If you loved Woody Allen’s dreamy romantic comedy-drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona, chances are you have a taste for films that transport you to beautiful locales, explore complicated relationships, and feature charming, neurotic characters grappling with life’s big questions. Allen’s 2008 film, set against the lush backdrop of Barcelona, follows two young American women (played by Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall) who become entangled with a passionate Spanish artist (Javier Bardem) and his tempestuous ex-wife (Penélope Cruz in an Oscar-winning role).
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is quintessential Woody Allen, full of witty dialogue, romantic entanglements, and musings on love and the meaning of life. For those craving more movies in the same vein, here are 15 films that capture a similar spirit and style:
1. Midnight in Paris (2011)
Another Woody Allen gem, Midnight in Paris stars Owen Wilson as a nostalgic screenwriter who finds himself magically transported to 1920s Paris each night, where he hobnobs with legendary figures like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Salvador Dalí. Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it’s a love letter to a European city and an exploration of romantic and artistic fantasies. With its lush cinematography, iconic locations, and literate script, Midnight in Paris is Allen at his most charming and wistful.
2. Before Sunrise (1995)
Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise shares Vicky Cristina Barcelona‘s dreamy, talky vibe and its focus on a brief but meaningful romantic encounter in a European city. American tourist Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and French student Céline (Julie Delpy) meet on a train and spend one magical night together wandering around Vienna, talking about life, love, and everything in between. Their conversations are naturalistic and meandering, touching on big ideas and small moments. It’s a swoon-worthy romance that feels both grand and intimate.
3. Stealing Beauty (1996)
Bernardo Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty stars a young Liv Tyler as Lucy, an American teenager who travels to Tuscany after her mother’s suicide. Against a backdrop of rolling hills and golden sunlight, she finds herself entangled with a group of bohemian expats and drawn to an older man (Jeremy Irons). Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it’s a sensual coming-of-age story set in an intoxicating European locale. Tyler is luminous, and the film perfectly captures the ache and ecstasy of a girl on the cusp of womanhood.
4. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Based on Frances Mayes’ bestselling memoir, Under the Tuscan Sun follows a recently divorced American writer (Diane Lane) who impulsively buys a crumbling villa in Tuscany. As she renovates the house and starts a new life, she finds unexpected romance and friendship. Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it’s a wish-fulfillment fantasy about escaping to Europe to find yourself. With its sun-dappled scenery, mouthwatering food porn, and Lane’s utterly winning performance, Under the Tuscan Sun is the cinematic equivalent of a really good beach read.
5. A Room with a View (1985)
Merchant-Ivory’s lush adaptation of E.M. Forster’s novel A Room with a View shares Vicky Cristina Barcelona‘s romantic European setting and its focus on a young woman’s sexual and emotional awakening. Set in Florence and England at the turn of the 20th century, it stars Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy Honeychurch, a proper Englishwoman who falls for a free-spirited bohemian (Julian Sands). With its gorgeous period costumes and sets, swelling Puccini score, and simmering chemistry between the leads, A Room with a View is one of the all-time great literary love stories.
6. Sideways (2004)
Alexander Payne’s Sideways trades Barcelona for California wine country, but it shares Vicky Cristina Barcelona‘s focus on a pair of friends on a life-changing trip. Failed novelist Miles (Paul Giamatti) and washed-up actor Jack (Thomas Haden Church) embark on a weeklong bachelor party road trip full of wine-tasting, romantic misadventures, and male bonding. It’s a hilarious and poignant look at mid-life malaise, and the California scenery is as intoxicating as the pinot noir the characters keep sipping.
7. Lost in Translation (2003)
Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation is another tale of two Americans adrift in a foreign city. Bill Murray plays a washed-up movie star and Scarlett Johansson a neglected young wife who forge an unlikely bond after meeting in a Tokyo hotel. Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it’s a mood piece that’s more about small moments and meaningful glances than plot. And like that film, it uses its travelogue setting to explore deeper themes about loneliness, connection, and finding yourself in an unfamiliar place.
8. The Dreamers (2003)
Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers is a more provocative European romance, set against the backdrop of the 1968 Paris student riots. American exchange student Matthew (Michael Pitt) befriends French twins Théo and Isabelle (Louis Garrel and Eva Green), who introduce him to a heady world of movies, sex, and radical politics. It’s a lush, sensual film that’s steeped in movie love and the intoxicating energy of youth. Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it captures the headiness of falling in love in a foreign city.
9. Amélie (2001)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s whimsical French comedy Amélie shares Vicky Cristina Barcelona‘s romantic vision of a European city. Audrey Tautou stars as the title character, a shy Parisian waitress who secretly performs good deeds for the people around her while struggling to find love herself. With its candy-colored cinematography, quirky characters, and swooning Yann Tiersen score, Amélie is a delightful ode to the City of Light and the power of imagination.
10. Eat Pray Love (2010)
Based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoir, Eat Pray Love stars Julia Roberts as a newly divorced writer who sets off on a year-long trip to Italy, India, and Indonesia in search of pleasure, devotion, and balance. Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it’s a travelogue romance about a woman’s journey of self-discovery. Roberts is utterly winning, and the film’s mouthwatering food scenes and stunning locations are almost as satisfying as the emotional catharsis.
11. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Luca Guadagnino’s swoon-worthy gay romance Call Me By Your Name shares Vicky Cristina Barcelona‘s sumptuous European setting and its exploration of a brief but passionate affair. Set in 1980s Italy, it follows the relationship between 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and his father’s 24-year-old American assistant Oliver (Armie Hammer). With its sun-drenched Italian landscapes, aching performances, and poignant depiction of first love, Call Me By Your Name is a sensory feast and an instant queer classic.
12. The Before Trilogy (1995-2013)
Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy, which began with Before Sunrise and continued with 2004’s Before Sunset and 2013’s Before Midnight, is the ultimate cinematic depiction of a relationship unfolding over time. Each film catches up with Jesse and Céline (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) at a different stage of their lives, from their first meeting to the complications of marriage and parenthood. Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the trilogy is talky and intimate, full of meandering conversations and moments of emotional revelation. It’s a stunningly authentic portrait of an evolving relationship.
13. To Rome With Love (2012)
Woody Allen followed up Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris with another European city-based comedy, To Rome With Love. The film interweaves four separate stories, all set in the Eternal City: an American architect (Alec Baldwin) reliving his youth; an average Roman (Roberto Benigni) who becomes an overnight celebrity; a young couple (Jesse Eisenberg and Greta Gerwig) drawn into a web of romantic temptation; and an American opera director (Allen himself) who discovers an unlikely talent. It’s a slighter, sillier film than Allen’s best work, but it still has plenty of his trademark wit and some charming performances.
14. Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
Alfonso Cuarón’s Y Tu Mamá También is a sexy and bittersweet Mexican road movie about two teenage boys (Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna) who embark on a trip to the beach with an alluring older woman (Maribel Verdú). Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it’s a coming-of-age story that’s frank about sex and full of sun-kissed scenery. But it’s also a sly political commentary on class, corruption, and Mexico’s changing landscape. With its dynamic camerawork, naturalistic performances, and poignant ending, Y Tu Mamá También is a small masterpiece.
15. Certified Copy (2010)
Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy is a playful and enigmatic romance set in Tuscany. Juliette Binoche stars as a French antiques dealer who meets a British writer (William Shimell) and spends a day with him that may or may not be a charade. As they wander through the streets and museums of Arezzo, their relationship shifts and blurs in ways that challenge our perceptions of reality and fiction. Like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it’s a talky, cerebral film that’s more interested in ideas than plot. But it’s also deeply romantic, with Binoche giving one of her most radiant performances.
These 15 films all share elements with Vicky Cristina Barcelona—lush European settings, complicated relationships, characters searching for meaning—but each puts its own unique spin on those themes. From the dreamy nostalgia of Midnight in Paris to the sensual coming-of-age story of Stealing Beauty to the bittersweet road movie Y Tu Mamá También, these movies offer a range of tones and styles while still capturing the romantic, philosophical spirit of Allen’s film.
Whether you’re in the mood for a witty comedy, a poignant drama, or a steamy romance, there’s something on this list to satisfy your Vicky Cristina Barcelona craving. So pour yourself a glass of wine, put on your most stylish outfit, and get ready to be transported to the sun-dappled streets and breathtaking vistas of Europe—if only for a couple of hours. These films may not solve life’s big questions, but they’ll make the search a whole lot more pleasant.
