Channing Tatum’s 7 Romance Movies, Ranked

Over the past two decades, Channing Tatum has cemented his status as a bona fide movie star, in no small part thanks to a string of successful romance movies. Over the course of his career, the 43-year-old actor has dabbled in a number of genres. However, while hits like 21 Jump Street, White House Down, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra established his action and comedy credentials, it is in romance movies where Tatum has arguably had the biggest impact.

Since 2005, Tatum has starred in no less than seven romance movies. This impressive resumé does not include minor cameo appearances in features like Don Jon, nor films where romance is not the main focus (such as the first two Magic Mike movies and Jupiter Ascending). Nonetheless, even without including these projects, Tatum’s romance movie pedigree makes him a staple in the genre. That said, not all of Channing Tatum’s romance movies have been enjoyed by audiences and critics. As a result, it’s easy to establish a clear hierarchy among the movies released to date.

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7 Dear John (2010)

Directed by Lasse Hallström

Part of a swathe of 21st-century movies based on books by author Nicholas Sparks, Dear John is a smorgasbord of romantic clichés. Tatum plays John Tyree – a soldier who strikes up a romantic relationship with Amanda Seyfried’s Savannah. As he is deployed overseas, the pair exchange a series of letters in a desperate effort to keep the relationship afloat. Like many of the lesser efforts in Sparks’ oeuvre, Dear John was criticized for its derivative storytelling and unsophisticated attempts to make audiences cry. While both Tatum and Seyfried were nominated for acting awards, the movie itself fell short.

6 Step Up (2006)

Directed by Anne Fletcher

Among Channing Tatum’s greatest strengths are his attributes as a physical performer. These are on full display in Step Up, a 2006 hit that awkwardly blends high school romance with dancing. While classics like Dirty Dancing and Silver Linings Playbook have proved that dance and romance are natural bedfellows, Set Up demonstrates that the two genres can – in the wrong hands – also make for awkward partners. The movie’s plot came under critical fire for its lack of substance – demonstrated by Step Up‘s 21% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Nevertheless, the film was a commercial hit and features some undeniably impressive dance sequences.

5 The Vow (2012)

Directed by Michael Sucsy

With an impressive supporting cast, charismatic leads, and a huge box office haul, The Vow has many of the components that go into making a rom-com classic. Unfortunately, what the movie boasts in terms of numbers and big names, it severely lacks in original storytelling. Despite being loosely based on a true story, critics felt that The Vow brought little new to a saturated genre – despite its clear resonance with audiences. The film made an impressive $196 million against a $30 million budget, and praise was directed at both Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams for their performances. Their best efforts, however, were not enough to save The Vow from mediocrity.

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4 Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2023)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Magic Mike’s Last Dance

R

Release Date

February 10, 2023

Director

Steven Soderbergh

Cast

Channing Tatum , Caitlin Gerard , Salma Hayek Pinault

Runtime

110 minutes

Although all the Magic Mike movies contain romantic elements, Magic Mike’s Last Dance is the first to put the story’s main romance front and center. Much like Step Up, the movie is propelled by Channing Tatum’s impressive physical performance, with Magic Mike’s Last Dance drawing on the actor’s real experiences as a male stripper. However, unlike the first two installments in the series, Magic Mike’s Last Dance received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics – with many highlighting the movie’s love story as a turn-off. Nonetheless, Tatum still impresses as Mike Lane, and the movie itself is more entertaining than many of the actor’s other romance movies.

3 She’s The Man (2006)

Directed by Andy Fickman

Following in the footsteps of modern Shakespearean adaptations like 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s The Man uses the classic play Twelfth Night as its inspiration. While the soccer-centric storyline lacked much of the subtlety of the earlier Heath Ledger vehicle, the movie is still fondly remembered by many and regarded as something of a cult hit. Particular praise was reserved for Amanda Bybes as Viola Hastings, who made her character a believable and charismatic lead amongst the heightened slapstick comedy on screen. It may have received mixed contemporary reviews, but Tatum’s earliest romantic movie is also one of his best.

2 10 Years (2011)

Directed by Jamie Linden

Unlike many other Channing Tatum romance movies, 10 Years enjoyed relative critical success with little to no financial recognition. Despite scoring a steady 60% “Positive” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the school reunion-themed romantic comedy made just over $987,000. This is even more surprising, considering the array of talent involved. Set over the course of a single evening, 10 Years features Tatum and his then-wife Jenna Dewan as part of a large ensemble comedy cast including Oscar Isaac, Aubrey Plaza, Justin Long, and Chris Pratt. However, while many of these names have become box office draws in their own right, 10 Years proved that their time had not yet come.

1 The Lost City (2022)

Directed by Aaron and Adam Nee

The Lost City

PG-13

Release Date

March 25, 2022

Director

Adam Nee , Aaron Nee

Cast

Sandra Bullock , Channing Tatum , Brad Pitt , Danielle Radcliffe , Patti Harrison , Da’Vine Joy Randolph

Runtime

112 Minutes

In many ways, The Lost City is the ultimate proof that Channing Tatum’s best romance movies actually involve incorporating other genres. Although the film is centered around Sandra Bullock’s romance novelist Loretta and relies heavily on the chemistry between her and Tatum’s dimwitted hero Alan, it’s only by combining the romantic elements with action and laugh-out-loud comedy that The Lost City elevates itself to new heights. With an impressive 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Lost City ranks among Channing Tatum‘s best movies in any genre. Its romance may be tempered by other elements, but the film remains a great romance movie.