Romance filmsmake audiences feel an array of emotions. Some stories will make them cry, others will make them laugh, and many will make them cheer as two star-crossed lovers overcome every obstacle to achieve their happily ever after. Of course, like all stories, romances are only as effective as the actors bringing them to life. While many stars of romantic films will go on to achieve the recognition they deserve, others will be unfairly overlooked despite giving decent performances.
There are many ways in which an actor’s performance can be underrated: sometimes it’s because they missed out on an award they deserved, other times it’s because they were unfairly treated by critics, and other times it’s because their co-stars overshadowed them. Whatever the case, here’s a look at the ten most underrated performances in romance movies.
Update Jul 10, 2025: Valentine’s Day is approaching. This article has been updated with more details about these underrated performances and where you’re able to stream each title if you are looking for something to watch leading up to the holdiay.
10Hilary Swank - P.S. I Love You (2007)
Based on the novel of the same name by Cecilia Ahern,P.S. I Love Youtells the heartbreaking love story of married couple Holly and Gerry Kennedy (played byHilary Swankand Gerard Butler, respectively). Told through a nonlinear narrative structure, the film sees Gerry suffering and, eventually, dying from a terminal illness, which causes Holly to experience a great deal of grief. However, Holly soon starts to receive messages from Gerry that he pre-arranged to be sent to her before his death to help his wife come to terms with her loss before she starts a new life. The film’s cast also includes Lisa Kudrow, Harry Connick Jr., Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Kathy Bates.
What Makes It An Underrated Performance
Despite being a commercial success,P.S. I Love Youreceived mostly negative reviews from critics. This shouldn’t be a reflection on the quality of the cast’s performances, however, with Swank in particular delivering a nuanced and truly heart-wrenching performance as Holly. She does a fantastic job of portraying a woman forced to deal with the various stages of grief, who ultimately learns to embrace life once again without her beloved by her side. She may not have been able to win all the critics over, but Swank’s performance undoubtedly left a lasting impression on audiences.Rent on AppleTV+.
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9James Marsden - The Notebook (2004)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes, 2004’sThe Notebookcenters on the relationship between Noah and Allie (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, respectively) in the 1940s, as told by an elderly man to a fellow care home resident in the present day. Among the film’s supporting cast isJames Marsden. Best known for his role as Scott Summers/Cyclops in the X-Men franchise, Marsden plays the character of Captain Lon Hammond Jr., a lawyer to whom Allie becomes engaged before rekindling her affair with Noah.
In the hands of a lesser actor, Lon’s character could have easily come across as a haughty, selfish, and unlikable individual. But with Marsden in the role, he’s a fully realized and three-dimensional character who is easy to empathize with despite only being a supporting character. Marsden is a charming and charismatic performer, and while this might be a more grounded role than what the actor is used to, he still brings that innate likability and warmth. Gosling and McAdams rightly get the lion’s share of the praise, but Marsden’s excellent turn here shouldn’t be overlooked.Stream on Hulu.
8Cameron Diaz - My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
My Best Friend’s Weddingis another example of a romance film where one of the supporting characters steals the show. Released in 1997, the film stars Julia Roberts as Jules, a 28-year-old woman living in New York whose best friend, Michael (Dermot Mulroney), is set to get married to a woman eight years younger than him named Kimmy, played by a fresh-facedCameron Diaz. Realizing that she is in love with Michael, Jules makes many desperate attempts to stop the wedding from going ahead.My Best Friend’s Weddingis considered one ofthe best wedding comedies of all time, and part of its success lies in Diaz’s supporting performance.
Kimmy is a great character purely because she is a kind-hearted individual who sees the best in everyone, which contrasts with Jules’s devious intentions. She is naive and caring, and no matter how much Jules wants her to be a bad person, she simply isn’t one. Diaz, whohas proven herself to be among the best comedic actressesover the years, was definitely the right person for the role, with her natural comic timing and ability to make even the nicest of characters funny being on display here. What makes Diaz’s performance and the film as a whole great is that audiences truly sympathize with Kimmy despite her not being the protagonist. It’s a brilliant turn by the actress which, ultimately, led to bigger things.Stream on Netflix.
7Julia Roberts - Runaway Bride (1999)
There’s a reasonJulia Robertsis consideredone of the best actors of her time; she nails every role thrown her way. InRunaway Bride, Roberts portrays Maggie, a young woman who has acquired the nickname “The Runaway Bride” due to her habit of leaving fiancés at the altar. Her pattern of getting cold feet is tested, however, when she meets Ike Graham (Richard Gere), a New York reporter assigned to write a story about Maggie. The film marked the second collaboration between Roberts and Gere, following 1990’sPretty Woman.It was a worldwide box office success, despite garnering mostly mixed reviews from critics.
Runaway Bride, overall, is an underrated film that received far more criticism than it deserves. It’s certainly a silly and, at times, far-fetched movie, but fun escapist nonsense is what rom-coms are all about. By far the best aspect of the film, however, is Julia Robert’s performance as Maggie. Much like the film, the character is messy and flawed, but also highly relatable and hugely likable, and Roberts is simply captivating as a woman dealing with a lifetime of trauma and self-discovery. Furthermore, her chemistry with Gere is just as exciting to watch as it was in their previous collaboration.Stream on Paramount+
6Timothée Chalamet - Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Despite his relatively short time working in Hollywood,Timothée Chalamethas quickly cemented himself asone of the greatest actors of his generation, leading major blockbusters and garnering an Academy Award nomination. In Luca Guadagnino’sCall Me By Your Name, the actor gives a memorable performance as Elio, an adventurous 17-year-old growing up in Northern Italy in the 1980s, who begins a romantic relationship with his father’s 24-year-old graduate student assistant, Samuel (Armie Hammer).Call Me By Your Namewas a hit with critics, many of whom singled out Chalamet’s performance as one of the film’s highlights. It was ultimately nominated for four Academy Awards.
Chalamet’s work inCall Me By Your Nameisn’t underrated because of a lack of recognition. After all, the actor was nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe Award. What makes his performance here underrated is how, in the time since the film’s release, it has become overshadowed by Chalamet’s more commercially successful movie roles, such asDune, Little Women, andWonka.While his work in those films is excellent, Chalamet has yet to better his heartbreaking and powerful performance as Elio inCall Me By Your Name.It’s a beautiful and understated turn by the actor, who performs with a maturity far beyond his years.Stream on Netflix.
Related:The 12 Most Underrated Romance Movies of the 2010s, Ranked
5Taylor Russell - Bones And All (2022)
Another collaboration between Timothée Chalamet and Luca Guadagnino, 2022’sBones and Allsees the actor portraying an anti-hero alongsideLost in SpacestarTaylor Russell. The romantic horror movie follows Maren (Russell) and Lee (Chalamet), a pair of cannibals who take a road trip across the US, fall in love, and commit downright horrific acts to satiate their appetite. The film’s supporting cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg, Andrè Holland, and Mark Rylance. Despite being met with mostly positive reviews from critics,Bones and Allunderperformed at the worldwide box office.
Although the main character ofBones and Allare responsible for some truly despicable crimes, it’s strangely easy to sympathize with them. Both the writing and direction play a party in achieving this, but it’s ultimately the performances of the cast that make it possible. Russell, in particular, is excellent as Maren. The character has gone her entire life feeling an outcast, emotionally neglected by her father, abandoned by her mother, andlonging to forge a genuine connection with someone. Though, as a viewer, you may not agree with her actions, you may at least understand why she behaves like she does. Russell completely sells Maren’s brokenness and desire for connection and, in so doing, crafts a truly compelling and unique movie character.Stream on Prime Video.
4Blake Lively - The Age of Adaline (2015)
The Age of Adalineis one of the more creative romance flicks on the list. In it,Blake Livelyportrays Adaline, a woman who dies in a car accident in the 1930s, only to find herself revived and unable to age. After decades of relocating constantly to avoid raising suspicion, she meets a man named Ellis (Michiel Huisman) on New Year’s Eve 2015, with whom she develops feelings for. However, knowing that anyone she falls in love with will age and die before her eyes, Adaline is faced with an unenviable predicament. While the film as a whole garnered generally mixed reviews from critics, Lively’s performance as the titular character was singled out as a highlight.
Like others on this list,Lively’s performancehere feels like it belongs in a better film. That’s not to say thatThe Age of Adalineis a bad film - it’s a perfectly fine romantic fantasy that gets better towards the end - but Lively’s work here far outshines the other aspects of the film. It’s a heartbreaking and tender performance, and Lively more than rises to the challenge of playing a woman cursed with watching the people she loves fade away while she lives on repeating the same cycle for eternity. She conveys the character’s loneliness and longing to experience romance with understated ease. Illuminating, elegant, and engaging to watch, Lively’s work inThe Age of Adalineis worthy of more praise and recognition than it initially received.Rent on PrimeVideo or AppleTV+.
3Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water (2017)
Guillermo del Toro’sThe Shape of Wateris a romantic fantasy masterpiece. Set in the 1960s, the film tells the story of Elisa Esposito (played bySally Hawkins), a mute woman working at a high-security government facility who stumbles across an amphibious creature being held captive there. Elisa soon falls in love with the creature and hatches a plan to help it to escape. Frequent del Toro collaborator Doug Jones portrays the creature, while Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, and Richard Jenkins also star.The Shape of Waterproved to be both a critical and commercial success, gaining 13 Oscar nominations and making $195.3 million on a $20 million budget. I great deal of the film’s success is owed to Hawkins’s central performance.
Like others on this list, Hawkins’s work inThe Shape of Waterdidn’t go unrecognized: she was nominated for an Academy Award, after all. Nevertheless, her performance in the film is an underrated one simply because Hawkins, as an actress, is someone who rarely gets listed as being one of the greats, despite the fact that she is the recipient of two Oscar nominations, as well as countless other awards. Her work inThe Shape of Wateris nothing short of mesmerizing. Because Elisa cannot talk, Hawkins does all of her acting through sign language, mannerisms, and facial expressions, and it’s amazing just how well she manages to bring the character to life with the subtlest of movements or looks. Elisa is spirited, bright, and brave, and Hawkins lets all of these qualities shine through without ever saying a word. Sally Hawkins is one of the best actors working today, andThe Shape of Waterproves it.Stream on FuboTV.
2Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Directed by Ang Lee, 2005’sBrokeback Mountaindepicts the relationship between Ennis and Jack (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, respectively), two cowboys who develop a sexual and romantic relationship. As the years go by, both men get married and start their own families, but keep getting pulled back together. Anne Hathaway appears as Jack’s wife, Lureen, whileMichelle Williamsportrays Ennis’s wife, Alma. The film as a whole was lauded by critics and received eight Academy Award nominations. While every member of the cast deserves praise for their work in the film, it’s Williams who doesn’t get enough credit.
William’s performance in the film was recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. However, her work inBrokeback Mountainis often overshadowed by that of the film’s two leads. This is a shame because Williams gives a performance that’s just as good, if not better, than her male co-stars. While audiences sympathize with Ennis and Jack’s plight as repressed lovers living in an oppressive society, Alma is a victim in her own right. She lives a lifetime of lies alongside Ennis, who leads a secret relationship with Jack unbeknownst to her. What’s even more painful is the emotional abuse Alma withstands as Ennis deflects his frustration onto her, and Williams ably manages to convey the anger, humiliation, and heartbreak Alma undergoes throughout her marriage with Ennis. It’s a testament to Williams as a performer that she was able to shine in aheartbreaking romance story, despite not being the film’s lead.Rent on AppleTV+ and Prime Video.
Related:10 Anti-Romances That Will Put You Off Love Forever
1Lady Gaga - A Star is Born (2018)
A Star is Bornis a romantic musical film all about one woman’s journey to pop stardom. Who better to play the leading female character, then, than someone who’s been on that very journey themselves:Lady Gaga. Directed by Bradley Cooper in his feature directorial debut, the film tells the story of Ally Maine, a talented singer-songwriter who is discovered by troubled established musician Jackson Maine (Cooper). The pair soon fall in love and develop a romantic relationship, but Jackson’s self-destructive behavior threatens to shatter everything good in his life. The fourth adaptation of the story, 2018’sA Star is Born, was not only a commercial and critical success but also became a cultural phenomenon.
Prior to her work in the film,Gaga’s list of acting creditswas a relatively short one, and there were certainly people who doubted the pop star’s abilities as an actress. WithA Star is Born, however, Gaga proved her doubters wrong with a raw, honest, and subtle performance that differed wildly from her stage persona. Ally is talented, determined, and above all, a devoted lover to Jackson as he deals with his addiction, and Gaga conveys all of these qualities with the sophistication and gravitas of a more seasoned performer. On top of that, her chemistry with Cooper is simply sublime, and her musical performances are nothing short of stellar. Though she received widespread acclaim for her work in the film, Gaga didn’t win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Yet her turn here is one of the best performances in a romantic film ever.Rent on Prime Video or AppleTV+.
