The best romance movies of the 1990s range from buoyant wedding comedies to brief encounters, period longing and love stories that refuse a conventional happy ending. This is an editorial selection, not an objective ranking: it weighs how central romance is, the range of tones and relationship outcomes, and the films’ distinctive settings and styles.
There is no definitive romance-only top 25 established by the British Film Institute’s decade list. The BFI says its selections were contributors’ favourites, not the result of a scientific method or a Sight & Sound poll. The list below is likewise a curated guide, arranged to make its variety easier to browse rather than to claim that one film is objectively better than another.
25 romance movies from the 1990s to watch
1. Before Sunrise (1995)
Richard Linklater’s Vienna-set film turns a chance meeting between Jesse and Céline into a night of conversation, attraction and uncertain possibility. Choose it for intimate, talk-driven romance rather than plot-heavy courtship. The BFI describes the film as a meditation on self-discovery, time and romantic fulfilment.
2. Chungking Express (1994)
Wong Kar-wai’s stylish portrait of urban loneliness follows two lovesick policemen and the very different women who enter their lives. Its romance is wistful and oblique, carried as much by mood and visual rhythm as by declarations.
#1 Best Overall
- Hallmark Channel 12Movie Romance Collection A Safari Romance
- Brand: Hallmark
3. The Piano (1993)
Jane Campion’s period drama follows a Scottish woman who arrives in mid-19th-century New Zealand for an arranged marriage and forms another, difficult intimacy. It is a powerful choice for viewers open to desire shaped by isolation, power and conflict.
4. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Mike Newell’s British comedy makes weddings the setting for an evolving romance, with Hugh Grant as a man repeatedly crossing paths with the same woman. It is a defining example of the decade’s wedding-comedy mode.
5. While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Jon Turteltaub’s mistaken-identity comedy builds its romance out of an improbable misunderstanding and the family life that grows around it. The farcical setup makes this a good pick for a lighter, plot-driven watch.
6. My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
P. J. Hogan’s comedy complicates the usual romantic-comedy finish: its central woman does not win the man she believes she wants, and the ending leaves her contentedly single. It is a smart choice for viewers who want romance without the expected couple-as-prize resolution.
7. Notting Hill (1999)
Roger Michell’s late-decade romance pairs an ordinary London bookseller with a world-famous American actor. Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts bring star power to a story about the pressures that fame places on private relationships.
Rank #2
- DVD
- Multiple Formats, Box set, Color
- English (Original Language)
- 4
8. Pretty Woman (1990)
Garry Marshall’s modern fairy tale turns an unlikely encounter between a wealthy businessman and a sex worker into a glossy, high-profile romance. Its heightened style makes it a useful counterpoint to the quieter, more realistic films on this list.
9. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Nora Ephron’s romantic comedy makes longing and distance its main ingredients: two people feel drawn toward each other before they truly meet. Watch it for a romance built on anticipation and the promise of connection.
10. Groundhog Day (1993)
Harold Ramis blends fantasy, comedy and romance in a story about a man trapped in a repeating day. The relationship matters, but so does the protagonist’s gradual change; its courtship works as part of a larger story about becoming a more generous person.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches11. The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Ang Lee’s comedy follows a Taiwanese-American man who enters a marriage of convenience to satisfy his parents, with complications that make the arrangement more than a simple cover story. It adds a family and cultural perspective distinct from the decade’s mainstream American romcoms.
12. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Ang Lee’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel is a period romance about two sisters navigating love, money and social constraint. Its appeal lies in contrasting romantic temperaments rather than treating courtship as a single, universal experience.
Rank #3
![Fifty Shades: 3-Movie Collection [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51lFfXPiYGL._SL160_.jpg)
- Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
- Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
- Number of discs: 3 / Rated: NR Not Rated / Run Time: 369 minutes
13. Emma (1996)
Douglas McGrath’s adaptation of Austen’s comedy follows a well-meaning matchmaker whose confidence in reading other people’s hearts exceeds her own self-knowledge. It is a witty choice for viewers who like romance shaped by mistaken assumptions and social observation.
14. The Age of Innocence (1993)
Martin Scorsese’s period drama follows desire constrained by social rules and obligation in 19th-century New York. Its restrained, melancholic approach offers a counterpoint to romances that resolve their tensions through open courtship.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
15. The English Patient (1996)
Anthony Minghella’s sweeping drama intertwines wartime experience with a passionate, doomed love affair. Choose it for expansive melodrama and romance whose consequences reach beyond the couple.
16. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Baz Luhrmann relocates Shakespeare’s tragedy to a stylised modern setting without changing its central story of young love divided by family conflict. Its vivid, heightened approach makes it the most operatic choice here.
17. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
John Madden’s period comedy imagines a romance entangled with the creation of a play. It combines theatrical invention and courtship, making it a lively pick for viewers who enjoy a love story with a playful relationship to literary history.
Rank #4
- Roadhouse Romance: Country music fan Callie is determined to continue her late grandfather's legacy. While TV director Luke is in town, he teaches her that sometimes it's best to look forward instead of back. Country At Heart: A struggling country singer meets a Nashville songwriter in need of inspiration. Teaming up to write a song, their work gets complicated but results in both a hit song...and true love. Big Sky River: Tara needs to go back to Parable, Montana, the place that made her the happiest, in order to move forward after a messy divorce. Her handsome neighbor presents an unexpected twist.
- A Summer Romance: Samantha’s Montana ranch is her family’s legacy, so when a developer, Richard, shows up to buy it, Sam isn’t interested. But as he tries to win her trust and her ranch, Sam finds he might also be winning her heart. Wedding at Graceland: When a spot opens up at Graceland Chapel, Laurel & Clay have only 3 weeks to plan their wedding. Their simple plans get all shook up as their very different families descend to help. Under the Autumn Moon: While visiting a dude ranch that her outdoor adventure company is considering buying, Alex discovers what matters most when she reignites her passion for the great outdoors.
18. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Cameron Crowe’s romantic drama places a relationship inside a story about ambition, work and personal reinvention. The romance is central, but it shares the film with the protagonist’s attempt to rebuild his career and sense of self.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
19. As Good as It Gets (1997)
James L. Brooks’s comedy-drama follows an abrasive novelist whose connection with a waitress develops alongside his efforts to change. It is an adult, imperfect romance rather than a story of effortless compatibility.
20. The Wedding Singer (1998)
Frank Coraci’s romantic comedy pairs a heartbroken wedding singer with a waitress who is herself engaged to someone else. Its 1980s setting and warm comic tone make it an easygoing choice for a romance built on friendship and mutual encouragement.
21. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Nora Ephron’s comedy gives its rivals-to-lovers story an anonymous online correspondence at its center. The contrast between private messages and public competition makes it a particularly late-1990s take on how people meet and misread one another.
22. Sliding Doors (1998)
Peter Howitt’s romantic drama uses parallel versions of one woman’s life to explore how small contingencies can alter relationships. Choose it for a love story with a speculative structure rather than a straightforward courtship.
Recommended Free Tools
Best Value
23. A Walk in the Clouds (1995)
Alfonso Arau’s period romance follows a returning serviceman who becomes entangled with a young woman and her family. Its lush, sentimental style suits viewers looking for a classic, earnest love story.
24. Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
Anthony Minghella’s British fantasy-drama begins with grief and imagines what happens when a bereaved woman’s lost partner returns. It treats romance as a bond that must change, not simply be restored.
25. Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s French adaptation of the classic romantic story is shaped by unspoken love, wit and self-sacrifice. It rounds out the list with a period romance whose central longing is not resolved through conventional mutual courtship.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose the right 1990s romance
Start with the emotional experience you want, not just the genre label. Romance in this decade could be comic, melancholy, tragic or mixed with fantasy and drama.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →- For conversation and romantic possibility: try Before Sunrise.
- For a stylish, bittersweet mood: try Chungking Express.
- For period desire and social constraint: try The Piano or The Age of Innocence.
- For a buoyant comedy: try Four Weddings and a Funeral, While You Were Sleeping or The Wedding Singer.
- For an ending outside the expected couple-finish: try My Best Friend’s Wedding.
- For romance crossed with another genre: try Groundhog Day, Sliding Doors or Truly, Madly, Deeply.
What makes a list of the decade’s best subjective
A list changes depending on whether it favours comic craft, emotional realism, visual style, cultural range or the impact of an ending. It also changes with its rules: limiting a list to one film per director, for example, would alter the choices. The BFI’s own 1990s selection openly describes itself as contributors’ favourites, not a scientific ranking. This guide takes the same transparent approach: it treats “best” as an editorial judgment and includes romance across several genres and emotional outcomes.
Viewing access is title- and territory-specific. The BFI’s 1990s collection page describes a subscription collection and references rental films, but that does not establish that any particular title is currently available in your country. Check the services available where you live for each film.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
