A FEW OF THE MORE UNDERRATED ROMANCE MOVIES
When it comes to movies and tagging them as underrated or popular, sometimes this can be subjective. But I think we can safely tag something underrated when we don’t find much pop culture coverage of the film, or we don’t see many callouts for a film on other editorial features or lists. Keeping this all in mind, we’re collecting some of the movies we’re going to tag with the underrated romance category. Most of these probably won’t be a straight up romantic comedy, but there will certainly be romance in the scripts.
RELATED LIST | 10 THINGS TO WATCH LIKE ‘BRIDGERTON’
A FEW OF THE MORE UNDERRATED ROMANCE MOVIES. Looking at some of the #romance movies that aren’t often featured! #UnderratedMovies #RomanceMovies #ValentinesDay Share on XFrom deeper romance to connections that go beyond that first blush of a meet cute, let’s see what titles fit this editorial framing, and hopefully find some titles worth giving a little extra love to.
UNDERRATED ROMANCE MOVIES to love
THE BACHELOR
Before his lead role in the long running TV procedural NCIS: LA, Chris O’Donnell starred in this film playing a cocky guy about to become wealthy through an inheritance. What he doesn’t realize is there is a loop hole which is he has to be married, and his girlfriend, well, she’s currently had enough of his BS!
Synopsis: Jimmie’s grandfather dies and leaves him $100 million – on the condition that Jimmie marry before he turns 30. The problem is, that’s 24 hours away. – Prime Video
Digitally purchase this film on places like Prime Video
BED of ROSES
Up until this year, when the film celebrated its 30th anniversary, it had been years since I saw this film. It’s very warm hearted and sweet, even with an ending that is, to an extent, a little bit ambiguous. The plot revolves around a florist who, while out walking, encounters a woman emotionally upset over her past… and maybe her future. Brightening her day, he sends her flowers which sets into motion a love story that isn’t smooth sailing.
Search places like Amazon for DVD copies
BEFORE WE GO
I watched this one a long time ago, and again, cannot remember specifics! However, I do seem to remember I did enjoy it. It marks the debut of Chris Evans as director (who also stars) and is a slower moving story that is still lovely. Or at least my memory of this one is so.
Synopsis: Before We Go, the directorial debut of Chris Evans, follows the journey of two strangers stuck in New York City for the night. – Prime Video
Digitally purchase this film on places like Prime Video
BOUNCE
This one is definitely a drama and has Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow in the lead roles. Affleck plays a player who gives up his seat on a flight when he decides to spend the night with a stranger he meets when their flights are delayed. The person he gives his seat to is Paltrow’s husband, a man who dies when the flight crashes. This brings them together in an unexpected way. This, of course, opens wounds, and challenges them both.
Synopsis: Buddy (Ben Affleck) is a smooth-talking ad executive enjoying a high-powered career. When a sudden twist of fate changes everything, it leads him into a head-over-heels in love affair with a recently widowed woman named Abby (Gwyneth Paltrow). In this hit romantic drama, chance and fate are only the beginning of this unusual story. – Prime Video
Stream, at publication, with Paramount; or digitally purchase this film on places like Prime Video
THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY
I don’t remember this one all that well, but do remember it was unique following a woman who is unable to let go of anything from her past, including remnants of her former boyfriends, which proves to be a very cathartic experience for her. This romance movie is a bit more unique than most and I love that, though it is also underrated.
Synopsis: After being dumped by her boyfriend, Lucy creates a gallery for the items love has left behind and discovers she is not the only one who needs a little help letting go. – Prime Video
Stream, at publication, with Hulu; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
FOOLS RUSH IN
Much as I do giggle over a film like What Happens in Vegas, the whole “forced marriage” trope is done so much better in a film like Fools Rush In. Sure, the reason for it is very different (and for some who have an issue with “morals” in movies, they won’t like this reason), but there is a lot more warmth, joy and realness to this movie. It also has Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek in the leads.
Synopsis: Worlds collide when pragmatic New Yorker and fiery Latina impulsively marry. – Prime Video
Stream with Pluto TV; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
KEEPING the FAITH
Jenna Elfman stars in this alongside Ben Stiller and Edward Norton. The movie is a dramedy about three childhood besties who reunite as adults when both men realize they are in love with her. The big problem in this love triangle scenario is Stiller as a rabbi and Norton a Catholic priest!
Synopsis: A rabbi and a priest who have been best friends since childhood both fall head over heels for the same woman. – Prime Video
Digitally purchase the film on places like Prime Video
LAWS of ATTRACTION
Though this has big name stars, including Julianne Moore and Pierce Bronson, I rarely ever see this in a slideshow or feature editorial list surrounding romance movies.
Taking place, in part, in Ireland, the film is a hilarious one that I think could (more so) be tagged a rom-com and follows two attorneys who, during a drunken night, wind up married. The pair are rivals in the courtroom, so this challenges everything, but they try to make things work, even if only for a short time, only for so many things to go (of course!) wrong.
Synopsis: Sparks fly in this breezy rom-com about rival lawyers hired to represent opposite sides in a celebrity divorce case. – Prime Video
Digitally purchase the film on places like Prime Video
THE LOST HUSBAND
This underrated movie isn’t well liked from what I remember at its release, but it’s based on a novel by Katherine Center romance, and after finally re-watching it, I will say, I still enjoyed it. The title still doesn’t totally make sense (though I do get where its coming from), but the story is sweet and even if there is some rushing in order to allow for a happy end, I still find it worth watching, and easy to enjoy. The plot is about a woman who, in the aftermath of tragedy, takes her two kids to live in the country, hoping to give them a better life.
Synopsis: Struggling in the wake of her husband’s sudden death, a young woman finds hope at her estranged aunt’s goat farm. Co-starring Josh Duhamel and Nora Dunn. Written and directed by Vicky Wight, based on the novel by Katherine Center. – Prime Video
Stream, at publication, with HBO Max and Netflix; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
LOVE AGAIN
Based on a novel, this one is a title I am sure many don’t enjoy because it’s about a man who ends up meeting a woman who he shares a secret correspondence with, only she doesn’t realize he’s the guy she is sharing this digital connection with. The book does a better job with their letters, and makes everything more heartwarming, but the film offers more time in the real world between the couple, so I guess both have their strengths.
The film is also delightful if you are a viewer who can set aside your sense of realism and just enjoy this by letting it charm you without needing more.
Synopsis: Coping with the loss of her fiance, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cellphone number, not realizing it was reassigned to journalist Rob Burns. Rob becomes captivated by the honesty of her words in the beautifully constructed texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of superstar Celine Dion, he enlists her help to figure out how to meet Mira in person — and win her heart. – Prime Video
Stream, at publication, with Hulu; or find digitally available to purchase on places like Prime Video
MARRY ME
Not to be confused with the more recent film featuring Jennifer Lopez, although one could argue that it too is an underrated film, this one is a three-part miniseries that I think aired on something like Lifetime. It has Lucy Liu in the lead role playing a do-gooder social worker who suddenly finds her life complicated by three very different suitors.
Synopsis: Rae Ann Carter (Lucy Liu, Charlie’s only one thing missing from her life – the perfect man to sweep her off her feet and marry her. When that perfect man becomes three men – all wanting her hand in marriage – she has a tough decision to make in this delightfully romantic comedy! – Prime Video
Digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
MRS. WINTERBOURNE
Another movie that is more dramedy than perhaps comedy, there is still something about this movie that is just poignant and delightful. The film oozes charm, and I love that the cast isn’t the traditional romantic-comedy heavyweights. It does boast the veteran professional Shirley MacLaine. The plot is about a young woman who, wrongfully so, is assumed as the daughter-in-law of a woman who loses her son in an accident. There’s a cute romance, some funny hijinks and an adorable mother-daughter bond that forms, too.
Synopsis: Alone and pregnant, Connie Doyle boards a train where she meets Patricia Winterbourne, who is on her way to meet her in-laws for the first time. When the train derails, killing Patricia and her husband, Connie is mistaken for Patricia. – Prime Video
Stream, at publication, with Pluto TV; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
MUSIC and LYRICS
The cast in this one has big names, both of whom (Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant) are no stranger to the romance genre, and yet I rarely see this title ever featured on lists that spotlight romance titles. The film is very upbeat and just generally has a good personality, so I like to put a spotlight on it when it fits the content of our lists here.
Synopsis: As their chemistry heats up at the piano and under it, Alex and Sophie will have to face their fears and the music if they want to find the love and success they both deserve. – Prime Video
Stream, at publication, with Prime Video; or digitally purchase the film on places like Prime Video
MY DEAR SECRETARY
From 1948, this film is delightful and far as I’m concerned way better than something like the far more popular His Girl Friday. This one does the employee and employer romance far better, and not only provides banter, it also does a fabulous switch of gender stereotypes in the end.
The quality of the film wasn’t great (at least not where I streamed it), which movie trivia attributes to the fact that a copyright expiration allowed multiple unofficial copies to begin circulating. Still, even at this, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and it has a young Kirk Douglas, too. This is easily one of the most underrated romance movies featured in this list.
Synopsis: Owen Waterbury, bestselling novelist, recruits aspiring writer Stephanie ‘Steve’ Gaylord as his latest of many secretaries. The stars in her eyes fade when she finds she is to work in his apartment, with a constant parade of eccentric visitors and slapstick provided by klutzy roommate Ronnie. Moreover, Waterbury’s idea of work looks a lot like play, his interest less in books than in blondes. – Prime Video
Stream, at publication, with MGM+, or find on Plex, Roku or Tubi; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
ONE FINE DAY
Michelle Pfeffer and George Clooney star in this 1996 film that is so heartwarming and sweet. It’s definitely a hate-to-maybe-more trope so if this isn’t your movie vibe then One Fine Day may annoy you more than charm. For my part, it thoroughly charms me and features the pair as single parents who must juggle their kids for the day when both kids miss the field trip bus. Of course, things are more complicated because both are working and career parents who each have big obligations at their jobs!
Synopsis: In this winning, romantic comedy, Pfeiffer and Clooney find that opposites attract whether they like it or not. Melanie Parker is juggling single parenthood with a career as an architect. Jack Taylor is a commitment shy newspaper columnist who only has his daughter every other weekend. When their kids miss a school field trip, Melanie and Jack agree to take shifts baby-sitting for the day, resulting in twelve hours of hilarious misadventures with one unexpected twist. – Amazon
Search places like Amazon for DVD copies
THE OTHER END of the LINE
This film is delightful. I think it’s a lower budget title, but regardless of this, it thoroughly entertains. The comedy is there and the romance too.
Synopsis: An employee at an Indian call-center travels to San Francisco to be with a guy she falls for over the phone. – Prime Video
Stream, at publication, with MGM+; or digitally purchase the film on places like Prime Video
RETURN to ME
I think this one is more popular than some of the titles we put on this list, but it’s also not a mainstream popular title. It’s also not one to put in the rom-com box. The start is all about emotional upheaval and loss, which then leads to healing and happiness though getting there isn’t easy. It’s also one of the rare movies that shows a couple willing to let go (in a healthier mature way) because it’s the best thing for both people.
Stream, at publication, with Plex, Roku or Tubi
SET it UP
Despite being on Netflix, I don’t see this one getting many (or any?) shout-outs on features of romantic comedy movies. Maybe it’ had the longevity. Either way, it’s a good movie and features a then unknown Glen Powell co-starring with Zoey Deutch plus in a very Miranda Priestly-esque role we get to see Lucy Liu playing the boss that inspires Deutch’s character to team up with Powell’s in an effort to reclaim their lives.
Stream with Netflix
SLIDING DOORS
A romantic drama, this is actually one that impresses me every time I rewatch it, and it’s also one I underestimate each time I re-watch it. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as a woman who’s live diverges on two paths, eventually leading to a tragic end. But also, there’s joy at the very end, so don’t let that scare you!
Synopsis: After several misfortunes, a woman experiences two different alternate realities of her future based on whether she’s able to catch a train or not. – Prime Video
Stream with Prime Video, Roku or Tubi; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR
Based on the novel by Sophie Cousens, this film is delightful from start to finish. It doesn’t have super high ratings, but I think it deserves better. The sweet factor is off the charts. It follows two people who were born on the same day with one seeming to get all the “luck” and the other struggling to make a nice life. I did also like the book too, and this one wears the underrated romance movie title well.
Synopsis: No matter how much chemistry there is between cake seller Minnie and CEO Quinn, and no matter how often their paths cross, Minnie is determined not to fall in love with Quinn. – Prime Video
Digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
WHAT’S LOVE GOT to do with IT?
Lily James stars in this film that is really quite delightful. It’s more drama than comedy but it asks interesting questions and presents more unique perspectives on love and the choices we make about love.
Synopsis: For filmmaker Zoe (Lily James), dating apps deliver disappointment. Then her friend Kazim (Shazad Latif) chooses an arranged marriage. As Zoe films his journey, she wonders if she might learn something from another approach to finding love. – Prime Video
Stream with Hulu; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
Photos: Alamy
MORE UNDERRATED ROMANCE MOVIES to consider
- ALREADY TOMORROW in HONG KONG
- BACHELOR MOTHER, vintage film
- HOW to LOSE a POPULARITY CONTENT
- IT HAD to be YOU
- MARRY ME, 2022
- NEW in TOWN
- SAVING SARA
- SHALL WE DANCE?
- THREE to TANGO
- VILLA AMORE, hallmark
Have you seen any of these? Which ones would you watch? What underrated romance movie titles would you add to the list? Would any of these fit your idea of underrated romance movies? Sound off below!
Thank you for visiting; please do visit again soon!
MORE to browse
- ‘BACHELOR MOTHER’ IS A YESTERYEAR TITLE SURE TO CHARM
- ‘A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY’ IS A COLORFUL DELIGHT
- SOME OF THE BEST TV AND MOVIE SLOW-BURN ROMANCES (EVER!)
PINTEREST PIN – SAVE & SHARE
Thanks for sharing
😊
Rissi, Thank you for sharing. Several movies have caught my eye.
Always fun to possibly find something new to watch. :)