Bittersweet Romance backdrop

Bittersweet Romance movies

Tender romance with a painful edge—sacrifice, separation, or mixed outcomes rather than a perfect win.

Redeeming Love

1. Redeeming Love

Romance Drama Western Bittersweet Romance Historical Drama
6.7
20222h 14min

Overview

A young couple's relationship clashes with the harsh realities of the California Gold Rush of 1850. Angel, experiencing love for the first time and facing demons unsurmountable, runs from the new life she doesn't believe she deserves. When Michael sets out to find her, Angel discovers that she indeed has the power to choose the life she wants.

Themes

Romance under pressure, Trauma and survival, Female agency under constraint, Public exposure and accountability, Religion and doubt, Exploitation and resilience

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Worst Person in the World

2. The Worst Person in the World

Drama Romance Comedy Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
7.7
20212h 8min

Overview

Julie wants a life that finally feels like her own. To find it, she risks wrecking the career she trained for and the love that keeps her steady. When desire, ambition, and honesty collide, which version of herself will she choose—and who will she leave behind?

Themes

Career vs romance, Creative ambition vs relationship, Age gap relationships, Feminist self determination, Pregnancy and motherhood pressure, Illness and mortality shadow

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

3. Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

Animation Romance Drama Anime Bittersweet Romance
6.8
20211h 28min

Overview

After meeting one day, a shy boy who expresses himself through haiku and a bubbly but self-conscious girl share a brief, magical summer.

Themes

Teenage romance under pressure, Art as communication, Insecurity and self-expression, Music as connection, Perseverance through awkwardness, Small-town slice of life

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overview

A mind-bending love story following Greg who, after recently being divorced and then fired, meets the mysterious Isabel, a woman living on the streets and convinced that the polluted, broken world around them is just a computer simulation. Doubtful at first, Greg eventually discovers there may be some truth to Isabel’s wild conspiracy.

Themes

"movie: bliss. genres: science fiction, Romance, Drama, Science fiction, Romance, Drama main themes: necklace, Simulation, Roller-skating, Necklace, Simulation, Roller-skating full keywords list: necklace, Simulation, Roller-skating, Film in film, High school graduation, Falling in love, Divorce, Anger, Fired from the job, Observatory, Divorced man, Carefree, Daydreaming, Philosophical, Office job, Father daughter relationship, Brother sister relationship, Homeless woman, Bar, Pretentious. concept analysis: the film explores the nature of reality and the impact of technology on human perception, Questioning what is truly real. it delves into themes of isolation, Love, And the struggle between illusion and truth."

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish

5. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish

Animation Drama Romance Anime Relationship Drama
7.6
20201h 38min

Overview

With dreams of diving abroad, Tsuneo gets a job assisting Josee, an artist whose imagination takes her far beyond her wheelchair. But when the tide turns against them, they push each other to places they never thought possible, and inspire a love fit for a storybook.

Themes

Romance under constraint, Dreams vs reality, Growth through adversity, Disability and independence, Caregiving responsibility, Art as identity

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Crunchyroll
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Life in a Year

6. Life in a Year

Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Bittersweet Romance
6.2
20201h 47min

Overview

A 17 year old finds out that his girlfriend is dying, so he sets out to give her an entire life, in the last year she has left.

Themes

Family pressure, Creative ambition under constraint, Illness shaping choices, Time-bounded love, Adolescent romance under loss, Care as obligation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Supernova

7. Supernova

Romance Drama Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
6.9
20201h 34min

Overview

Sam and Tusker, partners of 20 years, are traveling across England in their old RV visiting friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with early-onset dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have. As the trip progresses, however, their ideas for the future clash, secrets come out, and their love for each other is tested as never before. Ultimately, they must confront the question of what it means to love one another in the face of Tusker’s illness.

Themes

Road trip tension, Lgbt visibility, Early-onset dementia strain, Gay theme exploration, Road trip memory

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

2 Hearts

8. 2 Hearts

Romance Drama Bittersweet Romance Tragic Drama
6.3
20201h 42min

Overview

When illness strikes two people who are polar opposites, life and death bring them together in surprising ways.

Themes

Illness and organ donation, Destiny versus choice, Faith under strain, Hope through transplantation, Grief and gratitude, Family expectations vs love

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Clouds

9. Clouds

Music Drama Romance Narrative Musical Tragic Drama
7.5
20202h 1min

Overview

Young musician Zach Sobiech discovers his cancer has spread, leaving him just a few months to live. With limited time, he follows his dream and makes an album, unaware that it will soon be a viral music phenomenon.

Themes

Illness fuels creativity, Time-limited ambition, Public attention and pressure, Friendship through collaboration, Hope amid hardship, Mortality and legacy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

On the Rocks

10. On the Rocks

Drama Comedy Romance Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
6.4
20201h 36min

Overview

Faced with sudden doubts about her marriage, a young New York mother teams up with her larger-than-life playboy father to tail her husband.

Themes

Surveillance and privacy, Parental interference in romance, Work-life balance in marriage, Gender roles and fidelity myths, Marital suspicion and trust, Appearance vs reality in relationships

Available on

Apple TV
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.