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The 1990s were an incredible decade for romantic movies. The biggest film of that decade is a romance-tragedy film involving a sinking ship. But apart from that, the decade also offers more in the genre, from the comedic and light to the heartbreaking movies. It was a decade that showed how flexible the genre could be, with films like Before Sunrise finding romance in simple conversation and Chungking Express turning loneliness and chance encounters into something beautiful.
Here, we take a look at the romantic films of the 1990s that are perfect from start to finish. They may vary in their expression of romance and love, but one thing unites them all: the ability to bring the audience into the film and feel emotions when watching them. Whether they end happily, tragically, or somewhere in between, the best movies in the genre make us understand that love can appear in the most unexpected places.
8
‘The Piano’ (1993)
The Piano tells the story of Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), a mute Scottish woman who is sent to colonial New Zealand for an arranged marriage to wealthy landowner Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill). Ada expresses herself almost entirely through her beloved piano, which becomes her strongest connection to the world around her. When Stewart leaves the instrument behind on the beach, his neighbor George Baines (Harvey Keitel) offers to retrieve it in exchange for piano lessons that gradually develop into a complicated romance.
Through subtle cues, The Piano is able to communicate its characters’ overwhelming emotion. Jane Campion uses silence, music, and visual storytelling to reveal feelings that words could never adequately express. Holly Hunter delivers a phenomenal, Oscar-winning performance almost entirely without dialogue, while Harvey Keitel and Sam Neill bring depth to two men who represent different forms of love for Ada. Also phenomenal is young Anna Paquin‘s Oscar-winning performance in this film. The score by Michael Nyman is beautiful and essential to every moment of the film. This sweeping romance film also won the Palme d’Or, making Campion the first woman to win it.
7
‘Il Postino’ (1994)
Il Postino follows Mario Ruoppolo (Massimo Troisi), a fisherman who becomes the temporary postman for the exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (Philippe Noiret) on a small Italian island. As Mario delivers Neruda’s letters, the two gradually develop an unlikely friendship, with Mario learning about language, poetry and politics from the famous poet. With Neruda’s help, Mario gains the confidence to pursue Beatrice (Maria Grazia Cucinotta), the woman he has quietly admired from afar.
Il Postino is not just a romance film about two people falling in love, even though the central romance between Mario and Beatrice is undeniably sweet. Through his friendship with Neruda, Mario finds love and beauty through poetry and human connection, and that is a much more eternal kind of love. Massimo Troisi delivers an incredibly tender performance filled with warmth and innocence. The film was his final role before his death as he was suffering from heart conditions during filming. The film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and two posthumous Oscar nominations for Troisi. The film ultimately won one for Best Score.
6
‘Wild at Heart’ (1990)
Wild at Heart follows lovers Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) and Lula Fortune (Laura Dern) as they flee across the American South after Lula’s controlling mother (Diane Ladd) hires criminals to break them up. Along the way, Sailor and Lula’s devotion to one another is tested by dangerous criminals hunting down Sailor, personal problems, and a world that seems determined to tear them apart.
Despite its outrageous violence and surreal imagery, Wild at Heart is ultimately one of the purest love stories in David Lynch‘s filmography. Beneath its eccentric surface lies a surprisingly straightforward tale about two people refusing to let the world destroy their relationship. Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern bring everything to their performances, creating lovers who feel larger-than-life yet still relatable and genuine. The film was met with mixed reviews, despite winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes. It has since been reappraised as one of Lynch’s best and has developed a strong cult following.
5
’10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You is a modern update of William Shakespeare‘s The Taming of the Shrew set in a high school. It follows Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who wants to date the popular Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) but can’t because of her father’s rule that Bianca can only date if her independent older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles) does too. This leads to bad-boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) being paid to pursue Kat, only to actually fall in love with her.
10 Things I Hate About You is leagues above other teen romances because of the film’s great ensemble and its remarkable sincerity. Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles share undeniable chemistry. They transform familiar romantic tropes into something emotionally authentic and mature. From Patrick’s unforgettable stadium song performance to Kat’s emotional poem in the classroom, every major scene lands because the film earns its emotions through strong character development. The film is funny, heartfelt, and endlessly quotable. It still leads the pack among other modern Shakespearean updates.
4
‘The Bridges of Madison County’ (1995)
The Bridges of Madison County follows Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep), an Italian immigrant who has settled in Iowa. When her husband and children leave home for several days, she meets Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood), a traveling photographer who has arrived in Madison County to photograph its famous covered bridges. After Francesca helps him find one of the bridges, the two begin spending time together and develop a romance.
Directed by Eastwood himself, the film is a satisfying and rich romance. The whole story is set in the course of four days yet the connection between Francesca and Robert is very intimate and strong. Meryl Streep and Eastwood give remarkably restrained performances, allowing their chemistry to emerge through small gestures like a glance or a brush against each other. Francesca’s dilemma is particularly powerful because neither choice is presented as entirely right or wrong. Leaving with Robert would mean following the love of her life, but staying means honoring her family and the life she has spent years building. That emotional maturity is what makes The Bridges of Madison County so romantic from beginning to end.
3
‘Before Sunrise’ (1995)
Before Sunrise follows Jesse (Ethan Hawke), an American traveling through Europe, and Céline (Julie Delpy), a French student he meets on a train. Jesse persuades Céline to get off the train with him in Vienna and spend the night together before his flight the following morning. Together they spend the night wandering through Vienna and discussing everything from the mundane to the profound.
Before Sunrise‘s charm comes from the natural feeling that flows between the two characters. The film is full of dialogues and conversations, which on paper, could be boring yet it never is. Richard Linklater proves that he doesn’t need elaborate obstacles or dramatic moments to sell their connection because the simple act of two people discovering one another is compelling enough. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have extraordinary chemistry, and their performances make Jesse and Céline feel like real people that the audience eavesdrops on for two hours. By the end, we also fall in love with them and don’t want to leave.
2
‘Chungking Express’ (1994)
Chungking Express tells two separate but thematically connected stories about lonely people searching for love in the crowded streets of Hong Kong. One follows a heartbroken police officer (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who becomes fascinated by a mysterious woman wearing a blonde wig and sunglasses (Brigitte Lin), while the second centers on another policeman (Tony Leung) whose life is quietly disrupted by Faye (Faye Wong), an eccentric employee at a local snack bar he frequents.
Wong Kar-wai has no shortage of iconic movies, and Chungking Express is definitely one of them. His characters constantly seem to be surrounded by people while remaining emotionally isolated, making every unexpected connection feel significant. The film’s kinetic camerawork, neon-lit imagery, fragmented editing, and unforgettable music give it a unique atmosphere. Nevertheless, none of the style overshadows the gist of the film, which is the romance that’s loaded with absence and longing. It becomes more outstanding against the backdrop of Hong Kong, one of the busiest cities in the world. It’s undoubtedly one of the best offerings from Asian cinema.
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Marcel Ardivan
Almontather Rassoul
