Looking for a romance to get lost in? There are a lot to be found on Prime Video. Whether you’re after a good cry or something to give you that warm, fuzzy feeling, here are the best picks of the bunch, chosen by Jenna Guillaume.
Atonement (2007)
Watch on Prime VideoFeaturing stunning cinematography, glorious costumes and one of the best sex scenes in cinema history, director Joe Wright’s Atonement isn’t an easy watch, but it’s a memorable one. Set before, during and after World War II, and adapted from the popular Ian McEwan novel, Atonement is the tragic love story of heiress Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and son of the help Robbie (James McAvoy), whose lives are destroyed by a lie told by Cecilia’s sister Briony (Saoirse Ronan, also played by Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave at different stages in her life).
Baby Driver (2017)
Watch on Prime VideoWhatever your feelings on the cast (namely Kevin Spacey), there’s no denying Baby Driver is an incredible movie. The romance isn’t even the strongest element — although it is a strong one — and actually, the story overall is secondary to the visual and aural elements of the film. It’s stylish, colourful, and exhilarating, with incredibly choreographed car chases, and scenes synchronised beautifully to a stand-out soundtrack.
Becoming Jane (2007)
Watch on Prime VideoThere have been many adaptations of Jane Austen’s work over the years, but very few movies focused on the woman herself. This one sees Anne Hathaway play Austen, with James McAvoy as her love interest Thomas Langlois Lefroy. It’s more fiction than fact, but historical accuracy isn’t what you come to this kind of movie for.
Bridesmaids (2011)
Bridesmaids is more comedy than romantic comedy, but there is a very sweet romantic plot that makes it impossible not to include on this list. Ultimately, though, it’s about a woman’s journey to get her life together, and the complicated, beautiful friendships that exist in her orbit. Oh, and there’s a heavy dose of toilet humour.
Burlesque (2010)
Watch on Prime VideoNot a particularly good film by any stretch of the imagination, but a damn good time. Starring Cher, Christina Aguilera, Stanley Tucci, and Cam Gigandet, this is a campy musical set in a burlesque club about a small town girl who finds her voice on the stage. Perfect for switching your brain off for two hours.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
The romance in Cruel Intentions is toxic, but addictive, especially if you watched it for the first time as a teen and it’s all wrapped up in nostalgia. Starring the cream of the white, blonde, 90s teen star crop (although Sarah Michelle Gellar goes brunette here), the horny high school update of Dangerous Liaisons is angst-filled and iconic.
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Watch on Prime VideoThis is Hugh Grant at his MOST bumbling and floppy-haired, which means it’s also him at his most endearing. The Richard Curtis-penned movie sees Grant play Charles, who alongside his friends attends a series of events and goes on his own journey towards love after meeting an American named Carrie, played by Andie MacDowell.
The Holiday (2006)
Watch on Prime VideoNow this is where you turn when you need nothing but warm, lovely Christmassy cheer. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet play two strangers who swap homes for a much-needed break from their respective lives, each finding new love and a new lease on life along the way. Jude Law and Jack Black round out the cast, with Jude Law in particular at his most British, blue-eyed best.
His Girl Friday (1940)
Watch on Prime VideoCary Grant and Rosalind Russell star as an editor and journalist who were formerly married and who reconnect while investigating a big story involving a murderer. Known for its fast, snappy dialogue and screwball comedy, His Girl Friday is one of the most significant classic rom-coms and a must-watch for any romance fan.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)
Watch on Prime VideoThis is kind of like Groundhog Day for angsty teens. Mark (Kyle Allen) thinks he’s the only one experiencing the same day over and over again, caught in a time loop that’s slowly driving him mad, until he runs into Margaret (Kathryn Newton), who is experiencing it too — and who, unlike Mark, isn’t particularly keen for it to end. It’s a bit heavy-handed in its messaging at times, but it’s also a sweet teen romance that explores deeper topics like grief.
Shrek (2001)
The Disney princess movies might get all the attention when it comes to animated romances, but Shrek actually offers a touching love story about the importance of finding a “true love” who sees and appreciates you exactly as you are. When it was released, it was a refreshing antidote to the standard cheesy Disney fare, and if over the years it’s been memed into ridiculousness, it’s still a very funny and endearing movie.
Sylvie’s Love (2020)
Watch on Prime VideoThe kind of classic romance that’s about yearning and impossible choices and second chances; Sylvie’s Love is a sweet and tender movie starring Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Eva Longoria, and Regé-Jean Page. Thompson plays the titular Sylvie, who dreams of being a TV producer and falls for an up-and-coming jazz player despite being engaged to another man. As the years pass, she must navigate her conflicting dreams and responsibilities in her search for true love—and herself.
Valley Girl (1983)
Watch on Prime VideoAnother ‘80s escape, this time starring a young Nicholas Cage alongside Deborah Foreman. They play two teens from different crowds who fall in love. It’s an updated Romeo and Juliet with a much happier ending.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Watch on Prime VideoWritten by Nora Ephron, directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, with Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby in supporting roles, When Harry Met Sally is perhaps the best romantic comedy of all time. It tells an enemies-turned best friends-turned lovers story that’s smart, sensitive, incredibly funny, and features a love confession that puts just about every other movie to shame.
West Side Story (1961)
Watch on Prime VideoWest Side Story is far from a perfect movie and there are many aspects that haven’t aged well, but it’s still hard to resist revisiting this classic musical reimagining of Romeo and Juliet. It’s the combination of singing star-crossed lovers and violent rumbles that are actually carefully choreographed dance numbers that does it. That, and Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno.
