10 Most Underrated Millennial Romance Movies

There isn’t a better way to understand what appeals to a generation of filmgoers than by looking at how they express themselves in romantic films. While audiences often go to the theater to see a spectacle, what’s considered to be technically impressive at a given point in time won’t always age well. However, films that are able to generate genuine emotions can stand the test of time. There are even films from the silent era that are still rewatched today because they inspire their viewers to feel something.

The last few decades have allowed a greater diversity of storytellers to define what a romantic film is. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, the plethora of great LGBTQ romance films suggests that millennial filmmakers are changing the industry. Some of the best romantic films of recent years, such as La La Land and Moonlight, have already established themselves as modern classics; however, not every film worth celebrating was appreciated during its initial release. Here are ten of the most underrated millennial romance films, ranked.

10 ‘Hot Summer Nights’ (2017)

Directed by Elijah Bynum

Although Hot Summer Nights begins as a fairly straightforward teenage romantic comedy, it transforms into a neo-noir crime thriller. The film follows the teenage loner Daniel Middleton (Timothee Chalamet), who spends his summer vacation in Cape Cod after the death of his father. Daniel begins to get into trouble after he falls in love with the local girl McKayla Strawberry (Maika Monroe) and begins dealing drugs to her brother, Hunter (Alex Roe).

Hot Summer Nights shows how exciting and terrifying young love can be as Daniel and McKayla find themselves caught up in an increasingly dangerous scheme. The coastal location and aesthetic details specific to the 1990s makes the characters in Hot Summer Nights feel particularly isolated. The dark sense of humor, terrific pop soundtrack, and fantastic performance from Chalamet make Hot Summer Nights an essential watch for any A24 fan.

Watch On Apple TV

9 ‘How I Live Now’ (2013)

Directed by Kevin Macdonald

The threat of a global infrastructure collapse is an anxiety that many millennials may struggle with, particularly within the post-pandemic era. How I Live Now takes place in the near future, where teenagers are forced to live on their own during an apocalyptic war. Although it’s a fairly disturbing concept, the film does a great job at showing how hope can appear in the most unexpected places. It focuses on the young girl Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) as she falls in love with her eldest cousin Eddie (George MacKay) during a summer alone.

Despite the science fiction premise, How I Live Now does a great job at showing how uncomfortable young love can be, even if there wasn’t an apocalyptic event in the background. Director Kevin MacDonald was unafraid to examine the political subtext of the material as he did with his underrated 2021 biopic The Mauritanian.

Watch On Tubi

8 ‘Other People’ (2016)

Directed by Chris Kelly

As many writers know, comedy is often the best medium to help hope with tragedy. Former Saturday Night Live writer Chris Kelly told a semi-autobiographical story with his 2016 film Other People. The story centers on the struggling comedy writer David (Jesse Plemons), who is recovering from a breakup. He returns to his hometown when his mother Joanne (Molly Shannon) is diagnosed with cancer. Although David’s intention is to be there for his family when they need it most, he ends up finding a new relationship.

Other People do a great job at showing how challenging a breakup can be when there are larger issues at stake. Plemons shows that while Joanne’s health is his primary concern, the notion of being alone for the rest of his life terrifies him. It’s the type of intimate, human story that can make its viewers laugh and cry in equal measure.

Watch On Netflix

7 ‘Babyteeth’ (2020)

Directed by Shannon Murphy

Shannon Murphy’s intimate family drama Babyteeth follows the teenage girl Milla Finlay (Eliza Scanlen) after she is diagnosed with a terminal illness and given only a few months to live. As Milla’s father Henry (Ben Mendelsohn in one of his best performances) attempts to make her comfortable, she begins to fall in love with the enigmatic young man Moses (Toby Wallace). Henry’s attempts to keep his daughter happy during the limited time that she has left create a number of darkly funny, yet completely sincere moments of familial bonding.

The “cancer movie” has become such a generic label, as many films about dealing with illness ascribe to the same clichés. This is unfortunate, because not everyone’s experience is the same. Babyteeth is technically a film about illness, but instead of focusing on the tragic elements, it shows the beauty of what time the characters are spared.

Watch On AMC+

6 ‘Mistress America’ (2015)

Directed by Noah Baumbach

Although Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach received significant critical acclaim for their work together on Frances Ha and Barbie, their underrated 2015 romantic comedy Mistress America is equally deserving of praise. Mistress America follows the college freshman Tracy Fishko (Lola Kirke) as she befriends her soon-to-be-stepsister Brooke (Gerwig). When Brooke decides to win back her ex-fiance Dylan (Michael Chernus) and get revenge on his current partner, Mamie-Claire (Heather Lind), Tracy finds herself swept up on the ride.

Although the fracture in Brooke and Dylans’ relationships is the inciting incident, Mistress America is a story about familial bonding. The film finds charming ways to show how Tracy and Brooke have a positive impact on each other, and discover that they have more in common than they initially realized. As skilled as Gerwig is as a director, Mistress America shows that she is equally as talented as a physical comedian.

Watch On Max

5 ‘Warm Bodies’ (2013)

Directed by Jonathan Levine

Who would have guessed that a film about zombies could be as funny, charming, and romantic as Warm Bodies? Jonathan Levine’s 2013 film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where military forces deal with the pressing threat of a zombie invasion. The young zombie R (Nicholas Hoult) decides not to kill the young woman Julie (Teresa Palmer), and against all odds, the two fall in love. This becomes challenging because Julie’s father, Grigio (John Malkovich), is one of the leaders of the military.

Warm Bodies may be a slightly unusual take on the Romeo & Juliet story, but it has a great message about the power of empathy. Hoult does a great job at showing physical humor as R begins to steadily become more human. Although it’s scary in the right places, Warm Bodies is most successful when it shows what these two very different characters have in common.

Watch On Max

4 ‘Columbus’ (2017)

Directed by Kogonada

Kogonada’s Columbus is a slow film about the beauty of observations. The story focuses on the architecture scholar Jin Lee (John Cho), who arrives in Columbus, Indiana to visit his estranged father. Although Lee’s intention is only to observe the architecture, he ends up meeting the young library worker Casey (Haley Lu Richardson) as he tours the city. They strike up a relationship and have a series of profound discussions about life, art, cultural differences, and love. While their relationship isn’t always romantic, it is rewarding for both characters.

Anyone that has seen Kogonada’s brilliant science fiction film After Yang knows that he is great at making existentialist discussions enthralling to listen to. A film that is primarily composed of conversations risks being perceived as pretentious, but Columbus is able to make both Lee and Caseys’ perspectives worth listening to.

Watch On Showtime

3 ‘Like Crazy’ (2011)

Directed by Drake Doremus

Few films have been able to identify the challenges of long term relationships as well as Like Crazy. The film explores a blossoming romance between the young American student Jacob Helm (Anton Yelchin) and his British girlfriend Anna Gardner (Felicity Jones). After Anna’s visa to the United States is denied, the couple try to make their relationship work, despite having rare opportunities to see each other. Jacob’s heart is still full, and he finds himself increasingly attracted to his new neighbor Samantha (Jennifer Lawrence).

Like Crazy is a tearjerker that doesn’t sacrifice emotional authenticity for melodrama. While it’s a film capable of ripping its audience’s heart out, none of the scenarios that Jacob, Anna, and Samantha find themselves in feel all that implausible. The love triangle between the three leads works well because Jacob feels that he could be happy either way, which makes his decision more challenging.

Watch On Apple TV

2 ‘Waves’ (2019)

Directed by Trey Edward Schults

Waves uses an inventive story structure to explore familial expectations, sibling rivalry, and societal pressures. The first half of the film focuses on the young athlete Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who aspires to greatness in order to satisfy the strict demands of his father, Ronald (Sterling K. Brown). The second half of the film diverts from Tyler’s perspective to show how his sister, Emily (Taylor Russell), deals with a tragedy in their lives.

By combining these two perspectives into a propulsive narrative, writer/director Trey Edward Schults is able to tell an all-encompassing story about the ties that bind a family together. The romances in both Tyler and Emilys’ lives show what their priorities are, and Schults does a great job at balancing the film’s perspective in order to give both siblings equal screen time. Waves is an essential A24 drama for fans of independent cinema.

Watch On Apple TV

1 ‘Submarine’ (2011)

Directed by Richard Ayoade

Submarine is a hilariously awkward story about the misperceptions that young men can have about love. The film follows the teenage loner Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts), who is determined to find a girlfriend. Oliver’s misguided attempts to woo his classmate Jordana (Yasmin Paige) go hilariously awry. His life gets even more hectic when his mother (Sally Hawkins) leaves his father (Noah Taylor) to hook up with the idiosyncratic musician Graham Purvis (Paddy Considine).

Submarine is about as awkward as high school movies can get, but it doesn’t treat Oliver’s feelings like they are a joke. Oliver isn’t guilty of anything but youthful ignorance, and the film does a great job at showing how radically different his life is than the fantasy that he has imagined. Writer/director Richard Ayoade shows empathy for all of his characters, regardless of how trivial their motivations may appear.

Watch On Tubi

NEXT: 10 Underrated Romantic Dramas of the 2010s, Ranked