The 21 best romantic movies of the 21st century (so far)

Amelie is about as quirky as they come, but it's still a sweet romance with some serious moments. Audrey Tautou plays the titular character who finds a box belonging to the person who formerly owned her apartment. When she decides to return it, she comes across a host of colorful characters and corners of Paris, all rendered as a children's book come to life.

Who doesn't love an LGBTQ+ movie with chic outfits and erotic elements? Losers and prudes. The rest of us will be dazzled by this story of two lovers in 1950s America. Rooney Mara is terrific as Therese, a woman at the department store during the holiday season. Cate Blanchett gives the performance of her career as Carol, a woman buying what she's selling.

Meryl Streep plays Julia Child. That's it. That's all you need to know. Everything else in this rom-com isn't as good as Streep's performance, but then again, what is? 

Moonlight is one of the ultimate coming-of-age movies. It also happens to be one of the ultimate romances. As Chiron's life unfolds, we see a boy search for love in the unlikeliest places. In the final scene, he reaches out to his gay friend and finds something there — something along the lines of support. 

The premise of this movie doesn't sound romantic: A nine-year-old boy runs away from home, but there's something touching about it. It helps to have Wes Anderson, a director who can turn even the most childish premises into something cute, colorful, and profound. What also helps? A female love interest. 

Oh, come on. We just had to include it. The scene where Nick's parents come over for dinner is worth the price of admission alone. 

This isn't your average rom-com. Instead, this funny and smart movie (based on Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon's real-life experience) is more of a Best Picture contender than a Netflix After Work contender. The film has real things to say about race and marriage and will even make you question your devotion to love. 

Traditional romance movies take viewers on a ride toward the final kiss. But this movie does the exact opposite. In the Mood For Love takes viewers on a ride toward the final goodbye — toward that moment when our two leads must fade into the mist of memory, never to see each other again. 

Monsoon Wedding is a movie that sheds light on India's marriage rituals and does so in an entertaining way. The fact that most women can't choose who they want to marry is insane. What's even more insane? How vibrant this movie is despite having such a serious subject. 

The second installment in the Before trilogy, Before Sunset follows what happens when Jesse and Celine reunite after their first meeting. Their reunion is a series of long conversations and long takes of Parisian scenery. It's a cinematic waltz, a dance set to the tune of love. 

Get out those tissues! This one's a real tearjerker, with knockout performances from Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as cowboys. The movie will have you reeling from minute one to the final frame, from the second these two meet to the second they say goodbye. 

It only took four movies and a hundred years to get it right. Greta Gerwig finally gave us the Little Women adaptation we'd been asking for, with all the cute dresses, lovely characters, and warm fires you could ever want. Everything in this movie is perfect. From the costumes to the performers, the sets to the sights, this is what you imagine when you read the novel. 

Celine Sciamma is a master of her craft, a director who uses her camera as a canvas and her image as a brush. The setting is an island where two women find love at a time when their love is forbidden. The way they work around that is genius, giving Sciama a chance to turn her island into a cove of desire.  

Okay, so maybe it's not your typical romance. Barbie and Ken never actually kiss. But there's a bright, vivacious and comedic chemistry to their relationship that earns it a spot on our list.

The first entry into the Adam Sandler Can Actually Act canon, Punch Drunk Love is the story of what happens when two crazy people fall in love. The movie is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, which is the first sign this movie is going to some pretty unexpected places. The second? Adam Sandler is doing serious work. 

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence play the couple in Silver Linings Playbook, a movie about two people with mental illness and bonding over their love of running, dancing, fighting, and betting. Cooper wears a trash bag over his waist, which I don't recall Sandler doing in Punch Drunk Love. I could be wrong, though... 

Robot meets robot. Robot falls in love with robot. Robot flies to space with robot. It's a tale as old as time in a movie that can only be described as "timeless." 

Before you watch this one for the magical visuals, let's talk plot. A young mermaid runs away from home and falls in love with a boy. But when dad comes to find her, their love is put to the test, and they're forced to venture across a flooded terrain. There's more to this movie than just love, though. There's a tale of families sticking together, a message about kindness, and even a theme song. What more could you want? 

A romance movie list without Sandra Bullock is not complete. While it might be easy to fall back on Miss Congeniality, the unbelievable and unpredictable story of an editor and her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) getting engaged is at the top of our pile. 

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star in this 2004 melodrama, which follows the story of a split couple who erase all memory of each other. It's the most heartbreaking film on our list but also the most imaginative. Charlie Kaufman wrote a story about memory that is impossible to forget. 

A cashmere coat of a movie. The Holiday is one of those rom-coms that warms your heart. Everyone in this movie is charming (except the exes, of course), and the story of two ladies swapping homes is pure escapism. Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz do some of their best work, while Nancy Meyers makes England at Christmas look like England at Christmas. It's exactly what you want from a movie called The Holiday.