Romance Movies That Will Devastate Fans (2024)

Romantic heartbreak is ever-present in media, which is why countless sad romance movies have become ingrained in the pop culture lexicon. Jack's infamous demise at the conclusion of Titanic, Romeo and Juliet's deaths in Shakespeare's famous play, and Jenny succumbing to a terminal illness in 1970's Love Story represent some of the most melancholic moments in film history. Even if audiences are trained to root for a happy ending, a gutwrenching romance can be just as satisfying if done right.

Romance movies can be heartbreaking for several different reasons. Forbidden love, breakups, dire circumstances, and tragic deaths are all big elements in cinema's saddest romance movies. From The Age of Innocence to Amour, there is no shortage of heartbreaking romance films out there that will keep viewers dabbing at their eyes for hours.

35 The Notebook is a Bittersweet Story of the Resiliency of Love

The Film Was Recently Adapted Into a Broadway Musical

Novelist Nicholas Sparks practically lives on this list, as his stories are so romantic, but also so bittersweet, as well. The most famous of both his novels AND his film adaptations is clearly The Notebook, which starred Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as star-crossed lovers who had a relationship before World War II. While their fling was brief, it meant a lot to both of them, and Gosling's Noah wrote daily to McAdams' Allie, but her disapporiving mother intercepted and destroyed each letter.

Noah moved on with his life, but when Allie saw his photo in the newspaper after the war, all of her old feelings came out, and the two got back together. The movie, we see, though, is told through the notebook that a now-elderly Allie wrote down for her now-husband, Noah, to read to her to remind her of their love story, which he does every day despite her living in a memory care ward due to her dementia.

34 Moulin Rouge Was a Grandoise But Heartbreaking, Celebration of Love

The Film Was ALSO Adapted Into a Broadway Musical

One of the key songs in the film musical, Moulin Rouge, is called "Elephant Love Medley," and it consists of songs about love, opening with "All You Need Is Love," as the poet and playwright, Christian (Ewan McGregor) tries to convince the showgirl (and courtesan) Satine (Nicole Kidman) that, well, like he said, that all they needed was love, despite him being a penniless poet.

Satine does love Christian, but she also wants a better life for herself, something that marrying a duke will achieve (it will also keep her cabaret, the Moulin Rouge, in business). So she spurns Christian, but she can't help but be pulled towards him. He, too, tries to get over her, but cannot, and in the end, they reunite, ruining her marriage to the Duke, and ruining the future of the Moulin Rouge. Sadly, their love is fleeting, as Satine is dying. Before she dies, she tells Christian to turn their romance into a novel, so that it will live forever.

33 Bridges of Madison County Was a Haunting Ill-Fated Romance

The Film Was ALSO Adapted Into a Broadway Musical

One of the most highly anticipated film adaptations of the 1990s was Clint Eastwood's 1995 take on Robert James Waller's bestselling romance, The Bridges of Madison County. Eastwood himself played Robert Kincaid, a National Geographic photographer who visited Iowa to take photos of some of the beautiful wooden bridges there. Once there, he met a local woman, Francesca (Meryl Streep), who showed him around while her husband and teenaged children are at a state fair.

Francesca was a wartime bride, and her marriage is devoid of passion. She is drawn to Robert, and they fall in love, and spend a blissful four days together. However, she can't bring herself to abandon her husband and children, so they part ways. When her husband died years later, she looked Robert up, but found that he had died a few years before her husband. He left his worldly possessions to her, and she spread his ashes at one of the bridges. She now asks her adult children in a letter following her own passing to cremate her and spread her ashes at that same bridge, so that she and Robert can finally be together again.

32 One Day Shows a Long-Simmer Romance Over the Course of Many Years

The Film Was NOT Adapted Into a Broadway Musical, but There WAS a One Day TV Miniseries

Another notable novel that fans were waiting to see adapted into a film was David Nicholls' One Day, about a man and a woman who first met on the day after their college graduation. They spend the night together on July 15th 1988, and we follow their relationship over the course of the next two decades, seeing the twists and turns of their lives on their way back to being with each other.

Anne Hathaway plays Emma, a would-be writer, and Jim Sturgess plays Dexter, a directionless playboy, who eventually finds some success as a TV presenter, making their already significant class differences even greater. In the end, though, the two find romance, and end up together...just in time for Emma to be killed while riding her bicycle. Their story ends with Dexter bringing his daughter to visit on July 15th to where he first met Emma, 20 years earlier.

31 Here on Earth Was a Tragic Love Triangle

Here on Earth Was Never Adapted Into Anything...Yet

Kelley (Chris Klein) and Jasper (Josh Hartnett) are two teens doing what dumb teens do, and having a drag race. They accidentally crash their cars into a local mom and pop restaurant, where Jasper's girlfriend, Samantha (Leelee Sobieski) works. The two teens are forced to serve out their parole fixing up the restaurant. While doing so, naturally, they spend a lot of time with Sam, and the rich kid, Kelley, finds that he has a lot in common with Sam, and she is drawn to him, as well. He reveals his tragic secret that his mother died by suicide.

In the end, Keeley and Sam get together. Keeley is ready to go to college now that his probation is up, but then tragedy strikes. Sam learns that the cancer she was previously diagnosed with has returned, and she has only a few months left to live. Keeley spurns college to spend her final months with her, and the movie ends with him reading a poem at her funeral.

30 La La Land Is A Tale Of Choosing Dreams Over Love

Was Mistakenly Named The Winner of Best Movie At The Academy Awards

As a romantic musical, La La Land begins as a deceptively happy movie about Sebastian and Mia. Sebastian is an aspiring jazz pianist, while Mia is trying to achieve her dream of becoming an actress. Several unpleasant encounters, however, lead the two to love, and they encourage each other to be their most ambitious and best selves.

Despite this, life leads Seb and Mia in two different directions. Their love is not enough, even though their hearts belong to each other. The concluding scene is the most heartwrenching when the former lovers gaze at each other longingly, each living their own separate lives with no way to get back to each other.

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La La Land

PG-13

Comedy

Drama

Music

While navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.

Director

Damien Chazelle

Release Date

December 25, 2016

Studio

Summit Entertainment

Cast

Ryan Gosling , Emma Stone

Runtime

2 hours 8 minutes

29 Call Me By Your Name Is A Sweet But Sad Coming-Of-Age Story

Adapted From André Aciman's Book

Easily one of the most beautiful movies, Call Me By Your Name is a touching story about Elio discovering his identity and sexuality. He finds love in Oliver, his father's teaching assistant, and they spend a tender summer together. However, beneath the idyllic beauty of their surroundings and their whirlwind romance, there looms the finality of their relationship too.

It is clear that Oliver, being much older, will leave at some point, which he does. The devastation that Elio feels is palpable through the screen when Oliver breaks the news to him, and that's when the other shoe drops. Along with the thrill of first love, Call Me By Your Name also delivers the heartache of it.

Call Me By Your Name

R

Drama

Romance

In 1980s Italy, romance blossoms between a seventeen-year-old student and the older man hired as his father's research assistant.

Director

Luca Guadagnino

Release Date

November 24, 2017

Studio

Cast

Armie Hammer , Timothee Chalamet , Michael Stuhlbarg , Amira Casar , Esther Garrel , Victoire Du Bois

Writers

Luca Guadagnino , James Ivory , Walter Fasano , André Aciman

Runtime

130 Minutes

Producer

Production Company

28 The Fault in Our Stars Is Tragic From The Start

Based On John Green's Fourth Solo Novel

Few other things are as sad as terminal illness, and when young people have it, it becomes a recipe for heartbreak. Based on the novel by John Green, The Fault in Our Stars follows Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters, two teens who have been diagnosed with life-threatening forms of cancer. Initial irritation turns to love, and Gus and Hazel decide to go on adventures together in their short lives.

However, their illness is always at the forefront, and things come crashing down when one of them becomes seriously ill. The premise itself is a tragic one, but it also allows the viewer to see the characters at their happiest. The fact that their circumstances are what don't allow them to be together makes this the saddest romance.

The Fault in Our Stars

Hazel and Gus are teenagers who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially "An Imperial Affliction", so they embark on a journey to visit an author in Amsterdam.

27 P.S. I Love You Shows Holly Rebuilding Her Life After Losing Love

Based On Cecilia Ahern's Novel

P.S. I Love You begins with Holly Kennedy mourning the death of her husband, Gerry, who was the love of her life. Flashbacks show how great their love was, which is why Holly spirals after losing him. However, on her 30th birthday, she starts receiving letters and cassettes from Gerry; he had planned these before his death.

Through his voice and words, Gerry leads Holly back into the light and gives her the hope and strength to pick up the pieces. P.S. I Love You mourns the loss of true love, but also shows the importance of starting again after it. As Holly embarks on Gerry's adventures, she also manages to find meaning in life.

P.S. I Love You

A young widow discovers that her late husband has left her 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life.

26 Brokeback Mountain Is The Tragic Case Of Lost Identities

Jack and Ennis Are A Tragic Couple

Fate brings Ennis and Jack together to herd sheep on Brokeback Mountain, and their burgeoning chemistry does not hold out for long. They become intimate and develop feelings for each other, but society does not accept them. Eventually, they go on to marry their respective girlfriends, but it is clear that their love for each other hasn't diminished.

As they meet each other and rekindle their relationship, Ennis and Jack remain in hiding because being homosexual is considered a crime in their parts. Society keeps these lovers apart, and the ending of their unfulfilled love story leaves the audience's hearts broken. Brokeback Mountain describes the grief of losing oneself, and the cost of unfulfilled love.

Brokeback Mountain

Ennis and Jack are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Their relationship becomes complicated when both of them get married to their respective girlfriends.

25 City of Angels Proves Love Is Worthy Of Sacrifice Even If It's Just for a Day

A Loose Adaptation of the Film Wings of Desire

City of Angels follows Seth, one of the many angels who protect humans. These angels also appear whenever someone is about to die, and they help them cross over to the other side. Seth is content with his existence — one that allows him to travel at the speed of thought and hear music at sunrises and sunsets. But things unexpectedly change for Seth after he falls in love with a human, a surgeon named Maggie.

Seth lets Maggie see him and the two develop a deep bond and relationship in a short time. However, as an angel, Seth can’t truly feel Maggie (or anything else for that matter) like humans do. This is something that causes trouble in their relationship, as Maggie feels she can't have a relationship with someone who can't feel her when she touches them. But City of Angels proves love is stronger and Seth makes the ultimate sacrifice, leaving behind his immortal life as an angel to “fall” to Earth as a human, so he can be with Maggie as a human. The moment is powerful, and one that audiences will probably be cheering for. Yet the most heartbreaking moment comes at the end, as their reunion is cut short. Seth is sadly able to enjoy only one night with Maggie as a human before Maggie meets her untimely death in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in a romance film.

24 A Walk to Remember Is a Bittersweet Enemies-to-Lovers Story

Based On the Novel of the Same Name By Nicholas Sparks

A rebel boy falling in love with the Reverend’s daughter can always result in some of the most compelling romances, and A Walk to Remember is evidence of this. Landon is a rebellious teenager who is forced to take part in a school play after being caught drinking and injuring a student as a result of a prank. Landon then meets Jamie, the Reverend’s daughter. Jamie is the exact opposite of Landon, and as the two of them grow closer while working on the school play, Landon falls in love with her.

Jamie, however, takes longer to accept Landon’s advances after Landon blows Jamie off in front of his friends. But the two eventually start dating and Landon begins to clean up his act to earn Jamie’s trust and love. And their romance blossoms even more until Jamie reveals to Landon that she has leukemia, and is not responding well to treatment. Their remaining time together is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. A Walk to Remember is a sad romance movie that will make audiences experience a roller coaster of emotions, from annoyance to happiness, sorrow, and hope.

A Walk to Remember

PG

Two North Carolina teens, Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan, are thrown together after Landon gets into trouble and is sentenced to perform community service.

Director

Adam Shankman

Release Date

January 25, 2002

Cast

Mandy Moore , Shane West

Runtime

102 Mins

23 My Girl Is a Heartbreaking Coming-of-Age Romance

Playing Vada Was Anna Chlumsky's First Role In a Major Motion Picture

My Girl might be one of the most heartbreaking coming-of-age romance films, and definitely a film that everyone who’s seen it at least once remembers. The film follows Vada, an eleven-year-old girl who suffers from hypochondria. She is friends with Thomas, one of the unpopular kids at school. The two spend the summer together and grow even closer as they share their personal struggles before eventually sharing their first kiss.

But what seems like a sweet coming-of-age story turns to tragic when Thomas, who has severe allergic reactions, dies after being stung by bees. The moment is even more heartbreaking knowing he was there to find Vada’s mood ring, which she had lost when they were there before. Vada’s sorrow at the loss of Thomas at such a young age is truly heartbreaking. Vada also had to grow up without her mother, who died only two days after giving birth to Vada. Thomas' death and Vada's grief are some of the things in My Girl that viewers have a hard time forgetting once the movie’s over.

My Girl

PG

Comedy

Drama

Director

Howard Zieff

Release Date

November 27, 1991

Cast

Dan Aykroyd , Jamie Lee Curtis , Macaulay Culkin , Anna Chlumsky , Griffin Dunne

Writers

Laurice Elehwany

Runtime

102 Minutes

Main Genre

Drama

Budget

$17 Million

Studio(s)

Imagine Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Columbia Pictures

22 About Time Is a Story About Accepting What Cannot Be Changed

About Time Was Richard Griffiths's Final Film Appearance

About Time is a romance movie that mixes a little bit of fantasy into drama and funny moments. It's the story of Tim, a young man who learns from his father that he can travel back in time. Tim then meets Mary and quickly falls for her. His ability comes in handy whenever their dates don't go as planned, with Tim quickly getting a "do-over." However, Tim soon learns that traveling back in time to alter the past has its consequences.

Tim's time-traveling affects the present as well — something he realizes when he tries to save his sister from a car crash, and in doing so, turns his own daughter into a son. About Time makes a shift in the second half of the movie, turning from a romance movie to a family drama. The film is not just a romance movie, but a story of familial love and of learning to appreciate every moment. The heartbreaking moment comes after Tim's father dies, and he knows he can't change it or visit him in the past, or he will risk changing the present, including his current life with Mary and their children.

About Time

R

Studio

21 Me Before You Is a Heartbreaking Romance Movie About Hard Choices

Based On the Novel of the Same Name By Jojo Moyes

Me Before You is, in a way, an opposites-attract type of romance. Lou has a bubbly, positive personality, which is a strong contrast to Will's depressed and cynical mood. Will used to be a successful banker and an active sportsman, but a tragic accident leaves him tetraplegic. Lou arrives as a caretaker for Will, but their relationship soon becomes deeper as they spend more time together. She likes Will's intellectual and cultured personality, while he enjoys Lou's positive outlook on life. However, things aren't as easy for them.

Will is struggling after his accident and doesn't want to continue like this anymore. Once a very active person, he resents having to stay in a wheelchair and needing help with everything. Will's depression eventually takes him to the edge, and he wants to put an end to it for good. It's a heartbreaking revelation that Lou deeply struggles with. Lou wants him to stay with her but eventually understands that Will isn't happy anymore, and his condition is only going to get worse. Having to say goodbye is extremely sad for both of them and Me Before You is a sad romance movie that might make more than one viewer cry.

Me Before You

PG-13

Romance

Director

Thea Sharrock

Release Date

June 3, 2016

Cast

Emilia Clarke , Sam Claflin , Janet McTeer

Writers

Jojo Moyes

Runtime

1 Hour 50 Minutes

Main Genre

Drama

Producer

Alison Owen, Karen Rosenfelt

Production Company

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), New Line Cinema, One Film at a Time, Sunswept Entertainment

20 Portrait Of A Lady On Fire Was A Tearful Sapphic Romance

Was Selected for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival

French auteur Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire tells the story of a love affair between an aristocrat and a painter. The aristocrat is being forced to have her portrait painted in preparation for her wedding, which she is opposed to.

Over time, the two develop a forbidden love affair, which is doomed from the start due to their LGBTQ+ relationship and Héloïse's impending marriage. Ultimately, the two go their separate ways, with Marianne continuing her work and Héloïse marrying a Milanese nobleman. In one of cinema's most heartbreaking moments, Portrait of a Lady on Fire concludes with a devastating close-up of Héloïse uncontrollably sobbing while hearing a song Marianne played for her years before.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

R

On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman. Starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel.

Director

Céline Sciamma

Release Date

September 18, 2019

Runtime

120 minutes

Main Genre

Romance

19 Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Depicts The Pain of Heartbreak

For This Film, Kate Winslet Was Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will undoubtedly break viewers' hearts. Wanting to ease the pain of a bad breakup, Joel goes through an experimental procedure where a machine erases his memory. As Joel sleeps, he remembers all the ups and downs of his relationship with Clementine, but his memories slowly fade.

Joel realizes that he'd rather live with the pain than forget it all, but it's too late, and he can't stop the procedure. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind reminds fans that both love and heartbreak are worth the pain. Joel and Clementine end up falling in love with each other again, but their relationship may end just like before. This time, Joel is wiser and accepts the unknown as the love he feels is too good to let go.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

R

Romance

Sci-Fi

Drama

When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories for ever.

Director

Michel Gondry

Release Date

March 19, 2004

Studio

Cast

Kate Winslet , Jim Carrey , Elijah Wood , Kirsten Dunst , Mark Ruffalo

Runtime

108 minutes

18 The Age Of Innocence Pits Societal Expectation Against The Desires of the Heart

Based on the Novel of the Same Name by Edith Wharton

Despite having an oeuvre that contains some of cinema's most violent films, Martin Scorsese insists the most violent of all his films is The Age of Innocence, which is devoid of bloodshed. Rather than physical brutality, the savagery in The Age of Innocence stems from the oppressive and gossip-fueled world of New York's Gilded Age.

The Age of Innocence is a love story between a lawyer and a Countess, who is ostracized for being a divorced woman and rebelling against the moral codes of the era. The Age of Innocence is an agonizing tale of repressed desire, and it demonstrates the alienating effects of conforming to warped societal pressures instead of following one's own heart.

17 A Star Is Born Is An Evergreen Tale of Tragic Romance, Addiction, and Mental Health

2018’s a Star Is Born Is the Fourth American Adaptation of the Story

Addiction and jealousy get in the way of love in A Star is Born. Alcoholic country singer Jack Maine discovers Ally, a waitress in a bar, and helps kickstart her musical career. The chemistry between Ally and Jack is obvious, and the two fall in love. Sadly, Jack's addiction gets the better of him, and he pushes Ally away. No matter how hard they try, there is friction between them.

The pain that Jack goes through with his alcoholism begins to affect Ally and her career. To save Ally from wasting her life to take care of him, Jack takes the most heartwrenching step: he dies by suicide. Love unfortunately couldn't stop Jack from becoming another victim of addiction, and A Star Is Born ends on a heartbreaking note. Sometimes, love can't overcome the toughest battles that people fight in their minds, and in this sad romance movie, they don't end up together.

A Star is Born

R

Drama

ackson Maine (Bradley Cooper), a seasoned but fading country music star battling addiction, discovers Ally (Lady Gaga), a talented singer-songwriter struggling to break into the industry. Impressed by her raw talent and captivating voice, Jackson mentors her, propelling her into the spotlight while his own career declines. As Ally's star rises, their passionate love story unfolds, navigating the complexities of fame, addiction, and personal struggles. However, the pressures of success and their contrasting paths threaten to pull them apart, leading to a heartbreaking journey of love, loss, and self-discovery.

Director

Bradley Cooper

Release Date

October 5, 2018

Studio

Warner Bros

Cast

Bradley Cooper , Lady Gaga , Sam Elliott , Dave Chappelle , Andrew Dice Clay , Anthony Ramos , Rafi Gavron

Writers

Bradley Cooper , Eric Roth , Will Fetters

Runtime

2h:16min

Main Genre

Musical

16 A Story From Chikamatsu Proves That Death Isn't The End

An Adaptation of Monzaemon Chikamatsu’s 1715 Bunraku Play Daikyōji Mukashi Goyomi

A Story from Chikamatsu, sometimes alternately titled The Crucified Lovers, is a jidaigeki romance drama directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. The film concerns a master printer who wrongly accuses his wife, Osan, and best employee, Mohei, of having an affair. Faced with a death sentence, the two go on the run.

While on the run, Mohei and Osan turn the false allegations against them into a reality by falling in love with one another. However, they are eventually captured and sentenced to death by crucifixion. Appearing happier than ever, Mohei and Osan hold hands while being escorted by horseback to their deaths in a heartbreaking ending. Few other forbidden romance movies are as tragic as this one.