25 Best Romantic Movies From the 2000s To Watch (Again)

There is something about romantic movies that makes us watch them repeatedly. Is it the feeling they leave us with after seeing them, or is it the dreamlike setting and story we like? Is it sometimes the tears of sadness or joy we cry? Who knows. They can be dramas, comedies or even tragedies. And there are some very, very good among them. Let’s find out what are the best romantic movies from the 2000s.

The Holiday (2006)

We must admit that we often judge a movie by the cast list. And who wouldn’t think that a movie with Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz and Jack Black might be a huge success? Almost no one, and they wouldn’t be wrong. And we weren’t, since The Holiday has got it all. An interesting story that immediately catches our attention, the chemistry between the main actors, which is one of the best in romantic movies lately. There are also a few humoristic and a few tear-dropping scenes and two settings that blow our minds.

Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz are two women disappointed in men and love in general, and they think that there has come a time in their life for a serious change. Somehow they end up switching houses. Iris travels from beautiful and dreamy Surrey to hot and loud Los Angeles, and Amanda leaves her hectic wealthy lifestyle and welcomes a more modest but much more comfortable one. 

They meet two men who slowly become extremely important to them, and they start questioning their decisions, which include staying in a foreign country or going back to their previous, not so happy lives. A true feel-good romantic movie, one which you will watch more than once for sure.

Just Like Heaven (2005)

This romantic comedy is really an excellent choice if you want to watch something witty and cheerful. Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo make an unforgettable couple as Elizabeth and David. But this is definitely not a classical romantic movie, at least not from its beginning. Elizabeth is a doctor who gets into a car accident and David is a lonely landscape architect who moves into her apartment. 

Very soon, Elizabeth appears there in her spiritual amnesiac self and slowly begins to form an unusual relationship with David. From their initial verbal conflicts to a friendship that seems to be becoming more than that, David and Elizabeth begin to find clues to her identity and her story. 

The Proposal (2009)

This interesting romantic comedy might give you a few laughs and a good time. Sandra Bullock plays Margaret, an editor for a New York publishing company, a strict boss to her assistant Andrew. When she finds out that her U.S. visa is soon to expire and she will be transported to Canada, she plots a scheme to marry Andrew. He agrees, but on his own terms, which include promotion. 

And this is when comedy and romance start mixing, putting these two main characters into numerous funny situations which slowly start leading to much more than a mere quid pro quo deal. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds are a great match and a good choice for a movie of a sort.

The Notebook (2004)

One of the most famous romantic movies of all time, The Notebook immediately gained the status of a classic. It is one of the fewest book adaptations that are better than the book itself. Nicholas Sparks knows how to write romance, but this movie excels in many ways, making it unforgettable. Strong, powerful and heartbreaking, this romantic drama will bring tears to your eyes.

Noah and Allie met and fell in love when they were very young. But Noah was a poor young man and Allie a rich beauty, which made it difficult for them to stay together in the 1960s. They get separated due to their social differences, but life and love always find ways to bring people together. We follow their story full of misfortunes and missed opportunities and end up with a smile and tears at its very end. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams were born to play this couple.

Mamma Mia (2008)

This musical has been famous for almost ten years before it got its movie version. Based on the immortal songs by Abba, this is an extremely charming and typical feel-good romantic movie. We follow the story of young Sophie who lives with her mother on a beautiful Greek island. She is about to get married and wants to invite her estranged father to her wedding.

But she doesn’t know who her father is, the adventurous Bill, serious Sam, or clumsy and kind Harry. Her mum Donna wrote about all of them in the diary Sophie found. Sophie decided to invite all three of them which will lead to various funny situations and end up in a beautiful romantic confession of a strong and independent, but disappointed woman.

P.S. I Love You (2007)

One of the most famous novels got its adaptation in 2007. Some say the book is much better, but there are many who would argue. Nevertheless, it is one of the most beautiful love stories ever told. A young woman loses her husband to illness and is left with his last notes that she starts getting soon after his passing. He encourages her to go on with her life by giving her various assignments.

Holly is completely lost and unwilling to move on, but slowly she starts seeing the benefits of this connection between herself and her late husband Gerry. This is a story of love and loss, of finding yourself after feeling completely broken and hopeless. One more romantic movie with great casting, since Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler’s chemistry is palpable.

Me Before You (2009)

Jojo Moyes’s novel was a huge success, but the movie surpassed all expectations. A wonderful adaptation of one of the most memorable love stories of all time. Beautiful and devastating at the same time. With wonderful performances by Emilie Clarke as Lou Clark and Sam Claflin as Will Traynor. This unforgettable romantic tragedy introduces us to the witty Lou, who finally finds a job, this time as a caretaker.

She must spend time with Will, a young man in a wheelchair who keeps a heartbreaking secret from her. Lou is the only one who managed to stay with Will since he has a quick temper and doesn’t like company. There is a love story so strong here, but the truth behind it will leave you in tears.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Beautiful, weird and brilliant, this romantic movie will take you places you never thought about. It talks about erasing someone’s memory and forgetting about people they knew. Clementine decided to erase Joel from her memory which infuriated him and made him do the same.

But slowly, Joel starts to question his decisions and wants to reverse the process when he realizes that he actually forgets the love of his life. At times difficult to follow, this movie requires a lot of attention. Still, when you finally begin to match all the dots, you will find yourself with a revelation so big that you will immediately understand why this is one of the most memorable romantic movies ever. 

500 Days of Summer (2009)

Another quirky and witty romantic drama, pretty different from the rest, with great performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoey Deschanel. Tom Hansen is a hopeless romantic and he is convinced that Summer Finn is the love of his life. But Summer believes that there is always something in real life that will get in the way of their love.

Summer broke up with Tom after one year of knowing each other. Tom is devastated and wants to win her back, but needs to figure out how. He tells us their love story and we start to get to know Summer and all her crazy ways. 

Atonement (2007)

Another great book adaptation, this time as a mystery drama filled with emotions. Based on Ian McEwan’s novel, Atonement is a story of a young woman who loses the love of her life after her sister’s shocking confession. After too many years of being apart, Cecilia Tallis and Robbie Turner never laid eyes on each other again. Still, we learn everything about what happened through Cecilia’s sister Briony’s novel.

It is a form of atonement for what she committed so many years ago when she destroyed the lives of numerous people around her. This powerful and emotional romance leaves us breathless at the end when everything becomes clear and we realise that even young girls can be vengeful when they feel threatened. So many unforgettable performances have been given in this movie and Saoirse Ronan is the one who especially excelled as young Briony.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

This comedy is a great choice when you want something funny and witty, but at the same time emotional and romantic. Undoubtedly one of the biggest chemistry ever in a romance was between Kate Hudson as the quirky Andie and Matthew McConaughey as the heartbreaker Ben. There is electricity around them, both when they can’t stand each other and when they can’t be one without the other. It gives so much more to this movie.

Andie makes a deal with her boss that she will force a guy to break up with her in 10 days, and Ben makes a bet with his best friends that he will make a girl fall in love with him in 10 days. And the game begins when they stumble upon each other. Coincidence? Maybe. This is a true romantic comedy, with many laughs and beautiful emotional scenes you will definitely watch again.

Moulin Rouge (2001)

An unforgettable love story set in a historic period when Moulin Rouge was one of the most frequented Parisian nightclubs. Christian is a poor Bohemian poet who falls in love with the club’s most famous courtesan, Satine. He meets her when he comes to present his new play, but she is already promised to a wealthy duke who needs to be charmed to give money for the show.

The show is on and Satine and Christian start falling in love during rehearsals, but they need to hide their love from the jealous duke. We are witnessing one of the most beautiful love stories ever through beautiful songs and dances and finally arrive at the show premiere where many things become revealed, one known and one hidden as a secret. And we can’t hide our tears in the end. 

It is essential for a romantic movie to have chemistry between its main protagonists and Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor showed what an unforgettable love couple looks like.

Stardust (2007)

First and foremost a wonderful fantasy adventure and then a romance, Stardust will take you places you never thought you’d see. After a star falls near his village, a young man promises his beloved one that he will bring her this star as a sign of his love. But this is not an ordinary star. It is in the form of a beautiful girl Yvaine who is on the run from three hideous witches and the son of a dead king of Stormhold who are in search of her, as well.

Tristan finds the girl and accepts to hide her from them and on this journey, he will realise what the meaning of true love is. But does it always come with a happy ending?

Chocolat (2000)

This unusual story is much more than just a romance. It is a story about friendship and new chances and what life brings us on its way. Vianne travels with her daughter Anouk, obviously running away from something or someone and decides to settle in a small provincial town in the hills of Dijon, France. She completely changes the atmosphere and the whole vibe of this town. 

Along the way, she meets a mysterious man who she starts having feelings for. This is everything but a traditional romantic movie, but together with all the dramatic situations that are happening here, we can still recognise this romantic note, stronger than in many other movies.

Amelie (2001)

One of the most unusual romantic stories ever told. Amelie is a peculiar young woman who accidentally finds a set of photos of a young man and decides to return them to him. She begins to send him puzzles and notes about where to find her in the big city of Paris. Slowly, she starts falling in love with him and fantasises about his returned feelings.

Audrey Tautou is brilliant as this weird, but a special girl who wants to be loved and accepted. Amelie is a romance unlike any other. It shows the power of attraction and explains that there is someone for everyone and that this someone will eventually come, one way or another.

Love Actually (2003)

Love Actually tells us that love is all around. It can be between friends or neighbours, old and young and it can arise in different places, under various circumstances. We follow many characters with their own personal issues, all of them connected in a certain way. And all of them are in search of all, some of them don’t even know it, until it knocks on their door.

There is a cheated husband who finds peace and romance in his French vacation home, a secretary who falls for the Prime minister, a young pair who films a porn movie and many more. It is one of the most beautiful and famous romantic movies of the 2000s. Filled with laughter and tears and beautiful messages, it shows that love can be found after many troubles and during the most difficult life situations.

Before Sunset (2004)

Before Sunset is a sequel to the even more famous and beautiful Before Sunrise. Nine years after Jesse and Celine first met in Vienna, once again we follow their conversations about love, philosophy and the meaning of life. This time they meet in Paris where they continue their specific dialogues as if they haven’t been separated for such a long time period.

This Richard Linklater’s trilogy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight) is a very realistic portrait of young people and later on a mature couple who deal with all the problems that a pair might encounter in their relationship. Even though it is not a classic romantic movie, it is one of the most unforgettable and beautiful love stories ever on screen.

Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)

Actually a very realistic romantic comedy, told through numerous funny and memorable situations, through the eyes of an unsatisfied woman who tries to find love. Bridget Jones’ Diary was a very successful novel which very soon got its movie adaptation. It is a story of an average woman who is struggling with her age, weight, job and lack of man and who decides to change her life.

In this year of change she is going to write a diary with everything that happens to her. No lies, only truth. She will find herself between two men, her eccentric, egoistic boss Daniel and a shy, but lovely family friend Mark Darcy and will have to decide in which direction her romance life should start developing.

A Walk to Remember (2002)

Another Nicholas Sparks’ adaptation and once again a heartbreaking romantic story that will break your heart, but you will want to watch over and over again. Landon Carter gets into trouble and is sentenced to community service where he meets the ambitious reverend’s daughter Jamie Sullivan. Soon this unusual pair starts having feelings for each other, to much surprise from her family and his friends.

But there is a sad secret Jamie is hiding and after Jamie finds out the truth, this young love couple will have to face decisions that no teens should ever go through. This beautiful movie brings us one of the most unforgettable love stories ever told.

Jeux d’Enfants (Love Me If You Dare, 2003)

This romantic comedy drama introduces us to a couple of friends who begin playing a game of dares as children which only grows more engaging as they grow older. Their dares start getting more complicated, especially when they begin to realise that there is something more between them than just friendship. But they don’t want to admit it and end up with different people, married, with kids.

They grow apart, but after 10 years of estrangement, Sophie decided to send Julien a message informing him that the dares are back on. They finally reunite, but there are many obstacles in their way and we will have to witness two alternate endings to their romantic story, hopefully at least one in favour of their destiny as a couple.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

A romance classic, a comedy which will bring tears in your eyes, but from laughing. A true feel-good movie, a safe choice when you want romance, but no tears, no disappointments and anticipations if something bad is going to happen. Toula is a 30 years old woman who lives with her Greek family in Chicago. She works in their family restaurant and constantly has to listen to her father’s complaints since she is still unmarried. And everything he wants is for her to find a good Greek man who will take care of her.

But Toula wants more, she wants education and life free from expectations related to her family heritage and culture. She meets Ian Miller, an English teacher who soon falls madly in love with her. They decide to marry, but Ian is non-Greek and this will cause various problems with her traditional family and force Toula to accept herself and respect her own wishes.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

This romantic comedy proves that there is always a silver lining, even when a big love story goes really bad or when you least expect it. Or both almost at the same time. Peter is devastated after his famous girlfriend breaks up with him so he decides to spend some time away from everything that reminds him of her. He travels to Hawaii and encounters his ex, Sarah Marshall, with her new boyfriend, an obnoxious and arrogant English rocker.

Peter doesn’t know what to do, he is constantly reminded of the hard time he is having, since Sarah and Aldous don’t hide their passion from anyone. But there is hope and romance lurking here. Peter meets Rachl, a cute hotel receptionist who happens to be in the right place at the right time. But what is going to happen when Sarah begins to realise that Peter is so much better than Aldous?

Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement, 2004)

This romantic war-drama mystery tells a story of five French soldiers who are convicted of self-mutilation so they could escape military service during World War I. Although it seems that all of them have been killed, Mathilde, the fiancee of one of the soldiers refuses to deal with this fact. She begins to find and reveal clues about what actually happened on the battlefield. 

Along the way, she discovers many secrets and the corrupt system used by the French government to deal with the ones who want to leave the front. And we witness the strength and love of a young woman who doesn’t want to accept what others tell her and truly believes that she will be reunited with her long lost love.

13 Going on 30 (2004)

This is one of the most memorable typical romantic movies of the 2000s. We have a nerdy girl and her best friend Matt who is secretly in love with her. They are thirteen and she is everything but aware of his feelings. Jenna Rink wants to be popular, but it is not that simple. When she makes a wish after a big humiliation at her 13th birthday party, she wakes up the next day in the body of a 30 year old successful woman.

Jenna is popular, has many friends, but it seems that Matt isn’t a part of her life anymore. Who is she now? What did she become and why is Matt completely ignoring her? We will witness this woman’s growth and transformation and hope for the ending where everything will go back to what it was 17 years ago. Once again, there is great chemistry between the two main protagonists. Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo are excellent as two completely different individuals who have more in common than they would think at first.

Serendipity (2001)

What happens when you are meant to be with someone but the time is not right? Jonathan and Sara met while shopping for their lovers, but they completely hit it off and this night turned into romance. Jon wanted to continue this affair, but Sara was reluctant to try so they decided to split up and see if destiny will put them back together.

Many years later, they are both to get married, but they are still thinking about each other and decide to test destiny and give their romance a go. There will be numerous almost encounters and various confusions, but fate will have its final word in this cure romantic story about love and second chances.