Love is the most powerful emotion that heals the deepest scars. Romance is a movie genre that gives us hope that true love is around the corner.
Each story has a different take on how we navigate the pool of people to find the right relationship.
They usher in a different perspective on relations, making us think about how we perceive ourselves and what we want from relationships.
So, if you are looking for such heartwarming rom coms movies, here are the best on the HBO Max
500 Days Of Summer
Joseph Gordon Levitt plays the architect Tom Hansen who is hopelessly in love with Summer Finn(Zoey Deschanel). His unrequited love takes a toll on him, only to realize true love is being loved back and cared for.
Summer Finn is an office colleague who is fun and has a good rapport with Tom. Summer does not believe in serious relationships, and Tom believes in soul mates.
Spending a magical night with Summer, he is smitten by her and starts believing she is his soulmate.
He develops deep feelings for Summer, but she doesn’t reciprocate. Finally, he finds her happily married, realizes the meaning of true love, and unhinges himself from the misery of being in love with Summer.
50 First Dates
Lucy(Drew Barrymore) suffers from amnesia after a car accident. Henry(Adam Sandler) accidentally comes to know about her at a beach cafe.
He finds excuses to keep meeting her despite the warning from cafe owners, who act as her guardians.
Henry falls in love with her and works with her to help her remind her of ancient memories. He realizes she remembers only painful memories of her loved ones.
Their relationship is a bittersweet symphony. Lucy does not remember spending time with Henry every day, making him almost give up on the relationship.
50 First Dates is an adorable story about how two different people fall in love, accept fate, and keep loving each other endlessly. A lighthearted romantic comedy amidst the unique setting of the sea world.
You’ve Got Mail
Love-hate relations are a common theme in most rom-com, but, You’ve Got Mail comes with a different treatment. Kathleen Kelly(Meg Ryan) owns a bookstore, has a boyfriend, and is most of the time connected to her AOL account.
She is unaware her arch-rival Joe Fox(Tom Hanks) runs a mega bookstore just around the corner as her email friend with whom she has been chatting all the while.
Katheleen’s children’s bookstore has been running out of business because of Joe’s megastore. Later Joe realizes that Katheleen is his chat friend and quietly bears all the insults and reprimands from her.
Through all the chaos and confusion, Joe and Katheleen build a friendship that turns into romance. She finally realizes that her online chat friend whom she has been relying on and in love with, is Joe.
This film is one of the best 90’s romance movies from when online chatting and dating were a big trend. It sets the pace of yesterday’s era and meets the urban digital world setting a balanced rate.
Down With Love
Renee Zellweger plays the author of the book, Down with Love, Barbara Novak. She is suggested to meet a writer, Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor), to publish her book on how women can enjoy sex without commitment.
Catcher pretends to be an astronaut and hatches a plan to prove that Barbara wants to love and marry.
In this battle of sexes with dilemmas, confusion, and chaos, the Catcher and Barbara fall in love, inspiring their assistants to get married and setting an example of true romantic love. A movie from the early 21st century with a dose of feminism, finally walking down the aisle in love.
Going The Distance
Long-distance relations are a dream if they culminate into happy endings. Erin(Drew Barrymore and Garrett(Justin Long) give couples in long-distance relationships goals to take inspiration from. Garrett and Erin are hopelessly in love with each other.
They have to part ways because of their career choices but keep their romance alive by talking to each other and meeting once in a while.
With hazed decisions, unaware if it is the right decision they have made, they finally are together, going the distance and challenges of wanting to be together.
This was an adorable love story from the early 21st century when long-distance relations were a trend. If you love someone truly, distance is only a number to overcome and finally be with the one you love forever.
He’s Just Not That Into You
The movie is based on a self-help book of the same name. The film is a different take on various relations and their challenges. Conor is in love with Anna(Scarlette Johnson), but it’s more of an infatuation. Her alluring beauty totally bowls him over.
Gigi(Ginnifer Goodwin) is taking relationship tips from Alex(Justin Long), who falls in love with her after a few failed dates.
Beth(Jennifer Aniston) and Jannie(Jennifer Connelly) are co-workers of Gigi. Beth is in a committed relationship with Neil(Ben Affleck), who is postponing the idea of marriage.
Jannie is a control freak married to Ben(Bradley Cooper), who has an affair with Anna. Their perspectives on relations are different from each other. Mary works with Connor and is a friend of Anna. Mary believes in soulmates and would do anything for love. Anna wants a casual relationship.
The movie does not define the proper perspective to adopt but depicts how different people see relations that give them happiness.
Anna is more focused on self-discovery than true love. Beth is in a serious, committed relationship. Jannie does not realize until she breaks up to leave breathing room for the one she loves instead of being a control freak.
Laggies
A sweet British romantic comedy about 28-year-old Megan(Kiera Knightly). She is in a relationship with her childhood sweetheart.
She is in a state of shock and confusion when her father cheats on her mother. To escape dealing with this pain like an adult, she hangs out with a teenager she meets at a store.
Annika(Chole) lives with her single-parent father, a lawyer, Craig. Initially, he is apprehensive about Meghan hanging out at their apartment with Annika, but later, he trusts her. Meghan is already engaged to her boyfriend but ends up dating Craig and falls in love with him.
The movie explores a different aspect of a relationship. Many adults experience the peter-pan syndrome and grow as adults in the right relationship.
This movie is not filled with romance and fantasy. Instead, it deals with tricky real-life situations that we deal with sometimes and have to make a choice that comes from the heart.
When Harry Met Sally
An American romantic comedy from the 90s about two friends from graduation who find love with each other. Sally(Meg Ryan) and Harry(Billy Crystal) graduate the same year and travel together to New York City to pursue their careers. It’s a long drive; they discuss hobbies, relationships, etc, and form a bond.
But they part ways with an argument and meet again after five years. A casual bond, there seems to be more in the store for Harry and Sally after they meet again. But they are in relationships with different people.
They renew their bond of friendship again by hanging out together. Everything changes on New Year’s Eve, and they kiss each other.
But they separate again after getting intimate. When Harry finally confesses his love for her, she is unsure, thinking he is doing it out of loneliness.
A lot of reasons Sally comes up with are reluctant to be in a relationship battling her insecurities and past hurt of breaking up with her boyfriend. However, they are finally together and get married three months after Harry proposes to her.
An adorable, romantic movie that depicts how two people fall in love with each other, battling confusion, dilemmas, and past hurt. Celebrating the idea of love that begets from the beautiful bond of friendship.
The Fault In Our Stars
A heartfelt, touching, romantic comedy about two ailing teenagers who cope with chronic diseases while being in love. Hazel Grace(Shailene Woodley) is dealing with thyroid cancer. She meets Gus(Ansel Elgrot) at a support group; he is dealing with bone cancer.
Their friendship grows, and they fall in love knowing they will not make it through. Hazel and Gus connect by sharing hobbies. Gus contacts Hazel’s favorite author and plans her visit to Amsterdam.
He confesses his love for Hazel in Amsterdam at a romantic dinner. Unfortunately, the author’s assistant isn’t empathetic towards Hazel and taunts her medical condition. Their condition is deteriorating. Gus dies before Hazel spends all their time together.
Gus gifts her a Eulogy he had written for her in Amsterdam. Knowing their fate due to their medical condition, he dedicates it to her.
The movie has many heartfelt moments of wishing there was more to their relationship than the fated end.
What Happens In Vegas
Joy McNally(Cameron Diaz) is an ambitious, straight-laced woman who is oblivious to the bliss of romance and true love. She breaks up with her boyfriend. She is engaged and decides to take a trip to Las Vegas with her best friend.
Jack Fuller(Ashton Kutcher) is a slacker who works with his father and is fired from his father’s company.
He meets Joy in Las Vegas, and they hit the jackpot, accidentally getting married. Realizing it was a mistake, they are put on probation to work on their differences before making the decision to divorce.
They start falling in love, putting up with each other’s quirks, and deciding to stay together. A fun movie with love-hate chemistry getting a comic treatment.
13 Going On 30
A sweet, romantic fantasy movie about finding true love in childhood friends. Jenna Rink(Jennifer Garner) plays the nerd pushed and bullied by the clique in her high school. However, her best friend Matt(Mark Ruffalo) is in love with her.
The movie progresses to 10 years when Jenna and her arch-rival from school work at a prestigious fashion magazine. She finds out the whereabouts of Matt after a decade. He has already moved on and is engaged.
They finally realize they still love each other and get married. We miss out on true love waiting to happen, giving more importance to ambition than the contentment that comes with finding true love to settle with.
27 Dresses
A 2008 romantic comedy about Jane Nicholas(Katherine Heigl), who attends 27 weddings as a bridesmaid dressed in the most ludicrous thematic costumes. She has been pushed around and played martyr all her life.
She is in love with her boss, but her love is unrequited. Her sister, Tess, steals her love from her and is almost engaged to her boss. Kevin(James Marsden) is a writer Katherine meets and makes her realize she is living in apathy, not taking care of her emotions.
She initially hates him for making her realize this aspect of her life but eventually falls in love with him. An adorable movie that depicts most women’s emotions, letting doubts and dilemmas get in the way of finding true love.
Clueless
A rom-com, coming-of-age, American 90’s movie about Cher(Alicia Silverstone) growing out of her clique and finding herself through the responsible, straight-laced Josh(Paul Rudd). Cher lives a lavish life in Beverly Hills with her wealthy father.
A teenager, she thinks she is doing a well-ostracizing romance with her teachers. But Josh keeps giving her a reality check about what she wants. Finally, in one incident, Josh saves Cher from being mugged, and they start bonding.
Experiencing repetitive failures and separating from her clique, Cher seriously thinks about priorities in life. Finally, everything falls back, and she is in love with Josh. Unfortunately, she is also back with her clique with a better bond.
Moonstruck
Moonstruck is an 80’s love triangle starring singer Cher and Nicolas Cage. The film is set in the 90’s Italian setting. Loretta(Cher) is engaged to Johnny, the estranged brother of Ronny(Nicholas Cage). Loretta is widowed and lives with her family. However, her father disapproves of Johnny.
Loretta and Ronny have an affair while Johnny is away, attending to his dying mother. Loretta carries the guilt of infidelity and acts bizarrely. Johnny returns and breaks his engagement with Loretta, considering it to be unlucky and the reason for his mother’s death.
Ronny picks the ring and proposes marriage to Loretta. Love is strange. Sometimes you are sure to be with someone until there are cold feet when walking down the aisle. But Ronny and Loretta have true romance, loving each other through challenges and distrust.
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