The romance genre is one of the most popular in movies. As Professor John Keating (Robin Williams) says in one of the most iconic scenes in 'Dead Poets Society': "Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble careers and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love are things we live for."
What would we be without romance? As a narrative genre, it came even well before cinema, originating in literature and theater.
In fact, love is quite simply one of the most powerful and desired feelings in the human experience.
So it is no surprise that romantic movies, because of their ability to make us dream about it, are always among the most popular of all.
Romance movies usually focus on the love interest of the characters, and portray stories with emotion and passion. Many times it shows how the love between people follows tortuous paths, of many meetings and mismatches, until reaching the “happily ever after”.
Despite some clichés that the genre has, it continues to draw sighs from the audience. Those who watch it often already know: at some point, the main couple will discover that their destinies are somehow intertwined.
Keep reading to find out where to watch romance movies and don’t forget your tissues.
What are the characteristics of romance movies?
Romance is a genre of cinema that came from literature. The common story of this type of movie focuses mainly on the love relationship of the main characters and presupposes a happy ending.
Of course, until this ending several challenges are portrayed, such as the lack of courage to propose, seen in Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice', or the search for self-knowledge portrayed in 'Eat Pray Love', among other stories adapted from books.
Despite this, the characters usually learn a lot along the way, making friends, discovering who their real enemies are, and how true love can break down all barriers.
Some characteristics are quite common in movies of the romantic genre and usually appear in countless films. You have surely seen scenes with:
- Kissing in the rain;
- A couple running down the street, one towards the other;
- A first kiss that is about to happen, but is interrupted;
- Flashback scenes of the couple remembering special moments, hard to forget;
- A painful confession, such as a betrayal or the revelation of a secret.
These and others are part of the novel's own narrative mechanisms, creating the ideal setting to tell these stories.
In several moments this narrative also adds up with other genres, such as comedy, drama, action, musicals, among others.
How does romance blend with other genres?
Just as there are different ways to experience love, there are also different kinds of stories and different kinds of romantic movies.
Shakespearean tragedy (or its modernized version, 'Romeo + Juliet') is not the same as the comedic love plots of a young couple as in 'When Harry Met Sally’.
This is an example of a romantic comedy, and even within the subgenre different love experiences can be portrayed.
In adolescence, with the usual whirlwind of emotions that comes with it, romance can be a bit confusing and complicated, as seen in 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' (and even more so if the mix also includes the discovery of other sexual preferences, as in 'Call Me by Your Name').
Things change in maturity, which is demonstrated in 'Someone's Gotta Give in', starring veterans Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.
Of course, romance, like virtually any genre of narrative, tends to blend with others as it evolves.
If we add music, we have the classic romantic musical comedy 'West Side Story', or the more recent 'La La Land'.
And if we add fantasy or science fiction? We find proposals such as 'Love at Second Sight', 'A Ghost Story' or 'Your Name'. The latter is not only a juvenile romance, but is also an animation.
For those looking for films with a dramatic or tragic touch, one of the greatest of this sub-genre is 'Titanic', one of the most famous romantic films with more Academy Awards.
Have you seen the versatility of romance?
Where to watch romance movies?
In addition to the movie tips mentioned above, there are great romance movies to watch online on various platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and others.
See below the special lists that Filmelier has separated for those who are in search of a movie to enjoy for two or even alone:
Romance on Amazon Prime Video;
Romance movies to watch on Apple TV.
