13 Most Romantic Movies Based on Novels

As avid readers, we often wish our favourite characters would come to life. Similarly, while engrossed in romance novels, bookworms will agree that we all are guilty of imagining ourselves as a part of the book’s love story. The best romantic movies based on novels are the closest that come to this desire by narrating beautiful love stories on the silver screen.

While literature provides the muse and context of the story, films let the visual magic unfold on the big screen. Additionally, when actors depict the characters as authentically as the author describes them, they create heart-wrenching chemistry. For instance, it is hard to imagine anyone else portraying Noah Calhoun better than Ryan Gosling in The Notebook (2004).

Whether it is a historical romance like Gone With The Wind (1939), or contemporary dramas like Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and Red White and Royal Blue (2023), a good film adaptation of a romance book is a delight to both bibliophiles and cinephiles. The excitement of seeing fictional couples navigate a tumultuous relationship, find love and get the happily-ever-after ending makes romantic movies based on books such a beloved genre.

Although swoon-worthy romances are the most common themes, there are several tragic romance adaptations as well, where the young couple don’t get the quintessential happy ending. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2005), based on the novel of the same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay is a classic example.

We have curated a watchlist of the best romantic books-to-movies adaptations to help you decide what to watch on your next date night. The titles in the list also have IMDb ratings of 7 or more, implying they are critically successful as well.

10 Best Young Adult Movies to Watch While You Wait for Your Fault

Lifestyle

The Best Live-Action Princesses We Love in Movies and TV Shows

Lifestyle

Here are some of the best romantic movies based on novels for a cosy date night