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The Best Romance Movie

Last updated on August 12, 2019

We looked at the top 3 Romance Movies and dug through the reviews from 28 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Romance Movies.

Best Romance Movie

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Our Picks For The Top Romance Movies

Show Contents
Contents
  1. The Best Romance Movie
  2. 1. CBS Films The Words
  3. 2. Warner Bros. The Notebook
  4. 3. Cinedigm The Ultimate Gift
Our Take
Experts Included
Pros
Cons
  The Best Overall
  The Best Value
9.1
DWYM Score

CBS Films The Words

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CBS Films

The Words

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Overall Take

“The Words” by CBS Films is a cumulative narrative of multiple stories that connect to give the audience an out-of-the-box experience in the romance genre. Viewers will also find it thought-provoking and interesting how the characters develop through the movie. "The Words" provides a unique romance movie experience. Read More

Experts Included
DWYM Entertainment Experts plus Metacritic, Huff Post, The Washington Times, Screen Rant, Collider, Plugged In and 4 more. Along with user reviews from Amazon.
Pros
" The Words is a set of stories built around a series of moral choices that catch the unsuspecting characters by surprise."
Cons
"That said, it’s still largely an intellectual exercise, lacking in humor and oddly untethered to the realities of the literary world it’s trying to portray."
8.6
DWYM Score

Warner Bros. The Notebook

Warner Bros.

The Notebook

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Overall Take

“The Notebook” by Warner Bros. is such a moving romance drama that gets every viewer in the heart! It brings to light the real struggles that some must overcome in a relationship, especially as elderly couples. Making the passionate romance movie even better? The chemistry between the actors leaps off... Read More

Experts Included
DWYM Entertainment Experts plus Roger Ebert, Medium, Plugged In, Empire, Cinema Blend, Metacritic and 4 more. Along with user reviews from Amazon.
Pros
" The photography by Robert Fraisse is striking in its rich, saturated effects, from sea birds at sunset to a dilapidated mansion by candlelight to the texture of Southern summer streets. It makes the story seem more idealized; certainly the retirement..."
Cons
"The only reason the scene was in the flick was to kill off his best friend and grant Noah money from the G.I. Bill to buy a house. It was a wasted plot devise. Unfazed from the war, Noah only..."
8.3
DWYM Score

Cinedigm The Ultimate Gift

Cinedigm

The Ultimate Gift

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Overall Take

Experts Included
DWYM Entertainment Experts plus Metacritic, Plugged In, CBN, Spirituality and Practice, The Independent Critic, Crosswalk and 2 more. Along with user reviews from Amazon and Walmart.
Pros
" The film’s stars are perfectly cast, and the talented Breslin serves up another stunning performance. With a plot that could have easily become overly syrupy sweet, the film delicately balances edifying life lessons with touching emotional scenes."
Cons
""The Ultimate Gift" struggles to establish a consistent tone for its storyline or characters. At times, it feels as if we are watching a lighthearted romance. Other times, it feels as if are watching an inspirational journey. Still other times,..."
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10

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the romance movies available to purchase.
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Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

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28

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Metacritic, Plugged In, CBN, Spirituality and Practice, The Independent Critic.

97,665

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 3 Romance Movies and also dug through the reviews from 28 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Romance Movies.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in their category.

The Best Overall

CBS Films The Words

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Our Expert Score

8.0
10 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

7.2
77,898 user reviews

Our Take

“The Words” by CBS Films is a cumulative narrative of multiple stories that connect to give the audience an out-of-the-box experience in the romance genre. Viewers will also find it thought-provoking and interesting how the characters develop through the movie. "The Words" provides a unique romance movie experience.

What other experts liked

The Words is a set of stories built around a series of moral choices that catch the unsuspecting characters by surprise.
- Huff Post
November 7, 2012 | Full review
“The Words” is surprisingly kinetic, considering its reliance on meta-narrative devices and stories within
- The Washington Times
September 6, 2012 | Full review
The Words delivers on two out of the three narrative threads that it presents and offers a somewhat thought-provoking and evocative meditation on truth - especially for anyone with an appreciation for literary writing.
- Screen Rant
September 7, 2012 | Full review
The Words explores how this theft goes far beyond fame and fortune, and how our lives are no longer our own when we take credit for another’s work.
- Collider
January 27, 2012 | Full review
But there's a deeper message to the movie. It's not just words on the page that matter: The words we say or don't say, the decisions we make, they matter too.
- Plugged In
Full review
The entire young-lovers-in-Paris section may be a romantic cliché, but it's still lovingly done, as Barnes cuts a strong portrait of an aspiring artist, and the abrupt turn from youthful happiness to bitter despair is affectingly accomplished. Viewer sympathy naturally...
- The Hollywood Reporter
January 30, 2012 | Full review
Watching the movie, I enjoyed the settings, the periods and the acting.
- Roger Ebert
September 5, 2012 | Full review
The Words is a more human story about love, professional success, and the line between truth and fiction—themes that have universal appeal.
- Crosswalk
Full review
“The Words” is juicy, entertaining and thought-provoking. It manages to be literary and populist at the same time, in its story about the price of dreams and what any of us might be willing to do for love, success or...
- Hollywood and Fine
September 7, 2012 | Full review

What other experts didn't like

That said, it’s still largely an intellectual exercise, lacking in humor and oddly untethered to the realities of the literary world it’s trying to portray.
- The Washington Times
September 6, 2012 | Full review
only two of the three threads manage to present engrossing onscreen drama. The Hammond layer, which frames the subsequent storylines and casts doubt on potential connections, is wrought with preachy postulations about being an author - as well as a...
- Screen Rant
September 7, 2012 | Full review
I can't go so far as to say I cared about the story, particularly after it became clear that its structure was too clever by half.
- Roger Ebert
September 5, 2012 | Full review
But even with a likable cast, The Words feels like a long discussion without much takeaway value. It tries to deliver a moral about choosing real life over living a lie, but the point comes across as tepid rather than...
- Crosswalk
Full review

Overall Product Rankings

CBS Films The Words

1. CBS Films The Words
Overall Score: 9.1
Reviews Included: 12

Warner Bros. The Notebook

2. Warner Bros. The Notebook
Overall Score: 8.6
Reviews Included: 12

Cinedigm The Ultimate Gift

3. Cinedigm The Ultimate Gift
Overall Score: 8.3
Reviews Included: 10

Our Romance Movie Buying Guide

At the end of a long week, the best decompression is to cozy up on your couch and push play on an awesome romance movie. Unfortunately, there are so many romance movies that are just cheesy or are just plain boring. That’s why you should consider only the best romance movies as suggested by countless viewers. You will save time, and as a result, you will love the movie you choose.

What makes a great romance movie anyway? Although the genre has been around for so long, every generation seems to have a blockbuster movie that just touches countless souls. There are several things that all the best romance movies have as common denominators that make them out-of-this-world incredible. And you will know when you’ve found that perfect romance movie.

There are quite a few limitations placed on the romance movie genre, which makes it difficult for directors and actors to really impress their viewers. This calls for a very creative approach. With a bit of creativity, audiences will find that it isn’t just the same old story played by different actors. This could even mean a different angle of the same old love story, but with incredible details and imagination.

The characters must be likable. Whether they are witty, charming, sweet or funny, the characters should have something that diverges from the usual suspects of a romance movie.

Clichés in a romance movie can also be a huge turn-off. Directors try extremely hard to stay away from common romance scripts and scenes and put their best imagination towards spinning the scenes to an unexpected event.

Realistic plots are another must-have for a great romance movie. People want to be able to see the real reason for the attraction and the events unfolding in a somewhat natural way. This is another aspect that needs to reflect creativity from the directors. If the intriguing plot isn’t there, it is just on par with the other average romance movies.

One of the most notable characteristics of all the greatest romance movies is the chemistry between the actors. Audiences will always comment on the spark between the lead actors in a romance movie. That connection must be believable, or the movie won’t be as fun to watch.

An unexpected finale is something that tops off the most romantic of movies. So many times, in romance movies, the audience can predict the happily ever after ending. When a movie doesn’t have that predictable ending, you know you’ve happened upon a great romance movie.

With countless choices, you will surely find it hard to choose. There are several that stand out to audiences in particular. “A Walk To Remember” by Warner Bros. is definitely one for the records. This romance movie has all the elements to make it the best, including a beautiful ending that just tugs at the heart. Right alongside it, CBS Films delivered “The Words.” This romance movie gives the audience something to think about in the moral realm all while displaying well-developed and surprising characters.

At its heels stands the beloved Warner Bros. film, “The Notebook.” A whirlwind of emotions that are realistically portrayed, intense on-screen chemistry between the actors and an unexpected ending combine to give audiences one of the best romance movies of modern cinema.

Also suggested as one of the best romance movies is an Amazon Studios Original, “Life Itself.” This movie definitely gives audiences a roller coaster ride of emotions throughout the storyline. Any one of these flicks will give you a great romance movie experience.

DWYM Fun Fact

The very first romance movie ever created was only 18 seconds long and was called “The May Irwin Kiss.” This was made in the 1890’s in London and became movie of the year when it was released. Years later in the early 20th century, some of the best classic romance movies began to hit theaters in black and white and, eventually, color. There was “Casablanca” in 1942, “Gone With the Wind” in 1939, “The Philadelphia Story” in 1940, “Singing in the Rain” in 1952 quickly followed by “Roman Holiday” in 1953. Later on, audiences swooned over “An Affair to Remember” in 1957, “Grease” in 1978 and of course, “The Princess Bride” in 1987.

These classic romance movies are still touching audiences today with their incredible storylines and beautiful on-screen chemistry between the actors. There have been many notable romance actors and actresses throughout the ages, but none stand out so much as the Hepburn sisters, Katharine and Aubrey. Their acting was outstanding, and when they were paired with stunningly handsome actors such as Cary Grant, you couldn’t help but fall in love with the movies they starred in.

A few fun facts about other famous romance movies:

“Pretty Woman” by J.F. Lawton was originally scripted as a much more dramatic movie with a darker ending.

“Titanic’s” famous line, “I’m the king of the world!” was improvised, but the director kept it.

“The Princess Bride” was written in 1973 by William Goldman for his daughter.

“Ghost” proved be quite lucrative for Demi Moore, making her the highest-paid actress for her time.

“Sleepless in Seattle” coined the phrase “soup Nazi” two whole years before “Seinfeld” used it.

“The 40-Year-Old Virgin” required Steve Carell to lose 30 pounds for the role.

The Romance Movie Tips and Advice

  • Browse through different film production companies to find the best romance movies. Warner Bros., CBS Films and Amazon Studios are all great places to start.
  • Find a subgenre you love. There are drama romance movies, sci-fi romance movies, action romance movies, comedy romance movies and classic romance movies, among other varieties.
  • Be thoughtful of who you are watching the movie with. Some romance movies can hit home for some people. Others prefer to actively avoid the genre altogether.
  • There is an appropriate romance movie for every stage of your relationship (and every kind of relationship, even long-distance relationships) if you like watching them with your partner.
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About The Author

Genevieve Nino 

Genevieve Nino a professional writer located in the Topsail Island area of North Carolina. Her writing career started in 2014 as a travel writer. Since then, she has written in multiple niches including business reviews, parenting, hospitality and weddings. A few of the sites she has written for include Wedding Wire, The Knot, Go Banking Rates and Reservation Counter, just to name a few.