Best Romance Movies of the 1980s

1. 1
   Cinema Paradiso 1988

   Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore · Streaming on MGM Plus, Kanopy, Hoopla
   8.4

   8.4 · 5K votes
2. 2
   Wings of Desire 1987

   Directed by Wim Wenders · Streaming on HBO Max
   7.7

   7.8 · 1.6K votes
3. 3
   The Princess Bride 1987

   Directed by Rob Reiner · Streaming on Hulu
   7.7

   7.7 · 5.4K votes
4. 4
   Nostalgia 1983

   Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, Klassiki
   7.6

   7.8 · 635 votes
5. 5
   A Short Film About Love 1988

   Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski · Streaming on Criterion Channel, Klassiki
   7.5

   7.8 · 435 votes
6. 6
   Maurice 1987

   Directed by James Ivory · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Kanopy
   7.4

   7.6 · 638 votes
7. 7
   When Harry Met Sally... 1989

   Directed by Rob Reiner · Streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
   7.4

   7.4 · 4.8K votes
8. 8
   The Big Blue 1988

   Directed by Luc Besson
   7.4

   7.4 · 1.6K votes
9. 9
   Time of the Gypsies 1988

   Directed by Emir Kusturica
   7.4

   7.6 · 461 votes
10. 10
    Somewhere in Time 1980

    Directed by Jeannot Szwarc · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Fandango at Home Free
    7.4

    7.5 · 697 votes
11. 11
    Dirty Dancing 1987

    Directed by Emile Ardolino · Streaming on YouTube TV, Pluto TV, Sling TV Orange and Blue
    7.3

    7.3 · 6.7K votes
12. 12
    The Purple Rose of Cairo 1985

    Directed by Woody Allen · Streaming on Hoopla, YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    7.3

    7.4 · 1.2K votes
13. 13
    Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears 1980

    Directed by Vladimir Menshov
    7.2

    7.5 · 308 votes
14. 14
    Sophie's Choice 1982

    Directed by Alan J. Pakula · Streaming on fuboTV, Peacock Premium, The Roku Channel
    7.2

    7.3 · 972 votes
15. 15
    The Green Ray 1986

    Directed by Éric Rohmer · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    7.2

    7.5 · 295 votes
16. 16
    Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel 1987

    Directed by Kevin Sullivan
    7.2

    7.9 · 127 votes
17. 17
    Tootsie 1982

    Directed by Sydney Pollack · Streaming on Sony Pictures Core
    7.2

    7.2 · 2K votes
18. 18
    Dangerous Liaisons 1988

    Directed by Stephen Frears
    7.1

    7.2 · 1.3K votes
19. 19
    Victor/Victoria 1982

    Directed by Blake Edwards · Streaming on YouTube Free
    7.1

    7.3 · 468 votes
20. 20
    On Golden Pond 1981

    Directed by Mark Rydell · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium
    7.1

    7.3 · 531 votes
21. 21
    Out of Africa 1985

    Directed by Sydney Pollack · Streaming on YouTube TV
    7.1

    7.2 · 1.6K votes
22. 22
    Shadows in Paradise 1986

    Directed by Aki Kaurismäki · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    7.1

    7.3 · 456 votes
23. 23
    Top Gun 1986

    Directed by Tony Scott · Streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.1

    7.1 · 10K votes
24. 24
    The Last Metro 1980

    Directed by François Truffaut · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    7.1

    7.2 · 538 votes
25. 25
    Betty Blue 1986

    Directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    7.0

    7.2 · 490 votes
26. 26
    Love and Pigeons 1984

    Directed by Vladimir Menshov
    7.0

    7.5 · 157 votes
27. 27
    Dragons Forever 1988

    Directed by Sammo Hung Kam-bo · Streaming on WeTV
    7.0

    7.2 · 326 votes
28. 28
    Decalogue IX 1989

    Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
    7.0

    7.6 · 136 votes
29. 29
    An Officer and a Gentleman 1982

    Directed by Taylor Hackford · Streaming on fuboTV, MGM+, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.0

    7.0 · 1.2K votes
30. 30
    Dust in the Wind 1986

    Directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien
    7.0

    7.6 · 120 votes
31. 31
    Red Sorghum 1988

    Directed by Zhang Yimou
    6.9

    7.2 · 263 votes
32. 32
    Say Anything... 1989

    Directed by Cameron Crowe
    6.9

    7.0 · 1.2K votes
33. 33
    Ariel 1988

    Directed by Aki Kaurismäki · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.9

    7.1 · 392 votes
34. 34
    Messenger Boy 1986

    Directed by Karen Shakhnazarov
    6.9

    7.4 · 156 votes
35. 35
    84 Charing Cross Road 1987

    Directed by David Hugh Jones · Streaming on YouTube Free, Howdy
    6.9

    7.2 · 233 votes
36. 36
    Rumble Fish 1983

    Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
    6.9

    7.0 · 796 votes
37. 37
    Law of Desire 1987

    Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
    6.9

    7.1 · 340 votes
38. 38
    The Quack 1982

    Directed by Jerzy Hoffman
    6.9

    7.5 · 116 votes
39. 39
    The Woman Next Door 1981

    Directed by François Truffaut · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.9

    7.1 · 352 votes
40. 40
    Coming to America 1988

    Directed by John Landis · Streaming on YouTube TV, YouTube Free
    6.9

    6.9 · 4.9K votes
41. 41
    A Room with a View 1986

    Directed by James Ivory · Streaming on HBO Max, Britbox, Shout! Factory TV
    6.9

    6.9 · 869 votes
42. 42
    Starman 1984

    Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on Hulu, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV
    6.9

    6.9 · 1.1K votes
43. 43
    Mauvais Sang 1986

    Directed by Leos Carax · Streaming on Hoopla
    6.9

    7.1 · 296 votes
44. 44
    Hibiscus Town 1987

    Directed by Xie Jin
    6.8

    7.9 · 64 votes
45. 45
    The Road 1982

    Directed by Yılmaz Güney
    6.8

    7.3 · 136 votes
46. 46
    As Tears Go By 1988

    Directed by Wong Kar-wai · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    6.8

    7.0 · 392 votes
47. 47
    Bride of the Orient 1989

    Directed by Urs Odermatt
    6.8

    9.5 · 24 votes
48. 48
    Mannequin 1987

    Directed by Michael Gottlieb
    6.8

    6.9 · 860 votes
49. 49
    Torch Song Trilogy 1988

    Directed by Paul Bogart
    6.8

    7.4 · 113 votes
50. 50
    Fatal Attraction 1987

    Directed by Adrian Lyne · Streaming on fuboTV, MGM+, Paramount Plus Premium
    6.8

    6.8 · 1.8K votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   The High Schoolers 1986

   Directed by Nicolae Corjos
   6.6

   8.1 · 28 votes
2. 2
   Un hombre llamado el diablo 1983

   Directed by Rafael Villaseñor Kuri
   6.6

   7.9 · 32 votes
3. 3
   Mouna Raagam 1986

   Directed by Mani Ratnam
   6.5

   7.9 · 26 votes
4. 4
   A Hazard of Hearts 1987

   Directed by John Hough · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Plex
   6.4

   7.8 · 25 votes
5. 5
   Sagara Sangamam 1983

   Directed by K. Viswanath · Streaming on Sun Nxt, Eros Now Select
   6.4

   7.8 · 25 votes
6. 6
   Todo un hombre 1983

   Directed by Rafael Villaseñor Kuri
   6.4

   7.7 · 24 votes
7. 7
   Ico, the Brave Horse 1983

   Directed by Manuel García Ferré
   6.4

   7.8 · 20 votes
8. 8
   The Herdsman 1982

   Directed by Xie Jin
   6.4

   7.6 · 21 votes
9. 9
   The Nest of Wasps 1987

   Directed by Horea Popescu
   6.3

   8.1 · 11 votes
10. 10
    Penguin's Memory: A Tale of Happiness 1985

    Directed by Shunji Kimura
    6.3

    8.2 · 10 votes