There’s no shortage of romance films, though the style and genre has changed throughout cinema’s vast history. From screwball antics to epics, romantic comedies to genre cocktails that play with expectations, romance perseveres. There’s a reason why we return to the genre repeatedly.

Regardless of whether or not the film intends to make you laugh, cry, or swoon—sometimes a mix of all three—there’s a comfort in the genre. Not so much predictability as there is expectation. Expectation to be swept off our feet or possess a desire to see the characters onscreen together — for their love to win.

Get BWT in your inbox! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage. Click Here Get BWT in your inbox! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage. Click Here

Romance is intoxicating, and we gravitate to it because, maybe more so than fantasy or science fiction, it allows for a level of escapism. The genre has lasting power, from character-driven dramas where romance anchors the stories to classic rom-coms that used to derivatively be referred to as chick-flicks (i.e., a woman is at the center, men can’t relate) and everything in between. While films directed by women remain woefully under-produced, there’s a certain market for them in romance. From queer love stories to doomed dalliances, here are just some of our favorite romances directed by women.

If you’re looking for more romance movies but from a horror perspective, check out this piece. Desert Hearts (1985)

Director: Donna Deitch
Writer: Natalie Cooper

Directed by Donna Deitch and shot by cinematographer Robert Elswit, Desert Hearts bottles the sensation of new love and self-discovery. Set in 1959, this queer classic captures how the perfect setting can provide an underlying current, depicting the innermost desires of its characters, as the recently divorced Vivian (Helen Shaver) falls in love with Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) against the backdrop of endless plains of Nevada. A profoundly immersive film about the intricacies of a blossoming romance, the movie unravels itself through mutual longing and intoxicating chemistry.

Where to watch: Max

Mississippi Masala (1991)

Director: Mira Nair
Writer: Sooni Taraporevala

Sarina Choudhury and Denzel Washington star in the gorgeously shot Mississippi Masala from director Mira Nair. The intense chemistry between Choudhury and Washington blisters the screen, forging its path amongst a story full of depth and cultural divide. Shot with a lavish touch that brings otherworldly beauty to small towns, Nair infuses her story with a strong sense of time and space.

But it’s not just the romance that finds anchorage. Beyond Mina’s story, there’s that of her parents—notably her father and his prejudice towards Washington’s Demetrius due to his displacement. How the film handles Mina and Demetrius’s interracial romance and her parents’ rudderless search for belonging strikes efficiently. Monsoon Wedding is another must watch from Nair.

Where to watch: Max

Clueless (1995)

Director: Amy Heckerling
Writer: Amy Heckerling

A loose adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Emma, Clueless brings modern hilarity to the timeless tale. Alicia Silverstone delivers hair envy and hilarity as the popular but good-natured Cher Horowitz, who sets out to do “good deeds” by making over a newcomer. The film is a distinctive time capsule, embodying a certain ‘90s energy and sense of humor.

Filled to the brim with iconic one-liners and ensembles, the film also finds space for romance between Cher and Paul Rudd’s Josh. The romance is prickly and sweet as Cher comes to understand her feelings for him through her own journey of personal growth.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Bound (1996)

Director: The Wachowskis
Writer: The Wachowskis

In their first and most intimate film to date, The Wachowskis deliver neo-noir excellence in Bound. Pulsating with devastating eroticism and palpable chemistry from Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly as lovers, Corky and Violet, the film bears hints of The Wachowskis’ trademark style. It’s simply pulled back to something more organic and grounded. Shot with a pulpy energy that oozes style and noir influences, the film balances its layered narrative with the character-driven romance at its center.

It’s always worth noting just how much The Wachowskis get romance. Beneath the spectacle, there’s always heart on its sleeve. Bound is only technically an outlier. But you see its threads in the rest of their work and the romanticism that settles in the films and series. Look no further than Cloud Atlas or Sense8—The Matrix Resurrections even—and you’ll see filmmakers who refuse to let action distract from time and space-defying love stories.

Where to watch: Pluto TV

But I’m A Cheerleader (1999)

Director: Jamie Babbit
Writer: Brian Wayne Peterson

Shot with a neon intensity, But I’m A Cheerleader skewers dated gender dynamics with a scathing, sharpened bite. However, amidst the satirical edge and over-the-top visual comedy lay a tender, beating heart as a young woman comes to terms with her sexuality. Natasha Lyonne delivers a lovable performance as Megan as she begins to fall for Clea DuVall’s Graham, another young woman forced to attend True Directions. Their burgeoning relationship, depicted through secret shared glances and brief, discreet touches, anchors the film. When the final climatic declaration of love happens, it delivers a sweet catharsis. Two girls, open and loud about their love.

Where to watch: Tubi, PLEX

Love & Basketball (2000)

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writer: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Gina Prince-Bythewood understands the complexities of burgeoning love, how we must find ourselves before committing to someone else, and how to direct such developments with an artful, graceful eye. It’s present in films such as Beyond the Lights and even The Old Guard (that one scene in particular). But it’s best distilled in her 2000 modern classic, Love & Basketball. Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps share a tangible, please kiss already, chemistry and Lathan in particular is winsome. But the real win is at the hands of Prince-Bythewood.

By tracing a love story over the years as these characters grow towards one another, then apart, before meeting in the middle once more, the story gains greater depth. Every triumph is hard-earned, making us care more so that it feels grounded in reality and well-deserved by the time they reach their ending.

Where to watch:  Tubi, Max

Bend it Like Beckham (2002)

Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writer: Paul Mayeda Berges, Guljit Bindra, and Gurinder Chadha

There’s only one problem with Gurinder Chadha’s charismatic Bend It Like Beckham: the romance should unquestionably have been between friends Jess (Parminder Nagra) and Jules (Keira Knightley). Perhaps, if made today, it would’ve been. Instead, Jess sets her sights on the less impressive Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), her coach. Regardless, the sports comedy-drama is zippy and quick-witted as it deals with Jess and the pressure she faces from her parents, a strict Indian couple who refuse to let her play organized soccer.

The film handles distinct tones with a deft hand, juggling coming-of-age levity with the prejudice and discrimination Jess’s father fears she‘ll face if she is to join professional soccer. With relentless compassion for its characters and strong pacing, its lasting powers are undeniable.

Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+

Saving Face (2004)

Director: Alice Wu
Writer: Alice Wu

The best romantic comedies understand that we need to be invested both in the characters as people and as one half of a couple. This is something that Alice Wu does remarkably well in her feature film debut, Saving Face. We aren’t just invested in the romance between Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a young Chinese American surgeon, and her dancer girlfriend, Vivian (Lynn Chen). We’re invested in the relationship between Wil and her mother, the always amazing Joan Chen, as Wil navigates the hurdles of telling her mother the truth about her sexuality.

Wil and her mother, Hwei-Lan, who is unwed and newly unexpectedly pregnant, are both dealing with societal and familial pressures. Yet, despite the hardships, the film doesn’t bog itself down with overwrought internal strife. Wil is comfortable in her skin, and her romance with Vivian is sweet and unassuming, possessing the tropes and cliches we love to see used in abundance (a rushed race against the clock to the airport sequence is a favorite.) Wu would later tell another story of queer acceptance in the coming-of-age film, The Half Of It, and it’s easy to see how Saving Face set the stage.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Bright Star (2009)

Director: Jane Campion
Writer: Jane Campion

It’s incredible to see how much intimacy can be captured with such a chaste touch in Jane Campion’s gorgeous, eviscerating Bright Star. Following the romance of doomed poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw, of Paddington fame) and his lover, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), in the last three years of his life, few films amount to the level of devastation Campion wields here. We are bowled over by the towering grief the two endure as they seek one another constantly, knowing at a certain point they’re on borrowed time.

Deeply rooted in the elements as the characters traipse the woods, overrun by wildflowers and greenery, the film holds spirituality in the palm of its hands, as delicately as the central romance. The direction and cinematography highlight their emotional tethers with the same all-encompassing gaze as their tethers to nature—to the soil and branches that carry them and lift them. Their touches through walls and gentle embraces burn with a refined intensity.

For a film so possessed by the power of words, there’s plenty of heat behind their eyes. Whishaw is wonderful, but it’s Cornish who rips our hearts out in the last moments, agonizing in her portrait of grief and its ability to steal our breath. To love at all is to experience loss.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Enough Said (2013)

Director: Nicole Holofcener
Writer: Nicole Holofcener

Few writers wield their understanding of human complexities as well as writer and director Nicole Holofcener. Holofcener has made a career of stories that focus on the complicated lives of women and their interpersonal relationships. But it’s the 2013 Enough Said that best captures her observational perspective. Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as Eva, toeing the line between likable and frustrating as her behaviors sink her potential new romance with James Gandolfini’s Albert.

Dreyfus and Gandolfini exude warmth in their scenes together, aside from when Eva is needlessly cruel. We root for them even as Eva does her best to sabotage the relationship. Together, their dry delivery and give-and-take banter brighten the screen. Holofcener’s script offers compassion and understanding that who we are at our worst isn’t always indicative of our true selves while still holding accountability for Eva’s behaviors. The characters in Enough Said are impossibly human—impossibly messy. But we hold out hope for them all the same.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Appropriate Behaviour (2014)

Director: Desiree Akhavan
Writer: Desiree Akhavan

Bisexual chaos persists in Desiree Akhavan’s Appropriate Behaviour. Just shy of being full on cringe-comedy, the film finds its stumbling charm through its hard-to-look-away relatability. Akhavan plays triple duty as director, writer, and star, playing Shirin, a Persian woman in Brooklyn looking to pick up the pieces of her life after breaking up with her girlfriend.

Shirin is messy but engaging as we watch her try to get a handle on her love life while processing how to come out to her family. Shot with playful irreverence, the film is a refreshingly contemporary look at dating and, frankly, bisexuality, which continues to lack satisfying representation. Akhavan’s follow-up feature, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, is similarly charming and heartfelt.

Where to watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, PLEX

Obvious Child (2014)

Director: Gillian Robespierre
Writer: Gillian Robespierre

The Jenny Slate starring “abortion comedy” Obvious Child is a definitive film of the early 2010s. Gillian Robespierre delivers a thoughtful and introspective story about a young woman’s decision to get an abortion after an, at first, one-night stand with a grad student. With a refreshing, realistic touch that refuses to demonize its protagonist for her decision, the film also finds a wealth of heart and humor.

Slate is a revelation in the role, unruly and unexpected in her delivery. And while her solo journey is worthwhile, the persistent charm comes through in her scenes with Jake Lacy. Slate and Lacy have tremendous chemistry, lived in and comfortable. And, for a particular viewer, the moment that his character warms the bread between his hands while out on a date remains a peak romantic gesture.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Director: Céline Sciamma
Writer: Céline Sciamma

Céline Sciamma delivers a visually rich, textured love story in the transfixing Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel star as Marianne and Héloïse, a painter and an aristocrat who fall into a brief yet impassioned affair. While the love story and the impossible desire and yearning that stems from it drive the narrative, Sciamma’s world-building and eye evoke the most significant emotional peaks.

Unsurprisingly, it is visually sumptuous and stimulating, utilizing bold colors that enrich the world they build for themselves. Merlant and Haenel are believable as two women who are constantly drawn to one another and happiest in the other’s immediate orbit. The story, like their romance, lingers. The film understands the significance of their romance and, from start to finish, coats the story with a sense of undisturbed longing. Despite the dreamlike quality, the film never succumbs to feverish impulses, heightened by strong writing and narrative clarity.

Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime

Girl Picture (2022)

Director: Alli Haapasalo
Writer: Ilona Ahti and Daniela Hakulinen

There’s a scene in Alli Haapasalo’s life-affirming coming-of-age film, the marvelous Girl Picture, that occupies a portion of my brain. In it, Mimmi (Aamu Milonoff) watches, transfixed, as her will-be crush, Emma (Linnea Leino), dances in front of a car’s headlights, sharing her passion. The two come together, enthralled in a cacophony of color and emotions as vibrant as their individual personalities. The scenes capture the purity of first love and how all-encompassing it can be in a fleeting sequence as Mimmi’s eyes light up watching Emma do something she loves.

As Mimmi, Emma, and Rönkkö work through Finland’s winter darkness, they lean on one another, seeking connections, both romantic and platonic. The romance offers a seismic shift to two of their realities, but there’s more than just that form of love. Girl Picture triumphs as a film that understands the tumultuous lives of young women as they try not to bend under societal pressure and live up to their own idealized selves.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Past Lives (2023)

Director: Celine Song
Writer: Celine Song

The cinematic embodiment of yearning, Past Lives from Celine Song, captures a decades-spanning rumination on those we leave behind. Told with a tender heart that breaks and mends over the course of the runtime, the film imbues itself with innate romanticism. There’s an assuredness to the writing that understands its three leads—played beautifully by Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro—and what drives them.

With a steady score that elevates the film’s pervasive magnetism and lush cinematography, granting the film its grainy quality, Past Lives is one of the decade’s best films. It understands the significance of chance and of soul-defining connections. It’s a staggering movie about the intrinsic ways we have profound, lingering effects on others through all stages of life.

Where to watch: Paramount+ with Showtime

There are so many wonderful romances directed by women that it’s tough to limit it to just 15. What are your favorite romance films directed by women? Let us know on Bluesky at @butwhytho.net.