Netflix keeps its library fresh by continually rotating the selection of movies on offer, and the subject of unrequited love remains constantly popular. The unrequited love movies on Netflix aren’t just about romantic feelings that aren’t reciprocated. Often, love is one-sided because it isn’t openly acknowledged or labeled as such. This often makes for a very entertaining movie because conflict is the very essence of drama and romance stories. Though these kinds of stories aren’t fun for the characters, they are often some of the most touching for viewers to enjoy.
Whether it’s a love triangle, a lover who can’t let go of their ex, or a star-crossed love story, tragic or rocky love stories are one of the most widely viewed sub-genres. Netflix is a one-stop-shop for many of the most popular unrequited love stories, but also some of the more artistic, lesser-known ones. Many romantic comedies and other romantic movies miss the mark, but these are some of the best in this niche according to critics on Rotten Tomatoes. While viewers’ opinions often differ from critics, these unrequited love movies on Netflix can still be considered objectively as some of the best of their kind.
Closer (2004) – 68%
Natalie Portman delivered a tour-de-force in the Mike Nichols movie Closer, an unrequited love movie on Netflix about four people who live in a web of lies and deceit. Portman is Alice, an American stripper who moved to London and met Jude Law’s Dan. After the two dates for a year, Dan grows bored and begins to approach a photographer (Julia Roberts) while Anna meets Larry (Clive Owen). However, between these four people, the only thing honest about their relationships is sexual and very little is about any of them actually loving each other.
Les Misérables (2012) – 70%
The 2012 musical adaptation of Les Misérables isn’t the most critically acclaimed unrequited love movie on Netflix, but it remains popular among moviegoers with an audience score 10 percent higher than critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The main plot follows Jean Valjean’s release from prison and his quest to begin a new life. Jean Valjean’s daughter Cosette is the subject of admiration for Marius, a rebel and the son of a nobleman. He, in turn, is the subject of strong affection from Eponine, a street urchin. So strong are her feelings that she sings a lamenting ballad of her unrequited love.
The DUFF (2015) – 73%
Released in 2015, The DUFF is an unrequited love movie on Netflix about a girl designated in high school as The Duff, the Designated Fat Friend. Mae Whitman stars as Bianca, the girl in question, who rekindles a friendship with a childhood friend who is now a popular football player (Robbie Amell). She promises to help him pass his science class if he helps her change her social status and get a date with the guy she likes. However, she soon learns that Wesley might be the one for her, although he has his eyes on someone else.
Pieces Of A Woman (2020) – 75%
Pieces of a Woman was one of the most difficult-to-watch unrequited love movies on Netflix released in 2020. The movie starred Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf as a couple who undergo a tragedy when their baby dies immediately after her birth. However, when the couple has different ways of dealing with the baby’s death, it causes their marriage to fall apart. Kirby picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as the mother in mourning. While the talk went around the birth scene, the unrequited love was heartbreaking.
The Good Nurse (2022) – 76%
The Good Nurse was an original unrequited love movie on Netflix starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne. In the movie, Chastain is a single mother who works as a nurse in an ICU at a local hospital. Redmayne is a new experienced nurse that joins the hospital and grows close with her. However, as his feelings for her grow, she starts to grow concerned about the recent rash of deaths at the hospital. The Good Nurse is based on the true story of a nurse killing patients, and Chastain’s Amy has to remain close to the killer even as she tries to find a way to reveal the truth to law enforcement officials.
The Breaker Upperers (2018) – 87%
Cynical after their past breakups, best friends Jen and Mel establish an agency designed to break couples up in unsuspecting ways. However, their hilariously over-the-top schemes are more of a reflection of their own personal problems and histories. While not one of the more well-known unrequited love movies on Netflix, critics loved the New Zealand romantic comedy, certifying it fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, although the audience score was not quite as impressive.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) – 88%
Ang Lee directed the Neo-western unrequited love movie on Netflix, Brokeback Mountain. Starring the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, the movie tells the story of two sheepherders who fall in love but find that life won’t let them ever be together. Brokeback Mountain is an emotionally brutal love story that spans 20 years and shows how the two repress their feelings for each other outside rare instances of passion and love. This is a hard movie to watch and there are no happy endings for these men, but Brokeback Mountain was a turning point for queer cinema for mainstream audiences.
Marriage Story (2019) – 94%
Marriage Story chronicles a drawn-out divorce process. The title seems incongruous, but even during the tedious and painful separation, this married couple spends a lot of time reflecting on their happier moments. Charlie and Nicole share a young son together, who is also deeply affected by his parents’ struggles. This unrequited love movie on Netflix was a personal one for director Noah Baumbach, who made the movie shortly following his divorce from Jennifer Jason Leigh. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, Marriage Story picked up six Oscar nominations.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) – 96%
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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before employs many familiar coming-of-age and romantic comedy tropes, but with a refreshing twist. Lara Jean is a high school student who wrote (but didn’t send) letters to boys she’s had crushes on. One of these boys received Lara Jean’s old letter when her younger sister mails them out in a moment of spite. Peter wants to use Lara Jean to make his ex jealous, but she still has feelings for him. The plot itself isn’t entirely original, but the film’s tone is. The colorful cinematography and production design make this trilogy a delightful treat.
The Half Of It (2020) – 97%
Another hit Netflix original film, The Half Of It explores the idea of human souls and their other halves. Ellie Chu, an intelligent high school senior, isn’t sure what she believes about love until jock Paul Munsky asks for her help in writing a love letter. The subject of his affection is Aster Flores, one of the most popular – and thus, most desired – girls in school. What Paul doesn’t realize is that Ellie herself has feelings for Aster. This unrequited love movie on Netflix is smart, tender, and funny, standing above the rest.
