The romance genre is, without a doubt, one of the most foundational genres of cinema. Arguably, it’s one of the most foundational genres of human storytelling, period. Watching two people fall in love and go through endless trials and tribulations to finally be together or stand side by side has been a favorite human pastime for centuries. Whether a happy ever after or a tragic ending, romance movies have left their indisputable mark on our collective imaginations.
Like all massive genres, romance also has a myriad of sub-genres—and it’s also a sub-genre itself since there are very few action flicks or thrillers that don’t have at least a hint of a romantic subplot. The most beloved romance sub-genre, though, has to be the romance drama. It has all the passions and pathos one looks for in romance, so it should be no surprise that there are several movies that fall into this category that can be found in the list of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
10
The Fault in Our Stars (Josh Boone, 2014)
Total Earnings: $307,170,119
The Fault in Our Stars was quite the phenomenon among the then-teenager and young adult population, and it had been since 2012 when author John Green first published The Fault in Our Stars as a novel. It only makes sense, then, that the movie adapted from that book was not only highly anticipated by fans everywhere but also a commercial success, leaving its by-now niche but still undeniable mark on pop culture.
The story follows Hazel and Augustus, two teenagers who meet at the same cancer patient support group. Their relationship soon grows and turns into love. It’s all sweet and wholesome until The Fault in Our Stars delivers a rather sad ending that should have been expected but that audiences still hope doesn’t happen. While The Fault in Our Stars is definitely a product of its time—some of its narrative choices would raise a few eyebrows today—the impact it had on the 2010s pop culture scene is still relevant, as testified by its considerable box office earnings.
9
Little Women (Greta Gerwig, 2019)
Total Earnings: $332,103,783
Little Women
- Release Date
-
December 25, 2019
- Runtime
-
135 minutes
The latest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s coming-of-age story Little Women was directed by Greta Gerwig and had an absolutely stacked cast—both things that definitely contributed to its worldwide success. Gerwig’s decision to split the story into two different timelines makes the events of the lives of the March sisters even more engaging if that is even possible. The fact that the harsh contrast between the four girls’ childhoods and their adulthood is also marked visually, the former being drenched in warm colors and the latter in stark cold ones, is a stroke of visual storytelling genius.
A brief history of Little Women in cinema | ||
|---|---|---|
Specs | Cast | Notes |
Little Women (Alexander Butler, 1917) | Mary Lincoln as Meg, Ruby Miller as Jo, Muriel Myers as Beth, Daisy Burrel as Amy | This movie is considered a lost film |
Little Women (Harley Knoles, 1918) | Isabel Lamon as Meg, Dorothy Bernanrd as Jo, Lillian Hall as Beth, Florence Flinn as Amy | This is the second silent film adaptation of Little Women after the 1917 one |
Little Women (George Cukor, 1933) | Frances Dee as Meg, Katharine Hepburn as Jo, Jean Parker as Beth, Joan Bennett as Amy | The very first sound adaptation of Little Women |
Little Women (Mervyn LeRoy, 1949) | Janet Leigh as Meg, June Allyson as Jo, Margaret O’Brien as Beth, Elizabeth Taylor as Amy | The first color adaptation of the story |
Little Women (Gillian Armstrong, 1994) | Trini Alvarado as Meg, Winona Ryder as Jo, Claire Danes as Beth, Samantha Mathis and Kirsten Dunst as Amy | The most famous Little Women adaptation before Gerwig’s 2019 one |
Little Women (Clare Niederpruem, 2018) | Melanie Stone as Meg, Sarah Davenport as Jo, Allie Jennings as Beth, Elise Jones and Taylor Murphy as Amy | A contemporary adaptation made for the 150th anniversary of the novel |
There’s a reason Little Women has remained such a beloved story ever since its first publication in 1868. The four March sisters all feel like actual people one might know in real life and have resonated with audiences for more than a century. The performances of Emma Watson as Meg, Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Eliza Scanlen as Beth, and Florence Pugh as Amy are all brilliant and perfectly capture the spirit of these iconic characters. Gerwig’s Little Women is overall a great example of an adaptation done right, with great monologues that tugged at viewers’ heartstrings.
8
It Ends with Us (Justin Baldoni, 2024)
Total Earnings: $350,993,761
It Ends With Us
- Release Date
-
August 9, 2024
- Runtime
-
130 Minutes
- Director
-
Justin Baldoni
- Writers
-
Christy Hall, Colleen Hoover
It Ends with Us was a considerable phenomenon in the summer of 2024, ascending almost immediately to the status of box office success. A success that is easily understood when taking into consideration that the book the movie is based on, author Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, has enjoyed that same kind of success ever since its publication in 2016.
It Ends with Us was a controversial production from the start, even before the movie was actually made—criticism of Hoover’s novel was already rampant in every corner of the Internet dedicated to books, from BookTok to BookTube. The main point of contention was the subject of the book, which deals with heavy themes like domestic violence and emotional abuse in a way that has been considered too careless and superficial. It Ends with Us’s name is now also associated with the legal dispute between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, the movie’s lead actress.
7
Fifty Shades Freed (James Foley, 2018)
Total Earnings: $371,985,018
Fifty Shades Freed
- Release Date
-
February 9, 2018
- Runtime
-
101minutes
- Director
-
James Foley
- Writers
-
Niall Leonard
Fifty Shades Freed is the final installment of the Fifty Shades movie franchise, all of which are based on the book series of the same name by author E.L. James. The movie finishes up the story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, who are now officially married and ready to start their lives together—but not before taking down the last of their adversaries who have it out for them. In the end, they lead a happy life together with their children, who were not exactly planned but are much loved nonetheless.
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Fifty Shades Freed is the closing chapter in the Fifty Shades trilogy, but it’s also the worst-reviewed and lowest-rater movie in the franchise.
Fifty Shades Freed was an unquestionable box office success all over the world, even though it was technically the lowest-grossing installment of the entire trilogy. Still, sometimes box office success doesn’t necessarily equate to favorable reviews—just like the two previous Fifty Shades movies, Fifty Shades Freed received overall criticism, particularly about its story beats and its acting performances.
6
Fifty Shades Darker (James Foley, 2017)
Total Earnings: $381,545,846
Fifty Shades Darker
- Release Date
-
February 10, 2017
- Runtime
-
118 Minutes
- Director
-
James Foley
- Writers
-
Niall Leonard
The entire Fifty Shades trilogy was a massive box office success, just like the Fifty Shades book series it was based on, so it’s no surprise that all three movies are among the highest-grossing romance dramas of all time. Fifty Shades Darker is the second installment in the series and picks up almost immediately when Fifty Shades of Grey left off, with Anastasia and Christian both coming to terms—quite badly—with their breakup.
Fifty Shades Darker received the same criticisms that were moved against Fifty Shades of Grey and that would be moved against Fifty Shades Freed. The performances were deemed unconvincing and so was the overall story. Mostly, though, all Fifty Shades movies were criticized for misrepresenting what was supposed to be their main selling point—the BDSM relationship between Anastasia and Christian, which was presented with very little concern for the safety and comfort measures that are taken in real life.
5
A Star Is Born (Bradley Cooper, 2018)
Total Earnings: $436,433,122
A Star Is Born was the fourth iteration of its story, which has been produced before, in 1937, 1954, and 1976, as well as Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut. Cooper also starred as the main character Jack Maine, a famous country rock singer, alongside Lady Gaga, who is the movie’s lead actress in the role of Ally, a singer-songwriter who works at the bar that Jack visits after one of his shows.
A Star Is Born hit the combo of proving itself a box office success, a critical darling, and a pop culture sensation. The movie’s signature song “Shallow,” was playing everywhere in the summer of 2018 immediately after the movie’s release, and it succeeded in winning Best Original Song both at that year’s Golden Globes and Academy Awards. Ultimately, A Star Is Born proved that there is value in remaking timeless stories, but only, of course, when done right.
4
Pearl Harbor (Michael Bay, 2001)
Total Earnings: $449,220,945
Pearl Harbor
- Release Date
-
May 25, 2001
- Runtime
-
183 minutes
- Writers
-
Randall Wallace
Pearl Harbor is as classic a romance drama as they come and the perfect example of how romance as a genre can easily mix with pretty much any other genre in the history of storytelling. In the case of Pearl Harbor, the drama-filled love triangle between nurse Evelyn Johnson and best friends Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is set against the backdrop of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent entrance of the United States into the already raging conflict of World War II.
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Is Pearl Harbor Accurate? Movie Vs. Real Life True Story Explained
The historical inaccuracies of Pearl Harbor cause it to be a poor representation of history. However, it isn’t a totally false portrayal of events.
Pearl Harbor has incredible action sequences, especially during the scene of the actual attack, which is obviously the movie’s centerpiece. All its technical aspects, including its soundtrack, were wildly well received upon release, even though the same couldn’t be said for its overall story and performances. Still, that didn’t stop Pearl Harbor from being a box office success as well as one of the most iconic examples of a period romance drama.
3
La La Land (Damien Chazelle, 2016)
Total Earnings: $509,183,536
La La Land
- Release Date
-
December 9, 2016
- Runtime
-
128 Minutes
- Director
-
Damien Chazelle
- Writers
-
Damien Chazelle
Romances make for some of the best musicals out there and La La Land is no exception. Then again, the homage that La La Land pays to staples of the romance musical is all done with intention by director Damien Chazelle, since the entire movie is a metanarrative reflection on Hollywood, its history, and the dreams of people who flock there to try and make their break in the world of cinema.
La La Land was incredibly well received upon its release, quickly becoming a worldwide success so much so that it’s generally considered one of the best movies to come out of the last decade. La La Land‘s story filled with swoon-worthy romance and bittersweet longing, its incredibly catchy and emotional songs, and the brilliant performances of lead actors Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling all contribute to making it the jewel that it is.
2
Fifty Shades of Grey (Sam Taylor-Johnson, 2015)
Total Earnings: $569,651,467
Fifty Shades of Grey
- Release Date
-
February 13, 2015
- Runtime
-
125 Minutes
- Director
-
Sam Taylor-Johnson
- Writers
-
Kelly Marcel
Fifty Shades of Grey is the movie that started the Fifty Shades franchise, and its plot follows the very beginning of the relationship between recent college graduate Anastasia Steele and billionaire entrepreneur Christian Grey. That relationship soon turns into a sadomasochistic one, introducing Anastasia to the world of BDSM of which Christian is very much an expert.
Fifty Shades of Grey was a box office success pretty much immediately upon its release, which was much anticipated by fans of E.L. James’s original 2011 book who had carefully monitored every step of its production—from the announcement of the movie’s screenwriters, then director, then lead actors. Still, Fifty Shades of Grey received considerable criticism about pretty much everything, and that same criticism would follow its franchise all the way to the end.
1
Titanic (James Cameron, 1997)
Total Earnings: $2,264,750,694
Titanic
- Release Date
-
December 19, 1997
- Runtime
-
3h 14m
There’s a massive gap between the second highest-grossing romance drama of all time and the first, and that can only be explained by the fact that Titanic is more than a movie—it’s one of those stories that become pillars of pop culture, known and beloved all over the world, with an impact on the rest of its genre and of cinema at large that is never likely to die down.
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Disaster epic Titanic may be based on a true story, but not every character is taken from the pages of history.
James Cameron’s retelling of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912 manages to draw audiences into a story of which they already know the ending by adding the element of the romantic tension between fictional characters Jack and Rose, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, through whose eyes the whole tragedy is told. The romance, seamlessly blended with massive action sets that are reminiscent of Nineties disaster movies, is what makes Titanic the incredible success that it is—as well as the fourth-ever highest-grossing movie ever made in the history of cinema.
