Top 50 Most Popular Fantasy Romance Movies Of All Time

 

Fantasy movies are a genre that is selling like hotcakes. In the entertainment world, fantasy movies are a rage with multiple sub-genres that suit all tastes of their audience.

 

Be it fantasy drama, fantasy action, fantasy horror, or fantasy comedy, they are all a rage among the audiences.

 

There is another sub-genre of fantasy romance that has been around for a long time, receiving a renewed boost in recent times.

 

Every movie has a romance angle in it, with one of the lead characters having a partner who they care for and protect the most.

 

However, a romance movie is one where the central theme is the love between the characters, and all other action and drama are secondary.

 

Taking this into consideration, fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings, Divergent series, Marvel franchise, DCEU franchise, etc., are not counted in the list.

 

Having cleared this up, ENTOIN would like to help you enjoy the best Fantasy-Romance movies of all time without spending hours looking for a pick.

 

Here are the 50 most popular and best fantasy-romance movies that have earned the praise of critics and audiences.

 

Check the list out and start binge-watching.

 

 

50. Mannequin (1987)

 

 

Mannequin is a movie co-written and directed by Michael Gottlieb. It is a modern retelling of Pygmalian’s story. The film stars a young Kim Cattrall and the teenage heartthrob Andrew McCarthy in lead roles.

 

The original theme song of the film was, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”, by Starship, and it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song.

 

The film starts with Switcher, an unemployed artist getting fired from multiple jobs for his obsession with perfection. He luckily lands a job as a window dresser for a mannequin that he created. One night, the mannequin comes alive and the romance slowly builds from here.

 

 

49. Splash (1983)

 

 

Splash is a film directed by Ron Howard and produced under the banner of Touchstone Pictures, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Pictures.

 

It was the first non-children's film that came from Disney as it forayed into adult movies. The film had a screenplay written by Bruce Jay Friedman and Lowell Ganz with a story by Brian Grazer.

 

It earned a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and a Golden Globe for Best Picture Musical and Comedy.

 

The story is about a young man who falls in love with a mysterious woman with eccentric habits. It is revealed that she is a mermaid and had saved his life as a young boy. She keeps his true mermaid nature a secret, but soon, things get forcibly revealed.

 

 

 

48. Just My Luck (2006)

 

 

Just My Luck is a romantic comedy with a dash of fantasy mixed in it. The film is one of the early films that featured a young Chris Pine and Lindsey Lohan. If you are someone who believes in luck, then the film will surely ring true for many of us.

 

The story is about a young PR executive who enjoys good luck all around the year and an out-of-luck music producer for whom bad luck is a mainstay.

 

At a masquerade ball, they kiss each other, and magically, their streaks of luck get exchanged. Now, the PR exec starts to have constant bad luck at every turn, and the music producer can believe his sudden good luck. The film features the British pop band McFly, who performed most of the film's songs.

 

 

 

47. Yesterday (2019)

 

 

Yesterday is a musical romantic comedy that revolves around The Beatles. The title of the film Yesterday is the same as the Beatles song with the same name.

 

Yesterday is a British film directed by Danny Boyle. It did decently good business at the box office. The story is about a struggling musician who can’t get concert gigs.

 

He has a freak accident due to a global power outage and wakes up in the hospital. His supportive girlfriend and her family hear him play an old song by The Beatles and tell him that there is no band by such a name.

 

This opens up avenues for him to become a big star as he dreamed. The film has cameos from Ed Sheeran, James Corden, and Michael Kiwanuka.

 

 

 

46. Beastly (2011)

 

 

Beastly is a modern-day retelling of the fairy tale Beauty and The Beast. The film story was based on the novel of the same name by Alex Flinn.

 

It cast Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens in the lead role. Kyle Kingston is a good-looking, arrogant, and popular boy who uses his fame to bully a young witch at a party.

 

She curses him to turn into a bald, tattooed, ugly-looking man with one year to find true love. In case he does not do it, Kingston will remain bald and ugly.

 

The film had two endings, one was closer to the fairy tale, and the other was a non-violent ending. Watch the film and the alternate ending to decide which one you prefer.

 

 

 

45. Tuck Everlasting (2002)

 

 

Tuck Everlasting is a romantic drama based on a novel of the same name by Natalie Babbitt. It deals with the issue of immortality, death, and loneliness with great sensitivity.

 

The film was praised for its effort by critics, but it was not a commercial hit. In 1914, a family of immortals, the Tucks, lived in a forest in New York state.

 

They keep their identity hidden for fear of the secret falling into the wrong hands. They are accidentally discovered by a young girl who falls in love with their son.

 

Calamity strikes when a greedy businessman discovers them and threatens to kill the girl. They save the girl and kill the bad guy, but the question of the need for immortality remains.

 

 

 

44. Love and Monsters (2020)

 

 

Love and Monsters is a romantic adventure film that has elements of sci-fi, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic films. The film was developed back in 2012, but the project was delayed and put on the back burner. It picked up speed in 2018, and by the time of release, we were in the grip of the pandemic.

 

The film depicts a post-apocalyptic world where a chemical fallout of an asteroid caused mutations in cold-blooded creatures. These monsters start attacking mankind,  causing them to scatter into small pockets hiding in bunkers.

 

The romance angle is supplied by a couple, Joel and Aimee, who get separated during their escape. Joel cannot forget Aimee and sets out in search of her, braving all the dangerous monsters along the way.

 

 

 

43. Beautiful Creatures (2013)

 

 

Beautiful Creatures is a fantasy romance based on a book of the same name written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

 

The film was considered a box office bomb with mixed critical reviews. The critics felt that the cast was talented and did a good job.

 

However, they also complained that the plot was too similar to the Twilight saga. The plot revolves around a pair of fated lovers.

 

The girl is a spell caster with the capacity to wipe out humanity. The boy is the only one who keeps her on the side of the good and keeps the dark side in control.

 

 

 

42. Weathering With You (2019)

 

 

Weathering With You is an anime fantasy romance film. It is written by the famous Japanese manga artist, animator, and director Makoto Shinkai.

 

The film was the biggest hit of 2019 in Japan, and it was the sixth highest-grossing film of all time in Japan, with an earning of 21.11 billion yen.

 

A young high schooler, Hodaka, runs away from home to escape the troubles and goes to Tokyo. While there, he runs into financial difficulties but befriends a unique girl who can control the weather and is a small-time publisher. Hodaka falls in love with the girl and eventually helps her overcome possible death.

 

 

 

41. The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan (1979)

 

 

The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan is a fantasy romance mashed with a novel titled Second Sight, written by David L. Williams.

 

The film was made for television and was aired on CBS in 1979. The film story revolves around the central character of Jennie Logan, who manages to travel back in time after she discovers an antique dress from the Victorian era.

 

She travels back to meet a depressed artist who lost his wife. After some digging, Logan finds out that the artist was later murdered.

 

The problem is that Jennie Logan has already fallen in love with the artist, and now she has to save him. The film story was slightly different from the novel as the writer made a more complex plot for the murder of the artist.

 

 

 

40. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)

 

 

Scott Pilgrim vs The World is a fantasy film that was adapted from a graphic novel called Scott Pilgrim, created by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

 

The film used transmedia narrative to its advantage to add elements of comedy, drama, and fantasy to it. Scott Pilgrim is the bassist of an indie garage band that is trying to get a record deal by winning the Battle of Bands competition.

 

Parallelly, he is also interested in a girl who brings along a truckload of trouble in the form of ex-boyfriends.

 

Scott Pilgrim has to defeat the music bands in the contest and his girlfriend's exes to get to his goal. The film was a commercial flop but won critical acclaim.

 

 

 

39. Dragonfly (2002)

 

 

Dragonfly is a fantasy romance drama that stars Kevin Costner. The film was based on the story by Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson.

 

Dragonfly was a commercial flop and did not earn back the money invested. The critics also found the movie to be overly melancholic and sappy.

 

The film starts with Dr. Darrow, who has become a widower after his wife dies in South America. He misses her terribly but hides his grief by working non-stop.

 

The problem starts when unexplained events occur to indicate that his wife is trying to contact him from the other side.

 

 

38. City of Angels (1998)

 

 

City of Angels is a fantasy romance drama that is loosely based on the German film titled Der Himmel über Berlin.

 

The film was successful with the audience, and the critics also gave positive reviews. They praised the plot and Meg Ryan’s performance.

 

Seth is an angel in Los Angeles who does not understand human emotions. While his job is to guide humans who are close to death in their transition after death, Seth does not comprehend their emotions and priorities.

 

However, as he observes a doctor trying to save a dying patient, he feels touched and starts to follow her.

 

Slowly, Seth falls in love with the human doctor and decides to become human for her. The rest of his journey is about how he accepts his humanity.

 

 

37. Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

 

 

Peggy Sue Got Married is a Francis Ford Coppola film that earned three Academy award nominations for Best Actress, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design.

 

The film was successful at the box office and also earned the critics' praise. Peggy Sue is attending her 25th high school reunion as a recent divorcee.

 

She sees her divorced husband but refuses to acknowledge him. Mysteriously, Peggy Sue gets transported back to her High school days and revisits her old memories.

 

This brings her a better understanding of things that she previously missed, and decides to make a better future in this attempt.

 

 

36. A Life Less Ordinary (1997)

 

 

A Life Less Ordinary is a Danny Boyle film that offers a stylistic view of a story that does not live up to expectations.

 

The film is a black comedy with a central theme of love in an increasingly material world. A Life Less Ordinary was a box office dud, and the critics panned the hackneyed script.

 

Two angels in heaven are given an ultimatum to ensure love between two unlikely humans. The angels come down to earth and set in place a plan for the unemployed janitor to meet a wealthy heiress to kidnap her.

 

The plan was that the couple falls in love during the ordeal. However, all the struggles and roadblocks make the film a comedy.

 

 

35. Mirror Mirror (2012)

 

 

Mirror Mirror is a retelling of the fairy tale Snow White collected by the Brothers Grimm. The film was directed by Tarsem Singh and has a very stylized, dark, and engaging look.

 

There was a healthy dose of CGI work in the film, and it also received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design.

 

In this version of Snow White, the evil stepmother locks away Snow White to usurp the throne, and she has a greed for power and wealth.

 

The Mirror holds the image of the Mirror Queen, and the evil stepmother casts her spells with her help. In contrast to the original story, Snow White is not put to sleep by a poisoned apple where the Prince has to save her.

 

We see Snow White save the Prince from the ploy of the stepmother to usurp his kingdom as well.

 

 

34. In Your Eyes (2014)

 

 

In Your Eyes is a Joss Whedon film that is a fantasy romantic comedy and very different from his usual fare of big-budget films.

 

The movie premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was given a simultaneous release as an experiment. The critics gave generally positive feedback on the film.

 

The story revolves around a young man in New Mexico and a young lady in New Hampshire who randomly starts to see and experience the lives of each other.

 

They can see what the other person is seeing, talk to them, feel their emotions and pain, etc. They realize that they are falling in love with each other.

 

When the young woman lands in trouble, the man travels across to rescue her and finally meets her for the first time.

 

 

33. Cinderella (2015)

 

 

Cinderella is a live-action retelling of the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. The film was greenlit by Walt Disney Pictures in 2011, but the director and actors were all finalized only in 2013, and production started.

 

The film was directed by Kenneth Branagh, and it was his most successful film to date with an earning of over $540 million. The film stays true to the original fairy tale of the evil stepmother plotting to keep Cinderella away from the grand ball.

 

The fairy godmother spins her magic to give Cinderella a ball gown, footmen, a coachman, and a coach that has to return by midnight.

 

The grand duke plots to use the ball to set up a political marriage for his benefit, but Cinderella foils the plan. So he joins hands with the stepmother to keep Cinderella away from the Prince.

 

 

32. Ghost Town (2008)

 

 

Ghost Town is a fantasy rom-com with most of the characters being ghosts. The film was met with positive reviews from critics and audiences. The critics felt that the plot of the film may have been a run-of-the-mill plot with a non-unique premise.

 

However, the performances made it enjoyable. Special praise was given to Ricky Gervais for his sharp and on-point performance as an unsocial person.

 

The film is about a dentist who hates most human interaction and avoids pleasantries and small talk in all forms.

 

When he dies for seven minutes, the dentist wakes up with the ability to see and hear ghosts. This severely inconveniences him as he hates interaction of any form.

 

 

31. Just Like Heaven (2005)

 

 

Just Like Heaven is a sweet fantasy romantic comedy. The story is based on a French novel titled If Only It Were True (Et si c'était vrai…) by Marc Levy.

 

The production rights were bought by Steven Speilberg and directed by Mark Waters. The plot revolves around a workaholic emergency medical doctor and a grief-stricken landscape architect.

 

The doctor meets with an accident and loses all recollection of herself, while the architect is grieving his wife’s death and trying to move on.

 

They discover that the doctor is a ghost and the architect decides to help her regain her memories and eventually her life back.

 

 

30. Penelope (2006)

 

 

Penelope is a British-American romantic comedy. It is a modern-day fairy tale with a light-hearted and fun-filled journey of self-acceptance.

 

Penelope received mixed reviews, with many critics enjoying the movie, while some pointed out that the movie would have been better without the ‘sloppy direction'. The story starts with a pregnant maid of the Wilhern family committing suicide after the young master of the family refuses to marry her.

 

The maid’s mother puts a curse on the family that the next daughter of the family will be born with a pig face till she finds love from “one of her own kind”.

 

After generations, a daughter is born into the family, and the curse is activated. The family misunderstands the curse as the love of people of the same stature as their family, but what it means is a mystery.

 

 

29. 17 Again (2009)

 

 

17 Again is a romantic comedy starring Matthew Perry, Zac Efron, and Leslie Mann. It is about the love between high school sweethearts that appears to fizzle out due to the realities of life, by the time they are 37 years old.

 

By a quirk of fate, the husband has turned 17 again and gets a second chance at life. How the character of Matthew Perry uses this chance to get his life back on track is the crux of the film.

 

It has a healthy dose of teenage humor and geeky humor that appealed to the audience. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but the audience loved the movie, and it was a hit.

 

 

28. Kate & Leopold (2001)

 

 

Kate & Leopold is a fantasy romantic comedy film that reminds us of the other romcoms that Meg Ryan has acted in. The film has a similar charm, and the performance of Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman makes it worth the watch.

 

However, many critics have pointed out the glaring plot holes that are unmissable. The film is a time travel story where a current-day physicist travels back to the 19th century to bring back his great-great-grandfather.

 

The great-great-grandfather is amazed by the present-day world and falls in love with the ex-girlfriend of the physicist. She also loves him back but being a practical person, she sees no future for them. In the end, does love prevail or does the practical and logical nature prevail?

 

 

27. Shallow Hal (2001)

 

 

Shallow Hal is a movie by the Farrelly brothers. They co-wrote the story along with Sean Moynihan. The film was successful at the box office, but the critics felt the film was not up to the usual standard of the Farrelly brothers.

 

It was, however, sweeter and more romantic with blander jokes. Hal is an up-and-coming executive who has an unhappy personal life.

 

He gets rejected by every girl he dates, saying that he is shallow and superficial. Due to a chance encounter, a life coach hypnotizes Hal to see the inner beauty of a woman rather than their appearance.

 

This triggers a change in quality of life for Hal. He meets a morbidly obese Rosie but sees her for the beautiful soul she is and falls in love with her.

 

 

26. Somewhere in Time (1980)

 

 

Somewhere in Time is a romantic drama that works on the premise of the fantasy of time travel. The film has a bittersweet ending.

 

The film received mixed reviews, with a few giving the film an unfavorable review. Somewhere in Time is based on the novel Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson.

 

The film opens with a young playwright beginning his career when he meets an old lady who begs him to come back and leaves.

 

Years later, the playwright sees a portrait of the old lady and falls in love with the photograph. His obsession leads him to travel back in time to pursue his love.

 

 

25. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)

 

 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy play by William Shakespeare. It was adapted into a film by Michael Hoffman, who also wrote the screenplay.

 

The film received generally positive reviews for the performances. The critics praised the work of Kevin Kline, who plays Bottom, Calista Flockhart, who plays Helena, Stanley Tucci as Puck, and Rupert Everett as Oberon.

 

The romance of the youngsters of the city, the ego wars of the fairy king and queen, and the hapless Bottom who is turned into a donkey.

 

These are all we can expect and enjoy in the film. However, the choppy and unimaginative direction was panned by all critics.

 

 

24. Practical Magic (1998)

 

 

Practical Magic is a romance drama with elements of witchcraft. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Alice Hoffmann.

 

It was a box-office failure, and the critics also panned the movie, yet over the years, it gained a cult-classic status.

 

The story revolves around a family of witches who suffer from a family curse. Anyone in the Owens family cannot enjoy true love as the spouse will die an untimely death due to the curse.

 

This affects the perspective of the Owens sisters. One sister moves from one pointless romance to the next. The other sister curses herself only to love a man with impossible qualities.

 

The family also suffers from ostracization by the community that fears them. The climax brings closure to both issues to give a happy ending.

 

 

23. Aladdin (2019)

 

 

Aladdin is a live-action film that retells the folktale of Aladdin from One Thousand and One Nights. This Arabian Nights folktale was earlier made as an animated film, and it was hugely successful with Robin Williams as the Genie.

 

There was a heavy weight of expectation to live up to those standards. The film was co-written and directed by Guy Ritchie.

 

It became the ninth highest-grossing film of 2019. The critics praised the work of the lead actors who played Genie, Aladdin, and Princess Jasmine.

 

However, Disney drew flak for introducing a new character, Prince Anders, as a prospective suitor. The role was of a caucasian man, and it angered fans who wanted a purely middle-eastern cast.

 

 

22. Beauty and The Beast (2017)

 

 

Beauty and The Beast is a live-action remake of the classic fairy tale of Beauty and The Beast. It was made as a musical fantasy romance movie by Bill Condon.

 

The critics praised the film, its musical score, and the ensemble cast. Beauty and The Beast was the costliest film ever made, with a budget of $255 million. With this budget, it was also the second highest-grossing film in 2017 and the tenth highest-grossing film of all time.

 

The film was praised for staying true to the original story. The performance of Belle and Beast was comparable to a musical theater performance which was appreciated.

 

However, some critics were not happy with the unnecessary inclusion of homosexual characters, who did nothing for the story.

 

 

21. The Age of Adaline (2015)

 

 

The Age of Adaline is a drama that revolves around an immortal woman who runs away from romance as she fears discovery.

 

The film was written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz. The Age of Adaline received positive reviews for the performance of Blake Lively and Harrison Ford.

 

The critics were not happy about the story, and they felt that the subject of immortality was treated very lightly and lacked the depth shown in other films with this theme.

 

However, they also said that the superb acting of Lively and Ford elevated the film. A woman born at the start of the 20th century dies in a motoring accident but is revived by a freak lightning strike.

 

This renders her ageless and also attracts the attention of two FBI agents. Fearing discovery as an immortal, she begins to change her identity periodically and runs away as soon as she falls in love with someone.

 

 

20. Ladyhawke (1985)

 

 

Ladyhawke is a medieval fantasy romance film directed and produced by Richard Donner. The film is a romantic plot of a corrupt bishop who desires the beautiful daughter of the Comte d’Anjou.

 

In his obsession for her, the bishop curses her and her husband, the captain of the Guard. By day, she becomes a hawk, while her husband is a man, and by night he turns into a wolf, and she turns into a woman.

 

They are destined to be apart forever till the curse is broken when they face the bishop together. To help them through their tough time there is Gaston, a petty thief, and Father Imperius.

 

The film was not successful due to choppy scenes and pacing problems by the director. However, the performances of the cast received praise from the critics.

 

 

19. Meet Joe Black (1998)

 

 

Meet Joe Black is a film that brings together Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins, once again, after The Legend of the Falls.

 

The film is loosely based on a 1934 film titled Death Takes A Holiday, which is, in turn, based on an Italian play, La Morte in Vacanza, by Alberto Casella.

 

Death is captivated by the impassioned speech that a father gives to his daughter about love and life. Death decides to visit the earth and asks the father to be his guide.

 

While there, he also meets the said daughter and starts to fall in love with her. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided about whether Brad Pitt's performance was good or bad. They all agreed that the film was very slow-moving.

 

 

18. Your Name (2016)

 

 

Your Name is a Japanese anime film with a fantasy romance theme. Its Japanese title is Kimi No Na Wa, and it was very successful in Japan and across the world.

 

It became the third highest-grossing anime film of all time and broke many box-office records. The story revolves around a young school girl from a village who dreams of being born as a Tokyo boy in the next life.

 

Her dream comes true when she inexplicably switches bodies with a Tokyo high-school student. This confuses and leads to some drama. The film won many awards for its animation, romantic theme, music, and cast.

 

 

17. About Time (2013)

 

 

About Time is a British film written and directed by Richard Curtis. It is a romantic comedy that is built on the premise of time travel.

 

The critics gave it favorable reviews, and The Guardian compared it to The Groundhog Day for its treatment of characters.

 

The film is about a young man who realizes he has the ability to time travel. He can go back in time and change his responses, behavior, or actions.

 

He chooses to use this to find a girlfriend that can make his life beautiful. Soon, he realizes that it is easier said than done, and his attempts lead to many comedic encounters that are also endearing.

 

 

16. The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

 

 

The Time Traveler’s Wife is an emotional, romantic drama set against the theme of time travel, as the name suggests.

 

The film is based on a novel of the same name, written by Audrey Niffenegger. The movie was a commercial success, but the critics were divided in their opinion.

 

A man with a genetic abnormality that causes him to randomly travel back and forth in time. He has no control over where he goes, as it could be the future or the past.

 

At some point in his life, he meets and falls in love with a woman who figures out his secret and keeps it a secret for him.

 

His random time travel causes problems for him and his wife. The emotional strain, the long absence, and random appearances threaten to break them apart, but they prevail.

 

 

15. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

 

 

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind is a science fiction romance drama. It has been listed among the best movies of 2000 and ranked as one of the most romantic movies of all time.

 

The film was a critical and commercial success. It won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Eternal Sunshine is a psychological drama with elements of science fiction.

 

The lead pair love each other very much, but they have a volatile relationship. After another bitter argument, the girlfriend opts to undergo a procedure to remove all her memories of the boyfriend.

 

Initially, the boyfriend feels hurt and registers for that procedure too, but as he recollects the good memories with her, he regrets erasing her. Yet, fate plays its hand, and they meet again and restart their relationship just like before.

 

 

14. Groundhog Day (1993)

 

 

Groundhog Day is a fantasy romantic comedy film at first glance, however, it has a philosophical aspect underneath all the comedy.

 

The movie was a critical and commercial success with fans. It made over $100 million and became one of the highest-grossing films of 1993.

 

The story is about a self-absorbed and narcissistic weatherman. For an unexplained reason, he seems to be stuck reliving Groundhog Day, over and over again.

 

He figures that the only way to break the time loop is if he can get the day right and win the affection of the lady love.

 

Groundhog day marked the end of the collaboration between Harold Ramis, the director, and Bill Murray, the lead actor.

 

They disagreed about the tone of the film. Ramis wanted a comedy approach, and Murray wanted a philosophical one.

 

 

13. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

 

 

Edward Scissorhands is a fantasy romance drama,  directed, co-written, and co-produced by Tim Burton. He considers the film to be closest to his heart.

 

It earned multiple award nominations, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe award, etc. An aging inventor creates a humanoid boy and teaches him at home.

 

However, before he can give the boy a pair of hands, the inventor dies of a heart attack. This leaves Edward with hands that are blades of scissors. While he continues to live in the abandoned estate, a saleswoman finds him and takes him home with her.

 

At his new home, Edward Scissorhands finds love and friendship, but he is unprepared for the evils of the world outside. He is ill-equipped to handle the complexities of human emotions like love, jealousy, etc.

 

 

12. Avatar (2009)

 

 

Avatar is a James Cameron film that he wrote, directed, and co-produced. The film is an epic science fiction fantasy film with a strong romance theme.

 

It is not a typical fantasy romance, however, it is the love that Jake Sully and Neytiri share that brings the film together.

 

Avatar is a story of human greed for power and resources that threatens to kill a whole planet of inhabitants to make way for human progress.

 

An ex-soldier who volunteers to inhabit an avatar and communicate with the inhabitants falls in love with the daughter of the chieftain.

 

He realizes the greatness of the Na’vi culture and human folly. So he abandons his human mission and joins hands with the Na’vi to fight against the human colonizers. Avatar is the second highest-grossing film of all time earning over $3 Billion.

 

 

11. Ella Enchanted (2004)

 

 

Ella Enchanted is a fantasy comedy romance loosely based on the novel of the same name written by Gail Carson Levine.

 

The film was created in the style of fairy tales, although it was not one. The fans were not too pleased with the attempt but loved Anne Hathaway as a cursed Ella of Frell.

 

A well-meaning but misguided fairy godmother gives Ella the gift of obedience at her birth. This causes a lot of misery to her as she cannot disobey a direct order from anyone.

 

As Ella grew up, her stepmother and stepsisters made her life difficult by using her as a maid. However, Ella and Prince Char meet and fall in love with each other. Will Ella have a happy ending like Cinderella, or will she fall prey to her curse?

 

 

10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

 

 

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an epic fantasy romance. It is based on a short story written by Scots Fitzgerald. It was adapted into a screenplay, and the film was directed by David Fincher.

 

The film earned thirteen Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, etc. The story is about a unique baby, Benjamin Button, who is born with the appearance of an elderly man.

 

As time passes, he grows younger while his acquaintances and friends grow old. He hesitantly starts a romance with his childhood friend, whom he loves dearly.

 

His unique condition forces him to stay away from her. The movie was a commercial and critical success, and the performances of the cast received special accolades.

 

 

9. Enchanted (2007)

 

 

Enchanted is a Walt Disney Pictures film that is a live-action/animated fantasy romantic comedy. The film was directed by Kevin Lima to be a self-parody of Disney animated films of princesses.

 

Enchanted was a box-office success and earned several award nominations, including at the Oscar and Golden Globe Awards. The film's musical score was also highly praised by all.

 

Enchanted starts as an animated film set in Andalasia, where the wicked stepmother plans to usurp the throne from her stepson by derailing his marriage.

 

She intercepts his bride-to-be and pushes her into a magical well that brings her to the live-action world in New York City.

 

The prince follows his true love to New York, but the wicked queen will not rest till the prince and his bride-to-be are killed. While in a live-action world, the prince and his bride-to-be face a tough time adjusting to the real world.

 

 

8. The Shape of Water (2017)

 

 

The Shape of Water is a fantasy romance film written by Guillermo Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. Del Toro directed the film that earned four Oscar awards.

 

It got multiple Oscar nominations for best actress, best-supporting actress, actor, original screenplay, and more. The story is about a top-secret government organization that studies mysterious creatures.

 

One day they discover a mysterious humanoid amphibian and bring him to research. A mute janitor who was orphaned at a young age meets the mysterious creature.

 

Slowly, they develop a friendship that blossoms into love. The janitor is unable to watch her friend and love undergo painful experiments and torture, so she plans to break him out of his prison.

 

 

7. 13 Going On 30 (2004)

 

 

13 Going On 30 is a romantic comedy that was very successful at the box office. The film was based on the screenplay of Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith and has elements of teenage dreams, aspirations, and wishes.

 

The role of Jennifer Garner was very well-received. Jenna Rink is a 13-year-old shy, naive, and friendly girl. She wishes to join the cool kids' gang in school and tries to impress them at her birthday party.

 

Her attempt fails, and Jenna wishes to be 30 years old and successful. She wakes up as a successful fashion editor of her favorite magazine, but her life is a mess.

 

Now she has to correct the situation using her 13-year-old brain. This makes for many comedy situations, and Garner shines through in her role.

 

 

6. The Lake House (2006)

 

 

The Lake House is a fantasy romance drama that has the lead pair carrying on a correspondence, separated by two years, through a mailbox.

 

The story is inspired by the South Korean film and is a remake of Il Mare. Alex and Kate move into the same lake house, only two years apart.

 

They start a correspondence through a mailbox and realize that they are separated by two years. Through their mail, they get to know each other and fall in love.

 

When they set a date to meet, Alex does not show up. Thinking that he dumped her, Kate is heartbroken, but love finds a way to reunite them and clear up all the differences. The film was a box-office hit. It brought back the successful pairing of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.

 

 

5. The Princess Bride (1987)

 

 

The Princess Bride is a fantasy romance. It is a cult classic that the audience and the critics loved. The film also left a legacy of many memorable film quotes like “My Name is Inigo Montoya, prepare to die." The Princess Bride is based on a novel of the same name by William Goldman.

 

Rob Reiner directed and co-produced the film, which became one of the greatest films of the 1980s and is the most remembered film by Reiner. A simple farmhand grows up and falls in love with Princess Buttercup, and she loves to too, but fate shoves them apart.

 

The farmhand travels the world to make a name for himself and become worthy of the Princess. However, the evil Prince Humperdinck has plans to usurp the power and crown of the Princess and hence creates obstacles and differences between the pair to keep them apart.

 

 

4. Stardust (2007)

 

 

Stardust is a fantasy adventure film that has romance, comedy, and action in it. The film is based on a novel of the same name, written by Neil Gaiman.

 

The film also boasts a stellar ensemble cast that pleased the audience and the critics alike. Tristan is a small shopboy who is infatuated with a vain and self-obsessed  Victoria.

 

She asks him to get her a star that recently fell from the sky to prove his love. So Tristan sets out to cross the Wall into the magical kingdom of Stormhold.

 

After finding the star, who is a girl called Yvaine, Tristan encounters many adventures that help him mature into a strong and strapping young man. At the same time, Tristan falls in love with Yvaine and that he was a fool to like Victoria.

 

 

3. The Twilight Saga film series (2008-2012)

 

 

The Twilight Saga film series is a collection of five films that were released every year, starting from 2008 to 2012. These films were based on a series of young adult novels with the same name written by Stephenie Meyer.

 

The film series explores the supernatural love story and struggles of Isabella 'Bella' Swan and Edward Cullen, a vampire. To complicate things, a werewolf, Jacob Black, also loves Bella Swan, and the werewolves and Vampires have an uneasy peace.

 

To make things interesting, the different vampire clans and powerful elders oppose the love of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.

 

This leads to an epic showdown between the various clans of vampires and werewolves. The film titles: Twilight (2008), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011), and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012).

 

 

2. Ghost (1990)

 

 

Ghost is a romantic drama and a tearjerker that became the biggest hit of 1990. It was also the third highest-grossing film for a while.

 

The audience and the critics loved the story, acting, and the concept of the film. Ghost earned three Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, and won the award for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay.

 

A bank employee and his girlfriend renovate and move into a new apartment that they lovingly built. Their happy life is abruptly cut short when the bank employee is killed in a mugging, and his soul is unable to reconcile its fate.

 

He turns into a ghost and watches on as his girlfriend grieves him. Slowly the ghost searches for ways to console his girlfriend and takes the help of a medium. Together they discover the true reason for his untimely death and avenge it.

 

 

1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

 

 

It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the greatest films of all time, a true classic that did not taste successful when it was initially released.

 

Later, after its copyright license expired, it became a Christmas classic for millions of Americans every year. The film also earned five Oscar nominations.

 

The story is about George Bailey, who is a genuine, kind-hearted do-gooder. He loves his community and does a lot of kind deeds for their benefit, yet he is faced with hurdles and some criticism.

 

This disheartens him, and as the Christmas season approaches, he gives up and contemplates suicide. The guardian angel of Bailey sees this and decides to intervene and help Bailey see the wonderful world that he has around him, his loving family, wife, neighbors, and all.

 

He helps Bailey realize that all the blessing he needs is the love that he already has and thus prevents him from giving up.