The 10 Best Drama Romance Movies to Fall In Love With

These movies put stars in our eyes.

an affair to remember, a drama romance movie
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  • Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

Any romance lover knows that you need different kinds of romance to keep you fulfilled. Sometimes that means queueing up a lighthearted, cheesy romance movie; sometimes it means a nostalgic romance from the 80s; sometimes it means crossing a classic romance you've been meaning to watch off your list. And sometimes, it means an epic, dramatic romance that completely sweeps you off your feet. Below are ten of our favorite drama romance movies that do just that.

Titanic

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  • Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

It's incredibly long. We all know the ending. And despite the infamous door scene (and the fact that "My Heart Will Go On" will be stuck in your head for days afterward), Titanic remains one of the best drama romance movies ever made. It's the classic tale of a rich girl falling for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and it gets us every time. 

Casablanca

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  • Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

A romance movie that belongs on everyone's bucket list, Casablanca is the classic Humphrey Bogart film made and set during World War II. Rick is an American expat who runs into his former flame, Ilse (Ingrid Bergman). He can try to win her back, or help her and her husband, a Czech resistance leader, escape the city and continue their fight against the Germans.

Brokeback Mountain

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  • Photo Credit: Focus Features

The first mainstream gay romance film, Brokeback Mountain tells the heartbreaking story of the love shared between Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal). Set in 1950s Wyoming, Ennis and Jack find themselves unable to stay away from each other, though they know society would never let them live peacefully together. Both marry others, yet continue to yearn for something their wives cannot give them.

Related: 10 Historical Romance Movies to Sweep You Off Your Feet

Like Water for Chocolate

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  • Photo Credit: Miramax

Based on the bestselling book of the same name, this story follows Tita, a Mexican woman who uses cooking to express her feelings. As the last child of the family, she is forbidden to marry so that she may take care of their mother when she ages. Filled with touches of magical realism and lots of romance, it's well worth watching—and reading.

Bridges of Madison County

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Starring two titans of the film industry, Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, this film is based on one of the bestselling novels of the 20th century. Set in Iowa in the 1960s, Francesca (Streep) is an Italian war bride. While her husband and children are visiting the state fair, she meets a photojournalist (Eastwood) who is in town to take pictures of their historic covered bridges. The two are immediately drawn together and have a passionate four-day affair, leaving Francesca to decide whether or not she can uproot her life for Robert.

In the Mood for Love

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Set in 1962 Hong Kong, this famous film follows Su Li-zhen and her neighbor, Mr. Chow. Both are married—and both know that their spouses are having affairs. Despite the attraction that grows between the two neighbors, they refuse to stoop to their spouses' level. Watch for the unbelievable tension between the two leads—and for Su's impeccable dresses.

Carol

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  • Photo Credit: The Weinstein Company

Another movie based on a book (Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt), this story is famous for being one of the first LGBT romances with a happy ending. 

Set in New York City during the 1950s, Cate Blanchett plays the eponymous Carol, a well-off woman going through a difficult divorce. She meets Therese (Rooney Mara), an aspiring photographer working at a department store, while buying a gift for her daughter. When Carol forgets her gloves at the store, Therese mails them to her—and so their romance begins.

Related: The 9 Best Lesbian and Gay Romance Movies to Stream Right Now

The Way We Were

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  • Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures

It's difficult to pick just one Barbra Streisand movie for this list (A Star Is Born, Funny Girl, and even The Mirror Has Two Faces all have special places in our hearts). But The Way We Were stands out because of the chemistry between her and Robert Redford. The story follows the two from the time they meet in college. Though they can't agree on anything politically, they can't help but fall for one another.

If Beale Street Could Talk

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  • Photo Credit: Mirror Releasing

Based on the James Baldwin novel of the same name, this 2018 film was lauded for its lush cinematography and beautiful acting. Set in 1970s New York, Tish and Fonny face various hurdles as a Black couple, but nothing tests their love as much as an accusation of rape against Fonny. Though Fonny isn't guilty, a racist officer with a vendetta has stacked the case against him.

An Affair to Remember

An Affair to Remember
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  • Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

Featuring two of Hollywood's most iconic Golden Age actors, Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, this is rightfully considered one of the most romantic films of all time. Grant plays Nickie, a well-known playboy, who meets Terry (Kerr) aboard a transatlantic ship from Europe to New York. The two fall for one another, and decide to meet at the top of the Empire State Building in six months if they want to make a go of it—but fate has other plans.

Keep Reading: 10 Military Romance Movies to Sweep You Off Your Feet

Featured still from An Affair to Remember via 20th Century Fox