Valentine’s Day might have passed, but romance is still a major part of Netflix’s movie selection. The romance genre page is home to some of the most popular romance movies of the last 30 years. Notting Hill, Miss Congeniality, Wedding Crashers, and Love, Actually are available to stream on Netflix.
This month, we have three rom-coms to watch on Netflix. Two of them are set in Italy, including the latest Netflix original, La Dolce Villa. The other Italian-set rom-com features an actress for one of the streamer’s hit shows of 2024. Our third pick is a fantasy rom-com about childhood best friends who grow apart in their mid-20s.
We also have guides to the best movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Afterlife of the Party (2021)
Afterlife of the Party is more comedy than romance. It’s more of a platonic rom-com where friendship is the relationship at play. Regardless, there are still plenty of laughs with supernatural twists. Cassie (Victoria Justice) and Lisa (Midori Francis) have been best friends since childhood. As they reach their mid-20s, the two girls are complete opposites. Cassie is a social butterfly, while Lisa remains an introvert.
After a night of drinking leads to an argument, a hungover Cassie trips on her walk to the bathroom and hits her head on the toilet. Cassie dies, but she can’t get into heaven just yet. She must help three people, including Lisa, in five days or be forced to live in a version of hell called “below.” Think of Afterlife of the Party as Ghost without the pottery scene and the murder.
Stream Afterlife of the Party on Netflix.
La Dolce Villa (2025)
Christmas has passed, but Netflix’s Hallmark-esque romantic comedies now come out year-round. Head to Italy with Scott Foley in the Netflix original La Dolce Villa. When Eric Field (Foley) gets word that his 24-year-old daughter, Liv (Maia Reficco), plans to buy an old villa in Italy, he hops on the next flight to stop her from draining her life savings.
At first, Eric’s Italian excursion is strictly a business trip. That all changes when he meets Francesca (Violante Placido), the mayor of the village where Liv wants to buy a house. Is La Dolce Villa a groundbreaking rom-com? It is not. Is it enjoyable to spend time with attractive people traversing the Italian countryside and finding romance? You bet.
Stream La Dolce Villa on Netflix.
When In Rome (2010)
Kristen Bell is becoming a modern-day romance show queen thanks to her role in Nobody Wants This. 15 years ago, Bell showcased her rom-com potential alongside Josh Duhamel in When In Rome. Beth (Bell) is a late-20s art curator who has become bitter about love. Beth heads to Rome to serve as the maid of honor at her younger sister’s wedding.
While in Rome, Beth meets Nick Beamon (Josh Duhamel), the best man at the wedding. The two hit it off, but an awkward encounter leads to Beth storming off. While standing in front of a magic fountain, Beth takes out magic coins, and legend has it that the owner of each coin will fall in love with her. When Nick might own one of the coins, Beth must contemplate if he really loves or if he’s under a spell.
Stream When In Rome on Netflix.
