20 romantic movies that will absolutely break your heart

Published Dec 21, 2024 06:01 ET

The Notebook (2004) | Image Source: New Line Cinema — The Notebook (2004) | Image via New Line Cinema

12. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) | Image via Annapurna Pictures

Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk is based on James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name. The film is a tragic love story centered on youth, and is set against a backdrop of racial injustice. When Fonny is wrongly incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit, the bond between him and Tish is put to test. The tragic portrayal of their plight in the film highlights systemic oppression. Fonny and Tish share a pure relationship but the world keeps coming in the way of their love. If Beale Street Could Talk is one of those stories where love suffers loss at the hands of racism, which makes the film emotional and timely.