13 Most Underrated Romantic Dramas of the Last Decade, Ranked

These 13 under-the-radar romantic dramas deserve a spot on your watch list.

13. Waiting for Forever (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 5/42%

Ever thought about that one who got away? Waiting for Forever takes that feeling and turns it into a full-blown tale of timeless affection. We're thrown into the life of Will, a free-spirited street performer who can't shake his childhood love for Emma, a struggling actress. As fate would have it, a family crisis brings Emma back to their hometown, where Will's been, well, waiting forever. His relentless devotion is the stuff of fairy tales, but is it enough to rekindle a long-lost flame?

12. The Space Between Us (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 16/55%

The Space Between Us takes us on an interplanetary journey where Gardner Elliot, the first human born on Mars, starts an online friendship with Tulsa, a smart-as-a-whip high school girl living on Earth. The catch? He's stuck on the Red Planet, and she's about 140 million miles away. As Gardner makes the vast journey to Earth, determined to experience all the wonders he's only seen from a screen, the bond between him and Tulsa blossoms into something truly cosmic.

11. Comet (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 44/53%

This indie darling follows Kimberly and Dell, whose six-year relationship is showcased through a series of parallel universe meetups. The non-linear storytelling might have your head spinning like you've just stepped off a merry-go-round, but that's the charm of it. The film dares you to piece together the puzzle of their relationship as it bounces through time and space. The chemistry between Kimberly and Dell is electric, a tangle of sharp dialogue and raw emotions that keeps you rooting for them.

10. In Your Eyes (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 61/69%

Rebecca and Dylan live worlds apart – she's a well-to-do housewife in snowy New Hampshire, he's an ex-con trying to start fresh in New Mexico. Their lives couldn't be more different, but a metaphysical connection sparked at the moment of their birth allows them to see through each other's eyes and feel what the other is feeling. This telepathic tie might seem wild, but it paves the way for an incredible and unconventional courtship. As they navigate this strange bond, the two form a relationship that defies space, time, and reason.

9. The Giant Mechanical Man (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 70/65%

Janice is a lost soul bouncing between temp jobs, and Tim is a street performer who spends his days as a silver-painted "mechanical man". It's not exactly the recipe for a typical romance, but as Janice and Tim's paths cross, it's their shared sense of feeling invisible in a bustling world that draws them together. The beauty of this film lies in its simplicity – two people finding each other amid the madness of everyday life.

8. About Time (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 70/81%

About Time might sound like a sci-fi film, but it's a British love letter to life's little moments. Meet Tim, a chap who learns he can time travel – but only to moments in his own life. What does one do with such power? Try to improve his love life, of course. When Tim meets the charming but insecure Mary, it's anything but smooth sailing. Tim's time-tweaking leads to laughs, missteps, and some truly heartfelt do-overs. This isn't just about getting the girl; it's about cherishing every messy, beautiful second of life.

7. Like Crazy (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71/61%

Like Crazy is a heart-wrenching portrait of long-distance love and all its complications. British college student Anna falls for American classmate Jacob while in the U.S., but visa problems force them apart. What follows is the all-too-real dance of trying to maintain a relationship across continents. The film, crafted with improvisational dialogue, captures the raw urgency and frustration of young love caught in the clutches of bureaucracy and the cruel reality of timing. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, their moments of joy and pain incredibly intimate.

6. Never Let Me Go (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71/70%

This film is a love story wrapped in a sci-fi enigma, based on the haunting novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's the tale of Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth – three individuals entwined by fate and a devastating reality that's slowly unveiled as they grow up in a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. This film elegantly weaves the complexity of their relationships with the chilling undercurrent of their existence. It's a narrative that questions the essence of what it means to love and to be human.

5. Ruby Sparks (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79/75%

Imagine if you could literally dream up the perfect partner. Well, in Ruby Sparks, that's exactly what happens. Novelist Calvin is suffering from writer's block and a lackluster love life until he starts writing about Ruby, his ideal woman. Then, poof! She becomes real. As Calvin basks in the glow of his created soulmate, things get complicated. Ruby isn't just a figment of his imagination – she has desires and dreams of her own.

4. The Spectacular Now (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91/76%

Meet Sutter Keely – high school senior, life of the party, perpetually inebriated. His philosophy of living in the "spectacular now" comes crashing down when he meets Aimee Finecky, the 'nice girl' who dreams beyond the confines of their small town. It's as much about the heady rush of first love as it is about growing up and facing the reality that every 'now' eventually leads to a tomorrow.

3. Blue Jay (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92/78%

Filmed in stunning black and white, we're introduced to former high school sweethearts, Jim and Amanda, who bump into each other in their hometown grocery store. Nostalgia quickly kicks in, and soon they're reminiscing about the good old days over coffee in their old diner. As they revisit their past haunts and unearth forgotten memories, the lingering spark between them is undeniable. But they've both changed and life has moved on – or has it?

2. Weekend (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95/86%

British film introduces us to Russell and Glen, two men who start off as a one-night stand but then find themselves diving into an intimate weekend that will change them both forever. What makes Weekend so compelling isn't just its authentic portrayal of gay romance; it's the universal themes of vulnerability, self-discovery, and the intoxicating nature of a connection that can't last. As they navigate their feelings and fears, you're pulled into the tender, bittersweet reality of their bubble, knowing all too well that Mondays always come.

1. The Lunchbox (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97/87%

It's the story of Ila, a housewife seeking to add some spice to her marriage, and Saajan, a lonely widower on the brink of retirement. When a mix-up by the famed dabbawalas of Mumbai sends Ila's lunch to Saajan instead of her husband, it begins a correspondence that's as tender as it is unexpected.Their notes back and forth become a lifeline, each lunchbox a vessel of dreams, regrets, and the shared comfort of strangers turned confidants.