When Titanic sailed into theaters in 1997, it quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and box office juggernaut. James Cameron’s epic romance disaster film captured hearts around the world with its sweeping love story between star-crossed lovers Jack and Rose, set against the tragic backdrop of the Titanic’s fateful maiden voyage.
Titanic made superstars out of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, won a record-tying 11 Oscars including Best Picture, and held the title of highest-grossing film of all time for over a decade until Cameron’s own Avatar surpassed it in 2010. Even now, 25 years later, Titanic remains a cinematic classic and the ultimate epic romance.
If you’re a fan of Titanic and are looking for more movies with grand love stories, lush visuals, period details, and that sweeping romantic feeling, look no further. Here are 18 of the best movies like Titanic that will make your heart go on:
1. The Notebook (2004)
Based on Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel, The Notebook follows the decades-spanning love story between Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams). Though they come from different social classes, Noah and Allie fall deeply in love as teenagers in 1940s South Carolina. But their romance is put to the test by disapproving parents, World War II, and class differences.
The Notebook packs an emotional wallop with its depiction of enduring love that overcomes all obstacles. Like Titanic, it features two attractive young leads, a historical period setting, and a romance for the ages. Keep tissues handy for the heartstring-tugging ending.
2. Atonement (2007)
This lush adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel, directed by Joe Wright, is a romantic epic spanning several decades. In 1935 England, 13-year-old aspiring writer Briony (Saoirse Ronan) misinterprets an interaction between her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and the housekeeper’s son Robbie (James McAvoy), leading to a lie that will dramatically change all of their lives.
Atonement shares several key similarities with Titanic: a period setting, class differences, a central romance torn apart by outside forces, and an epic visual scale, including an astounding unbroken shot of the WWII evacuation of Dunkirk. It’s a beautifully crafted, achingly romantic film with award-worthy performances.
3. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Baz Luhrmann’s dazzling jukebox musical puts a modern spin on the classic doomed romance. In 1900 Paris, young writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) falls for the beautiful courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman), the “Sparkling Diamond” of the Moulin Rouge nightclub. But Satine has been promised to the wealthy Duke of Monroth, who holds the fate of the Moulin Rouge in his hands.
Moulin Rouge! is a feast for the senses, with its opulent sets and costumes, kinetic editing and camerawork, and catchy soundtrack blending modern pop hits with original songs. McGregor and Kidman have sizzling chemistry, and their romance is as epic and tragic as Jack and Rose’s. It’s a one-of-a-kind movie experience.
4. Gone with the Wind (1939)
The ultimate Hollywood epic, Gone with the Wind remains a cinematic touchstone over 80 years after its release. Set against the backdrop of the Civil War and Reconstruction, it’s the story of fiery Southern belle Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) and her turbulent romance with the dashing Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).
Like Titanic, Gone with the Wind is an epic historical romance with a strong-willed heroine, a roguish leading man, and a tragic love story played out against real historical events. It features lavish sets and costumes, groundbreaking cinematography, and iconic performances. Adjust for inflation, it’s still the highest-grossing movie of all time.
5. Somewhere in Time (1980)
This romantic fantasy stars Christopher Reeve as Richard Collier, a modern-day playwright who becomes obsessed with a photograph of a beautiful early 1900s stage actress (Jane Seymour). Using self-hypnosis, Richard wills himself back in time to 1912 to meet her, and the two fall deeply in love. But their romance is star-crossed when Richard can’t stay in the past forever.
Somewhere in Time shares Titanic‘s theme of a love that transcends time itself. The period details, lush John Barry score, and earnest performances by Reeve and Seymour make it a romantic classic. Fun fact: The movie was actually shot at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, which served as inspiration for the film after Reeve stayed there.
6. Casablanca (1942)
One of the most beloved films of all time, Casablanca is a romantic drama set against the backdrop of World War II. Cynical American expat Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) runs a nightclub in Casablanca when his lost love Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) walks in with her husband, a Czech Resistance leader on the run from the Nazis. Ilsa and Rick rekindle their romance, but the war soon threatens to tear them apart again.
Casablanca may not have the scale of Titanic, but it shares its historical setting, wartime romance, and theme of lost love. It’s a masterful blend of romance, drama, and intrigue with endlessly quotable dialogue and iconic performances. “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
7. The English Patient (1996)
This Oscar-winning epic is a sweeping romance told in flashback by a critically burned man (Ralph Fiennes) being cared for in an abandoned Italian monastery at the end of WWII. He tells the story of his doomed affair with a married woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) in the years before the war, a romance that spans continents and defies all odds.
The English Patient shares Titanic‘s grand romantic scale, lush cinematography, and central romance between two people who can’t be together. It’s a complex, non-linear story that jumps around in time, slowly revealing the mystery and tragedy of the “English patient” and his lost love.
8. Bright Star (2009)
This underrated gem depicts the real-life romance between poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his muse Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) in early 1800s England. Though Keats is penniless and only starting to find success as a poet, he and the spirited, fashion-loving Fanny fall deeply in love. But their romance is doomed by Keats’ lack of money and his ill health.
Bright Star is a quiet, intimate film that still feels epic in its emotions. The period details are exquisite, the cinematography is breathtaking, and Whishaw and Cornish have a tender chemistry. Like Titanic, it’s about an impossible love that burns brightly before being cut tragically short.
9. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
This witty, romantic drama imagines a young William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) overcoming writer’s block when he falls for Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), a wealthy merchant’s daughter with dreams of acting. Viola disguises herself as a man to audition for Will’s new play, and their passionate but forbidden romance inspires some of his greatest work, including Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare in Love is a clever, playful film that celebrates the enduring power of love and art. The costumes and sets are sumptuous, the dialogue sparkles, and Fiennes and Paltrow make a charming couple. It’s a more comedic take on the doomed historical romance than Titanic, but the feels are still there.
10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Loosely based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, this epic romance follows the title character (Brad Pitt), who is born with the body of an elderly man and ages in reverse. As he grows younger, he falls in love with a young woman named Daisy (Cate Blanchett), but their romance seems impossible given his unique condition.
Directed by David Fincher, Benjamin Button is a grand, melancholy romance spanning decades and continents. The reverse aging effects are astounding, and Pitt gives a soulful performance. Like Titanic, it’s an epic, emotionally sweeping love story where the central romance is challenged by forces beyond the characters’ control.
11. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Ang Lee’s wuxia martial arts epic features a powerful romance at its center. Warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) and his partner, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) have long denied their feelings for each other out of duty and honor. But the theft of Li’s legendary sword Green Destiny by a masked female warrior soon leads them on an adventure of redemption and romance.
Crouching Tiger is an exhilarating blend of action, fantasy and romance. The gravity-defying martial arts sequences are breathtaking, but it’s the repressed longing between Li and Yu that gives the film its heart. It’s an epic, tragic romance where duty clashes with desire.
12. Legends of the Fall (1994)
This sweeping Western romance tells the story of the Ludlow brothers – Alfred (Aidan Quinn), Tristan (Brad Pitt), and Samuel (Henry Thomas) – in early 1900s Montana. The family is torn apart when Samuel’s fiancée Susannah (Julia Ormond) falls in love with Tristan, the wild middle brother. This sets off a decades-spanning saga of love, betrayal, war and redemption.
With its big sky landscapes, attractive cast, and melodramatic plot twists, Legends of the Fall is like a romantic Western version of Titanic. Tristan and Susannah’s forbidden love affair is the passionate heart of the film, but it’s the story of the whole Ludlow family that gives it an epic scope.
13. The Painted Veil (2006)
Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s novel and set in 1920s China, this historical romance stars Naomi Watts as Kitty Fane, an upper-class Londoner who marries shy bacteriologist Walter (Edward Norton) on a whim. Unhappy in the marriage, Kitty has an affair, and a vengeful Walter forces her to accompany him to a remote Chinese village ravaged by cholera. There, they both find their true calling and slowly fall in love for real.
The Painted Veil is a visually stunning, emotionally complex film about a marriage that grows from infidelity and resentment to understanding and love. Watts and Norton have palpable chemistry, and the Chinese setting adds an element of the epic. Like Rose in Titanic, Kitty goes on a journey of self-discovery through her relationship with Walter.
14. Becoming Jane (2007)
This charming historical romance speculates on the possible real-life relationship between the young Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) and Irish lawyer Thomas Lefroy (James McAvoy), positing it as the inspiration for the great romances Austen would later write about. Jane and Tom have an instant spark, but their romance seems doomed by his family’s plans and her own dreams of being a writer.
Becoming Jane is a warm, witty love letter to Jane Austen that reimagines her as one of her own spirited heroines. Hathaway and McAvoy are a delight together, and the Jane/Tom romance has shades of Elizabeth and Darcy. Like Titanic, it’s about a real historical figure embarking on a fictional romance that changes the course of her life.
15. The Illusionist (2006)
In 1900s Vienna, master magician Eisenheim (Edward Norton) uses his powers to woo Sophie (Jessica Biel), a duchess far above his social standing. But Sophie is engaged to the violent Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), who sees Eisenheim as a threat. Eisenheim soon finds himself using his skills for darker purposes as he plots to free Sophie from Leopold’s clutches.
The Illusionist is a romantic mystery with lush period details and an attractive cast in Norton, Biel and Paul Giamatti as a police inspector. The love story between Eisenheim and Sophie has the feel of an epic fairy tale, with magic as a metaphor for the power of their bond. It’s a twisty, beguiling film.
16. The Young Victoria (2009)
This lavish historical drama depicts the early life and reign of Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt), including her legendary romance with Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). Headstrong Victoria must learn to be a queen while navigating the schemes of her family and parliament. But in Albert, she finds a true partner with whom she can finally be herself.
The Young Victoria is a fresh take on one of history’s great romances, with Blunt and Friend capturing Victoria and Albert’s devotion and very real passion for each other. Like Titanic, it’s a beautifully mounted production that brings history to vivid life. And it proves that sometimes, epic romances do get a happy ending.
17. Water for Elephants (2011)
In this romantic drama based on Sara Gruen’s bestseller, a young veterinary student named Jacob (Robert Pattinson) joins a traveling circus during the Great Depression and falls for Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), the show’s star performer. The only problem is that Marlena is married to the circus’s charismatic but cruel owner, August (Christoph Waltz).
With its colorful period setting and a forbidden central romance, Water for Elephants has some key similarities to Titanic. Jacob and Marlena’s secret love affair is the heart of the film, made more poignant by the authentic sense of time and place. It’s an old-fashioned romantic weeper with an epic sweep.
18. Pearl Harbor (2001)
Set against the backdrop of the infamous 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, this Michael Bay film follows two best friends, Rafe (Ben Affleck) and Danny (Josh Hartnett), who both fall in love with the same woman, nurse Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale). Like Titanic, Pearl Harbor blends a sweeping love story with a major historical event, featuring stunning visuals and action sequences.
The love triangle at the center adds complexity to the romance, as Evelyn must choose between the two men while they navigate the perils of war. While it may not have reached the same critical acclaim as Titanic, Pearl Harbor offers similar themes of love, sacrifice, and survival amidst tragedy.
19. Australia (2008)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, Australia is an epic romantic adventure set in northern Australia before World War II. Nicole Kidman stars as an English aristocrat who inherits a cattle station, and Hugh Jackman plays a rough-hewn cattle drover. Together, they must drive 2,000 head of cattle across hundreds of miles of harsh terrain, falling in love along the way.
Like Titanic, Australia features a romance between people from different social classes, set against a sweeping historical backdrop. The film’s lush cinematography and grand scale evoke the epic feel of Titanic, while also exploring themes of identity and belonging.
20. Out of Africa (1985)
Meryl Streep stars as Karen Blixen, a Danish baroness who moves to Kenya to run a coffee plantation in the early 20th century. There, she falls in love with a free-spirited big-game hunter played by Robert Redford. Based on Blixen’s memoir, the film explores themes of love, loss, and finding one’s place in the world.
Like Titanic, Out of Africa features a romance that defies societal expectations, set against a stunning backdrop. The film’s sweeping cinematography of the African landscape rivals Titanic‘s shots of the open ocean. Its bittersweet ending and exploration of memory and storytelling also echo themes in Titanic.
These 20 films offer viewers the grand scale, passionate romances, and historical settings that made Titanic such a beloved classic. Whether set on the battlefields of World War II, in colonial Africa, or in pre-war Australia, each of these movies captures the epic scope and emotional depth that fans of Titanic are sure to appreciate.
