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Best Rom-Coms with Time Travel, Ranked

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The concept of time travel has captivated audiences since its emergence into the mainstream. The Idea that one can move between time and space has been a popular plot line in both fantasy and sci-fi alike. These films are often paired with the notion that disturbing any point of the past will greatly impact the future. Yet, what happens to time travel when it enters rom-com territory?

Science fiction TV shows like The Twilight Zone and major blockbusters like Back to the Future have shown the risks of time travel for the world at large. However, time travel in rom-coms is almost entirely about the impact of true love. Like a sci-fi storyline, any event can greatly impact the main character’s future. However, in these plots, the beloved couple either never meets or splits before the ending credits. Here are the best rom-coms that depict time travel.

Related: These Are the Best Meet-Cute Moments in Rom-Com History

5 Midnight in Paris

2011's Midnight in Paris featured Owen Wilson as Gil Pender, an aspiring writer who is in Paris for holiday with his fiancée (Rachel McAdams). Gil tours the city at night and comes across a group of people who deeply resemble the great artists and writers of the past. He is invited out with them and allegedly transported to the past as he visits all the greats' favorite spots. The more time that Gil spends venturing Paris with his beloved heroes in the past, the more displeased he is with his present day life and begins to long for the times of old. Midnight in Paris explores the complexities of time travel while introducing the all too familiar notion of nostalgia. The romance has a few comedic beats, but the melancholy tone of the overall longing that the film displays, makes the idea of time travel all the more appealing.

4 About Time

On the day of his 21st birthday a young man named Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson, is told by his father that the men in his family can travel in time. Although it is seemingly unfair to the women in the family, About Time focuses on the relationship between Tom and his father, played by Bill Nighy. Tim learns that he can't change the past to reflect on the present, but he can in fact use his future knowledge to change how he reacts in past circumstances. The romance between Tim and the woman he swoons via time travel, Mary, played by Rachel McAdams , offers a delightful commentary on the presence of love across time and space. However, underneath the romance and light comedic beats, the film harkens on a sadness that exists across all realities. Tim learns that his father is going to die, so he travels back in time to have a conversation with hm, but soon realizes that he can't spend his life traveling backwards to live forever in the memories with his father. About Time finds its strength in an overall happy love story, with a relatively sad undertone.

3 13 Going on 30

13 Going on 30 is not only one of Jennifer Garner's best films, but one of the best rom-coms of the 2000s, per AV Club. Like most teens, Jenna, played by Christa B. Allen, thinks everything will be different for her when she is older and in her 30s. After her birthday is ruined, using some of the glitter from a doll house her best guy friend, Matt, makes for her, she wishes to be one of the cool girls in school, and to be 30 years old. Jenna, now played by Jennifer Garner, wakes up and realizes that her wish came true. She has traveled through time and is now 30, working for her favorite magazine. 13 Going on 30 offers a lot of laughs, and a satisfying ending despite a few bumps in the road. The movie's use of time travel serves as the classic lesson to be careful what you wish for, as your wish may not be everything you ever dreamed it would be.

Related: Here's What Makes 13 Going on 30 One of the Best Rom-Coms of All Time

​​​​​​​ Click , the 2006 genre jumping movie, serves up some of Adam Sandler's classic comedy, but some deal of sadness. Sandler plays a man named Michael Newman, who desperately wants to skip ahead to his big promotion. Michael can't seem to find the time, and is greeted by a mysterious man named Morty, who is played by Christopher Walken, who gives him a remote that will allow him to fast-forward, rewind, pause, or mute his entire life. This all seems great at first, until the remote begins to ceaselessly fast-forward through time. In his old age, Michael ends up alone, his wife having left him and his kids practically being strangers. For a brief moment, he dies in the rain, wishing he could go back, all before waking up in the Bed Bath and Beyond he originated in. To Michael, his time traveling device was a dream, but the lesson still remains.

1 When We First Met

Noah, played by Adam DeVine, has been in love with his best friend for years. Thinking that he can alter the night they met in order to win her affections, Noah visits a photo booth that allows him to travel through time and alter the night over and over again. Each circumstance that he alters ends up different, and there is even a timeline where he ends up not meeting her at all. After many attempts and failures, Noah realizes that it is better to remain her friend, as fate intended for the pair to be initually. When We First Met is an easy watch as far as rom-coms go, and the added bits of time travel allow for a much more interesting premise.

• Movie Lists

10 Romantic Time Travel Movies to Binge Watch: I’ll Love You to the End of Time

These are some of the best time travel romance movies!

Time travel as a genre is always fascinating in any medium, whether a book, movie, TV show or comic. The possibility of meeting anyone in existence, going to places long forgotten, and uncovering secrets of well-loved icons of the past and maybe even the future gives a special allure to time travel romance movies.

The fantastical direction this genre takes adds elements of magic, naivete, and touches of illusion, appealing to older and younger viewers alike. Add into this the sprinkle of romance, and you have me hooked.

If I get the chance to watch Shakespeare wooing a girl from the 21st century using poems that have become cult classics, I’m grabbing the popcorn and switching my phone off.

RELATED: 80 OF THE BEST ENTERTAINING TIME TRAVEL TV SHOWS YOU NEED TO WATCH

Like most people, I grew up watching time travel movies. Consequently, they have become my favorites. For example, we can all appreciate Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure or watching Hermione travel back in time to see herself punch Draco in the face. (Not only a win for Harry Potter fans but for girls all around.)

Meanwhile, Doctor Who (2005) is my first exposure to real romance and time travel. With the Doctor’s companions all falling for him, he initially only falls for Rose (Nine and Ten).

RELATED: 7 FUN AND ROMANTIC TIME TRAVEL ASIAN DRAMAS

As a result, it had millions of us hoping he would appear in our living rooms, ready to take us on our own adventure. Since then, there was no going back. There are just so many romantic time travel movies calling out to be binged.

Here is a list of my personal favorite romantic time travel movies that have thus far survived the test of time. However, I will admit this list is not exhaustive (limiting the films to 10 was difficult).

10 ROMANTIC TIME TRAVEL MOVIES TO BINGE WATCH

(In No Particular Order)

#1: ABOUT TIME (2013)

Without a doubt, this is a humorous and engaging retelling of a classic boy trying to win over a girl story. Tim wishes to change his life and get a girlfriend. With this intention, enter Mary.

Tom falls for her and is relentless and tenacious in his pursuit, all thanks to a family secret. The men in his family can travel through time! What a secret to have, and at 21, your options are endless.

About Time beautifully captures the fun-loving side of romance. And, as viewers, we see the benefits of having such a gift and just how painful the gift can be.

For this reason, we see the love between a man and woman and the close relationship between Tim and his father, played by the talented Bill Nighy . Have tissues ready, as poignant scenes will get you teary-eyed.

Content Note: This film is rated 12A in the UK for mild profanity, nudity, violence, and moderate love scenes. For the same reason, About Time is a mild rated R in the United States.

#2: THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE (2009)

This falls quite high on my list of must-watch romance films in general as it has sweeping romance and not to mention swoon-worthy Eric Bana as the protagonist. The film beautifully interweaves through different phases of time, keeping the viewer enthralled.

It follows the life of Clare (Rachel McAdams) and how she meets Henry (Eric Bana), or rather how he encounters her. Clare and Henry ‘meet’ in a library. Soon, they both know what Henry is and what he can do, which is being involuntarily thrown through time, forwards or backward.

The movie’s most interesting aspect is that, despite Henry being the traveler, Clare knows more about him. She’s even aware of their relationship during their ‘first meeting’.

You can assume this is not their first meeting without giving too much away. The story follows them through their life together, how his continued absence becomes a toll on Clare, and over time, it delves into the life of living with a time traveler.

Could you live with someone who knows your future? They will know exactly where your life together could end up. Instead of going for the fated lovers’ angle, this looks at how fate may have brought them together, but should they have walked away?

Content Note: This film is rated 12A in the UK for mild sensuality, nudity, and profanity. In the US, the film is rated PG-13.

#3: SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980)

If you prefer sweet innocent love stories with classic romance, Somewhere in Time will be perfect for you.

Set in 1972, Christopher Reeve stars as student Richard Collier who travels to Mackinac Island to stay at the Grand Hotel, where he sees a portrait of a woman who he becomes enamored with.

He finds out she was a famous stage actress who has passed away. In this obsession with the picture, he finds a way to go back in time to meet her.

Using methods of self-hypnosis, he is able to get back to 1900 and meet Elise McKenna, but what fate is in store for two people with such a big ‘time’ difference? Get ready to fall in love with the characters, cinematography, music, and love stories all over again.

Fun tidbit: Somewhere in Time was nominated for an Oscar for best costume design.

Content Note : This film is rated PG for mild profanity and sensuality.

#4: THE LAKE HOUSE (2006) AND IL MARE (2002)

The Lake House is a somber story, showing love with a facet of yearning, similar to Somewhere in Time . Both have protagonists who are trapped in different times.

Kate Forrester (Sandra Bullock) moves to a new house, leaving behind a letter for the next tenant. The person who reads the letter, Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves), realizes some unusual things are happening.

Events mentioned in the letter have yet to occur. They come to the realization that they are exactly two years apart, writing from different times.

This charming movie weaves a beautiful story that will appeal to anyone in a long-distance relationship. You will be able to relate to the dates they attempt to go on and how they try and share experiences with each other.

It will make you appreciate that you are at least a phone call away. The ending of the movie will have you on the edge of your seats, and the revelations revealed will make you want to believe in fate and kismet take your pick.

Special mention to the original movie Il Mare (2002), a Korean production and equally a must-watch if you don’t mind subtitles.

Content Note: This film is rated PG with mild profanity, alcohol, and drugs.

#5: BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III (1990)

If you are not familiar with this series, what are you doing? Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and the iconic DeLorean made a generation of kids dream about hoverboards and Nike trainers.

This is the third installment of the series, giving more focus to the ‘Doc’ Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd).

Set against the backdrop of the 1885 old west (and true to the name), we get standoffs, brawls, and romance. Meanwhile, Marty travels to 1885 and is stuck because his car breaks down.

Of course, he has a run-in with ‘Mad Dog’ Biff Tannen and his unruly gang. (Trying to send Marty back with their limited resources makes you appreciate a lot of amenities we take for granted.)

In this process, Emmett meets a school teacher, Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), who is a science geek just like him, and soon a romance blossoms.

It is surreal and sweet to see Doc so enamored and unable to figure out how to act. Furthermore, the romance breathes new life into his character and shows an angle we never thought we needed.

In the climax of the movie, there is a race against time to get the DeLorean fixed and Marty back to the present day. Ultimately, even as a sequel, Back to the Future Part III is brilliant.

Content Note: This film is rated PG with moderate profanity, mild sensuality, nudity, and violence.

#6: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011)

‘ You’re in love with a fantasy.’ ‘I’m in love with you.’

Woody Allen does it again, giving us a spellbinding movie with sophisticated and witty characters. He portrays Paris in a way that will make you want to go there and explore.

Winner of an Oscar, Midnight in Paris follows Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams) on vacation in Paris, where he wishes to move after they marry.

However, his wife-to-be doesn’t see the magic of the city, hoping to settle in America instead. In the meantime, Gil struggles to write his first novel and takes a strange late-night stroll through Paris, getting an invite to a party that includes guests such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Gertrude, and many others who frequented the famous salon of Stein.

It is up to the audience to decide if this is time travel or just the fantasy of a desperate writer who is in love with the golden era of the ’20s. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie because it gave a glimpse of how some of my favorite writers would interact.

This is what other genres cannot do, transport and introduce characters and figures who we would love to meet. This charming film will have you falling in love with the characters and the dialogue.

The superb acting by Wilson portrays an awe-struck, enthusiastic writer who meets his heroes. There is no real story to follow, but rather more events that unfold and how the characters react to them. But life is like this sometimes: we don’t know where things are going until later on.

Content Note: This film is rated 12A  in the UK and PG-13 in the U.S. for mild profanity, sensuality, and nudity.

#7: 13 GOING ON 30 (2004)

13 Going on 30 is a reverse-coming-of-age time travel romantic comedy. Jenna (Jennifer Garner) makes a wish on her thirteenth birthday, wanting to be older after going through an embarrassing ordeal.

Jenna wishes to make her older, and it is fulfilled magically. She wakes up the next day to find she is weeks from her thirtieth birthday, has a dream job as a magazine editor, a car, and a very attractive boyfriend.

Everything that anyone could want, but she is still not happy, which pushes the story toward what she truly desires.

This approach is always fun to watch, including hilarious scenes where the protagonist tries to understand the new circumstances and her new body. I admit it’s nothing new in terms of what we can expect, but Garner portrays the character’s innocence and naivete so well.

We see beautiful shots of New York City, which will make you want to book your flight and get over there. However, the surprise in this movie is Mark Ruffalo, who plays Matt, the high school best friend.

Seeing him in this role will be new and a fresh take for fans of the Marvel world. One of the best moments in the movie is the Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ dance which will leave you astounded and get you on your feet.

Content Note: This film is rated 12A in the UK and PG-13 in the U.S. for mild profanity and suggestive content.

#8: WINTER’S TALE (2014)

Winter’s Tale is set in 1895 on the streets of New York and is based on the novel of the same name. Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) is a seasoned thief who enters the home of Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay). Beverly catches him in the act.

They both fall in love, and she tells Peter a story about how everyone is born with a miracle inside them. This is the theme for the whole movie so keep this in mind while watching.

The movie boasts a lot of big stars: Russell Crowe, Will Smith, and William Hurt, who all play fantastical characters brilliantly. The story jumps to modern times showing us Peter again. But he has amnesia, setting the story for the rest of the movie. The search for his memories and lost story.

Romance like this is always beautiful to watch, even though the audience and characters know it will not be the happy ending we all hope for.

Fans of Downton Abbey will recognize Findlay as Lady Sybil Crawley, carrying off the character of Beverly competently, with a timeless beauty that is only enhanced because we know the fate of the character.

Farrell is exquisite as always, playing his role as an Irish thief so convincingly. There are many twists and turns to keep you entertained during the second half, which is worth the effort.

Content Note: This film is rated 12A in the UK and PG-13 in the U.S. for violence and sensuality.

#9: IF ONLY (2004)

If Only uses the winning formula that led Groundhog Day (1993) to success, where the day is on repeat. We have Samantha (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ian (Paul Nichols), who are a typical couple, showing the relationship and fights.

Tragedy strikes when Samantha has a car accident leaving a heartbroken and grief-stricken Ian. But fate gives him another chance to back in time to try and change events. He lives the same day again and, like any sensible hero, tries to alter the events leading up to her accident.

It’s a sweet story showing the importance of cherishing the people close to you. The film further makes you wonder about how you would react in this situation. Would you be able to change anything?

The story moves at a good pace, keeping audiences on edge as to whether Ian will succeed. Very beautiful moments occur between the two as Ian knows what will come.

He tries his hardest to make everything perfect (and take notes, guys – ahem, ahem). Tissues may be needed; you have been warned.

Content Note: This film is rated PG-13 for some sensual material.

#10: KATE & LEOPOLD (2001)

‘I’m not very good with men.’ ‘ Perhaps you haven’t found the right one.’

This time travel romance movie captures everyone’s heart because Leopold (Hugh Jackman) comes from 1876 and has a romantic, classic approach to love.

He has purity dripping from every glance and every word he speaks. It would make any girl fall head over heels for the chivalrous Leopold.

So, what chance does Kate (Meg Ryan) have? Leopold needs to marry someone for wealth, with a dwindling purse and big dreams to pursue. He enters a portal transporting him to modern times. This blows him away to see the sights and progress.

He meets Kate, a market researcher who is cynical but ambitious. They get close but inevitable differences arise, and he returns back to his time.

Kate & Leopold also provides well-written comedic scenes with Kate’s brother, an actor assuming Leopold is deep in character. For fans of epic romantic movies from the ’90s, this 2001 film is equally awesome. Plus, any fan of Jackman will enjoy seeing him in this swoony role.

Content Note: Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Did you find one of your favorite movies about time travel and love? If you had the chance to have one of these romances, which one would it be?

Top Photo Credit: Somewhere in Time (Universal Pictures)

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Book lover – reader and writer. Being a bookworm from an early age introduced me to all wonderful worlds, travelling from Narnia to Hogwarts. This became my hobby and passion leading me to pursue avenues where I can write not just for my enjoyment but also to progress my career. Some of my current obsessions include K-dramas, all things period - any BBC original adaptation. I am currently reading Dan Brown's new novel as well as "All men are Mortal" and re-reading "North and South" because you can never read enough about Mr.Thornton and Margaret!

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12 thoughts on “10 Romantic Time Travel Movies to Binge Watch: I’ll Love You to the End of Time”

Found some new ones for my list, so thanks! I love Hugh Jackson in Kate and Leopold – he plays it so straight it makes the whole thing so much funnier.

Though I haven’t seen it in a while now, I remember that I liked “Lake House,” and I just started to watch “About Time” last night. It’s nothing like I expected, but so far I quite like it! 🙂

Man, Rachel McAdams is all about that time travel life!

Oh, I hoped I’d find a new romantic time travel movie to add to my watched list, but I’m afraid I’ve already seen them all. Lovely curated list, tho!

A long time ago there lived a scientist who would hardly ever venture outside. His life was a lonely one, with long days of research and experiments. It was his ambition to create a potion to see into the future. He had over years collected hundreds of herbs and combined them in various ways until eventually, he was on the brink of a breakthrough…

Where am I able to find the remainder of this story? One mustn’t dangle a carrot expecting no one to bite! Rachel

All these are lovely —- another good one is “1994 Timecop” with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mia Sara — thriller & romance

I can’t seem to find the movie which was based on a short story “ Christopher Frame “ a photo restorer who time travels ,.falls in love and stays there , tried to lookup but there is no information about it ,I can’t remember the name of the movie or episode either for the love of God ,If anyone knows about it please let me know ,thanks

Another outstanding time travel movie is the 1998 Hallmark Hall of Fame production “The Love Letter”, starring Campbell Scott and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Aired in the late 90s, it’s about an engaged civil war buff who finds hidden letters in an old desk which were written by an unmarried woman in 1863. He is compelled to respond to her and even though he lives in the late 20th century she receives his letters and they begin a correspondence through time. This obviously causes a big problem for his life with his fiance. It’s an excellent movie based on a short story by Jack Finney. Finney is the author of two great time travel novels, Time And Again and From Time to Time.

Hi Everybody, I read through the candidates for best time travel romance, all of which I have seen. I agree with your choices, but not exactly in that order. Although they were all great movies, it is “Somewhere in Time” that takes the number one spot. I was happy to see that at least you gave them the 3rd spot, but, in reality, it was the one movie that expressed so beautifully the concept that love transcends time and in the end, true love brings them together as they slip off into eternity.

There is one more movie to which I would give honorable mention. That is the 1979 movie “Time After Time” where the prolific writer HG Wells pursues Jack the Ripper into the future where Hubert (Malcolm Mcdowell) meets Mary Steenburgen and falls in love. This is another great movie. Thanks, DAD

Hi Dad! I agree with you that Somewhere in Time is the best time-travel romance movie. 🙂 Such a beautiful film!

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The 25 Best Time Travel Movies to Whisk You Away from Reality

Who wouldn't love a time machine right about now?

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Meet Cute (2022)

Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson co-star in Peacock's Meet Cute , a delightful and often dark rom-com based around time travel. Feeling suicidal, Sheila (Cuoco) finds a time machine in a nail salon and decides to go back in time 24 hours. While re-living her first date with Gary (Davidson) again and again, Sheila loses touch with reality and might have destroyed any chance she had with him.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

High schooler Meg Murry travels through time and space in search of her missing astrophysicist father (Chris Pine). On her journey, Meg meets Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), as well as a whole host of dangerous beings.

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Based on Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel of the same name, The Time Traveler's Wife tells the story of Henry (Eric Bana), a librarian who is able to randomly travel through time. After meeting Clare (Rachel McAdams) as a child, Henry later develops a romantic relationship with her. HBO's recent adaptation starring Theo James and Rose Leslie has reignited the debate regarding whether or not the story promotes grooming , or if it's a timeless romance.

Back to the Future (1985)

'80s classic Back to the Future has stood the test of time, and spawned two equally entertaining sequels. In the first film, Marty McFly is sent to the 1950s in his friend Doc Brown's time machine, a super cool DeLorean. Marty meets his parents as teenagers, and his presence risks changing history forever.

See You Yesterday (2019)

Netflix's See You Yesterday follows science prodigy C.J. (Eden Duncan-Smith), who invents time traveling backpacks. Along with her best friend Sebastian, C.J. uses her invention to go back in time to stop her brother from being murdered by a racist police officer. However, she's also forced to face up to the limitations and consequences of time travel.

About Time (2013)

Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) inherits the ability to time travel from his father, and decides to use the gift to find love. After a failed attempt at romance, Tim meets Mary (Rachel McAdams), but due to several time travel-related mishaps, romance isn't instantaneous for the pair. Written and directed by rom-com aficionado Richard Curtis.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

James Cameron's follow-up to 1984's The Terminator was a smash-hit that cemented the franchise's popularity. In the sequel, a killer T-1000 Terminator is sent back in time by Skynet to kill the future leader of the resistance, the son of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), John (Edward Furlong). At the same time, the resistance sends a reprogrammed T-800 Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to protect Connor.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Four miserable friends reunite after one of them nearly dies. To cheer themselves up, they decide to spend some time together at a ski resort. Unfortunately, the resort's hot tub isn't what it seems, and they accidentally end up traveling back to 1986. The four friends scramble to find a way back to present day. Starring John Cusack and Craig Robinson.

12 Monkeys (1995)

After a deadly virus destroys humanity in 1996, survivors are forced underground. Decades later, prisoner James (Bruce Willis) agrees to go back in time to find the original virus, so that scientists can work on a cure. However, he arrives too early in 1990, and is promptly institutionalized, where he meets Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), an anti-corporate environmentalist. From there, the mystery only gets more intriguing.

Looper (2012)

In the future, time travel is used by the mob to assassinate people, who are sent back in time and killed by assassins known as "loopers." Joe's (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) older self (Bruce Willis) is sent back to be eliminated, but manages to escape before he is killed. Thus begins a twisty time travel epic, that also stars Emily Blunt.

Tenet (2020)

The Protagonist ( John David Washington ), a former CIA agent, is tasked with stopping World War III. Learning to bend time, he attempts to prevent the destruction of the world. Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki co-star.

Last Night in Soho (2021)

Aspiring fashion designer Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) manages to travel back to the 1960s, where she meets singer "Sandie" ( Anya Taylor-Joy ). What starts as a glamorous encounter with the past soon becomings a horrifying nightmare. Co-starring Matt Smith.

Déjà Vu (2006)

A top secret organization has developed the ability to see four days into the past, in order to catch criminals. While hunting a terrorist, ATF agent Doug (Denzel Washington) realizes that this new technology might allow him to stop crimes from happening altogether.

Source Code (2011)

An unusual riff on the time travel movie, Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Army Captain Colter, who is trying to identify the person responsible for bombing a commuter train. Re-living an eight minute re-creation of the moments leading up to the explosion, Colter is stuck in a terrifying loop, until he can solve the mystery.

Mirai (2018)

A young boy called Kun runs away from home, as he feels neglected by his family after the arrival of his little sister, Mirai. Kun accidentally discovers a time travel portal in a magic garden, and is transported into the past, where he meets his mother as a child. Later, he travels to the future, where he finds his sister as an adult, and completely changes his outlook in the process.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Aubrey Plaza stars as an aspiring journalist whose latest assignment involves a mysterious classified ad about time travel. "You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED," the ad reads. Mark Duplass co-stars.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Although Groundhog Day is technically a "time loop" movie, it wouldn't feel right to leave it off the list. Phil (Bill Murray) is a disgruntled weatherman sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. When he wakes up the next day, he realizes that he's re-living February 2, which happens again and again, until he figures out how to stop it.

Needle in a Timestack (2021)

The wonderful Cynthia Erivo stars alongside Orlando Bloom, Leslie Odom Jr., and Freida Pinto in this romantic sci-fi flick. In the future, the wealthy are able to partake in "time jaunting," but the ripples from these changes often cause timelines to warp and change. Needle in a Timestack focuses on a happily married couple whose relationship is jeopardized by an ex intent on changing history.

The Lake House (2006)

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves star in this completely cheesy but endlessly loveable rom-com that defies time. Architect Alex (Reeves) and doctor Kate (Bullock) write letters to one another via a mailbox at a lake house where they both live at separate times. Despite the time difference, they're able to communicate with one another and forge a relationship via this magical postal system that transcends time.

Predestination (2015)

Ethan Hawke stars as an agent tasked with stopping a deadly attack before it happens, via time travel. Traveling back to 1975, he attempts to find and stop a bomber in New York, but his mission is far from simple. When he returns to the future, his life only gets more complicated.

Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness , and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.

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Top 10 Best Time-Travel Romance Movies

True love knows no bounds. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Time-Travel Romance Movies. For this list, we’ll be including films that involve time loops. However, both the time travel and the romance have to make up a significant portion of the plot/story. That means films like “The Terminator,” which features a romantic subplot but is first and foremost an action flick, will not be included.

#10: “Kate & Leopold” (2001)

Director James Mangold rarely dips his toes in the romantic comedy genre, but when he does he’s known for delivering endlessly entertaining high-concept flicks. “Kate & Leopold” is no exception, asking audiences to suspend their disbelief for just over two hours in order to appreciate the humor and love shared between the two titular characters. The film is about a 19th century duke who finds himself transported to modern day New York City. There he meets Kate, a market researcher, and the two quickly fall in love. The film doesn’t overplay the time travel aspect of the story, instead choosing to focus on the relationship between the two leads. Hugh Jackman earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance and it’s easy to see why.

#9: “Back to the Future Part III” (1990)

Known more for its depiction of time travel than for its romantic subplots, few could deny that the “Back to the Future” film series has featured a number of iconic romances. In fact, the original film was almost exclusively about Marty trying to make his parents fall in love. In “Back to the Future Part III,” it was Dr. Emmett Brown who found himself pierced by cupid’s arrow, falling for fellow science-lover Clara Clayton after saving her from an untimely demise. While the film is far from a rom-com, the scenes featuring Doc and Clara are undeniably sweet and their relationship brings closure to a part of Doc’s arc we never thought we needed to see.

#8: “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986)

While dated in some areas, “Peggy Sue Got Married” is nonetheless a thoroughly enjoyable film, with big names both on-screen and off. Helmed by legendary director Francis Ford Coppola and starring Kathleen Turner and Nicolas Cage, the film tells the story of a jaded divorcee trying to get over her ex-husband’s infidelities, who is suddenly transported back in time to her senior year of high school. While in the past, she gleans information about her future that she’d previously overlooked and, in the process, manages to forgive her husband’s mistakes. The film is worth revisiting for Turner’s performance alone, which earned her an Oscar nomination.

#7: “Somewhere in Time” (1980)

While time travel romance flicks often lean towards the comedic, there are others that throw themselves wholeheartedly into the melancholic nature of finding the love of your life in the past. One such film is “Somewhere in Time,” starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Reeve plays Richard Collier, a playwright living in 1980 who is bewitched by the portrait of a woman from 1912. Through the power of hypnosis, he travels back in time to be with her, and the two quickly fall in love. The chemistry between Reeve and Seymour is palpable, making the film’s ending all the more emotional.

#6: “The Lake House” (2006)

While critics were quick to judge “The Lake House’s” for its convoluted premise and narrative inconsistencies, others, such as Roger Ebert, were quick to point out that “A time travel story works on emotional, not temporal, logic.” When viewed from that perspective, “The Lake House” is not only one of the best romantic films of the 2000s, but one of the most imaginative time travel flicks as well. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock deliver passionate performances as two lovers living in different times, who manage to communicate through their lake house mailbox. Rooting for two characters to get together despite their difficult circumstances has never been so easy.

#5: “Midnight in Paris” (2011)

“Midnight in Paris” might just be Woody Allen’s most complete film. It’s certainly one of his best written, winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The film centers on screenwriter Gil Pender, who is obsessed with the literary world of the 1920s. During a visit to Paris, he is magically transported to his dream era, where he meets everyone from Ernest Hemingway to Pablo Picasso. He also meets and falls in love with a beautiful muse named Adriana. However, despite the vigor he once felt, he soon discovers that his ideal time period may eventually sour on him. So, will he continue to escape to the 1920s or learn to function in his own time?

#4: “13 Going on 30” (2004)

Be careful what you wish for! “13 Going on 30” is about Jenna Rink, a girl who wants nothing more than to be one of the popular girls. However, when the popular girls pull a mean prank at her 13th birthday party, she cries and wishes that she could be a 30-year-old woman. The next morning, she is both shocked and elated to wake up in her 30-year-old body. Unfortunately for Jenna, it appears she turned into a bit of a jerk during those missing 17 years and is now estranged from both her parents and her former best friend, Matty. Featuring heartfelt and hilarious performances from Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, “13 Going on 30” is a coming-of-age story that definitely sticks the landing.

#3: “Groundhog Day” (1993)

The time travel genre is as much about second chances as it is about imaginative plot devices. From “If Only” to “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” time travel is often used as a way to show wayward men the error of their ways. Few films did it with as much heart and humor as “Groundhog Day.” Known for Bill Murray’s curmudgeonly performance and popularizing the time loop trope, the film touches upon everything that makes cinematic time travel great. From getting to punch the annoying guy in the face to finally winning over the woman you love, the film is pure escapism. However, at its core, it’s about love and the things we’re willing to do for it… such as spending 10,000 years in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

#2: “The Time Traveler's Wife” (2009)

Starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams as the titular time traveler and his wife, this film weaves a complicated narrative, one that involves one of cinematic history’s most impossible romances. Bana plays Henry DeTamble, a man who sporadically travels through time with no control over when he will disappear or where he will end up. Keeping him grounded is his wife Clare, who knows more about him than he does about himself - thanks to his constant unplanned temporal travels. Through their love for one another, they manage to endure the trials and tribulations of Henry’s condition… for a time. All we’ll say is that you’d be wise to have a box of tissue ready at the end of this one… Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions: “When We First Met” (2018) “Happy Accidents” (2000) “Safety Not Guaranteed” (2012) “Time After Time” (1979) “Les Visiteurs” (1993)

#1: “About Time” (2013)

Featuring a who’s who of lovable actors, from Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams to Bill Nighy and a young Margot Robbie, the film is about a young man who upon turning 21 discovers that the men in his family can travel to different points in their own lives. Armed with this newfound knowledge, Gleeson’s character embarks on a quest to win over the love of his life. Along the way, he discovers what it means to live each day as if it were the last and to cherish the time he has with his friends and family. Featuring great writing and a fantastic soundtrack, “About Time” is the perfect date night flick. Exactly how many time travelers can McAdams date, though?

Den of Geek

Time Travel and Romantic Comedies: A Perfect Love Match?

Christopher Reeve, Back To The Future, About Time, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: join us as we examine time travel in romcoms...

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Love is complicated enough without time travel. When time becomes a factor in a relationship, that relationship may be in trouble. In science fiction especially, time travel is a wrinkle that both brings lovers together and keeps them separate in some temporally devastating way.

Marty McFly almost breaks up his parents before they even get together. Kyle Reese falls in love with Sarah Connor when tasked with saving her life. Captain America misses out on a dance with Peggy Carter by getting frozen for 70 years (still technically time travel, if a bit low-tech). And, on TV, River Song and the Doctor experience their marriage in almost opposite directions.

read more: 22 Best Romantic Movies on Netflix

But, just as romance factors into timey-wimey movies like Back To The Future , The Terminator , and Groundhog Day , so does time travel cross over into primarily romantic movies. These aren’t sci-fi staples, but films with a degree of magical realism, where the emphasis is on the love story rather than on the disruption to the space-time continuum. They’re about romance, heartbreak and, usually, an extremely dubious mode of transport.

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So, without a DeLorean in sight, here are some of the ways that movie characters travel backwards or forwards in time for love.

Persuading yourself back in time…

The field of hypnotism is a tricky one, but in a number of movies, it’s the way to will yourself back in time. The crossover between time travel and romance in popular fiction can be traced at least as far back as Henry James’ unfinished novel The Sense Of The Past . This was adapted into a play called Berkeley Square , about a young man called Peter Standish who reads his American ancestor’s diary and becomes convinced that he will go back in time, so he does.

The play was adapted into two films, 1933’s Berkeley Square , which bagged its star Leslie Howard an Oscar nod for Best Actor, and 1951’s The House In The Square , directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Tyrone Power. The 1970 Barbra Streisand musical On A Clear Day You Can See Forever has a woman undergoing hypnotherapy for her smoking addiction regressed back into the time of her ancestor, a nobleman’s wife in the English Regency era.

But the biggy here is 1980’s Somewhere In Time , in which Christopher Reeve plays Richard Collier, a playwright who falls in love with a dead stage actress after seeing her portrait at the hotel where he is staying. With the help of his philosophy professor and some pretty compelling evidence that he once stayed at the hotel in the year 1912, Richard hypnotises himself back in time, shedding all tokens and reminders of his past life in order to remain in the past.

It’s this mode of travel that allows him to meet Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour), but also gives the film its tragic, tear-jerking twist at the end. To get geeky about it, their romance is a bootstrap paradox of mindboggling proportions. The elderly Elise initially inspires young Richard’s obsession by handing him a watch, which he then takes back with him and leaves with her. But it’s the perfect example of a time travel film that packs an emotional wallop without stressing the science.

Passing out at a high school reunion…

As timing goes, it’s probably not ideal to release a movie about going back in time to high school just one year after Back To The Future was an enormous hit. Perhaps that’s why Francis Ford Coppola’s Peggy Sue Got Married is the less celebrated of the two films, but as romantic as Back To The Future gets by the time Marvin Berry and the Starlighters play Earth Angel , the latter film focuses more on the emotional and nostalgic side of things than the time-travelling adventure.

At the start of the film, Peggy Sue Bodell (Kathleen Turner) has separated from her husband and high school sweetheart “Crazy” Charlie (Nicolas Cage), and memories come flooding back at their 25-year reunion, which Charlie promises not to attend then eventually shows up anyway. On stage, as the reunion committee’s homecoming queen, Peggy Sue passes out under the spotlight and wakes up at a school blood drive in 1960.

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read more: 20 Best Romantic Movies on Hulu Right Now

After ruling out the possibility that she has died or gone insane, she realises that she may have a chance to live her life differently. Sure, Charlie seems sweeter than the one she’s come to know, but couldn’t she hook up with tough, thoughtful outsider Michael Fitzsimmons (the lesser seen heartthrob role for Kevin J. O’Connor) instead? Well, maybe, but over the course of the film, she comes to remember exactly why she fell in love with her husband in the first place.

The film holds up as a romantic comedy, and has almost become a nostalgic time capsule in itself, for its early roles for the likes of Jim Carrey, Helen Hunt and Joan Allen. And in the center of it, Crazy Charlie isn’t just an early sighting of Crazy Cage. Any given clip of his high-pitched performance might seem as eccentric as some of his later work, but taken altogether, he gives one of the very best turns of his career, making both his future wife and the audience fall for him again. Over time, the film itself has literally become about remembering why Nicolas Cage is so great.

Fighting for the right to nostalgia…

Probably the least well known film on this list, Happy Accidents was a Sundance favorite starring Marisa Tomei and Vincent D’Onofrio in the year 2000. It’s a lo-fi comedy drama with all the hallmarks of a festival film, but it’s endlessly, breathlessly imaginative with it.

Tomei plays Ruby, a woman with a literal shoebox full of mad exes, who meets and falls for Sam Deed (D’Onofrio, playing it like a kind of proto-Mark Ruffalo.), She really thinks he might be the one, despite him telling her early on that he is a “back-traveler” from the year 2470. Framed by conversations with her therapist and friends, Ruby variously enjoys the fantasy that she thinks Sam is spinning, and feels frustrated at the ambiguity of his origins.

According to Sam, he comes from a family of “anachronists”, who fight for civil rights and nostalgia in a society that no longer enjoys sex outside of pro-creation and has otherwise broken with the ways of the past. His story is that he travelled back in time on the run from the future cops, but because the movie takes place from Ruby’s point of view, his reluctance to tell the whole story, especially after elements of The Terminator muddle things, gives off the appearance of a cheating partner. He’s come back bearing spoilers, which affects the closeness of their relationship.

Written and directed by Brad Anderson, it’s a film that wraps a compelling time travel story, with more than a few references to Doctor Who ‘s Blinovitch Limitation Effect, into a Sundance-friendly romantic comedy that plays both sexy and geeky by turns. The chemistry between Tomei and D’Onofrio is really something else, and the film constantly plays its central mystery to entertaining effect.

Jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge through a crack in the fabric of time…

In Kate & Leopold , Hugh Jackman plays Leopold Alexis Elijah Walker Gareth Thomas Mountbatten, 3rd Duke of Albany and inventor of the elevator. If that fictionalised character gives you pause, you’re going to have trouble with the way in which he gets from 1876 to the 21st century. Anyone would be upset to see Liev Schreiber in their home taking pictures with a digital camera, but you’d be especially cross if you lived in the 19th century.

Schreiber plays Stuart, an amateur physicist who has created a formula to forecast cracks in the space-time continuum as you might forecast the weather, and has jumped through one of them to track his great-great-grandfather, Leopold. Unfortunately, Leopold climbs up the Brooklyn Bridge (then still in construction) in pursuit of Stuart and winds up following him back to the future.

read more: Ranking the Romances of the MCU

There, he falls for Stuart’s ex and downstairs neighbour, a cynical research executive called Kate (Meg Ryan), and generally gets much too comfortable in 21st century New York. In addition to the film’s dubious use of time travel, the effect of Leopold’s jaunt to the future when he should be inventing the elevator leads to an accident early on, where Stuart falls down an elevator shaft, apparently as a consequence of history being changed. It does beg the question of why the shaft would still be there, if we’re to understand that the lift might cease to exist, but this is definitely more about the romance between the title characters than the science behind it.

Ultimately, the film’s happy ending winds up glossing over Stuart getting all sorts of things wrong, not least in having at some point slept with his own great-great-grandmother before he set them up, but then these are the sorts of slip-ups you make when you literally jump off a bridge as an experiment. As always, Jackman is loads of fun as a man out of time, and this film marks his first collaboration with writer-director James Mangold, with whom he most recently made Logan. An Oscar-worthy screenplay this is not, but nevertheless, it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Finding a penpal from two years ago…

Dating apps usually have a distance setting, so you can find someone who’s close by, but the snail mail equivalent in The Lake House has two people in the exact same location, separated by two years. Based on the South Korean film Il Mare , the film is about a long-distance correspondence between doctor Kate Forrester ( Sandra Bullock ) and architect Alex Wyler ( Keanu Reeves ), who live in the same house in the years 2006 and 2004, respectively.

Whether you’ve seen the film or not, it’s tough to keep the timey-wimey contortions of this one straight in your head. Kate and Alex’s continuing correspondence goes on in relative time, exactly two years apart from one another. So, at one point, Alex meets Kate at a party and interacts with her without introducing himself as someone she’ll write to in the future, which can happen because she vaguely remembers it in 2006 and so he doesn’t change time.

read more: 15 Best Romantic Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

But the film hinges on a man who dies in a traffic accident, after Kate fails to save him, and when the film becomes about saving him, even though she remembers that she didn’t – oh dear, I’ve gone cross-eyed. Even more than Kate & Leopold , the time travel mechanics of this one are secondary to the romance, with Speed co-stars Reeves and Bullock making a likeable couple separated by the weirdness of their postal arrangements. They save more on stamps than most would writing to each other over a long distance, and they leave the arguments about causality to the geekier couples who go to see the movie.

Borrowing a time-travel device off a tourist from the future…

Yasutaka Tsutsui’s 1967 novel The Girl Who Leapt Through Time has been adapted many times in Japan, on TV and in movies. The most striking of these is the 2006 anime film, in which the novel’s original protagonist features as the aunt of schoolgirl Makoto Konno, who discovers the ability to leap through time after a near-death experience.

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This coming-of-age story sees Makoto use her ability frivolously in order to ace tests and impress her peers, but quickly gets more complicated once her two best friends Chaiaki and Kousuke become entangled in her shenanigans. Having believed that she came upon this ability naturally, it’s eventually revealed that she came into contact with a time travel device that was misplaced by a tourist from the future, and has inadvertently stolen their leaps.

Makoto takes a run-up before each leap and lands hard almost every time she travels back, but the bigger impact usually comes when she affects her own recent history in unexpected ways. It hits all of the usual notes that these films do in terms of characters growing up, but not necessarily in the right order, and one gorgeous sequence involving multiple leaps to avoid an awkward conversation with an admirer is just one of the delights in this gorgeously animated teen movie.

read more: 10 Underrated Time Travel Movies

How do you time travel? You just time travel…

All of this faffing aside, some time travelers have it and some time travelers don’t. Audrey Niffenegger’s novel The Time Traveler’s Wife was a book club favorite throughout the 2000s, and was noted as an influence on Steven Moffat’s creation of River Song in Doctor Who . It follows the very un-chronological romance between Claire Abshire, the title character, and Henry DeTamble, who has a genetic disorder which causes him to involuntarily time travel at random.

The 2009 film version, directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, makes relatively short work of a complex novel, but stays true to that central conceit of a relationship played out in the wrong order, from Henry meeting his wife as a child to their struggles to have children. As in the novel, the film makes an involving and emotional study of the downsides to a superpower that many would probably choose for themselves, albeit not in the conditions that Henry and Claire have to endure.

The wish fulfilment angle on the same ability comes in Richard Curtis’ About Time , in which Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) wins the genetic lottery by not only having Bill Nighy as a dad, but also inheriting the male line of his family’s unique ability to move backwards in time within their own memory. Tim’s first thought is that this ought to be a great help in finding himself a girlfriend.

Early on, the film is about him learning that you truly only get one chance to make a first impression, by accidentally erasing his first meeting with the love of his life Mary (Rachel McAdams, again) and then scrambling to reinstate their relationship. As the film develops, it becomes a study of a time-traveler growing up, with various rules and wrinkles preventing the kind of carefree meddling that Tim enjoyed in his younger years. It’s ultimately more a film about familial love, but it’s still bursting with romance.

read more: Time Traveler’s Wife TV Series in Development at HBO

…but not if you’re Rachel McAdams

To date, there are precisely four films in which Rachel McAdams is the love interest of a man who gets to faff around with time, and she hasn’t got to time travel herself in any of them.

In addition to The Time Traveler’s Wife and About Time , there’s Midnight In Paris , where she plays Inez, the spoiled, cheating wife of Woody Allen’s author insert Gil (Owen Wilson) who doesn’t understand her husband’s nocturnal jaunts to the 1920s, and Marvel’s Doctor Strange, in which she’s squandered as Christine Palmer, Strange’s ex and tether to normality.

In About Time , it’s Tim’s sister Kit Kat who’s hard done by the weirdly specific rule that only male relatives can time travel, but Mary remains oblivious to it altogether. It seems the only sure way to travel back in time in a time travel romance is to not be Rachel McAdams. It’s a whole lot of bollocks that McAdams isn’t at least an A-list star by this stage in her career, but ‘the time traveler’s significant other’ is a fascinating niche in which she’s found herself.

read more: The Best Female Time Travelers in TV History

Being passengers…

But in the majority of the films we’ve covered, the lovers aren’t the Doc Brown type. They’re more Marty – passengers of time travel, usually not fully in control of their respective modes of transport. Time is a force beyond their control, which love must withstand in order to get us to a happy ending.

Whether they’ve swiped right on an old photograph or happened to meet the love of their lives outside of their own timezone, the how is never so important as the why. Like Basil Exposition tells us Austin (and us) in the second Austin Powers movie, the more romantic movies suggest that we don’t worry about those things, and try to enjoy ourselves.

Mark Harrison | @MHarrison90

Mark is a writer from Middlesbrough, who once drunkenly tried (and failed) to pitch a film about his hometown to a director from Pixar. Fortunately, he…

The 35 Best Korean Time Travel Dramas

Korean dramas have captured the hearts of viewers worldwide with their unique storytelling and captivating narratives.

One particular theme that has always had immense popularity is time travel.

These dramas skillfully weave together the complexities of the past, present, and future, inviting viewers on a thrilling journey through time.

The allure of time travel lies not only in the imaginative plotlines but also in the emotional depth it adds to the narratives.

Characters find themselves facing extraordinary circumstances as they grapple with the consequences of altering the course of history or attempting to rectify past mistakes.

This exploration of the human condition, accompanied by a touch of fantasy, creates a profound and thought-provoking viewing experience.

Moreover, K-dramas often infuse time travel narratives with elements of romance, heightening the emotional stakes and adding a layer of the dramatics that we’ve all come to know and love with K-dramas.

The intricate relationships that develop between characters across different time periods lend an air of mystery and longing, making these dramas all the more captivating.

In this article, we will delve into the world of K-dramas that feature time travel! So fasten your seatbelts as we embark on a thrilling journey through time and discover the enchanting realm of Korean dramas about time travel.

Mr. Queen, tvN (2020 – 2021)

Mr. Queen is a historical fantasy drama series that tells the story of Jang Bong-hwan, a womanizing, free-spirited chef working in the Blue House who gets transported back in time and finds himself inhabiting the body of Queen Cheorin in the Joseon dynasty.

Jang Bong-hwan must negotiate the complicated world of the royal court, where political intrigue and power struggles are common while coping with the confusion of being in a woman’s body.

In his role as Queen Cheorin, he is forced to rely on his resourcefulness and uncanny partnerships to survive after becoming embroiled in a plot to depose the king.

Queen and I, tvN (2012)

Queen and I is a fantasy romantic comedy-drama that revolves around Kim Bung-do, a scholar in the Joseon dynasty.

He is also one of the supporters of the rightful Queen In-Hyun, who had previously been deposed by a royal concubine.

A magical talisman somehow transports Bung-do to the present where he encounters the famous Queen In-hyun – who happens to just be a character in a new K-drama – and ends up falling in love with the actress who plays her, Choi Hee-jin.

However, their romance faces numerous challenges and Bong-gu must navigate the complexities of the unknown future, all while striving to find a way back to the past.

Splash Splash Love, MBC (2015)

Splash Splash Love is a Korean time-travel romantic drama that follows the story of Danbi, a high school student who, in a bid to escape a major mathematics exam, uses her time-travel abilities to transport herself to the Joseon era during a rainstorm.

Despite hating math in her own timeline, she becomes known as the smartest in this kingdom!

She and the King inexplicably fall in love, but Danbi makes the hard choice to return to her own time.

King Lee Do swears that he will find her again and once again during a rainstorm, the two are reunited through Lee’s reincarnation.

The King: Eternal Monarch, SBS TV (2020)

The King: Eternal Monarch is a fantasy romance drama that follows the parallel worlds of the modern-day Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Corea.

Emperor Lee Gon of Corea discovers a portal connecting the two worlds and crosses over to find detective Jung Tae-eul, who is a familiar face associated with his father’s murder.

As they navigate their differences and the political tensions in both worlds, they uncover a dangerous conspiracy and strive to protect their loved ones.

Love blossoms between them, but they face immense challenges, including a power-hungry villain who seeks to exploit the portal for his own gain.

Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, tvN (2023)

One of the most recently aired series on the list is Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 , which actually just recently wrapped up its 12th and final episode.

It serves as the second season of the popular supernatural fantasy drama Tale of the Nine Tailed , but the storyline is also somewhat of a prequel.

Following the events with Nam Ji-ah in the original series, protagonist Lee Yeon is transported back in time to 1938 and the then Japanese occupation of Korea.

Dr. Jin, MBC (2012)

Dr. Jin is a historical medical drama that follows the story of Jin Hyuk, a brilliant neurosurgeon in the present day who, because of his highly analytical mind, can sometimes be cold and indifferent.

After suffering from a personal tragedy involving his girlfriend, he gets transported back in time to the Joseon dynasty.

Struggling to adapt to the primitive medical practices of the era, Jin Hyuk uses his modern knowledge to save lives and make advancements in medicine and even medical devices.

He meets people who help him, but his actions soon start interfering with the course of history.

Rooftop Prince, SBS (2012)

In a complex story of intersecting fates and (possible) reincarnations across timelines and generations, Rooftop Prince weaves romance into comical misunderstandings and heartwarming moments.

Crown Prince Lee Gak and his three loyal servants time-travel from the Joseon era to present-day Seoul in a bid to solve the mysterious death of his beloved Crown Princess.

He poses as the lost grandson of a wealthy CEO – who he happens to resemble exactly – and encounters a woman who also looks exactly like his late wife.

Getting closer to her might help solve the mystery of her death back in their timeline, but he may end up hurting someone else along the way.

Live Up to Your Name, tvN (2017)

In the historical medical drama Live Up to Your Name , Heo Im is a respected doctor and acupuncturist in the Joseon era, tending to the poor by day and the nobles by night.

However, he is mistakenly charged with treason and supposedly killed. Instead he wakes up in present-day Seoul!

In the modern era, he meets and forms an unlikely partnership with Choi Yeon-kyung, a pragmatic and ambitious cardiothoracic surgeon.

Together, they navigate the clash between traditional and modern medical practices while overcoming personal obstacles and gradually developing a deep bond.

Faith, SBS TV (2012)

Also known as The Great Doctor , Faith begins in a historical setting where the King’s wife is fatally injured in an accident.

He orders his Captain of the Royal Guard, Choi Young, to enter a portal to retrieve the “Heaven’s Doctor” that they heard of in their legends.

Choi Young travels to modern-day Seoul and brings back Eunsoo, an actual doctor, who then saves the queen.

He had promised to bring her back once her duty was done, but they both soon get embroiled in schemes to keep Eunsoo in the past as more and more people become selfishly interested in her medical prowess.

Life on Mars, OCN (2018)

In a slightly different theme from the previous shows on the list, Life on Mars is a crime thriller series that follows a talented forensic scientist who also leads a crime investigation team.

After an accident, Taejoo awakens to find himself transported back to 1988 with no idea how he got there or why.

Now a detective in the past, he works with his current team to solve a serial murder case with the antiquated technology and methods of the era in order to also solve the mystery behind his time travel.

Signal, tvN (2016)

Signal is yet another crime thriller series that is less about actual physical time travel and more about a mysterious connection between past and present that stems from a seemingly innocuous object: a walkie-talkie.

Park Hae-young is a young criminal profiler from the present day who stumbles upon a mysterious walkie-talkie that helps him solve a murder cold case through its ability to connect him to a detective from the past, Lee Jae-han.

Through the walkie-talkie, they collaborate to solve cold cases and prevent crimes from happening, but consequences soon follow.

Times, OCN (2021)

Similar to Signal , OCN’s political thriller series Times connects the past and present, but this time through a phone and between two journalists : Jinwoo in 2015 and Jungin in 2020.

They work together at first to prevent the murder of Jungin’s father, who is the current president of South Korea.

Along the way, they uncover a dangerous conspiracy involving political corruption and manipulation of time and work together to fight against the forces that seek to control the future so they can preserve their nation’s tomorrow.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, SBS TV (2016)

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is a historical drama series based on a Chinese novel.

Like many of the previous shows on this list, the series features the protagonist (named Hajin) traveling way back in time but this time, to the Goryeo dynasty to the year 941.

On top of that, she finds herself in the body of Haesoo, one of the many male princes of the current ruling family who are all fighting for the crown.

As she navigates political rivalries and intense love triangles, Ha-jin discovers her own destiny and the tragic fate that awaits those around her.

Chicago Typewriter, tvN (2017)

In the popular fantasy drama series Chicago Typewriter , viewers will meet three central characters whose stories unfold over the course of time – specifically, two different timelines.

There’s Sejoo, a handsome and renowned writer with many fans who suffers from depression; Seol, a veterinarian and fan of Sejoo; and Jinoh, a talented ghostwriter.

As their paths converge, a mysterious typewriter helps them discover how their past lives were connected during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s , and how their friendship then crossed decades into the present.

Manhole, KBS2 (2017)

If we could time travel, we’d always be tempted to go back in time to prevent the things that we don’t want to happen.

In Manhole , Bongpil does just that when he discovers a manhole that allows him to travel back in time.

What does he do when he gets to the past? Well, anything to stop his dream girl’s wedding from happening!

However, his efforts often lead to hilarious and chaotic consequences.

Alongside his loyal friends, he navigates the challenges of altering the past and learns valuable lessons about love, friendship, and the importance of living in the present.

Hit the Top, KBS2 (2017)

Hit the Top is a combination of humor and nostalgia, and takes place primarily in the constantly evolving world of K-pop.

Back in the early 1990s, popular K-pop idol Hyunjae accidentally time travels to 2017, where he soon discovers that he had been in the news for mysteriously disappearing and subsequently presumed dead.

As he adjusts to his vastly different life in the future, he tries to investigate the cause of his time travel.

At the same time, an aspiring K-pop trainee crosses his path – one who he is more connected with than either of them expected.

My First Love, OCN (2018)

The South Korean romantic fantasy drama My First Love centers on Kang Shinwoo, a man in his 30s who goes back in time to his high school years.

Shin-woo runs into his younger self and his first love, Han Jisoo, when he travels back in time. Shin-woo makes an effort to rewrite their fate and win Jisoo’s affection in an effort to alter the tragic course of their history.

At the same time, Shinwoo discovers important lessons about love, regret, and the value of honoring the present as he wrestles with the repercussions of changing the past.

Tomorrow, with You, tvN (2017)

Tomorrow, with You is a romance series that follows the story of Yoo Sojoon, a time-traveling CEO of a real estate agency who can foresee his future through subway rides, and his wife Marin, a cheerful and optimistic amateur photographer.

To change his impending tragic fate that he accidentally glimpses, he marries Marin and together, they navigate the complexities of marriage while battling against their own personal struggles.

Eventually, Sojourn learns to truly love her amidst the consequences of altering destiny.

Marry Him If You Dare, KBS (2013)

Yet another romance drama on the list is KBS’ Marry Him If You Dare , which is set in the world of television broadcasting.

It follows the story of Na Mirae, a young woman who receives a mysterious opportunity to travel back in time to change her future.

The present Mirae is married to news anchor Kim Shin but travels to visit her 32-year-old self to prevent that from happening.

This causes her to go down a completely different path to really pursue the dreams she had always wanted.

Familiar Wife, tvN (2018)

The decisions we make impact the road our lives go down; one different decision could catapult things in a direction we never would have expected.

That’s what happens in Familiar Wife , a romantic fantasy drama that tells the story of Joohyuk, a married man who regrets the choices he made in his life.

One day, he encounters a mysterious opportunity to travel back in time and change his past.

In the blink of an eye, the life he knew with his wife Woojin and best friend Joonghoo is gone and his first love Hyewon comes back into the picture.

Go Back Couple, KBS2 (2017)

It’s complicated enough when a person goes back in time to change their previous decisions, but what happens when two people time travel together? Especially when these two people have a life together in the present?

Go Back Couple follows married couple Bando and Jinjoo, who are parents to a young boy and have become deeply unsatisfied with their lives – family, career, and relationship-wise.

Suddenly, the couple is transported 18 years back to when they were university students, where they make different choices and learn the enduring power of love.

The Light in Your Eyes, JTBC (2019)

The Light In Your Eyes is also known as Dazzling  and emphasizes the importance of valuing the people who cause the lights in our eyes to shine throughout our lives.

In the drama series, we meet a young woman named Hyeja who possesses a special watch that allows her to manipulate time. However, using the watch causes her to age rapidly.

After having used it one too many times, Hyeja is now passing the time at an elderly care center where she meets Joonha, an employee who looks like the young Hyeja’s husband.

Nine: Nine Time Travels, tvN (2013)

A news anchor named Park Sunwoo finds nine magical incense items that enables him to travel 20 years back in time in the fantasy thriller drama entitled Nine: Nine Time Travels .

Sunwoo makes numerous trips to the past in an effort to change the tragic events that have occurred in his life, changing both his decisions and the course of history.

He soon learns, though, that every change has unintended consequences both for himself and those he loves around him, and he is forced to deal with the moral dilemmas that follow.

Sisyphus: The Myth, JTBC (2021)

In the dystopian science fiction series Sisyphus: The Myth , engineer and brilliant quantum physicist Taesul crosses paths with a mysterious woman from the future named Seohae.

In Seohae’s present, she explores a war-torn Korea and travels back in time to both prevent Taesul’s death and his invention of the time travel device she used.

Meanwhile, Taesul is trying to investigate the strange circumstances around his brother’s death and a time-travel conspiracy where he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game where past, present, and future collide.

Tunnel, OCN (2017)

Some crimes can span decades, with the case passing through the hands of several teams and detectives without ever getting resolved.

In the crime thriller Tunnel , we begin the story in 1986 when Detective Park Gwangho is hot on the tail of a serial killer.

He chases the perpetrator through a tunnel and ends up in 2016 where the same killer is still on the loose and just beginning to continue his murder spree.

Gwangho teams up with Detective Kim Seonjae and criminal profiler Shin Jaeyi to race against time and apprehend the killer before they can commit further crimes.

Alice, SBS TV (2020)

Science fiction drama series Alice weaves a complex tale of love, fate, and the consequences of tampering with time.

The title is a reference to the time-traveling agency in 2050 that sends clients to the past in order to find peace and closure with dead loved ones and also makes sure these trips are done properly.

Viewers meet Alice agents Taeyi and Minhyuk as they travel almost 60 years to the past on a mission, but their personal lives get intertwined and affect the present – 2020.

My Perfect Stranger, KBS2 (2023)

My Perfect Stranger is one of the newest shows on this list, having just finished airing in June of this year!

The romance mystery tells a beautiful story of two strangers who time travel back to 1987.

Haejun is a seemingly aloof newscaster who is trying to seek the truth behind a serial killing case; Yoonyoung is an editor at a publishing company who wants to prevent the marriage of her parents.

They find themselves in the past and also discover that their goals are more intertwined than they think.

Kairos, MBC TV (2020)

Kairos is similar to a few other shows as the time travel occurs in parallel timelines that connect characters instead of actually traveling through time.

However, it is also a rare one as the timelines are only one month apart!

Seojin is a company executive whose daughter suddenly goes missing while Aeri is a young woman living one month behind and whose mother also disappears.

When Seojin and Aeri meet through a phone call, he asks the latter to help find his daughter while helping to find her mother in his future timeline.

God’s Gift: 14 Days, SBS (2014)

God’s Gift: 14 Days tells the story of Kim Soohyun, a distraught mother whose daughter is abducted and killed, who miraculously gets the chance to travel back to the two weeks prior to the tragedy.

Soohyun is in a race against time to find the kidnapper and stop terrible things from happening because she is determined to change the outcome.

She discovers that the truth is much more complicated and perilous than she had anticipated as she digs deeper into the murky secrets surrounding her daughter’s death.

365: Repeat The Year, MBC TV (2020)

If you could repeat the last year of your life, would you?

In the mystery thriller 365: Repeat The Year , 10 people are given the opportunity to reset their lives by going back one year in time.

They participate in a time-traveling experiment, hoping to change their fates and undo their regrets.

However, they soon realize that altering the past has dire consequences, and they must unravel the mystery behind the experiment to save their lives.

Reunited Worlds, SBS (2017)

In Reunited Worlds , a man named Sung Haesung mysteriously reappears 12 years after his untimely death.

While he hasn’t aged, he finds that everyone around him has changed and gone on with their lives.

Haesung reconnects with his childhood friends, including his first love Jung Jungwon, as he navigates the difficulties of his new reality.

Together, they learn the truth about his time travel and work to mend relationships, sever old wounds, and find happiness in the present.

See You in My 19th Life, tvN (2023)

See You in My 19th Life is based on the webtoon of the same name that was published on Naver.

It tells the story of Jieum, who has lived out several lifetimes through reincarnation and has the supernatural ability to remember all of her past lives.

Her 18th life is tragically cut short due to an accident, and as she lives out her 19th, she knowingly heads down a path that will lead her to reconnect with a man from her previous life.

A Time Called You, Netflix (2023 – present)

Then there is the romance drama A Time Called You , which premiered on Netflix relatively recently – on September 8th, 2023.

It is an adaptation of a Taiwanese series and follows Junhee, who continues to mourn her boyfriend Yeonjun’s death one year later.

Somehow, she finds herself transported back to 1998 and in the body of an 18-year-old named Minju, who meets Siheon, a boy who looks like her deceased partner.

Marry My Husband, tvN (2024 – present)

The newest series on this list is Marry My Husband , which premiered on tvN on January 1st, 2024.

Marry My Husband follows Jiwon, described as a “time-limited woman” who has the opportunity to go back ten years.

In her new present, she dreams of exacting revenge on her cheating, murderous husband who killed her after having an affair with her best friend.

The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract, MBC (2023 – present)

Finally, we come to the last show in this countdown – The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract .

The fantasy romance series tells the story of Park Yeonwoo, a beautiful woman from the Joseon dynasty who loses her husband on the first night of their marriage.

She suddenly finds herself transported to the 21st century and under a modern marriage contract with Kang Taeha, who looks exactly like her husband.

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Hi, thanks for the list. There is also “Perfect marriage revenge” 2023

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The Time-Loop Rom-Com Hidden Gem You Can Find On Amazon

Of all the subgenres to come out of the science-fiction/fantasy sphere, the time loop may be the most obscure. The premise is typically straightforward: A person becomes trapped reliving the same span of time repeatedly while attempting to find a way out of the loop. Fans can trace the concept back to the 1960s with the novel "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," but most people probably received their first introduction to this idea via the comedy classic " Groundhog Day ."

Since the early 1990s, numerous other films have explored this existential quandary, such as "Edge of Tomorrow," "Happy Death Day," and "Palm Springs," to name a few. In 2021, Amazon put a romantic twist on this idea by releasing " The Map of Tiny Perfect Things ." After a year where every day genuinely felt the same while most people were under quarantine from the COVID-19 pandemic, the film came out at the perfect time to put smiles on people's faces and make them believe in love again.

It's the perfect watch when you're at home and need to feel like there's someone out there for everyone. It's also an ideal date night movie, so if you've already seen "Groundhog Day" a million times before, then you need to cue this up next.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is clever and charming

The movie kicks off by introducing the audience to Mark ( Kyle Allen ), who's been stuck in a time loop for a while now. One day, he realizes that Margaret ( Kathryn Newton ) also relives the same period as him, and the two start going on adventures together. As part of their courtship, they begin going around town to find all of the beautiful things that exist within it, appreciating the aspects they would ordinarily overlook. However, the way out of the loop may have been right in front of them all along.

Critics loved the film, allowing it to garner a 78% rating on the Tomatometer . It just goes to show that having an earnest, funny story with likable leads goes a long way, even when it has a formula numerous others stories have utilized before. One critic who enjoyed another causal loop tale was Kimber Myers of The Los Angeles Times , who wrote, "'The Map of Tiny Perfect Things' adds a wrinkle to the genre with its nerdy but accessible slant of comedy, fantasy, and romance."

Adults who grew up watching "Groundhog Day" or reading the "Erased" manga may have seen this story plenty of times in the past, but since "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" markets itself to teens, this may be the first time its key demographic has seen this kind of story before. It may just inspire them to seek out other movies like it, and anything that could influence future generations to recognize the amazingness of "Groundhog Day" is all right in our book.

Time Travel Romance Novels Beyond Outlander

Jessica Pryde

Jessica Pryde is a member of that (some might call) rare breed that grew up in Washington, DC, but is happily enjoying the warmer weather of the desert Southwest. While she is still working on what she wants to be when she grows up, she’s enjoying dabbling in librarianship and writing all the things. She can be found drowning in her ever-growing TBR and exclaiming about romance in the Book Riot podcast ( When in Romance ), as well as on social media. Find her exclamations about books and pho on twitter ( JessIsReading ) and instagram ( jess_is_reading ).

View All posts by Jessica Pryde

I love time travel. I will consume it in almost any format: prose, poetry, comics, film, television, radio drama. You name it, I’m there . I don’t know where my interest originally started, but it’s probably no coincidence that the earliest two adult books I recall reading were both time travel romance novels. To this day, a good time travel romance is a thing of beauty that I always find myself keeping an eye out for. 

There are several elements that play into making a time-travel romance successful. The biggest element is how the author establishes the HEA. Does the time-traveling protagonist elect to stay in their new time? Does the one who was traveled to somehow find their way to the other’s time period? Does the one who lives in the present find the soul of the one they met in the past? Or maybe something completely different?

Let’s look at a few to start with:

1. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux

If you want a good example of an old-school time travel romance, you can’t go wrong with Deveraux. In A Knight in Shining Armor , we find out what happens when a young woman, abandoned and crying in a churchyard far from home, comes face to face with a real-ass knight, who is rightfully confused. Trying to keep the poor man alive is hard enough, but then there’s the whole being incredibly attracted to him thing.

If you enjoy that one, you might also find other books of hers interesting, including Legend , Remembrance , and Return to Summerhouse .

2. Love, Eternally by Morgan O’Neill

A flautist playing in an ancient ruin finds herself in the middle of the Roman empire. The Emperor is terrible, but a young senator catches her eye. Also, there’s a rebellion brewing, and Gigi is there to help fan the flames to dethrone a tyrant.

3. Beautiful Wreck by Larissa Brown

A woman from the future ends up in the past. Sounds pretty cool, right? In a world built on VR, Ginn, a VR designer, accidentally ends up in the 10th century. Multiple people have recommended this to me, and someone even said their husband told them “you didn’t tell me it was a romance—with the setting!” So yeah, if you’re into a lush depiction of a time period and a beautiful love story, this one’s for you.

4. The Duke and the Domina by Jenn LeBlanc

A reluctant duke marries a switch from the twenty-first century. That’s a hook. Grayson has been trying to escape his desire to submit, but that all goes to pot when he marries a woman who has awakened in a new body and a new time. Lulu is a professional dominatrix and she doesn’t want to be where she is, and isn’t sure she can trust her new husband. But it’s a romance, so they’ll figure it out.

5. Everything for Love by Marilyn Vix

Deidre is a Timeanaut. She travels through time using sex to power her travels.

Yeah, you read that right.

When she sees the same man in multiple time periods (I’m guessing unchanged? Because they’re not that far apart), she discovers that he, too, is a time traveler, and has been sent to save her life. They have adventures and make enemies and do all those things you’d expect people screwing with the timeline to do, including fall in love. But there are some complications with that, too.

6. Timeless and Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir

These are technically YA, but I loved Timeless so much. This book features an uncommon element in time-travel romance: the ability to go into and out of the specified time period. Usually, in one of these (thanks probably in part to Diana Gabaldon, NGL), the heroine (because it’s almost always the heroine) finds herself in a moment in history, and one of the most important plot elements is how to get her back to her own time (if, in the end, she even decides to do so). But Michele uses a journal to bounce back and forth between her own time and that of Philip, the boy she will eventually fall in love with. Also, it’s fun to get all the historical tidbits.

There are also some really, great, memorable, and iconic books that are more “time travel novels with romance in them” instead of the other way around. The love story isn’t always the focus, but these are definitely romantic love stories within the time travel story.

7. The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz

No matter if it’s more general fiction or four alarm fire erotic kinky romance, Tiffany Reisz is an amazing storyteller. Here, Faye falls into the ocean and breaks the surface in 1921, where the spitting image of her now-dead husband is staring back at her. Part love story, part supernatural, part mystery, this book is all the things.  

Also: If you want to become completely obsessed with the history of lighthouses on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, this book is the starting off point.

8. The Firebird   by Susanna Kearsley

Nicola has a gift that allows her to see the pasts of objects she touches. Working at a gallery, this is a cool gift to have, for obvious reasons. When she touches a small carving and discovers its intriguing history, she follows a girl into the past.

9. The River of No Return by Bee Ridg way

A man about to die in the Napoleonic Wars wakes up in the modern day. There is a guild of time lords masters travelers who tell him he can’t go back. But he longs for his lady love, and long after he expected to be able to return, he is sent back in time. There is adventure and intrigue in this one, but people also appreciate the love story.

10. Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with this movie. Superman and Dr. Quinn fell in love but couldn’t be together. That sucked. But then it didn’t. I loved it. It wasn’t until years later that I discovered it was a book. The book was a little different, but in essence was the same. A young man “falls in love” with a woman in a portrait and then finds a way to get to her time period in order to meet her. Things ensue.

If there’s one thing you might notice about this list of time travel romance novels, it’s that with the exception of Alexandra Monir, the authors are all white. Non-white authors are indeed writing about time travel, but if they are writing time-travel romance , I have not yet heard about it. In fact, I wrote an entire essay about why (in my opinion) it is difficult for black women in particular to write about a modern black character traveling backwards into any era (except maybe prehistoric). The same can probably be said of members of other races who have dealt with Western oppression, whether it was slavery, genocide, ethnic cleansing, colonization, or anything else on the massive list of sins our European ancestors dealt onto our ancestors from Africa, the Americas, the entire continent of Asia, and the majority of Oceania and the Pacific Islands. I would love to see someone successfully write a believable Outlander-style romance featuring a protagonist of color. Or even a modern-day story in the style of The Time Traveler’s Wife , but, you know, happy.

Give me About Time with people of color in book form. I’ll love you forever.

(Okay, so Courtney Milan  did  write a story in which Adam Fucking Reynolds travels in time and encounters Frederica “Free” Marshal, but it doesn’t really count, right?)

The other thing about this particular list is that it’s pretty damn straight. Do you have any favorite time travel romance novels featuring queer protagonists? I want to hear about that too.

Or just tell me your favorite time travel romance novels. I want to know. (Give me moooooore.)

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• Sourcebooks, Inc.

Time travel romance novels are an enchanting genre that intertwines the wonder of adventuring through time with the exhilarating journey of falling in love across different eras. These stories often feature protagonists who find themselves transported to a different period, where they encounter love that transcends the boundaries of known physics. The genre combines historical and contemporary elements, delivering a rich tapestry of romance, adventure, and often, the quest to reconcile different worlds.

Among the most beloved time travel romance novels are the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, which follows 20th-century nurse Claire Randall, who's mysteriously swept back to 18th-century Scotland where she meets the dashing Jamie Fraser; and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, a poignant tale of a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to uncontrollably travel through time, yet he maintains an enduring romance. 

These novels - and many others like them - have seized the hearts of readers with their imaginative plots and unforgettable characters. Which time travel romance book is (or could be) your favorite?

Outlander is an epic historical romance and time-travel adventure that follows Claire Randall, a WWII combat nurse mysteriously transported from 1945 to 18th-century Scotland after visiting a stone circle. Struggling to navigate a treacherous new world, she meets James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser (AKA Jamie Fraser), a dashing and honorable Highland warrior. 

Despite her initial desire to return to her own time, Claire becomes entangled in the Jacobite uprisings and develops a profound and passionate love for Jamie. Together, they face political intrigue, warfare, and personal sacrifices, grappling with the conflicts between their desires and duties. The novel explores themes of love, loyalty, and the complexities of bridging two very different worlds.

In this installment of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series, Alexia Tarabotti (AKA Lady Maccon) is settling into her domestic life, which includes integrating werewolves into London high society and dealing with her young daughter, who has supernatural powers. When Alexia receives a summons from Alexandria, Egypt, she embarks on the journey with her family and friends. In Egypt, she discovers mysteries surrounding the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive, the God-Breaker Plague, and the sudden rise to fame of actress Ivy Tunstell.

Somewhere in Time

A novel that elicits strong emotions and provides a romantic and engaging story that transcends time, Somewhere in Time 's unique storytelling method, attention to detail, and ability to draw the reader into the time period (late 19th-century California) are highlighted as strengths by reviewers. 

While some readers may find the romantic elements touching and believable, others feel they delve too deeply into obsession and possessiveness. The portrayal of time travel and the unresolved ending leave an impact on readers, sparking introspection and emotional engagement. Despite minor criticisms of certain scenes, the book is still able to immerse readers in a captivating and sentimental love story.

The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden follows Eva Ward as she leaves California and returns to Cornwall, England, to scatter the ashes of her sister Katrina at their childhood home. While at Trelowarth House, Eva experiences a mysterious ability to travel through time to the 18th century, where she meets the Butler brothers and becomes entangled in historical events. The story weaves between past and present as Eva faces her feelings for Daniel Butler and grapples with decisions about where she truly belongs, ultimately culminating in a surprising twist at the book's conclusion.

The Winter Sea

In The Winter Sea , author Carrie McClelland finds inspiration for her historical novel about the Jacobite rebellion of 1708 when she stays in a cottage near Slains Castle in Scotland. As she delves deeper into her research, she begins to experience a connection to her ancestor, Sophia Paterson, whose story she is writing. The Winter Sea deftly weaves between the past and the present, creating a captivating tale of love, history, and the mysteries of ancestral memory. Kearsley has been praised for creating rich historical detail, compelling characters, and the intricate way in which the two storylines intersect.

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife is a poignant love story that revolves around an unlikely but devoted couple. Henry DeTamble has a rare genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unexpectedly; his artist wife Clare Abshire must cope with his frequent absences. Niffenegger wrote the story as a metaphor for her failed relationships, with the central relationship between Henry and Clare serving as the novel's focal point. The Time Traveler's Wife has been praised for its unique perspective on time travel, blending elements of science fiction and romance to explore themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human connection.

Beyond the Highland Mist

The first book in the Highlander series by Karen Marie Moning, Beyond the Highland Mist focuses on Adrienne de Simone, a modern-day woman who finds herself transported to 16th-century Scotland by a vengeful fairy. Things go from bad to worse when she's coerced into an arranged marriage with Hawk, a legendary warrior and ladies' man. 

Despite Adrienne's initial resistance, the relationship evolves into a passionate love story filled with challenges, jealousy, humor, and steamy scenes. The plot blends time travel, romance, magic, and the shock of adjusting to a different time period. Overall, the novel explores themes of love, desire, and overcoming personal prejudices.

A Twist In Time

Former FBI agent Kendra Donovan finds herself stranded in London in 1815. In this installment of the series featuring her, Kendra and her allies work together to solve the murder of Lady Dover, the former mistress of Alec - who happens to be Kendra's current romantic partner. The story delves into the complexities of society, gender roles, and the challenges of adapting to life in the 19th century, all while unraveling a gripping murder mystery. A Twist in Time weaves together historical elements, mystery, and character development, setting the stage for more adventures and dilemmas in future installments.

The Dream Daughter

The Dream Daughter is an emotional novel set in 1970, where protagonist Caroline Sears faces the devastating news that her unborn daughter has a life-threatening heart defect. Her physicist brother-in-law Hunter suggests a solution involving time travel to the future for potential treatment. This story explores the themes of love, sacrifice, family, and strength, taking readers on a journey filled with suspense, surprises, and heartwarming moments. 

Chamberlain combines elements of science fiction with a heartfelt narrative, making this novel a unique and engaging read. The characters are well-developed, and the plot twists keep the reader invested until the very end. The book is a testament to the power of a mother's love and the courage it takes to go beyond what is believed to be possible.

What the Wind Knows

Set in Ireland during the 1920s, What the Wind Knows blends historical fiction, romance, and time-travel elements as it follows protagonist Anne Gallagher, who mysteriously finds herself transported back in time after spreading her grandfather's ashes. The novel weaves together the complexities of Irish history along with a heartwarming love story. 

As Anne makes her way in this new world, she's mistaken for someone she resembles, becomes entwined in the struggle for Irish independence, forms emotional connections, and faces life-altering decisions. With beautifully detailed writing and well-developed characters, Harmon's book explores themes of love, loyalty, and the impact of the past and present on shaping our futures.

Time and Again

Simon Morley is an advertising sketch artist recruited for a secret government project that involves time travel through self-hypnosis. With a personal motive to solve a mystery involving his girlfriend Kate and a letter from 1882, he successfully travels back to New York City in that year. As he navigates the past, Simon becomes entangled in blackmail, espionage, and a budding romance with Julia Charbonneau - all while trying to prevent a disastrous event and maintain balance between the past and present.

Here and Now and Then

Kin Stewart, a time-traveling secret agent from 2142, gets stranded in suburban San Francisco in the 1990s after a failed mission. Over 18 years, he builds a new life, marries, and has a daughter, Miranda, even as he struggles with memory loss. When his rescue team finally locates him, Kin is torn between the life he created in the “past” and the family awaiting him back in the future. As he works through the complex implications of his actions, he must make difficult choices to ensure the safety and happiness of his daughter. 

Here and Now and Then explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the enduring bond between a father and his child, culminating in a poignant and emotionally resonant journey through time.

The River of No Return

The River of No Return is a captivating blend of historical fiction, time-travel fantasy, romance, and mystery. Lord Nicholas Falcott finds himself waking up in 21st-century London after nearly dying on a Napoleonic battlefield. The Guild, a covert group of time travelers, tells him there's no going back. However, Nick yearns for his past life - especially for Julia Percy - who remains in 1815. Twists of fate bring Julia and Nick together again; they must then navigate the complexities of time, love, and a hidden war between the Guild and their adversaries.

Until I Die Again

Protagonist Chris Copestakes perishes in a violent accident but miraculously wakes up in the body of beautiful Hallie DiBarto. Discovering she's received a second chance at life in a new identity, Chris must navigate the complexities of Hallie's life, including her impending divorce, dangerous secrets, and manipulative acquaintances. As Chris (in Hallie's body) falls for Jamie DiBarto - her husband and a stranger to her - her new life becomes a mix of wonder and danger. Unraveling the mysteries of both her past and Hallie's, Chris faces a threat that could jeopardize everything.

The Ruby Brooch

This story follows paramedic Kit MacKlenna as she travels through time to 1852 on the Oregon Trail with a mysterious ruby brooch and a mission to find her birth parents before their killers do. Along the way, she meets lawyer Cullen Montgomery, who bears a striking resemblance to a ghost from her past, complicating her quest for secrecy and his search for the truth. As Kit braves the dangers of the journey and tries to evade Cullen's suspicions of her identity, she hopes to uncover the truth about her origins and piece together the fragments of her life.

Echo in Time

Echo in Time is a captivating story that follows archaeology grad student Alexandra "Lex" Larson as her world unravels with the revelation of her unknown parentage and newfound psychic abilities. Joining an Egyptian excavation led by enigmatic Professor Marcus Bahur, Lex delves into ancient prophecies and warring gods while discovering her true origins. 

As she wends her way through a new reality and faces dangerous challenges, Lex's strong character development and complex relationships with Marcus and other characters add depth to the story. With a blend of Egyptian mythology, suspenseful plot twists, and steamy romance, this time travel adventure promises an engaging read for fans of paranormal tales and strong-willed protagonists.

The Outlaw Viking

Dr. Rain Jordan, a modern-day doctor, goes back in time to a medieval battlefield and encounters the wild-eyed berserker Selik, a Viking with deadly skills but lacking control over Rain's modern ways and knowledge. Despite considering Rain a prisoner, Selik finds himself drawn to her medical skills and feisty personality. As they clash and bond, their relationship becomes a mix of tension, humor, and passion, with Selik struggling to resist his growing feelings for Rain. Together, they navigate a journey of redemption, love, and growth in The Outlaw Viking .

Time's Echo

Grace Trewe arrives in York,  England, to settle her deceased godmother Lucy's affairs, intending to spend as little time as possible before moving on. However, she soon discovers the past cannot be ignored when she uncovers Lucy's involvement in the occult. As Grace delves deeper into her godmother's mysteries, she finds herself haunted by Hawise, a restless spirit from more than 400 years ago. 

Drawn into Hawise's Elizabethan life, Grace she begins to see parallels with her own struggles and failures, leading her to question if she is possessed, or perhaps suffering from a personality disorder. She must come to terms with her past and confront the unquiet spirit in order to move forward.

Knight of a Trillion Stars

Following a horrendous day of being fired at work and a chaotic commute home, Deana Jones is shocked to find a captivating alien named Lorgin in her living room, claiming he's from beyond the stars and part of her celestial destiny. Despite her initial skepticism, the magnetic connection between them sparks a journey of passion and cosmic importance as they maneuver through misunderstandings, a quest in another world, and a bond that transcends space and time. The story mixes elements of romance, science fiction, and fantasy, with a strong focus on the transformative power of love and destiny.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a futuristic blend of mystery, thriller, and science fiction set in a world where a bomb destroys Pittsburgh, leaving survivor John Dominic Blaxton grieving the loss of his lost wife and unborn child. Immersed in a digital reconstruction of Pittsburgh called the Archive, he investigates deaths in hopes of closing cold cases. When he discovers a glitch in the code surrounding a murder, his journey intertwines with a web of deceit and a nightmare more horrifying than he could have imagined. The story explores themes of grief, loss, technology, and the dark side of a media-saturated future.

Across Time

Across Time is a time travel romance set in pre-WWII France, where modern-day protagonist Amelie Besson finds herself 50 years in the past. There she encounters Henri Durand, a protective and enigmatic vineyard owner, whose presence challenges her beliefs and stirs a dangerous attraction. As their bond deepens amid the looming shadow of war and personal obstacles, Amelie questions her past, her future, and the strength of her connection to Henri. The story unfolds with a mix of mystery, romance, and historical intrigue, keeping readers engaged and eager for the sequel.

Time's Mirror

Time's Mirror is a novella set in the CHRONOS Files series, focusing on the character Prudence Pierce. The story delves into her backstory - a journey from rebellious teenager to the manipulative figure known as Sister Prudence in the present time. Through time travel and unexpected events, Pru finds herself in a complicated situation where she deals with conflicting loyalties and uncertain truths. The novella provides valuable insight into her motivations, challenges, and relationships, adding depth to her character in the overall series. Walker's skillful storytelling and engaging narrative keeps readers intrigued and sets the stage for the final book in the series.

Island in the Sea of Time

Island in the Sea of Time by S.M. Stirling is an alternate history novel where the island of Nantucket is transported back in time to the Bronze Age. The inhabitants must adapt to survive in this unfamiliar era, facing challenges with native peoples, political complexities, and the re-creation of modern technologies with Bronze Age resources. 

While the premise is intriguing and the logistical aspects well thought out, some readers found the characterizations lacking, with stereotypical villains and shallow portrayals. The book has elements of darkness, violence, and sexual content that may be disturbing to some, but overall it presents a mix of positive and negative aspects.

This is How You Lose the Time War

This story follows Red and Blue - two time-traveling rivals from warring futures - who begin exchanging letters and develop a romantic relationship across time and space. With enthralling elements of both romance and adventure, This is How You Lose the Time War explores the unexpected connection between the agents as they navigate through the past, falling in love despite the complexities of their missions. The novella has received critical acclaim, winning the BSFA Award, Nebula Award, and Hugo Award for Best Novella, highlighting its compelling narrative and unique storytelling approach.

• Time Travel

Rebecca Ruger

A time travel romance.

“Far From Home” is a captivating series that follows the lives of six modern-day, independent women who are transported back to medieval Scotland. As they navigate a world where the past and their present collide, they discover that love knows no bounds, not even those of time. Each book offers a unique story of time-travel romance, adventure, and the enduring power of love across the ages.

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The 25 Best Contemporary Romance Movies Based on Books, Ranked

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When reading a book, we often imagine the characters and towns coming to life, quirks and all. But what's better than watching the author's vision come to life on the silver screen? Over the years, countless bestsellers have been adapted into movies and TV shows. Many romance movies based on books reaffirm the undeniable power of hope, love, and trust, while others leave a bittersweet imprint on the heart.

Whatever the end, love stories are meant to be relived repeatedly, and there's no way better than to experience them over and over again by reading the book or watching the best romantic movies based on novels. There's no shortage of upcoming movies based on bestselling books, with highly-anticipated flicks like It Ends With Us (June 21) keeping fans eagerly waiting for their favorite characters to come to life on the big screen. That said, viewers looking for existing beloved romantic book-to-movie adaptations also have an excellent selection to choose from .

25 'A Walk to Remember' (2002)

Based on a walk to remember (1999) by nicholas sparks.

There are plenty of Nicholas Sparks movie adaptations , but perhaps an underrated one is A Walk to Remember . The film tells the story of Landon Carter ( Shane West ), a rebellious teenager, and Jamie Sullivan ( Mandy Moore ), a kind and religious young woman. Despite their contrasting personalities, an unlikely yet beautiful relationship blossoms between them.

Landon's journey of transformation is at the heart of the story. Through his love for Jamie, he experiences a remarkable change, evolving from a carefree teenager into a mature and responsible young man. One particularly touching scene showcases Landon fulfilling every item on Jamie's wish list. This early 2000s romance offers a faithful adaptation of Sparks' novel, capturing an undeniable emotional depth that resonates with audiences .

Watch on Netflix

24 'Flipped' (2010)

Based flipped (2001) by wendelin van draanen.

Directed by Rob Reiner , Flipped is a romance movie set in the 1960s about the love story between Bryce Loski ( Callan McAuliffe ) and Juli Baker ( Madeline Carroll ). In it, Juli has a severe crush on her neighbor, Bryce, who in turn harbors a neutral and (even disgusted) attitude to her intentions. But as Juli’s affection wanes, Bryce begins to fall for her.

Exceedingly nostalgic and touching, Flipped takes a look at innocent young love. It has touched audiences both young and old, reminding them of how first love can be both simple and complex. The film is a powerful testament to the lasting impact of the people we meet. It faithfully captures the essence of its literary source, offering a heartfelt and genuine adaptation that reminds viewers of how even fleeting encounters can shape our lives and perspectives .

Flipped (2010)

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23 'The Time Traveler's Wife' (2009)

Based on the time traveler's wife (2003) by audrey niffenegger.

The Time Traveler's Wife is a captivating tale of love intertwined with the fantastical element of time travel. Eric Bana portrays Henry DeTamble, a man cursed with a genetic condition that causes him to involuntarily jump through time. Across from him, Rachel McAdams takes on the role of Clare Abshire , a woman who falls deeply in love with him despite the challenges his condition presents.

The film chronicles their tumultuous relationship, constantly disrupted by Henry's unpredictable disappearances and reappearances. Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles, The Time Traveler's Wife is a compelling romance. The chemistry between Bana and McAdams is palpable, evident even in the comfortable silences that speak volumes about their unconventional bond. The film also stays true to the emotional core of the novel, delivering a touching and memorable experience that grapples with the age-old question: can love truly conquer the limitations of time ?

The Time Traveler's Wife

22 'dear john' (2010), based on dear john (2006) by nicholas sparks.

Dear John , directed by Lasse Hallström , is a moving love story that explores the complexities of balancing love with duty. Channing Tatum stars as John Tyree, a soldier on leave, who falls for Savannah Curtis, a college student played by Amanda Seyfried . Their whirlwind romance is soon interrupted by John's call to duty.

The film follows their evolving relationship through heartfelt letters exchanged across continents. After a long separation, their reunion highlights the profound effect distance has had on them both, highlighting the emotional challenges and yearning inherent in long-distance love. Dear John excels as a romantic drama because it authentically portrays the heartbreak and joy of loving someone from afar . It’s a must-watch movie for fans of Tatum and Seyfried as their unbelievable chemistry transcends the screen and will make viewers swoon.

Dear John (2010)

21 'bridget jones's diary' (2001), based on bridget jones's diary (1996) by helen fielding.

For those who want a rom-com with a bite, they should check out Bridget Jones’s Diary . Renée Zellweger plays the titular character, who is a single woman in her 30s navigating the messy world of dating, career woes, and self-discovery. Determined to get her life on track, Bridget starts keeping a diary, chronicling her misadventures and triumphs with wit and honesty .

One particularly hilarious scene in the movie features a messy restaurant brawl between Bridget's two love interests , the charmingly awkward Mark Darcy ( Colin Firth ) and the smooth-talking Daniel Cleaver ( Hugh Grant ). Bridget Jones's charm lies in its relatable protagonist and sharp dialogue. Zellweger perfectly captures Bridget's vulnerability and humor, making her a character you can't help but root for. Forget the overly sweet rom-coms – Bridget's journey is refreshingly real.

Bridget Jones's Diary

20 'the kissing booth' (2018), based on the kissing booth (2012) by beth reekles.

Coming to fame from Wattpad, Beth Reekles ' The Kissing Booth is a well-received story that was adapted into a film series by Netflix after garnering a wide fan base in 2018. The story follows teenager Elle Evans (one of Joey King 's most popular characters ), falling in love with her childhood crush, Noah Flynn ( Jacob Elordi ).

Despite the critics having mixed opinions on how to exactly categorize the film, no one can deny that it was a romantic comedy that audiences absolutely adored. If its quick rise to popularity through Netflix is any indication, it's a must-watch if one is interested in light humor along with an ideal representation of the coming-of-age experience. The Kissing Booth was so popular that it spawned two more sequels, highlighting the demand for more mindless popcorn flicks.

The Kissing Booth

19 'twilight' (2008), based on twilight (2005) by stephenie meyer.

Based on the 2005 novel by Stephanie Meyer , Twilight is one of the most binge-watched romance movie series of all time. Considered the leading movie in the coming-of-age and vampire romance genres, it is centered around Bella Swan ( Kristen Stewart ), a teenage girl who meets a reclusive family of vampires, the Cullens. She soon falls for the brooding yet charming vampire, Edward Cullen ( Robert Pattinson ).

Although critics express mixed opinions on a few aspects of the plotline being ignored in favor of establishing a 'falling in love with a vampire' dynamic, it still retains its position as one of the most iconic and highest-grossing romance movies ever made . Twilight is a hit or miss for most audiences , but there's no denying that it has cemented its position as one of the most iconic and massively successful romance films in cinematic history.

18 'Paper Towns' (2015)

Based on paper towns (2008) by john green.

Based on the bestselling novel by John Green , Paper Towns is a fantastic coming-of-age and romance movie that follows the escapades of Margo Roth ( Cara Delevingne ), trying to explore her true personality away from the clutches of her dysfunctional family. Her neighbor Quentin ( Nat Wolff ), who is in love with her, enlists the help of his friends to track Margo with the clues she left behind when she mysteriously disappears.

With well-executed themes such as man-vs-society and soul-searching, Paper Towns manages to show wisps of teenage love coupled with light comedy . Although many claim that the on-screen adaption does not reflect the emotions within the book (which are significantly more hard-hitting), the movie displays outstanding screenwriting by Scott Neustadter and Micheal H. Weber , who bring the best aspects of the coming-of-age novel to life.

Paper Towns

17 'safe haven' (2013), based on safe haven (2010) by nicholas sparks.

The sudden arrival of a young woman named Katie ( Julianne Hough ) raises suspicions among the residents of the quiet, small town of Southport, North Carolina. But what's even stranger is her reluctance to form personal relationships with other citizens. But Katie's resolve withers away when she is drawn into reluctant relationships with Alex ( Josh Duhamel ), a widowed dad and store owner, and her neighbor, Jo ( Cobie Smulders ). As her past continues to haunt her, Katie must make the tough choice between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards.

Nicholas Sparks is the king of adaptations , and Safe Haven adds another badge to his honor belt full of romance books turned into movies . Despite being more formulaic and lacking the emotional depth of Sparks' past works, the chemistry between the stars, Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel, plus the film's lovely North Carolina setting make it worth seeing.

Safe Haven (2013)

16 'emma' (2020), based on emma (1815) by jane austen.

Emma Woodhouse ( Anya Taylor Joy ) is a headstrong, level-headed woman living in Regency-era England with her wealthy father. When her governess, Miss Taylor ( Gemma Whelan ), marries and becomes Mrs. Weston, she decides to look for another companion. Emma finally settles on Harriet Smith ( Mia Goth ), an unclaimed child whose education has been provided for. Despite her promise not to, Emma meddles in Harriet's life, giving her advice she sees wise.

Emma is based on Jane Austen 's novel of the same name and features the protagonist's attempts at matchmaking and meddling in the romantic lives of those closest to her. It's known for its fantastic performances, notably that of Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character, as well as its creative directing and faithfulness to the source material. Emma 's humor, charm, and historical realism will appeal to viewers. It was a critical and financial hit, praised for being an enjoyable and sophisticated adaptation of Jane Austen's novel.

15 'Me Before You' (2016)

Based on me before you (2012) by jojo moyes.

Louisa Clark ( Emilia Clarke ), an ordinary 26-year-old, takes the job as a caretaker for William Traynor ( Sam Claflin ), a bitter 35-year-old who lost his motor ability due to an incident. Louisa becomes enamored with William's adventurist side, eventually helping him come to terms with the reality of his situation and falling in love along the way.

Journey through a myriad of emotions in Thea Sharrock 's adaption of the 2012 novel by Jojo Moyes , Me Before You , which has a splendid blend of light-hearted comedy and moving moments revolving around two people from completely different worlds finding solace in one another. It's a masterpiece in terms of raw emotion, wonderfully translating the essence of the book. That said, many have criticized it for its very premise, especially towards the end of the story when William has to make a tough decision.

Me Before You

14 'p.s. i love you' (2007), based on p.s. i love you (2004) by cecelia ahern.

Holly Kennedy ( Hilary Swank ) couldn't live without her husband Gerry ( Gerard Butler )... until she had to. Inseparable since high school, the couple was everything to each other, but after Jerry succumbed to an illness and passed away, Holly wasn't sure she would survive. That's when she received the first of many letters from Gerry, ones he wrote to help her through the pain and grief before his death.

Inspired by Cecelia Ahern 's novel of the same name, P.S. I Love You is a story of holding on, letting go, and learning to love again . Despite feeling too sappy and manipulative at times, the film about love and grief is worth seeing for its performances, especially Hilary Swank's, and its handling of sensitive material. Viewers can expect to be brought to tears as Holly receives one letter after another, slowly finding herself again in the process.

P.S. I Love You (2007)

13 'to all the boys i've loved before' (2018), based on to all the boys i've loved before (2014) by jenny han.

Instead of admitting her feelings to all her crushes, Lara Jean ( Lana Condor ) has a letter for every one of them, a letter she never sent. One night, her little sister Kitty ( Anna Cathcart ) sneaks into her room and posts all of them, except one of the crushes is her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh ( Israel Broussard ). So Lara and Peter Kavinsky ( Noah Centineo ) strike a deal. They decide to pretend to date until Josh leaves her alone and Peter gets his ex back. But how long can they resist before it's not fake anymore?

An adaptation of Jenny Han 's novel of the same name, To All The Boys I've Loved Before , is followed by two sequels, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All the Boys: Always and Forever . The first film's numerous strengths include its strong performances, especially those of Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, and its delightful and amusing portrayal of adolescent love. To All The Boys I've Loved Before became a Netflix sensation for a good reason, as it just exudes good vibes and a totally adorable love story.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

12 'crazy rich asians' (2018), based on crazy rich asians (2013) by kevin kwan.

New York native Rachel Chu ( Constance Wu ) is living her best life as an economics professor at New York University. With her boyfriend, Nicholas Young ( Henry Golding ), she plans to visit Singapore for his best friend's wedding. Only when they board the plane does Rachel realize Nick is one of Asia's most eligible bachelors, and his family is stupid rich. With their status differences, she might as well be carrying a target on her back.

An impeccable depiction of the clashes in the poor guy-rich girl trope, Crazy Rich Asians , is based on Kevin Kwan 's book of the same name. Aside from the Hollywood film's portrayal of diverse Asian and Asian-American characters, the movie is notable for its luxurious setting that highlights various cultural aspects not often seen on the big screen. Crazy Rich Asians was a critical and commercial success, and it has since become a popular romantic comedy movie for numerous fans.

Crazy Rich Asians

11 'one day' (2011), based on one day (2009) by david nicholls.

One Day , based on the novel of the same name by David Nicholls , is a heartfelt romance that spans two decades, centered around the lives of Emma Morley ( Anne Hathaway ) and Dexter Mayhew ( Jim Sturgess ). The film begins on the day of their graduation in 1988 and revisits them on the same date each year, depicting how their initially "platonic" relationship slowly begins to change.

The 2011 film is remembered for its unique and ambitious narrative structure that makes it exciting to follow the movie's love story. Anne Hathaway's underrated performance as Emma also makes the film's powerful story of self-discovery (and its unforgettable ending) more relatable. While its uneven pacing may throw some viewers off, it's still worth watching for the one-of-a-kind way it tells its romantic plot.

One Day (2011)

10 'where the crawdads sing' (2022), based on where the crawdads sing (2018) by delia owens.

A film based on the eponymous 2018 novel by Delia Owens , director Olivia Newman 's Where the Crawdads Sing combines mystery, drama, and romance to weave an absorbing story. It follows Kya ( Daisy Edgar-Jones ), a spirited girl left alone to raise herself in a North Carolina marshland. She's soon known as the "marsh girl" when she reveals herself to the townspeople. Inspired by potential romance, Kya's story takes a dark turn when she's blamed for a recent murder.

While the film mostly focuses on the mystery/drama aspect of Kya's story, there's a central romance plot that focuses on Kya's attraction to the charming Tate ( Taylor John Smith ) and connection with the devious Chase ( Harris Dickinson ). This connection will haunt her and make her question her decision to ever leave the marshland, adding a thrilling element to the 2022 movie.

Where the Crawdads Sing

9 'five feet apart' (2019), created alongside five feet apart (2018) by rachael lippincott.

Created with the eponymous 2018 novel by Rachael Lippincott , Five Feet Apart is the embodiment of angst-filled love between two teenagers who are prisoners in their own lives. The rewatchable teen drama movie depicts a budding romance between Stella ( Haley Lu Richardson ) and Will ( Cole Sprouse ), who meet in a hospital during their treatment for Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Having to stay six feet away from each other due to vulnerability to infection, the two find a way to make the most of what they have or the time they have left together.

Stella tries to make the experience more lively for a cynical Will, so they can have a chance to enjoy their teens to the fullest. A true devastator of the heart, Five Feet Apart takes some unexpected turns , despite its already upsetting premise. As the characters emotional longing grows, the physical space between them becomes unbearable, leading to some intense moments.

Five Feet Apart

8 'carol' (2015), based on the price of salt (1952) by patricia highsmith.

Carol tells a captivating tale of forbidden love set against the backdrop of the 1950s, based on Patricia Highsmith 's 1952 novel The Price of Salt (which was later republished as Carol in 1990). Directed by Todd Haynes , the 2015 period drama depicts the chance encounter between Therese Belivet ( Rooney Mara ), a young aspiring photographer, and Carol Aird ( Cate Blanchett ), an older, sophisticated woman trapped in a loveless marriage.

Carol is a beautiful film, with its exquisite cinematography, meticulously crafted period details, and haunting score creating an immersive environment that draws viewers into the complicated romance it portrays. Of course, it's the undeniable chemistry and fantastic performances from Mara and Blanchett that have earned the movie its reputation as a masterclass in LGBTQ+ cinema. It's one of the best romantic dramas of the 21st century , making it a must-see for fans of the genre.

7 'Love, Simon' (2018)

Based on simon vs. the homo sapiens agenda (2015) by becky albertalli.

16-year-old Simon Spier ( Nick Robinson ) is a fairly simple guy. He wants no drama and no one to know he's gay except Blue, the boy he's been emailing. But when one of those emails falls into the hands of class clown Martin ( Logan Miller ), his sexual orientation and the real identity of Blue are at risk of being compromised. Now, change-averse Simon has to do everything he's afraid of doing if he wants a shot at happiness.

A remarkable adaptation of Becky Albertalli 's Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda , Love, Simon is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale of teenage queer love and the struggle it can accompany . The film's wit, charm, and heart will resonate with viewers, as more than a love story, it's also a touching tale about identity and self-discovery. A modern teen romance destined to become a classic , Love, Simon is a touching and realistic depiction of adolescent life.

Love, Simon (2018)

6 'stardust' (2007), based on stardust (1999) by neil gaiman.

A whimsical odyssey based on Neil Gaiman 's eponymous 1999 novel, Stardust is a wonderful fantasy adventure centered on Tristan Thorn ( Charlie Cox ). The young protagonist embarks on a thrilling quest into the mystical world of Stormhold to find and retrieve a fallen star. Soon, he meets the mesmerizing Yvaine ( Claire Danes ), who finds herself in danger as villainous figures around the kingdom seek to use her power for themselves.

With a remarkable cast – that includes Robert De Niro playing Captain Shakespeare and Michelle Pfeiffer as the malevolent Lamia – and visuals ahead of its time, Stardust has gone on to become a niche yet beloved romantic fantasy film that has held up incredibly well . Audiences looking for a dose of magic alongside their romance should check out the underrated adaptation of one of Gaiman's best stories, which can take some surprisingly emotional turns.

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3 rom-coms on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in June 2024

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Now that we’re well into 2024, maybe you have already spent a day or night at the theater checking out that new movie you wanted to watch. But with busy schedules filled with summertime activities, you might be looking for an old classic, or even a new film, you can stream at home when you want to take a load off. Get some drinks, popcorn, and gather the family, partner, or watch on your own in bed.

There are three rom-coms on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in June that will leave you feeling satisfied by the end. One is a John Hughes coming-of-age teen classic, one is a new body-swap tale, and the third is a rom-com that combines the tremendous acting forces of two of the biggest A-listers at the tops of their games.

Sixteen Candles (1984)

Sixteen Candles Official Trailer #1 - Molly Ringwald Movie (1984) HD

A classic 1980s John Hughes rom-com, Sixteen Candles was mandatory coming-of-age viewing for anyone growing up in that decade. It’s a great rom-com to re-watch with your own coming-of-age kids today, or to relive the magic and nostalgia for yourself, recalling when you first watched it. Starring several young actors from the time who were known collectively as the Brat Pack, Sixteen Candles follows Sam (Molly Ringwald) as she gears up for her milestone 16th birthday. But her family barely remembers, too busy with other, more important things going on. Her crush doesn’t seem to know she’s even alive either, or so she thinks. And every day high school life is just, well, hard.

The story follows Sam’s journey through everyday teenage challenges, from raucous parties to awkward social encounters, cool kids versus the “geeks,” and class distinctions. Sixteen Candles doesn’t have some major, twisting plot or massively dramatic moments. But it’s a simple yet heartwarming and relatable tale about a young woman coming into her own.

Stream Sixteen Candles   on Amazon Prime Video.

I’m with Me (2023)

I'm with Me - Official Trailer

Cindy Hunter (Rose Reynolds), the editor of a tabloid magazine, is getting ready to marry Damon (Aaron Cobham), a therapist and the man of her dreams. But when Cindy comes in contact with a magical plant, she and Damon switch minds. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be in someone else’s shoes, particularly your partner’s, I’m with Me is a hilarious take on how this could play out.

Given the very different nature of their jobs, the swap naturally leads to plenty of blunders at work for both of them. With their pending nuptials on the horizon, Cindy as Damon and Damon as Cindy must figure out a way to get their own bodies back. The body swap story has been told again and again, but I’m with Me puts a fun spin on it that makes the movie a hoot that also has heart.

Stream I’m with Me  on Amazon Prime Video.

Bull Durham (1988)

BULL DURHAM (1988) | Official Trailer | MGM

Yellowstone ‘s Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon star in this romantic comedy sports movie about a veteran baseball catcher named “Crash” Davis (Costner) who is brought in to help rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) make it to the major leagues. While baseball groupie Annie Savoy (Sarandon) initially tries to woo Nuke, she finds herself falling for Crash. Loosely based on the real-life minor league experiences of Ron Shelton, who wrote and directed the movie, Bull Durham has been widely considered to be among the best sports movies of all time.

A wonderful combination of comedy and romance, Bull Durham puts Costner, Sarandon, and Robbins’ talents on full display. It’s no wonder all three have gone on to experience successful careers through the decades with all three winning Oscars. Performing tremendously well at the box office, Bull Durham is one of those movies worth watching if you haven’t yet, and it has great re-watch value, too.

Stream Bull Durham   on Amazon Prime Video.

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10 Adventure Travel Ideas For Couples For That Epic Getaway

Posted: June 6, 2024 | Last updated: June 6, 2024

Yearning for an adventure that will leave you breathless, create unforgettable memories, and strengthen the bond with your partner? 

Forget lounging by the pool—it’s time to lace up your boots, strap on your snorkel, or even hop on a dogsled for the journey of a lifetime.

Here’s a curated list of the top 10 extraordinary travel experiences that will redefine what it means to have an adventure as a couple. 

1. Romantic Sicily for Couples – Private Tour

Visit the picturesque landscapes and rich history of Sicily with a private tour, including visits to ancient ruins and wine tastings ( ref ). This trip offers a mix of culture, relaxation, and adventure for couples.

2. Around Iceland Adventure

Experience the breathtaking natural beauty of Iceland, including glaciers, waterfalls, and black sand beaches, on a guided adventure tour. This trip provides a thrilling combination of outdoor activities and exploration.

3. Couples 4wd Camper – 3 Days K’gari (Fraser Island)

Book a stay at the pristine beaches and rainforests of Fraser Island in Australia with a 4WD camper ( ref ). This trip provides a chance to disconnect from the world and reconnect with nature and each other.

4. Royal Rajasthan with Romantic Stay at Island

Discover the vibrant culture and stunning landscapes of Rajasthan, India, with a romantic stay at an island resort. This trip offers a mix of adventure, relaxation, and cultural immersion for couples.

5. Adventure Morocco (4 Star Hotels)

Explore the vibrant cities and stunning natural beauty of Morocco, including the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert, with a guided adventure tour. This trip provides a thrilling combination of culture, history, and outdoor activities for couples.

6. Kayaking in Alaska

Experience the breathtaking natural beauty of Alaska’s wilderness, including glaciers and fjords. A kayaking tour presents a unique and adventurous experience for couples who love the outdoors.

7. Hiking in Utah

Trek through the stunning natural beauty of Utah’s national parks, including Zion and Bryce Canyon. A hiking trip provides a thrilling combination of outdoor activities and exploration for couples.

8. Surfing in Costa Rica

Experience the world-class surfing and stunning natural beauty of Costa Rica, including rainforests and beaches, on a guided surf tour. This trip offers a unique and adventurous experience for couples who love water sports.

9. Safari in Botswana

Enjoy the stunning natural beauty and wildlife of Botswana’s national parks, including the Okavango Delta. This guided safari tour provides a thrilling combination of outdoor activities and wildlife encounters for couples.

10. Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia, Turkey

Soar above the breathtaking natural beauty of Cappadocia’s otherworldly landscapes by fairy chimneys and hot air balloons. A guided hot air balloon ride is just what you both need for a romantic and adventurous experience. 

So, why settle for the ordinary when the extraordinary awaits? Pack your bags, grab your partner’s hand, and embark on an adventure that will leave you with stories to tell for years to come. Your next adventure begins now.

Planning a romantic getaway can be as thrilling as the trip itself. With the diverse landscapes and vibrant cultures across the United States, couples can find endless opportunities to rekindle romance and create lasting memories.

• Don’t Miss: 10 Unforgettable Travel Ideas for Couples in the USA

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These New Government-approved Locations Around the U.S. Will Speed Up Your Passport Process

The “Special Passport Acceptance Fairs” will be taking place from New Jersey to Florida this month.

Mehroz Kapadia/Travel + Leisure

The U.S. Government is taking a summer road trip to make it easier for first-time passport holders to complete applications.

Continuing the State Department's “Special Passport Acceptance Fairs” — which was created to speed up passport processing times of passports for first timers — the agency has just released a new batch of dates through July 6. The events will be held in Arizona, California, Florida, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina. The events are often held at post offices, recreation centers, or libraries.

The events are only for new passports, and not renewals. “We're holding special passport fairs all across the United States to help you get your passport more easily,” the State Department shared on their site.  Here’s the full list of upcoming Special Passport Acceptance Fairs, times and location details available on the Fair website : June 5 - Somerville, NJ - Somerville Branch Library June 6 - Manchester, NJ - Leisure Village West Association - Willow Hall June 7 - Nutley, NJ - Nutley Parks and Recreation Center June 8 - Exeter, CA - Exeter Post Office June 8 - Tell City, IN - Tell City Post Office June 8 - Fairfield, NJ - Fairfield Recreation Center June 8 - Greenville, SC - Greenville Main Post Office June 11 - Verona, NJ - Verona Town Hall June 12 - Bridgewater, NJ - Bridgewater Branch Library June 12 - Toms River, NJ - Lake Ridge June 12 - Mahwah, NJ - Senior Center June 13 - Clermont, FL - Highlander Building June 13 - Kissimmee, FL - Valencia College Poinciana Campus June 13 - Lakeland, FL - Keiser University June 13 - Orlando, FL - University of Central Florida - Live Oak Event Center June 13 - Orlando, FL - Leonard & Marjorie Williams Family YMCA June 13 - Sanford, FL - Sanford Civic Center June 13 - Garfield, NJ - City Hall June 14 - Kissimmee, FL - Holiday Inn Orlando SW Celebration June 15 - Carrboro, NC - Carrboro Post Office June 15 - Okeechobee, FL - Okeechobee County Clerk of the Circuit Court June 15 - Las Cruces, NM - Las Cruces Main Post Office June 15 - Montpelier, VT - Vermont Secretary of State Office June 17 - Brick, NJ - Greenbriar One June 18 - Bergenfield, NJ - Conlon Hall June 18 - Verona, NJ - Verona Town Hall June 22 - Oroville, CA - Butte County Elections Office June 22 - Livingston, NJ - Livingston Public Library June 22 - Milford, NH - Wadleigh Memorial Library June 22 - Scottsdale, AZ - Scottsdale Office June 26 - Bridgewater, NJ - Bridgewater Branch Library June 27 - Fairlawn, NJ - Council Chambers, 2nd Floor July 6 - Pensacola, FL - Nobles Station Post Office

For people seeking a new passport that don’t live near one of the special events, they can still submit an application through the existing process . The current processing times for passports are 6 to 8 weeks for routine service, 2 to 3 weeks for expedited service, and urgent service is available by appointment for people with travel within 14 calendar days, according to the State Department .

The State Department recently shared a notice of the top mistakes that people make when completing a passport application, including failure to follow the passport photo requirements and not completing all of the form sections. 

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All About Tom Hardy's Wife Charlotte Riley & Their 3 Kids

From Peaky Blinders to the Edge of Tomorrow , get to know Charlotte Riley — Tom Hardy’s other Hollywood half.

As the rugged ringleader of a 1960s motorcycle gang, Tom Hardy’s newest movie role in The Bikeriders (in theaters beginning June 21) is sure to find him hitting the screen at full throttle. But what fans of the Hollywood A-lister might not realize is that Hardy’s just one-half of a Hollywood couple whose relationship roots run deep through his own acting past.

Hardy and British actor Charlotte Riley have been married for almost a decade, having first tied the knot on the 4th of July all the way back in 2014. It’s a union that sparked after the future couple first met in 2009, on the set of a lavish period drama that teamed the two stars as a pair of romantic literary heavyweights.

RELATED:  The Cast of The Bikeriders Explained: Everything to Know About Tom Hardy & Austin Butler Thriller

From box office smashes like  The Dark Knight Rises  and  Venom to his earlier turns in critical film hits like Layer Cake (2004), Marie Antoinette (2006), and Inception (2010), Hardy has hardly been difficult to spot whenever a project he’s attached to percolates upward and into the spotlight. But through the birth of two children and a whole decade’s worth of celebrity-couple tabloid attention, Riley has also watched her own film career grow — and the odds are good that you’ve spotted her in way more than one high-profile project.

Who is Tom Hardy’s wife Charlotte Riley?

Born in 1981 in the northern English village of Grindon, County Durham, Riley attended local schools and participated in local theater before eventually taking her talents to London, where she attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Landing her earliest TV roles round that same time, Riley nabbed her first big screen gig (opposite Jessica Biel and Colin Firth) in the 2008 British rom-com Easy Virtue .

The very next year, Riley landed a part that would forever change her personal fortunes, taking on the role of Catherine Earnshaw in the 2009 British event series adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights . The leading man playing her star-crossed love interest? Yep, it was none other than Tom Hardy, cast in the iconic antihero’s role of Heathcliff.

RELATED: What is The Bikeriders Rated? What to Know About Motorcycle Drama Starring Austin Butler

Hardy’s screen career already had begun to take off at the time, thanks to his early-2000s appearances in films like Star Trek: Nemesis , Layer Cake , and Sucker Punch (and only three short years before his deliciously villainous role as Bane in Christopher Nolan’s crowning Batman trilogy flick The Dark Knight Rises ). But as fate would have it, his casting alongside Riley would prove especially providential — and not just for either actor’s screen career.

Where have you seen Charlotte Riley onscreen?

As it turned out, Wuthering Heights wasn’t the only occasion when Riley and Hardy would star together — not even in 2009. The same year as their onscreen lovers’ meeting in Wuthering Heights , the acting duo also appeared in British TV crime drama The Take . With their offscreen chemistry quickly cementing even when the cameras weren’t rolling, Hardy proposed to Riley in 2010, launching a four-year courtship that formally ended when the pair married July 4, 2014.

Throughout that time and continuing all the way into the present day, Riley has maintained a busy but selective acting career even as her Hollywood husband has tackled a vast range of box office blockbusters including Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Dunkirk (2017), Venom (2018) and its sequels, and the upcoming action thriller Havoc (2025).

RELATED: Austin Butler's Episode of SNL Was Packed With Holiday Hilarity

Riley starred opposite Tom Cruise in the 2014 sci-fi action movie Edge of Tomorrow;  joined the cast of the enormously popular British crime series Peaky Blinders;  played the Ghost of Christmas Present in BBC’s 2019 adaptation of A Christmas Carol (which Hardy himself co-produced); and, most recently, portrayed enigmatic time traveler Aelita West (opposite Chloë Grace Moretz) in the trippy sci-fi series The Periphera l. All the while, she’s kept the pace steady through consistent television appearances, primarily in historical period dramas and lighthearted comedies including Close to the Enemy (2016), King Charles III (2017), and the oil-magnate miniseries saga Trust (2018).

Do Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley have children?

Since tying the knot in 2014, Charlotte Riley and Tom Hardy have welcomed two children of their own into their growing family — though they’ve successfully kept their kids’ private lives well separated from the media spotlight.

Although the couple has sustained a firm silence regarding details about their two children (including any public confirmation of their names), Riley reportedly (via People ) gave birth to their first child — a daughter — late in 2015, followed in late 2018 (or perhaps early 2019) by the birth of their second child , a son. Riley, meanwhile, is also stepmother to Hardy’s older child, Louis Thomas, whom Hardy fathered from a previous relationship with film industry insider Rachel Speed.

Despite the couple’s understandable reluctance to subject their children to scrutinizing tabloid eyes, both Riley and Hardy have shared insight into how family life has help shape their relationship. “There was no longer very much time for me to think about myself anymore,” Hardy confided to the Daily Mail not long after the birth of their son, “…because there is somebody now on the planet who really needs me to get my act together and focus on something that is more important than me.”

Riley, meanwhile, has obliquely acknowledged the importance of children and family through her advocacy of the Keeping Families In Film campaign, a movement to improve on-set child care availability for working parents in the entertainment industry. “I've seen so many talented people leaving the industry when they became parents and just not being able to make their job, their film life, work in the industry with their family life,” she explained to Sky News  in 2021 of her passion for the family-focused initiative.

Catch Tom Hardy alongside costars Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Norman Reedus in Focus Features’ upcoming motorcycle epic, The Bikeriders, in theaters beginning June 21. Grab your tickets here !

• The Bikeriders
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