12 Best Romantic Movies Like Through My Window

"Through My Window," the first movie of the Netflix trilogy, introduces audiences to Raquel (Clara Galle), a high school student who has a crush on her neighbor Ares (Julio Peña). He's part of a trio of brothers destined to take over the family empire, meaning there's a predestined path for him, even if he doesn't agree with it. Though the two initially interact because of a wifi dispute, they find something more when they leave Raquel's room and go into the real world.

There are plenty of movies like "Through My Window" to watch, but part of the appeal of the film is how romantic fans find Ares and Raquel's story. He doesn't stand outside with a boom box hoping she will look out at him — he literally climbs through her window to get her attention. The two have to fight both themselves and Ares's family to be together. If projects just as romantic as "Through My Window" are what you're craving, these are the ones to add to your watchlist.

"After" follows Tessa (Josephine Langford), a college freshman, as her world becomes intertwined with Hardin's (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), a bad boy she meets while at a fraternity party with her roommate. She initially doesn't like him, but is continually drawn to him, eventually causing her to break up with her high school boyfriend and take a chance. However, when she finds out he was trying to win a bet, everything changes.

Much like Ares and Raquel, Hardin and Tessa are in a constant push and pull that, while angsty, is romantic for them. Both men initially break the hearts of the women in their lives because of outside factors, and they try to make that right with grand gestures in their own ways. Hardin's is writing an essay about how much he loves her and turning it in as an assignment, and Ares not only admits to creating ways for them to talk, but reappears after their time apart by climbing in through her window. Their romances aren't perfect, and throughout the subsequent films the couples continue to run into obstacles and cross the line into extreme levels of co-dependency, but that doesn't stop them from having their happy endings. With five "After movies" to watch, you can watch the ups and downs Tessa and Hardin go through to achieve their happily ever after.

Lucy (Lucy Hale) and Josh (Austin Stowell) are assistants to two rival publishing heads. Do they all work for the same company? Yes, but a difficult merger has forced them to constantly butt heads, since they all disagree about the best way to run the company and the kinds of books to publish. When the assistants begin competing for a promotion, one that would give them some real power, their relationship turns on its head as Lucy questions why he's suddenly being nice to her.

Based on a book of the same name, "The Hating Game" takes the push and pull of Ares and Raquel to the next level. Lucy and Josh are also neighbors in a sense, but since they are in the same room looking across at each other all day, it heightens their enemies-to-lovers arc. All of Josh's little quirks, like keeping tallies of when they fight and painting his bedroom walls the color of her eyes, make Ares's messing with the wifi just to interact with Raquel seem small. It isn't enough that he looks at her all day — he wants to see her eyes when he's home too, which proves for Josh, it was never a true rivalry.

The British remake of the popular Prime Video film "Culpa Mía," or "My Fault," follows Noah (Asha Banks), an American teen moving across the pond because her mother remarried. She immediately doesn't get along with her new step brother Nick (Matthew Broome). But the two steadily go from loathing to love as they connect more, especially when Nick discovers Noah knows more about car racing than she lets on.

"My Fault: London" shares the same romantic tones of "Through My Window." While the romance is on the taboo side, Nick and Noah's back and forth, and what both are willing to go through for the other, is ultimately romantic. Watching Nick yell at investigators is funny yet endearing, showing how much he cares and how, in those moments, he doesn't care who knows about their relationship. He immediately jumps into action to send her cheating ex-boyfriend back to the United States, and the look on his face when he realizes she's having a panic attack from being locked in a closet is one of pure fear. He's even willing to crash a car if it means she can get away from the father who kidnapped her, which is certainly intense, but for the age group the movie is geared at, works well to get across the love he has for her.

"Purple Hearts" is about Cassie (Sofia Carson), a musician and recently diagnosed Type 1 diabetic who is struggling to afford insulin. She decides to marry a Marine to get on their health insurance, even though that's technically fraud. The only one she knows is in a committed relationship, but one of his fellow Marines, Luke (Nicholas Galitzine), steps in. He needs the additional money that comes with being married to pay back a drug dealer. 

While the Netflix movie may not seem romantic at first, there are several little instances of the two leads taking care of each other during their most vulnerable states that make the audience root for them. Cassie helps Luke as he struggles to adapt to life in a wheelchair, even bathing him and finding ways to help him engage with his new normal, and Luke holds Cassie when she goes into diabetic shock, feeding her glucose gel and smoothing down her hair to comfort her. These are intimate acts, showing how they've crossed the line from a fake marriage to a real one. The most romantic part? When Luke takes the fall for their fraudulent marriage, protecting Cassie in the process, and Cassie waiting for him as he serves his time. 

Two teens who grew up in the same orphanage, only to then be adopted by the same couple, fall in love in "The Tearsmith." Nica (Caterina Ferioli) and Rigel (Simone Baldasseroni) didn't interact a ton before the adoption, but as they grow closer, their relationship changes forever. While Nica may not have noticed Rigel before, he certainly noticed her, and that becomes all too clear as they get to know each other.

The Italian Netflix film has some of the most romantic moments of the movies on this list. Rigel is one of the only people in the orphanage not to bully Nica — he even willingly injures himself when Nica is about to be physically punished by the abusive headmistress of the home. Once they're with their new family, he sends her a mysterious flower, protects her from a fellow student with untoward intentions, and even uses his body to shield hers when they fall off a bridge. Yes, they have a happy ending, but Rigel nearly dies so it can happen. That's the definition of a grand romantic gesture, and arguably feels like something Ares would do for Raquel.

Sam (Molly Ringwald) is excited to turn 16 years old, ready for the next chapter of life, but there are still some things holding her back. She has a crush on Jake (Michael Schoeffling), an upperclassman, but he doesn't seem to notice her. When her family seems to forget her birthday, it sets a series of miscommunications in motion that can only result in a happy ending in "Sixteen Candles."

This '80s movie is perfect for audiences wanting a romance like "Through My Window" that isn't from the last decade. Even though Sam doesn't think Jake knows who she is, he notices her, watches her, and asks about her. He's the only one to seemingly acknowledge and celebrate her birthday, bringing her a cake at the end of the film. Do her parents apologize for forgetting it? Yes, but that isn't the same as bringing someone a cake and confessing your feelings for them. It's something so simple that says so much, and that makes "Sixteen Candles" a great addition to your watchlist.

Two young adults find love in the airport, then on the plane, then in their shared destination in "Love at First Sight." Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) misses her original flight to London, getting rebooked and meeting Oliver (Ben Hardy) in the process. Though the two go their separate ways after landing, Hadley to a wedding and Oliver to a preemptive memorial, statistics are in their favor that they will find each other again — even if it doesn't seem that way.

The notion that the odds are against them, based on Oliver's calculations, but that they can defy them, is one of the most romantic things in the rom-com genre. While typically it's an obstacle other than math keeping the couple apart, "Love at First Sight" involves everything audiences love about rom-coms: Supportive friends and family, romantic gestures, and two young people saying that they don't care that the numbers aren't on their side. The only thing standing in their way is their own thoughts, and they throw them to the wind. The Netflix film makes you feel warm and fuzzy in all the right places, and the idea of falling in love while traveling abroad is always extra romantic. 

Based on the book by Mercedes Ron, "Culpa Mía," known as "My Fault" to English audiences, follows Noah (Nicole Wallace) and Nick (Gabriel Guevara), who are now step siblings thanks to Noah's mother marrying Nick's father. They don't get along, much to their parents' disappointment, but things change as they are continually forced to spend time with each other and bond over their mutual love of cars and racing.

An international offering like "Through My Window," this is the movie "My Fault: London" is based on, but the two films offer immensely different viewing experiences. While the core of the story is the same, the original Nick and Noah lean deep into how much they loathe each other, with Nick being particularly vitriolic at times. Unlike in the English adaptation, Nick and Noah's parents find out that they're together and try to force them apart, but that only causes them to fight harder for each other. It's romantic because, even when things like Noah's kidnapping put them in difficult positions, they still just need the other to be happy. Audiences can watch the next two movies, "Your Fault" and "Our Fault," to see how their story ends. It involves quite a bit of heartbreak, but it isn't without romantic gestures and longing glances. 

What happens when a college freshman, who is desperately trying to get away from the life her father leads, ends right back where she started? That's what we find out in "Beautiful Disaster." Abby's (Virginia Gardner) father is deep in the professional gambling industry, and she wants nothing to do with it, despite being great at cards herself. When she meets Travis (Dylan Sprouse), an underground fighter, she's determined to stay away, believing he represents everything she's trying to leave behind.

"Beautiful Disaster" is easily one of the funniest movies on this list. This is one of those relationships where the couple is a bit mean to each other as a way of showing their love, which is a refreshing change from most films in the genre. Abby and Travis find love through humor and awkward situations, not angst. Because of that, it makes serious situations, like Travis trying to take on Abby's father's debt by fighting for the mob, into much more impactful romantic gestures. Travis would essentially be giving up his life, serving the boss until they decide his time is up, and he's willing to do that if it means Abby can go free. Abby doesn't want that, but Travis's intent is pure, and that's what makes their story beautiful.

Elle (Joey King) and Lee (Joel Courtney) have been best friends since they were babies. Part of how that friendship operates is with rules, like the concept that ice cream is the key to forgiveness in an argument or that relatives are off limits. That includes Lee's older brother Noah (Jacob Elordi). Though Elle has always nursed a crush on him, it isn't until the new school year that something changes between them.

The best friend's brother trope is a staple in rom-coms, and "The Kissing Booth" does it with ease. Despite having to hide their relationship at first, Elle and Noah have sensitive moments, like when Noah cleans a cut on her face, that reinforce how they both feel and how difficult it is lying to Lee about everything. All it takes is for Elle to whisper his name for Noah to calm down or walk away from fighting other students. Noah even says how he feels in front of everyone at prom, after just disappearing and knowing his brother doesn't approve. It's a big romantic gesture that shows Lee that his brother is in it for a long time, not just a good time. While their ending after three films is a bit ambiguous, that somehow makes their journey even more romantic — they took time to discover themselves before possibly reuniting in the future.

Nina (Giulia Be) is a pianist diagnosed with lupus, requiring her to go through dialysis several times a week while she sits on the transplant list. Gabriel (Henry Zaga) is a resident on her medical team that loves listening to her play. As the two grow closer, Gabriel's career is at stake, as is Nina's health as she continues to push herself in preparation for an audition to join the local symphony.

The Brazilian film "Beyond the Universe" not only captures the simple beauties of life, but serves as a reminder that not all romantic stories have a happy ending. Nina and Gabriel's time together is one for the ages. He goes out of his way to encourage her as a pianist, even setting up a make-up audition for her when she has a medical event during the previous one. Gabriel does this even as the hospital board is deliberating on whether or not he gets to keep his job. Their ending will bring you to tears, but how it's handled by its lead character is even more heartbreaking, showing that romantic gestures can happen at any time — even after the other person is gone.

In "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is a romantic at heart. She dreams of a sweeping romance, but not necessarily one in high school. That all changes when her younger sister Kitty (Anna Cathcart) sends out secret love letters Lara Jean wrote at different times in her life as her way to get over crushes. This chaos leads her to start a fake relationship with Peter (Noah Centineo), initially as a way to make his ex jealous — until it becomes something more.

Lara Jean is always heartfelt in her actions. As the film trilogy continues, audiences watch her make homemade Valentine's Day cards and pastries and goes out of her way to make custom bowling shirts for a date. Her love language is clearly acts of service or giving gifts, and Peter meets her in the middle. He watches the old movies she loves, hunts down her favorite Korean yogurt drinks for a road trip, and helps out whenever he's over at her house. Peter and Lara Jean compliment each other perfectly, and it's beautiful to watch them go from awkward acquaintances to the cutest couple in school. They are high school sweethearts in the purest form.