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Most divisive: Pearl Harbor
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Movies About Tragic Love, Ranked
There are few things more tragic than a love story that doesn't stand a chance. This curated collection of movies spanning many decades - from old classics to new releases - feature elements such as star-crossed lovers, bad timing, or simply romantic plots that devolve into tragedies. Audience members often join in with the main characters in feeling loneliness, desperation, and heartbreak.
From A Star is Born to Brokeback Mountain to Five Feet Apart, these films explore the darker side of romantic relationships, and the lengths people sometimes go to for the object of their affection - and to avoid tragedy. While they might not always have happy endings, these flicks offer a glimpse into the power that love can have over us. But which ones deserve to be at the top of the list? That's where your votes make the difference!
- 1In the heartwarming drama My Girl, precocious 11-year-old Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) navigates the trials of adolescence in 1972 Pennsylvania. Living with her widowed mortician father, Harry (Dan Aykroyd), Vada's world is colored by death and grief. Her best friend, the sweetly allergic Thomas J. Sennett (Macaulay Culkin), offers a ray of joy in her life. As Vada grapples with first love, loss, and growing up, she learns valuable lessons about life. The film beautifully captures the innocence and confusion of childhood amidst profound themes of mortality and transformation.
- Released: 1991
- Directed by: Howard Zieff
- 2Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is a banker, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) is an artist, and the two are madly in love. However, when Sam is murdered by friend and corrupt business partner Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn) over a shady business deal, he is left to roam the earth as a powerless spirit. When he learns of Carl's betrayal, Sam must seek the help of psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) to set things right and protect Molly from Carl and his goons.
- Released: 1990
- Directed by: Jerry Zucker
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- 3A society girl abandons her haughty fiance for a penniless artist on the ill-fated ship's maiden voyage.
- Released: 1997
- Directed by: James Cameron
Who Would Star In A Modern Remake Of 'Titanic'?See all
- 1Tilda Swinton1,025 Votes
- 2Melissa McCarthy1,193 Votes
- 3Judi Dench1,068 Votes
- 4Set in North Carolina, "A Walk To Remember" follows the rite of passage of a jaded, aimless high school senior (Shane West) who falls in love with a guileless young woman (Mandy Moore) he and his friends once scorned. The two develop a powerful and inspirational relationship in which they discover truths that take most people a lifetime to learn.
- Released: 2002
- Directed by: Adam Shankman
- 5In 1940s South Carolina, mill worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and rich girl Allie (Rachel McAdams) are desperately in love. But her parents don't approve. When Noah goes off to serve in World War II, it seems to mark the end of their love affair. In the interim, Allie becomes involved with another man (James Marsden). But when Noah returns to their small town years later, on the cusp of Allie's marriage, it soon becomes clear that their romance is anything but over.
- Released: 2004
- Directed by: Nick Cassavetes
- 6Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers -- and falls in love with -- struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jackson coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
- Released: 2018
- Directed by: Bradley Cooper
- 7Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), a 16-year-old cancer patient, meets and falls in love with Gus Waters (Ansel Elgort), a similarly afflicted teen from her cancer support group. Hazel feels that Gus really understands her. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially Grace's touchstone, "An Imperial Affliction" by Peter Van Houten. When Gus scores an invitation to meet the reclusive author, he and Hazel embark on the adventure of their brief lives.
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Josh Boone
- 8This sweeping English drama, based on the book by Ian McEwan, follows the lives of young lovers Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). When the couple are torn apart by a lie constructed by Cecilia's jealous younger sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), all three of them must deal with the consequences. Robbie is the hardest hit, since Briony's deception results in his imprisonment, but hope for Cecilia and her beau increases when their paths cross during World War II.
- Released: 2007
- Directed by: Joe Wright
- 9In Love Story, Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal) and music student Jennifer Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw) share a chemistry they cannot deny. Their romance blooms, challenged by the stark contrast of their backgrounds - Oliver's wealthy upbringing against Jenny's working-class roots. This 1970 classic, directed by Arthur Hiller, explores the depths of young love and sacrifice. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Score, with its iconic line - "Love means never having to say you're sorry" - immortalizing the film in popular culture. A tale as old as time, yet fresh with each viewing.
- Released: 1970
- Directed by: Arthur Hiller
- 10When soldier John Tyree (Channing Tatum) meets an idealistic college student, Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), it's the beginning of a strong romance. Over the next seven tumultuous years and separated by John's increasingly dangerous deployment, the lovers stay in touch through their letters, meeting in person only rarely. However, their correspondence triggers consequences that neither could foresee.
- Released: 2010
- Directed by: Lasse Hallström
- 11When Gerry (Gerard Butler), the husband of Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank), dies from an illness, she loses the love of her life. Knowing how hard Holly will take his death, Gerry plans ahead. Beginning on her 30th birthday, she receives the first in a series of letters written by him, designed to ease her grief and encourage her to move forward to a new life.
- Released: 2007
- Directed by: Richard LaGravenese
- 12A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young poet (Ewan McGregor), who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club's most notorious and beautiful star (Nicole Kidman).
- Released: 2001
- Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
- 13In 1963, rodeo cowboy Jack Twist and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar are hired by rancher Joe Aguirre as sheep herders in Wyoming. One night on Brokeback Mountain, Jack makes a drunken pass at Ennis that is eventually reciprocated. Though Ennis marries his longtime sweetheart, Alma and Jack marries a fellow rodeo riders, the two men keep up their tortured and sporadic affair over the course of 20 years.
- Released: 2005
- Directed by: Ang Lee
- 14The sweeping expanses of the Sahara are the setting for a passionate love affair in this adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's novel. A badly burned man, Laszlo de Almasy (Ralph Fiennes), is tended to by a nurse, Hana (Juliette Binoche), in an Italian monastery near the end of World War II. His past is revealed through flashbacks involving a married Englishwoman (Kristin Scott Thomas) and his work mapping the African landscape. Hana learns to heal her own scars as she helps the dying man.
- Released: 1996
- Directed by: Anthony Minghella
- 15As an orphaned child, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) is first cruelly abused by her aunt, then cast out and sent to a charity school. Though she meets with further abuse, she receives an education, and eventually takes a job as a governess at the estate of Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Jane and Rochester begin to bond, but his dark moods trouble her. When Jane uncovers the terrible secret Rochester has been hiding, she flees and finds temporary refuge at the home of St. John Rivers.
- Released: 2011
- Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga
- 16Bram Stoker's Dracula is a chilling journey into the heart of darkness, masterfully directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The tale unfolds with Count Dracula (Gary Oldman), an ageless vampire haunted by a tragic love story. He leaves his castle in Transylvania and ventures to Victorian England, lured by a photograph of Mina Murray (Winona Ryder), who bears an uncanny resemblance to his long-lost beloved. In this grim world, Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins) emerges as a beacon of light. A scholar with profound knowledge about vampires, he becomes the chief adversary to the Count's unholy plans. The movie cascades through a series of hauntingly beautiful scenes that paint a vivid picture of love, loss, and horror. Winner of three Academy Awards, this Gothic horror film reinterprets Bram Stoker's classic novel, offering viewers an intricate tapestry of passion and terror. It stands as a testament to Coppola's cinematic genius and the enduring allure of the Dracula legend.
- Released: 1992
- Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
- 17During her morning jog on the beach, journalist Theresa Osborne (Robin Wright Penn) discovers a bottle protruding from the sand. Inside it, she finds a heartbreaking, anonymous love letter. After her paper publishes the letter, Osborne tracks down the letter's reclusive author, world-weary widower Garret Blake (Kevin Costner), in the Carolinas. But, as Osborne finds herself falling hopelessly in love with Blake, she becomes wracked with guilt over the real impetus for her visit.
- Released: 1999
- Directed by: Luis Mandoki
- 18Adapted from the novel by John O'Brien, this acclaimed drama follows alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson (Nicolas Cage) as he drinks himself into oblivion in Las Vegas. When Ben meets the beautiful prostitute Sera (Elisabeth Shue), they strike up an unconventional relationship -- one where she can't ask him to curb his drinking, and he can't fault her for her job. Though they offer each other support, Ben's self-destruction threatens to eclipse their bond.
- Released: 1995
- Directed by: Mike Figgis
- 19Seventeen-year-old Stella spends most of her time in the hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of routines, boundaries and self-control -- all of which get put to the test when she meets Will, an impossibly charming teen who has the same illness. There's an instant flirtation, though restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance between them. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to throw the rules out the window and embrace that attraction.
- Released: 2019
- Directed by: Justin Baldoni
- 20Caroline (Marisa Tomei), a young waitress who seems to have bad taste in men, is on her way home one night when thugs attempt to rape her. Adam (Christian Slater), the mysterious busboy who works at the same diner, helps fight off the assailants, and she begins a relationship with him -- but not all their fellow Minnesotans are happy for them. Meanwhile, the couple face their own difficulties when Caroline finds about Adam's past, including his unique health condition.
- Released: 1993
- Directed by: Tony Bill
- 21On July 15, 1988 -- the day of their college graduation -- two people from opposite sides of the tracks begin a lifelong friendship. Emma (Anne Hathaway), an idealist from a working-class family, wants to make the world a better place. Dexter (Jim Sturgess), a playboy, thinks the world is his oyster. For the next 20 years, the two friends reunite on the 15th of each July, sharing dreams, tears and laughter -- until they discover what they've been searching for, each other.
- Released: 2011
- Directed by: Lone Scherfig
- 22Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. To the casual observer, everything appears normal, if a bit subdued. But a closer examination reveals a couple caught in a downward spiral. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage.
- Released: 2010
- Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
- 23Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves) and Sara Deever (Charlize Theron) have nothing in common except an hour spent in DMV hell. Intrigued by each other, but not quite ready to commit, they settle on a rather unconventional courtship: a one-month trial, after which they'll go their separate ways. No expectations. No pressure. No strings attached. What neither of them counts on is falling in love.
- Released: 2001
- Directed by: Pat O'Connor
- 24Pearl Harbor (2001) is an epic war film that masterfully blends romance and action. Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett), are childhood friends turned Army Air Corps pilots, who find themselves in a love triangle with the beautiful nurse Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale). As their personal drama unfolds, the harrowing events of December 7, 1941 - the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor - catapult our protagonists into the throes of World War II. Directed by Michael Bay, this film won an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing.
- Released: 2001
- Directed by: Michael Bay
- 25Amanda (Michelle Monaghan) and Dawson (James Marsden) were once high-school sweethearts. They have a bittersweet reunion when they return to their hometown for the funeral of a mutual, beloved friend. Seeing each other again after 20 years apart reignites the love they've never forgotten, but Amanda and Dawson soon discover that the forces that drove them apart when they were younger pose even more threats today. Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Michael Hoffman
- 26A moving love story about a photographer on assignment to shoot the historic bridges of Madison County. He meets a housewife, whose husband and children are away on a trip, and the film traces a brief affair that is never sordid but instead one of two soul mates who have met too late.
- Released: 1995
- Directed by: Clint Eastwood
- 27Now Is Good is a 2012 British teen drama film directed by Ol Parker. Based on the 2007 novel Before I Die by Jenny Downham, it was adapted by Parker who had recently written the screenplay for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The film, which stars Dakota Fanning, Jeremy Irvine and Paddy Considine, centres on Tessa, a girl who is dying of leukaemia and tries to enjoy her remaining life as much as she possibly can. The first trailer for the film was released on 5 March 2012.
- Released: 2012
- Directed by: Ol Parker
- 28
The Face of Love
Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin WilliamsA lonely widow (Annette Bening) begins a romance with an art teacher (Ed Harris) who looks just like her late husband but does not tell him of the resemblance.- Released: 2013
- Directed by: Arie Posin
- 29Mourning Becomes Electra is a 1947 American film by Dudley Nichols adapted from the 1931 Eugene O'Neill play of the same title. The film stars Rosalind Russell, Michael Redgrave, Raymond Massey, Katina Paxinou, Leo Genn and Kirk Douglas. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Leading Role. Originally released by RKO Radio Pictures at nearly three hours, it was eventually edited down to 105 minutes after it performed poorly at the box office and won no Oscars. It has since been restored to its full length and shown on Turner Classic Movies. An Oscar upset occurred in connection with the film. All who saw it had taken it for granted that Rosalind Russell would win for her performance as Lavinia, to the point that Russell actually began to rise from her seat just before the winner's name was called. However, it was Loretta Young, and not Russell, who was named Best Actress for her performance in The Farmer's Daughter. The movie recorded a loss of $2,310,000, making it one of RKO's biggest financial disasters.
- Released: 1947
- Directed by: Dudley Nichols
- 30In post--World War II Poland, American soldier Norman (Scott Wilson) serves as a driver for a United Nations war-crimes commission examining Nazi mass graves. Norman falls in love with war widow Emilia (Maja Komorowska) and, in spite of language and cultural differences, a meaningful romance blossoms between them. But Emilia's loyalty to her ailing mother (Hanna Skarżanka) threatens to separate the couple when Norman finally receives his papers to return home.
- Released: 1985
- Directed by: Krzysztof Zanussi
- 31In 79 A.D., Pompeii, a bustling port city, stands in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Milo (Kit Harington), a former slave, is a gladiator who has caught the eye of Cassia (Emily Browning), a wealthy merchant's daughter. However, their difference in social status is not the only obstacle to their love; Cassia has been promised to Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland), a corrupt Roman senator. When the eruption of Mount Vesuvius rains lava and ash down on the city, Milo races to save her before it's too late.
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
- 32
Smilin' Through
Norma Shearer, Fredric March, Leslie HowardSmilin' Through is a 1932 MGM Romance-Drama film based on the play by Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin, also named Smilin' Through. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1932. It was adapted from Cowl and Murfin's play by James Bernard Fagan, Donald Ogden Stewart, Ernest Vajda and Claudine West. The movie was directed by Sidney Franklin and starred Norma Shearer, Fredric March, Leslie Howard and Ralph Forbes.- Released: 1932
- Directed by: Sidney Franklin
- 33In a small and religious coastal town, a simple, devoutly religious Scottish woman, Bess McNeill (Emily Watson), finds a partner in an oil rig worker from Norway, Jan Nyman (Stellan Skarsgard). However, the relationship grows strained when Nyman breaks his neck in a horrific work accident on the rig and becomes paralyzed. Unable to perform sexually and suffering mentally from the accident as well, Jan convinces Bess to have sex with other men, which she comes to believe is God's work.
- Released: 1996
- Directed by: Lars von Trier
- 34Answering an ad for an "attractive female" to care for a sick young man, Hilary (Julia Roberts) becomes the caretaker of smart, well-bred Victor (Campbell Scott), who is fighting leukemia. Their business relationship slowly develops into a romance, and as Victor educates Hilary about the finer things in life, she teaches him how to love and trust another person. Victor's health continues to decline, yet the couple are determined to face his terminal prognosis together.
- Released: 1991
- Directed by: Joel Schumacher
- 35Spontaneous is a 2020 American science fiction romantic black comedy film directed by Brian Duffield, based on the book by Aaron Starmer. Mara Carlyle (Kathrine Langford) meets the boy (Charlie Plummer) of her dreams just when students in their high school begin inexplicably exploding.
- Released: 2020
- Directed by: Brian Duffield
- 36
Keep the Lights On
Julianne Nicholson, Thure Lindhardt, Paprika SteenKeep the Lights On is an American drama film, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released in New York City and Los Angeles on September 7, 2012 by Music Box Films. Directed by Ira Sachs, and written by Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias, the film stars Thure Lindhardt as Erik, a Danish filmmaker living in New York City to work on a documentary film about artist Avery Willard; while there, he enters into a loving but complicated long-term relationship with Paul, a lawyer in the publishing industry who struggles with drug addiction. The film's cast also includes David Anzuelo, Maria Dizzia, Julianne Nicholson, Souléymane Sy Savané, Miguel Del Toro and Paprika Steen. The film is based on Sachs' own past relationship with Bill Clegg, a literary agent who published his own memoir about his struggles with addiction, Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man, in 2010.- Released: 2012
- Directed by: Ira Sachs
- 37A man returns to his home town after a lengthy absence spent fighting in the US Civil War. Although his apparent character transformation arouses his wife's and others' suspicions, everyone is delighted when his tobacco-growing scheme is profitable for the whole town. Just as he is settling into an idyllic routine with his family, he is accused of the murder of a man killed many years before.
- Released: 1993
- Directed by: Jon Amiel
- 38Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy's mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who raids Slavic villages. He soon meets a seeress who reminds him of his vow -- save his mother, kill his uncle, avenge his father.
- Released: 2022
- Directed by: Robert Eggers
20 Historical Action-Thriller Movies Like 'The Northman'See all- 1Gladiator11 Votes
- 2Braveheart17 Votes
- 3Outlaw King13 Votes
- 39The Greatest is a 2009 American drama film written and directed by Shana Feste in her directorial debut, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, and Michael Shannon.
- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Shana Feste
- 40After Mrs. Baskin (Phyllis Diller) dies of cancer, her son, Rob (Dana Ashbrook), drives out to the California countryside to scatter her ashes. On the road, Rob meets a stranded woman named Ann (Tisha Campbell-Martin), whose car has broken down. He helps her out, and the two eventually fall in love despite their very different personalities. But, when Ann admits that she has a terminal illness, Rob must learn hard yet valuable lessons about impermanence and living for the moment.
- Released: 2002
- Directed by: James Slocum
- 41During a car accident, Vincent Eastman (Richard Gere) watches his whole life flash before his eyes, and he doesn't like what he sees. While maintaining the semblance of a marriage with his wife, Sally (Sharon Stone), Vincent has been carrying on with a mistress, Olivia (Lolita Davidovich). She's everything Sally isn't -- warm, passionate, carefree. So why can't he choose between the two, especially when his indecision is taking its toll on his daughter (Jenny Morrison) ?
- Released: 1994
- Directed by: Mark Rydell
- 42René Gallimard (Jeremy Irons) is a diplomat from France who has been sent to Beijing. While acclimating to life in China, Gallimard meets and becomes enamored of Song Liling (John Lone), an opera singer who wears traditionally ornate dress and makeup. The two begin a relationship, but, unfortunately for Gallimard, there is much about Song that he doesn't know. Among the revelations that Gallimard must contend with is the discovery that his lover is a man.
- Released: 1993
- Directed by: David Cronenberg
- 43A wealthy man (Albert Finney) distrusts the motives of a dashing suitor (Ben Chaplin) courting his plain, sheltered daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in 1850s New York.
- Released: 1997
- Directed by: Agnieszka Holland
- 44
Desperate for Love
Christian Slater, Brian Bloom, Tammy LaurenDesperate for Love is a 1989 television film directed by Michael Tuchner. The film is based on a true story.- Released: 1989
- Directed by: Michael Tuchner
- 45
Bedelia
Ian Hunter, Margaret Lockwood, Jill EsmondBedelia is a 1946 British drama film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Margaret Lockwood, Ian Hunter and Barry K. Barnes. It is an adaptation of the novel Bedelia by Vera Caspary with events moved from the United States to England and Monaco.- Released: 1946
- Directed by: Lance Comfort
- 46English aristocrat Tony Last (James Wilby) welcomes tragedy into his life when he invites John Beaver (Rupert Graves) to visit his vast estate. There Beaver makes the acquaintance of Tony's wife, Brenda (Kristin Scott Thomas). Together, they continue their relationship in a series of bedroom assignations in London. Trusting to a fault, Tony is unaware that anything is amiss until his wife suddenly asks for a divorce. With his life in turmoil, Tony goes on a haphazard journey to South America.
- Released: 1988
- Directed by: Charles Sturridge
- 47Claudia and Chris share a passion for interpreting the meaning of symbols. After she learns that she has cancer of the larynx, Claudia decides to spend her last days in Venice. Her obsession with Bosch leads the two to make a garden's visions real through sensual close-ups.
- Released: 2004
- Directed by: Lech Majewski
- 48A man embarks on an emotional journey to find his first love, who disappeared 50 years ago, before his time runs out.
- Released: 2024
- Directed by: Baltasar Kormákur
- 49China Girl is a 1987 film directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara, and written by his longtime partner Nicholas St. John.
- Released: 1987
- Directed by: Abel Ferrara
- 50Griffin & Phoenix is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by Ed Stone.
- Released: 2006
- Directed by: Ed Stone
- 51French philosopher Pierre Abelard's (Derek de Lint) love affair with his student Heloise (Kim Thomson) ends in medieval tragedy.
- Released: 1988
- Directed by: Clive Donner
- 52
When I'm Ready
Andrew Ortenberg, June Schreiner, Lauren CohanAs asteroids threaten to wipe out all life on Earth, Rose and Michael embark on a cross-country road trip to see her grandmother one last time before they all perish. Along the way, the young couple encounter lost souls from different backgrounds, each looking for something very different out of the end.- Released: 2025
- Directed by: Andrew Johnson
