The 8 Best Romance Movies on movie.guru, Ranked

Ranked by movie.guru score, so the data did the picking. Some are swoony, some are messy, and one is technically about a divorce.

Number one predates color TV and still wins.

1. 8
   Cinema Paradiso (1988)9.3

   The real romance is a kid and a projection booth.

   Guru's Take is a 9.2, and IMDb says 8.5. The teen love story is fine. Alfredo and that little village projection booth are why you'll be a wreck.
2. 7
   Slumdog Millionaire (2008)9.3

   Pure momentum, and the romance is the engine.

   $378.4 million worldwide on a $15 million budget, and audiences rank it above 97% of notable movies. The camera never sits still, and the love story gives all that speed a reason.
3. 6
   Before Sunset (2004)9.4

   Proof that great dialogue beats any special effect.

   Critics rank it above 95% of notable movies, audiences 98%, on a $2 to $2.7 million budget. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy co-wrote it with Richard Linklater, and it plays like eavesdropping.
4. 5
   Gone with the Wind (1939)9.4

   Gorgeous and enormous, with a history problem it can't shake.

   Metacritic gives it a 97, and every frame is huge. Clark Gable is peak movie star. But it treats slavery as set dressing, and that's why Guru's Take is a 6.8.
5. 4
   Call Me by Your Name (2017)9.3

   So sun-soaked you'll want to move to Italy by the credits.

   Critics rank it above 97% of notable movies, and it made $73 million worldwide on a $3.5 million budget. First love, long lunches and one piano scene that says everything.
6. 3
   Marriage Story (2019)9.5

   A divorce movie on a romance list. It earned the spot.

   Critics rank it above 97% of notable movies, audiences 96%. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson clearly still care about each other while splitting up, and that's why it hurts.
7. 2
   Vertigo (1958)9.5

   The least healthy romance here, and the most gorgeous.

   Critics rank it above 96% of notable movies, audiences 99%. Bernard Herrmann's music does half the swooning, and James Stewart's romance turns controlling in ways that still feel uncomfortable.
8. 1
   Casablanca (1942)9.7

   The romance every other romance is still copying.

   99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 100 on Metacritic and a 9.6 Guru's Take. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman sell a whole lost love story in a few glances, and the plot hinges on paperwork.

$6,948 says you watch Marriage Story and then text your partner something weirdly nice.

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Current mood: ready to fight about it