McAdams), a young woman from a very affluent family.
Allie’s mother, Anne Hamilton (Joan Allen), is adamantly opposed to her relationship with Noah, and she helps drive a wedge between them. Not even the outbreak of war or the intervening years can keep the lovers away from each other forever. Screen legends James Garner and Gena Rowlands also appear in this film’s bookends, as they get to contribute to one more romance film in their storied careers.
The Sweetest Thing (2002)
32%
5.2/10The Sweetest Thing focuses on a trio of women — Christina Walters (Cameron Diaz), Courtney Rockcliffe (Christina Applegate), and their newly single friend, Jane Burns (Selma Blair). Christina has a reputation around San Francisco as someone who uses and discards the men she dates, and that leads Peter Donahue (Thomas Jane) to tell her off near the beginning of the film.
Rather than being repulsed by Peter’s outburst, Christina finds herself drawn to him as they keep running into each other’s social circles. Christina and Courtney impulsively decide to crash the wedding of Peter’s brother so the former can reconnect with him. But they go through a series of misadventures along the way, and Christina may not like what she finds when she finally arrives at her destination.
Hot Frosty (2024)
52%
5.8/10Hot Frosty is a modern Christmas fairy tale by way of a romantic comedy. The title refers to Jack (Dustin Milligan), a literal snowman who comes to life after a chance encounter with a widow, Kathy Barrett (Lacey Chabert).
The hilarious thing about this movie is that everyone who learns about Jack’s secret as a snowman just rolls with it. Kathy doesn’t know what to think at first, but she’s won over by his charms and his willingness to help others. Sheriff Nathaniel Hunter (Craig Robinson) keeps looking for Jack because he believes the snowman is a thief, but everyone else Jack encounters sees his inherent goodness. Kathy is scared of losing Jack if his temperature gets too high, and there may not be a future for them if he’s destined to melt at the end of winter.
The Lost City (2022)
62%
6.1/10Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock headline an action rom-com in The Lost City. Tatum plays Alan Caprison, a cover model who has become a minor celebrity because he often appears on the covers of the bestselling adventure books by Loretta Sage (Bullock). He’s also hopelessly in love with her, while Loretta is still mourning her late husband and not willing to move on.
Loretta doesn’t get much of a choice when she meets Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a billionaire obsessed with her previous work as an archeologist. Fairfax is so convinced that Loretta can decipher the messages in a recently discovered lost city that he has her kidnapped. Alan witnesses this misdeed and seizes his chance to become a hero by saving Loretta. Someone should have told Alan that being a hero isn’t as easy as it looks. But at least he’ll get to spend some quality time with Loretta while they’re running for their lives.
Lonely Planet (2024)
46%
5.8/10Morocco is the setting of Lonely Planet, which shares its title with a series of popular travel guides. Laura Dern stars as Katherine Loewe, a writer who is going through a tough breakup when she attends a writers retreat in that country. That’s where she runs into Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth), a much younger man who is dating one of the other writers, Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers).
As the retreat continues, Lily emotionally pushes Owen away, while he forms a bond with Katherine. The sparks will fly as both Katherine and Owen realize they have little to lose by pursuing each other.
Girl Haunts Boy (2024)
6.4/10A Family Affair (2024)
43%
5.3/10Joey King’s Zara Ford is between a rock and a hard place in A Family Affair. She’s an assistant to a successful actor, Chris Cole (Zac Efron), and she’s completely exasperated by his flakey ways and his womanizing habits. So you can imagine how she’ll react when Chris starts a romance with her mother, Brooke Harwood (Nicole Kidman).
Zara is absolutely convinced that Chris will break her mother’s heart, just as he’s done many times before to other women. But there doesn’t seem to be anything she can do to keep these two apart, especially since Brooke’s romance with Chris is lifting her spirits in ways that Zara hasn’t seen in years.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
45%
7.5/10There’s more to Legends of the Fall than just romance, but affairs of the heart are a big part of this epic Western. This was one of Brad Pitt’s breakout roles in the 1990s, and his character, Tristan Ludlow, is the central focus of the film. In the last days of the Old West, Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) brings his sons — Tristan, Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and Samuel (Henry Thomas) — with him to Montana so they can get a fresh start on an expansive ranch.
Susannah Fincannon (Julia Ormond) is the woman who inadvertently gets between the Ludlow brothers. She’s attracted to Tristan, but she also loves Samuel. Even Alfred comes to have feelings for Susannah. But hearts are made to be broken in this tale, and it doesn’t go in the direction that you might expect.
Anyone But You (2023)
52%
6.2/10Thanks to Anyone but You, Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney are the breakout stars of 2024. And it was a rom-com that helped launch them to the stratosphere. Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) start off the movie hot with an instant love connection. Their relationship quickly goes south over some miscommunication that leaves both blaming each other.
Less than a year later, Bea and Ben are reunited as guests for a destination wedding, and their distaste for each other is apparent. The only reason why they agree to pretend to be getting back together is to make Glen’s ex-girlfriend, Margaret (Charlee Fraser), jealous, and to keep Bea’s parents from pressuring her to reunite with her ex-fiancé, Jonathan (Darren Barnet). But as in all rom-coms, Bea and Ben’s renewed proximity means that sparks are going to fly.
All the Bright Places (2020)
61%
6.6/10Get ready for a tearjerker with All the Bright Places. Jennifer Niven co-wrote the adaptation of her own novel, which features Elle Fanning as Violet Markey. One year after the death of her sister, Violet seemingly contemplates suicide before Theodore “Theo” Finch (Dungeons & Dragons star Justice Smith) successfully talks her down and befriends her.
Over time, Theo and Violet become close even though their relationship causes some friction with her parents. However, Theo has some very serious emotional demons to face, and not even his connection to Violet may be enough to pull him back from the brink.
I Love Lizzy (2023)
6.4/10I Love Lizzy follows Jeff (Carlo Aquino), a young man who is on the verge of becoming a priest. While on vacation in the Philippines, Jeff becomes instantly attracted to his tour guide, Lizzy (Barbie Imperial); they soon open up to each other and share a bond.
This forces Jeff to question whether he is truly ready to become a priest or is willing to turn his back on that in the hope of finding a lasting love with Lizzy. However, Lizzy’s emotional baggage leads to tragedy, forcing Jeff to reevaluate his choices once again.
Love at First Sight (2023)
55%
6.8/10Love At First Sight is a bit of a misnomer, because Hadley Sullivan (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver Jones (Ben Hardy) don’t fall head over heels in love just because they’re two incredibly attractive people. Although that certainly had to have helped things along. Instead, Hadley and Oliver briefly meet at the airport before sitting next to each other on a long flight to England. And during the flight, they form a bond that surprises both of them.
Their connection is so strong that Hadley makes the decision to pursue Oliver even though they both have family drama that they need to face before they can determine if they can make a relationship between them into a reality.
The Noel Diary (2022)
63%
6.1/10Although it may be implied by the title, The Noel Diary is not a movie about the famous Christmas carol, The First Noel. Instead, it’s a literal diary by Noel Ellis (Essence Atkins), a woman who is unknowingly the common factor connecting Jake Turner (Justin Hartley) and Rachel Campbell (Barrett Doss).
Jake is back in his hometown to handle his late mother’s estate when he meets Rachel, a woman who is looking for Noel, the woman who may be her birth mother. Because Noel was once Jake’s nanny, he realizes that his estranged father, Scott Turner (James Remar), may have answers. And as Jake helps Rachel find what she’s looking for, they may find something even greater together.
Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction (2023)
The title character of Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction is played by Alice Bier Zanden, and she seems to be completely immune to the charms of a painter, Cazotte (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard). Cazotte is so eager to win Ehrengard’s heart that he agrees to help the Grand Duchess (Sidse Babett Knudsen) by giving her son, Prince Lothar (Emil Aron Dorph), some pointers on seducing women so he can have an heir.
Unfortunately for Cazotte, Lothar is a quick study. That leads to all sorts of problems for the royal family. And Ehrengard remains frustratingly out of Cazotte’s reach and in the arms of another man.
No Limit (2022)
5.8/10Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2022)
54%
5.1/10It feels like you need to take a deep breath before saying the name Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between. In this Netflix Original movie, Talia Ryder stars as Clare, a high school senior who has had a difficult time connecting with anyone because her family constantly moves. Enter Aidan (Jordan Fisher), a teenager who breaks through Clare’s emotional barriers.
To convince Clare to give romance a chance, Aidan proposes that they set an end date for their relationship with an epic final date. But when the date finally arrives, Clare has to wonder if Aidan’s elaborate plans are really meant to keep them together.
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
67%
6.6/10For the better part of a century, D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover has been adapted again and again for film, television, and even radio. Netflix’s movie is the latest adaptation, and it features Emma Corrin in the title role of Constance “Connie” Reid, the wife of Matthew Duckett’s Sir Clifford Chatterley.
When Clifford returns home from World War I as a paraplegic, the passion goes out of his marriage with Connie despite her best efforts. But when Connie begins a torrid affair with a gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors (Jack O’Connell), it may cost Lady Chatterley her title, her wealth, and even her husband.
Faraway (2023)
Sometimes, you just need a break from life. When her mother passes away and her husband doesn’t show up to the funeral, it’s the last straw for Zeynep (Naomi Krauss). She’s already dealing with stress at work, an aging father at home, a husband who is clearly too preoccupied with his job for her, and a typical closed off teenage daughter.
So, she takes things into her own hands and decides to drive off to a home in Croatia that her mother bought before her death. But when she arrives, the owner of the villa Josip (Goran Bogdan) is still living there. This could pose a problem, or could it? Faraway is a romantic drama with elements of comedy and feel-good heartwarming moments that fans have likened to movies like Mamma Mia.
Most Eligible Bachelor (2021)
6.1/10Along for the Ride (2022)
Phantom Thread (2017)
90%
7.5/10A Christmas Prince (2017)
66%
5.8/10Malcolm & Marie (2021)
53%
6.7/10To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
64%
7.1/10To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
54%
6.0/10To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
65%
6.3/10The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
65%
7.4/10Marriage Story (2019)
94%
7.9/10Always Be My Maybe (2019)
64%
6.8/10Someone Great (2019)
63%
6.2/10Set It Up (2018)
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
72%
6.5/10Nappily Ever After (2018)
63%
6.4/10Related topics: Netflix | Hulu | Amazon Prime | More streaming services
