The 20 best romance movies on Hulu to watch right now
Settle in for a romantic night on the couch with these EW picks.
Ellen Von Unwerth/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock; Lilies Films; Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in 'Moulin Rouge!'; Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant in 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire'; Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger in '10 Things I Hate About You'Though it’s always nice to settle in with a quippy rom-com, cinematic romance lends itself to a variety of other genres — just about all of them, actually. Hulu has one of the best love story selections of any streaming platform, with a plethora of newer and classic options. In addition to hallmarks like Pretty Woman (1990) and Juno (2007), the streamer offers fresh, edgier options like 2023's brilliant Sanctuary and the charmingly underrated Rye Lane. With all of the romantic movies Hulu has to offer, you'll be steadily occupied until next Valentine's Day.
These are the 20 best romance movies on Hulu right now.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Heath Ledger, Allison Janney, and Julia Stiles in '10 Things I Hate About You'Released among a slew of teen movie adaptations of classic literature/plays (Clueless; She's All That; Cruel Intentions, etc.), 10 Things I Hate About You transports William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew to a modern-day Seattle high school. A tangled web of romance begins when new student Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) takes a liking to sophomore Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). But he cannot pursue her properly because of her father's strict rules: She can only date if her fiercely independent older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), does first. Cameron then sets a plan in motion that results in mysterious bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) wooing Kat, as Cameron hopes to pull off his grand scheme and land Bianca. In 1999, EW's critic called 10 Things I Hate About You "the cheekiest 'literary' update yet," one that "casts an amusingly jaundiced eye on the unholy status games of contemporary teen culture." —Kevin Jacobsen
Where to watch 10 Things I Hate About You: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Gil Junger
Cast: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Larry Miller, Andrew Keegan, David Krumholtz, Susan May Pratt
Related content: Watch Julia Stiles get emotional as she reenacts iconic 10 Things I Hate About You scene
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection
Jennifer Garner in '13 Going on 30'Gary Winick’s time-shift comedy — in which 13-year-old Jenna Rink (Christa B. Allen) lapses into her 30-year-old self (Jennifer Garner) and learns to appreciate her fleeting youth — is almost preposterously effective. There’s little reason for a movie that features a dance break to "Thriller" to be so emotionally fulfilling, but we find our hearts swelling up just writing about it. As EW's critic raves, "13 Going on 30 is the rare commercial comedy that leaves you entranced by what can happen only in the movies." —Declan Gallagher
Where to watch 13 Going on 30: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Gary Winick
Cast: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, Kathy Baker
Related content: 13 Going on 30 stars Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and Judy Greer reunite for 20th anniversary
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Searchlight
Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in 'All of Us Strangers'Adam (Andrew Scott), a gay screenwriter, grapples with loneliness in his London apartment before meeting a handsome stranger in this melancholic romantic drama. Adam gets into a passionate romance with Harry (Paul Mescal), though he soon finds himself preoccupied upon visiting his childhood home and encountering his parents — who died when he was 12. Adam's longing for connection and intimacy is deeply felt, thanks to Scott's nakedly vulnerable performance and writer-director Andrew Haigh's sensitive touch. "Haigh's film is more a tone poem on loss and love than a strictly linear narrative," EW's critic writes. "To let someone in and allow himself to accept love, Adam must first find the closure he's never had." —K.J.
Where to watch All of Us Strangers: Hulu
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Director: Andrew Haigh
Cast: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy
Related content: Nominated for nothing: Why the power of love couldn't compel All of Us Strangers to Oscar nods
Father of the Bride (1991)
Touchstone Pictures
Steve Martin, Kimberly Williams, and George Newbern in 'Father of the Bride'Steve Martin stars in this classic comedy about one father's quest to keep his daughter's wedding on the rails. The script (courtesy of Nancy Meyers and Co.) caters to all ages and doesn't wander too far into adolescence or crudity. It kicked off a rather dubious phase in Martin's career of increasingly dewy-eyed family pictures, but this one finds the star aptly wrangling both his comic and dramatic abilities. —D.G.
Where to watch Father of the Bride: Hulu
Director: Charles Shyer
Cast: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Kieran Culkin, Martin Short
Related content: Watch Father of the Bride cast reunion Netflix special directed by Nancy Meyers
Fire Island (2022)
This entertaining rom-com updates Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with a modern gay perspective. Star and screenwriter Joel Kim Booster plays Noah, who goes on a yearly vacation to New York's gay hotspot Fire Island with his friends. This year, Erin (Margaret Cho) reveals she is selling the house they stay at every summer, marking the end of the era. Noah and his friends soon meet a more affluent bunch, leading to unexpected tensions and connections. The Emmy-nominated film deftly balances witty humor (the Marisa Tomei Heads-Up bit is not to be missed) and genuine poignancy. "When the actors and the storyline find their rhythm," writes EW's critic, "It's almost impossible not to be charmed." —K.J.
Where to watch Fire Island: Hulu
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Andrew Ahn
Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, Margaret Cho, Matt Rogers
Related content: Gays. In. Space! Bowen Yang explains the Fire Island bit and his obsession with the SNL sketch
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)
This compelling, well-structured drama does something most unusual for any movie: It’s exclusively concerned with a middle-aged woman's sexual pleasure. Emma Thompson plays an inexperienced widow who hires the titular escort (Daryl McCormack) to make all of her intimate fantasies come true, but after several meetings, their relationship takes on a deeper meaning. —D.G.
Where to watch Good Luck to You, Leo Grande: Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Sophie Hyde
Cast: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack
Related content: Emma Thompson reveals intense way she rehearsed full-frontal nude scene for new film
Happiest Season (2020)
Clea DuVall (But I'm a Cheerleader) directed this charming holiday comedy with a script by Mary Holland. It stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as a lesbian couple who return to Davis' home for the holidays, where they face some unanticipated obstacles from her family of conservative politicians. That may sound heavy, but the cast and quips keep this romance movie light. —D.G.
Where to watch Happiest Season: Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Clea DuVall
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Steenburgen, Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie
Related content: Clea Duvall has a few ideas for a Happiest Season sequel
High Fidelity (2000)
Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
(From left to right) John Cusack, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, and Tim Robbins in 'High Fidelity'This laugh-out-loud adaptation of Nick Hornby's book of the same name is all about a man trying to figure out what he's doing wrong in the romance department. John Cusack plays Rob, a record store owner going through a bad breakup with Laura (Iben Hjejle), who he thought was the love of his life. When he and his employees aren't making fun of customers whose music taste they deem inferior to their own, Rob seeks out old girlfriends, tries to reconnect with Laura, and ultimately finds he has a lot of maturing to do. EW's critic calls High Fidelity a "cute, quaint, at times rather silly movie that displays a genuine affection for the rebel-nerd scholasticism of record-store junkies." Hulu also adapted Hornby's book for a (cruelly short-lived) TV series starring Zo? Kravitz in 2020, which is also available to stream. —K.J.
Where to watch High Fidelity: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lisa Bonet, Sara Gilbert, Chris Bauer, Lili Taylor, Joan Cusack
Related content: High Fidelity stars look back on the film 20 years later
Juno (2007)
Jason Reitman’s off-kilter teen pregnancy comedy hit a nerve upon its release, making sensations out of screenwriter Diablo Cody and star Elliot Page. It’s whip-smart and sassy, and though many later films would try, it remains somewhat inimitable and indie in every sense of the word. —D.G.
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: Elliot Page, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons
Related content: Elliot Page recalls being closeted at height of Juno fame
Lemon (2017)
Lemon Motion Picture/Instagram
Brett Gelman in 'Lemon'Janicza Bravo's proper black (not merely dark) comedy stars Brett Gelman as a disturbed man who, in pursuing his great love (Nia Long), kidnaps her grandmother (Marla Gibbs), threatens murder, betrays his blind wife (Judy Greer), and defaces Michael Cera's car with unrepeatable slurs. It’s funny, weird, and surprisingly touching as Bravo and the cast navigate a tonal tightrope. The director's follow-up was Zola (2021), a feel-good thriller about female friendships and sex trafficking that encapsulates her singular abilities as a filmmaker. —D.G.
Director: Janicza Bravo
Cast: Brett Gelman, Nia Long, Michael Cera, Judy Greer, Shiri Appleby
Related content: The 30 best dark comedies of all time
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
(From left to right) Matthew Whittet, Garry McDonald, Ewan McGregor, Jim Broadbent, Nicole Kidman, Jacek Koman, and John Leguizamo in 'Moulin Rouge!'Baz Luhrmann's sweeping romantic drama is a dazzling ode to truth, beauty, freedom, and love. Ewan McGregor stars as Christian, a writer who finds inspiration in the spectacle of Paris' Moulin Rouge cabaret at the turn of the 19th century. His muse is Satine (Nicole Kidman), a courtesan with whom he embarks on a passionate yet doomed romance. While its frenetic editing style and postmodern musical sensibilities may not be for everyone, those who are on the movie's wavelength will delight in its go-for-broke earnestness and find themselves unexpectedly moved by its conclusion. —K.J.
Where to watch Moulin Rouge!: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh
Related content: Moulin Rouge! was almost an original musical (and other soundtrack secrets)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
It’s the romance movie that made all of us break out our watercolors. Céline Sciamma's aching ode to love and expression about an artist (Noémie Merlant) sent to make a portrait of a young bride (Adéle Haenel) is patient and painterly (as you might expect) yet also tremendously full of life. It’s a remarkably powerful viewing experience, as is Sciamma's stellar follow-up, Petite Maman (also streaming on Hulu). —D.G.
Where to watch Portrait of a Lady on Fire: Hulu
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Director: Céline Sciamma
Cast: Noémie Merlant, Adéle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino
Related content: The biggest foreign film winners in Oscar history
Pretty Woman (1990)
Garry Marshall's rom-com, the movie that made us all fall in love with Julia Roberts, is a feisty and amiable fairy tale that doesn’t entirely avoid the reality of its concept. After a businessman (Richard Gere) picks up a sex worker (Roberts) during a work trip, they begin to fall for one another despite their radically different backgrounds. —D.G.
Where to watch Pretty Woman: Hulu
Director: Garry Marshall
Cast: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Laura San Giacomo, Jason Alexander, Héctor Elizondo
Related content: Molly Ringwald says she turned down Julia Roberts' Pretty Woman role: There was 'something icky about it'
The Proposal (2009)
Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock (not to mention Betty White) revitalized the rom-com genre and, one could argue, their careers with this sharp, emotionally resonant farce. It concerns a cutthroat businesswoman (Bullock) who enlists her harried assistant (Reynolds) to be her faux husband when she’s faced with deportation. It’s not a spoiler to say that real affection blossoms, but the game cast and fine writing elevate the cliché. —D.G.
Where to watch The Proposal: Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Mary Steenburgen, Oscar Nu?ez
Related content: Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock serenade The Proposal costar Betty White on her 98th birthday
Rye Lane (2023)
20th Century Studios
David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in 'Rye Lane'Raine Allen Miller's loving homage to Richard Curtis comedies and the Before trilogy stars David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah as two recently heartbroken Londoners who bond (and, yes, fall in love) during a patient stroll around the city. Rye Lane is both one of the best and most underseen titles on this list, and we suggest you watch it as soon as possible. —D.G.
Director: Raine Allen Miller
Cast: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah
Related content: The 24 best meet-cutes in rom-com history
Sanctuary (2023)
Poor Things costars Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott ground this well-considered, over-the-top two-hander about one exceptionally weird night in a luxury hotel suite. The movie is constantly morphing and folding in on both itself and the audience, so it’s best to go in blind. You’ll be rewarded with one of the riskiest and most interesting romantic comedies in recent memory. —D.G.
Where to watch Sanctuary: Hulu
Director: Zachary Wigon
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Christopher Abbott
Related content: Margaret Qualley, Christopher Abbott talk S&M film Sanctuary
Say Anything (1989)
Everett
Ione Skye and John Cusack in 'Say Anything'Cameron Crowe's feature directorial debut is mostly known as the film that launched a thousand parodies of its famous boom box scene, but it's also one of the most heartfelt rom-coms of the '80s. John Cusack stars as Lloyd, an average teen who falls for the class valedictorian, Diane (Ione Skye). Their relationship soon blossoms, but Diane's father disapproves, feeling she can do better. It's a tale as old as time, but the film sings thanks to Cusack and Skye's endearing performances and Crowe's innate understanding of the intense emotions of teenage romance. —K.J.
Where to watch Say Anything: Hulu
Director: Cameron Crowe
Cast: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney
Related content: Say Anything: 5 secrets from the making of Cameron Crowe's classic romance
Sleeping With Other People (2015)
Bachelorette director Leslye Headland upped her already substantial game with this follow-up film about two ill-behaved singletons (Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis) learning to trust (and maybe even love) one another. Headland updates a familiar concept with sharp dialogue and some genuinely clever set pieces, plus an ace soundtrack. —D.G.
Where to watch Sleeping With Other People: Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Leslye Headland
Cast: Alison Brie, Jason Sudeikis, Jason Mantzoukas, Natasha Lyonne, Adam Scott
Related content: Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis were almost set up on a date by Dan Harmon
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Franco Biciocchi
Diane Lane and Raoul Bova in 'Under the Tuscan Sun'Diane Lane leaves her philandering husband for sunny Italia, where she renovates a spectacular home and romances a studly repairman. Plus, there’s Lindsay Duncan splashing around in the Trevi Fountain and Sandra Oh as Lane’s sassy sidekick. If you are not charmed to death by this movie, you have a heart of stone, and we do not care to know you. —D.G.
Where to watch Under the Tuscan Sun: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Audrey Wells
Cast: Diane Lane, Lindsay Duncan, Sandra Oh, Kate Walsh, Raoul Bova
Related content: 16 'Go overseas, find love!' movies
Waiting to Exhale (1995)
Forest Whitaker directed this touching, nuanced portrait of four women looking for their perfect companions, even while most of them bide their time waiting for married beaus to leave their wives. Whitaker’s pleasantly ambling, episodic film features astounding turns from Loretta Devine and Whitney Houston. —D.G.
Where to watch Waiting to Exhale: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Forest Whittaker
Cast: Loretta Devine, Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, Kenya Moore
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