Bittersweet Romance backdrop

Bittersweet Romance movies

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

Grace of Monaco

1. Grace of Monaco

Romance Drama Political Drama Bittersweet Romance
5.7
20141h 43min

Overview

The story of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly's crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute between Monaco's Prince Rainier III and France's Charles De Gaulle, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s.

Themes

Sovereignty under pressure, Duty vs public life, Political capital via charity, Diplomatic leverage in politics, Public image constraints, Humanitarian leadership through charity, Family loyalty vs state

Available on

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

Overview

In the not so distant future, Theodore, a lonely writer, purchases a newly developed operating system designed to meet the user's every need. To Theodore's surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system. This unconventional love story blends science fiction and romance in a sweet tale that explores the nature of love and the ways that technology isolates and connects us all.

Themes

Loneliness and connection, Artificial intelligence companionship, Future tech and heartbreak, Operating system mediation of affection, Singularity and selfhood, Love as mediated by machines, Dehumanization via intimate tech

Available on

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

About Time

3. About Time

Drama Romance Fantasy Bittersweet Romance Time-Rule Fantasy
7.8
20132h 3min

Overview

A young man can rewrite any moment of his own life to win love and fix every regret. But each jump steals something unseen from the people he loves most. When he realizes one more trip could save a future—or erase a precious past forever—he has to choose which life to lose.

Themes

Parent child relationship, Family secrets, Second chances, Time travel limits, Soulmate connection, Appreciation of life

Available on

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

Before Midnight

4. Before Midnight

Romance Drama Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
7.9
20131h 49min

Overview

It has been nine years since we last met Jesse and Celine, the French-American couple who once met on a train in Vienna. They now live in Paris with twin daughters but have spent a summer in Greece at the invitation of an author colleague of Jesse's. When the vacation is over and Jesse must send his teenage son off to the States, he begins to question his life decisions, and his relationship with Celine is at risk.

Themes

Parenting versus partnership, Career vs family choices, Communication under strain, Long-term relationship tension, Aging and life stages, Gendered perspectives

Available on

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

Night Train to Lisbon

5. Night Train to Lisbon

Mystery Romance Thriller Investigation Mystery Political Thriller
6.8
20131h 51min

Overview

Raimund Gregorius, having saved a beautiful Portuguese woman from leaping to her death, stumbles upon a mesmerizing book by a Portuguese author, which compels him to suddenly abandon the boring life he has led for years and to embark on an enthralling adventure. In search of the author, Gregorius acts as detective, pulling together pieces of a puzzle that involves political and emotional intrigue and the highest possible stakes. His voyage is one that transcends time and space, delving into the realms of history, medicine and love, all in search of true meaning to his life.

Themes

Loyalty and betrayal, Loneliness and longing, Resistance against dictatorship, Romance under political risk, Pursuit of meaning, Memory and inquiry

Available on

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

Safe Haven

6. Safe Haven

Romance Thriller Bittersweet Romance Domestic Thriller
6.7
20131h 55min

Overview

A young woman with a mysterious past lands in Southport, North Carolina where her bond with a widower forces her to confront the dark secret that haunts her.

Themes

Romance amid danger, Small town danger, Unsteady family bonds, Domestic violence impact, Protective parenting under threat, Mystery in quiet town

Available on

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

Overview

Cissy, Reggie, and Wilf are in a home for retired musicians. Every year, there is a concert to celebrate Composer Giuseppe Verdi's birthday and they take part. Jean, who used to be married to Reggie, arrives at the home and disrupts their equilibrium. She still acts like a diva, but she refuses to sing. Still, the show must go on, and it does.

Themes

Memory and identity, Reputation under pressure, Performance as life force, Aging artistry, Art as rejuvenation, Reunion under constraint

Available on

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

Great Expectations

8. Great Expectations

Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Bittersweet Romance
6.3
20122h 8min

Overview

Orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with his childhood patron, Miss Havisham, and his first love, the beautiful but emotionally cold Estella, he discovers that the elderly spinster has gone mad from having been left at the altar as a young woman, and has made her charge into a warped, unfeeling heartbreaker.

Themes

Mysterious benefactor expectations, Secret benefactor pressure, Childhood patron influence, Elderly spinster past, 19th century context, Lawyer guidance, Becomes a gentleman aspiration

Available on

Apple TV
Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Silver Linings Playbook

9. Silver Linings Playbook

Drama Comedy Romance Relationship Drama Bittersweet Romance
7.7
20122h 2min

Overview

After losing his job and wife, and spending time in an institution, a former teacher winds up living with his parents. He wants to rebuild his life and reconcile with his wife, but his father would be happy if he shared his obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles. Things get complicated when he meets Tiffany Maxwell who offers to help him reconnect with his wife if he will do something very important for her in exchange.

Themes

Deception in relationships, Stigma around mental illness, Family pressure and obsession, Recovery through performance, Hope amid turmoil, Bonding through shared experiences

Available on

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

Trouble with the Curve

10. Trouble with the Curve

Drama Romance Professional Drama Bittersweet Romance
6.8
20121h 51min

Overview

Slowed by age and failing eyesight, crack baseball scout Gus Lobel takes his grown daughter along as he checks out the final prospect of his career. Along the way, the two renew their bond, and she catches the eye of a young player-turned-scout.

Themes

Loyalty and ambition, Aging and decline, Data-driven vs intuition, Mentorship and legacy, Risk in talent scouting, Family work balance

Available on

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