19 Movie romances that define what feeling in love feels like

Hollywood has glamorized love, and it has magnified the real emotion of love: falling in love- truly, madly, and deeply. The finest romances include the excitement of forging new attachments, the comfort of deep ties, and, of course, great losses: The best of these dramas sublime with the gentle, poetic conversations in Before Sunrise, as well as the agonizing nostalgia in In the Mood for Love. Whether passionate, complicated, or bittersweet, these 19 films perfectly depict what it feels like to love and be loved.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal opinion of the writer, that might or might not align with the thoughts of our readers. As we make an attempt to make all necessary fact checks, suggestions, and recommendations are most welcome.

1) Before Sunrise (1995)

Before Sunrise by Richard Linklater is the first in a trilogy chronicling the magic of a brief exchange. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) meet each other on a train in Europe. They spend one magical night in conversation. The charm of the film rests in the deep philosophical discussions it has concerning love, life, and fate. The connection they spark in that one night, encapsulates all the giddy excitement and innocence of a new and burgeoning love affair, leaving viewers to wonder whether such love can be defined by one single moment or whether it has to develop over time.

2) Before Sunset (2004)

Nine years later comes Before Sunset, the second installment in the trilogy. Jesse and Celine meet once again, older and wiser; and the film eloquently wrings out the passage of time and the heaviness of opportunities not taken. An emotional reunion charged with unresolved feelings; yet their exchanges remain palpably authentic as they recount the experiences they have had since they first met. The chemistry between Delpy and Hawke is really something else, and the reflective dialogue underlines how love can change and become quite different, which makes Before Sunset an evocative meditation on second chances.

3) Before Midnight (2013)

The last part of the trilogy, "Before Midnight," brings us face to face with the intricacies of a long-term relationship. Jesse and Celine, now a couple with family and kids, are battling for the tension between love and self-gratification. This part delves into the pangs of romance long after the flames of passion have cooled, addressing issues such as commitment, remorse, and compromise. It is an unsparing representation of love growing up from idealism to practicality but still full of tenderness. Linklater's trilogy stunningly depicts love's slow unraveling through the lens of everyday life and sustained emotional connection.

4) The Notebook (2004)

The Notebook, from Nicholas Sparks' book, is the eternal love story of Allie and Noah, whose love overcomes time and what society expects of them. The two fall in love during the summer of 1940s in North Carolina and are torn apart by circumstances. What makes the film so wonderful is the love theme that overcomes time and adversity to end in a reunion that will lead you to believe that true love is something that is worth fighting for.

5) Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice is a wonderful adaptation of Jane Austen's popular novel, with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy. The stars' chemistry is captured in a gradual build-up of romance that is developed through pride and misunderstandings. The gorgeous scenes and emotional depth give us a very unique presentation of how love can be built out of respect and self-improvement. The budding relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy teaches us that chemistry does not always equal love, but understanding and overcoming one's own flaws.

6) La La Land (2016)

Set in Los Angeles, Damien Chazelle's La La Land tells the story of two aspiring artists, Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), who meet and fall in love while struggling with success in their respective careers. Their path together represents the dichotomy between love and ambition and how sometimes pursuing individual dreams can drift apart people. La La Land is a bittersweet analysis of love showing how passion and dreams can seemingly coexist but that they may not lead to that fairy-tale ending we often expect.

7) Titanic (1997)

James Cameron's Titanic is considered one of the greatest love stories ever told. The forbidden love affair between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) evolves on a sinking ship through the chasms of class to prove that love can sprout even in the worst of tragedies. Their saga of all-consuming passion, loss, and sacrifice is grandiose and leads viewers to believe in the power of true love at first sight. The film also discusses the emotional impact of love that remains forever when Rose finally remembers Jack after his death.

8) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

This Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a love story one cannot simply understand. After a brutally sad and painful breakup, Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergo some sort of procedure to erase their memories of one another; and, in the end, this act only reminds them that they each still love the other. The movie combines romance with science fiction, illustrating that love can often shine through, even when it appears lost.

9) Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Call Me by Your Name is a luminescent experience describing a fleeting, passionate love affair between Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) within one summer in Italy, depictive of the rich depth of first love and the modalities in which this love shapes one into who they are. The film follows the arc of unexpressed desire and yearning built between characters much indicative of love, moving, transformative, and unforgettable. It enhances the context with visceral detail, embedding its effectiveness of emotion in the relationship, crafting an experience that hitches between timeless and touching.

10) Her (2013)

Spike Jonze's Her is an unorthodox yet profoundly touching inquiry into love in the age of digitization. Portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, it is about Theodore, a pretty lonely writer who has managed to engage himself emotionally with an AI operating system, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). The film encapsulates intimacy and longing, together with that eternal human need for closeness that invariably becomes muddied when the line between reality and artificial becomes blurry.

11) The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

Woven with some romance, The Fault in Our Stars featuring Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort) is taken from John Green's novel. The plot follows the two teen lovers suffering from terminal illnesses. It is a heartening tale peppered with funny moments, a testament to how love can blossom even in the darkest hours. The exploration of death through the film punctuates the whole short-lived fervent romance. The storyline turns their desolate situation into a meaningful journey, with love offering hope to fully live for the other.

12) Carol (2015)

Todd Haynes' Carol narrates the tale of a young woman Therese (Rooney Mara) who tumbles with a woman named Carol (Cate Blanchett). The 1950s present an interpretive frame in which love for one of the same s*x takes place against societal dictates in a time when that embrace was unpopular. The advantage has been summed up in a very palpable chemistry between both actresses as they try to navigate their love against the backdrop of societal judgment mingled with a very personal and recursive discovery of themselves.

13) A Star Is Born (2018)

A Star Is Born, directed by Bradley Cooper, stars Cooper and Lady Gaga as seasoned musicians who help a talented but struggling singer rise to fame. Their connection is characterized by the intense bonding of deep and irrevocable love and the consequent sacrifice inherent in love. Jackson (Cooper) champions Ally (Gaga) on her way to stardom, though his own career is in crisis from addiction. The movie is able to express the very strong emotion of their love and the harsh life experiences of fame.

14) Brokeback Mountain (2005)

An intricate depiction of love is traced in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, the foreground focusing on the saga of Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal), whose passionate union was formed during their days as cowboys back in the 1960s. Their love was charged but shrouded in secrecy and repression, owing to all the societal pressures that surrounded them. The film dwells upon contradictions: forbidden love and repressed inner struggles that are relatable to everyone, showing that love is an unparalleled ingredient in fashioning anybody's persona, irrespective of its manifestations.

15) 500 Days of Summer (2009)

500 Days of Summer adopts a nonlinear storyline: from the first meeting of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel), through all its setbacks, up to its end. In between the idealization and disillusionment, the film shows the relationship: its great moments, but mostly the disappointing ones. The film, through its unique narrative techniques and outstanding audio work, raises itself high through new outs in the exposure of heartaches and unrequited love.

16) Moonlight (2016)

The film Moonlight narrates the destiny of a young man, Chiron, and the phase towards which he finds his life taking as he grows, under consideration of his identity formation and acceptance of sexuality within the context of the age-old black boy-with-another-boy love. In different stages of his life, he faces several encounters with a particular person who becomes the subject of his romantic disposition, Kevin. Love that describes the intimacy and vulnerability of the proper relationship, has to be private for the lifetime of these two individuals.

17) Blue Valentine (2010)

Ultimately, Blue Valentine is a raw and emotional look at a relationship in the process of dying. Here we travel between the past and the present, showing the intense love between Dean and Cindy and their painful break. This film depicts the rosy, hopeful beginning contrasting them with the heartbreaking moments that follow soon after, never even coming to terms with love's complexities. The deep fondness of love gradually changes to painful distance, Blue Valentine offers a brutal analysis of the fragility of relationships and the memory that haunts emotional ties.

18) Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire tells about the stormy affair between the talented Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), a beautiful young woman whom Marianne is hired to paint. It is set in 18th-century France and delves beautifully into the themes of desire, memory, and the fleetingness of love. The crackling chemistry between the two women and the slow pacing of the film creates an intense closeness between them, and the result is one of overwhelming, constructive love and the strong impact that a brief but indelible love affair can bring about in a person's life.

19) In the Mood for Love (2000)

A drawing film that makes one feel like losing one's self, Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love is a tale of unaccomplished love between two adjoining souls, Su (Maggie Cheung) and Chow (Tony Leung), who discover that their spouses are having an affair. It is a superlative example of hunger and want, very beautifully enhanced by lush visual imagery and hauntingly beautiful sound. The performances are restrained but great, keeping the emotional tension in focus, in which rising love can thrive in the most subtle moments, and unspoken feelings can be born to leave one's mark.