These period romances explore the many ways love can inspire, complicate, and change a life.
Some evenings call for an escape. When the real world feels a little too loud, nothing beats slipping into a story set in another century. Historical romance films give us the rare pleasure of being transported somewhere else while still speaking to feelings we know well, from longing and heartbreak to jealousy and joy.
The nine films below span more than fifty years of filmmaking and just as many corners of the world, from revolutionary Russia to Gilded Age New York. Expect to cry at a few, laugh out loud at a couple, and think about all of them for days. Each one brings sumptuous costumes, sweeping scenery, and performances that are hard to shake once the credits roll.
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Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Lush, haunting, and devastating, David Lean’s epic follows Yuri Zhivago, a physician and poet, through the upheaval of World War I and the Russian Revolution. His love for Lara, a woman whose path keeps crossing his, unfolds against snowbound landscapes and a country tearing itself apart. Adapted from Boris Pasternak’s novel, it’s revered for its grand scale, its five Academy Awards, and Maurice Jarre’s unforgettable score.
Days Of Heaven (1978)
Terrence Malick sets this story in the 1910s Texas Panhandle, where a couple on the run pose as siblings and take work on a wealthy farmer’s wheat fields. When the farmer falls for the woman, a scheme takes shape and jealousy begins to build. Told partly through the voice of a younger girl, it’s often named among the most beautiful films ever shot, with Nestor Almendros’s cinematography (filmed almost entirely during golden hour) winning an Oscar.
The Piano (1993)
Ada, a mute Scottish woman played by Holly Hunter, is sent to 1850s New Zealand with her young daughter and her beloved piano for an arranged marriage. When a neighbor acquires the instrument and proposes a bargain, an unexpected and complicated bond forms. Jane Campion’s film won the Palme d’Or, making her the first woman to receive it, and Hunter’s expressive performance without speech earned her an Oscar.
The Age Of Innocence (1993)
Martin Scorsese skips the grit and noir in favor of Edith Wharton’s novel about 1870s New York high society. Newland Archer, engaged to a suitable young woman, becomes captivated by her unconventional cousin, a countess who has returned home under a cloud of scandal. Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder star in a story of longing held in check by strict social rules. A worthwhile watch for its aching restraint, its faithfulness to Wharton, and its lavish, Oscar-winning costumes.
The English Patient (1996)
In Italy near the end of World War II, a nurse cares for a badly burned man whose memory returns in fragments. Those memories carry us back to a torrid affair between a Hungarian mapmaker and a married Englishwoman, played by Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas. Anthony Minghella’s film won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and remains a favorite for its devastating emotional pull.
Ever After (1998)
This retelling of Cinderella drops the magic and places the story in Renaissance France. Drew Barrymore plays Danielle, a resourceful young woman who catches the eye of a prince while enduring her cruel stepmother, played by Anjelica Huston. It’s warm, funny, and romantic, with Leonardo da Vinci appearing in the role usually held by a fairy godmother. A bona fide comfort watch, largely because its heroine rescues herself.
A Knight’s Tale (2001)
Heath Ledger plays William, a peasant squire who assumes a false noble identity to compete in medieval jousting tournaments. Along the way, he gathers a scrappy band of companions, wins the heart of a noblewoman, and makes an enemy of a powerful rival. With Chaucer as a fast-talking herald and a classic rock soundtrack (there’s a jousting scene set to Queen’s We Will Rock You), it’s a playful, crowd-pleasing tango of romance and comedy.
Carol (2015)
In 1950s New York, a young shopgirl and aspiring photographer, played by Rooney Mara, meets an elegant older woman (Cate Blanchett) who’s in the middle of a painful divorce. Their attraction grows into a road trip and a real risk to Carol’s custody of her daughter. Todd Haynes directs this adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel with a hushed and richly textured visual style.
Phantom Thread (2017)
Reynolds Woodcock, an exacting and celebrated dressmaker played by Daniel Day-Lewis, takes a young waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps) as his muse and lover. What begins as a glamorous romance turns into a delicate battle of wills inside his tightly ordered household. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film is adored for its unconventional and layered love story, Jonny Greenwood’s swooning score, and its Oscar-winning costumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some historical romance movies worth watching include Doctor Zhivago (1965), Days Of Heaven (1978), The Piano (1993), The Age Of Innocence (1993), The English Patient (1996), Ever After (1998), A Knight’s Tale (2001), Carol (2015), and Phantom Thread (2017), which explore love and longing across different historical settings.
The Age Of Innocence (1993) explores a romance constrained by the rules of New York high society, while The English Patient (1996) follows an affair between a Hungarian mapmaker and a married Englishwoman.
Doctor Zhivago (1965) features snowbound Russian landscapes, while The Age Of Innocence (1993) showcases lavish costumes inspired by 1870s New York high society. Days Of Heaven (1978) is also known for its beautiful cinematography.
Ever After (1998) offers a warm, funny retelling of Cinderella set in Renaissance France, while A Knight’s Tale (2001) combines medieval romance, comedy, jousting tournaments, and a classic rock soundtrack
The Piano (1993) follows a Scottish woman who develops a complicated bond with a neighbor in 1850s New Zealand, while Phantom Thread (2017) explores a complex romance between a celebrated dressmaker and his muse. Carol (2015) also depicts a romance between two women in 1950s New York.
