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The best romance on Criterion Channel right now

Right now the best romance films and series on Criterion Channel in the United States are Modern Times (1936), Three Colors: Red (1994) and The Circus (1928). This is the top 20 streaming there today, ranked by how well rated each one is, how many people have rated it, and what people are watching now.

Updated November 12, 2026 · streaming in the United States

Pick three for me

  1. 1. Modern Times1936

    Film · 1h 27mComedy, Drama, Romance★ 8.3

    A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

    Stream onPrime VideoHBO MaxYouTube TVCriterion Channel+4

  2. 2. Three Colors: Red1994

    Film · 1h 40mDrama, Mystery, Romance★ 7.9

    Part-time model Valentine unexpectedly befriends a retired judge after she runs over his dog. At first, the grumpy man shows no concern about the dog, and Valentine decides to keep it.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCM

  3. 3. The Circus1928

    Film · 1h 12mComedy, Drama, Romance★ 7.9

    Charlie, a wandering tramp, becomes a circus handyman - soon the star of the show - and falls in love with the circus owner's stepdaughter.

    Stream onPrime VideoHBO MaxCriterion ChannelFlixFling+5

  4. 4. To Be or Not to Be1942

    Film · 1h 39mComedy, War, Romance★ 7.8

    During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  5. 5. Rocco and His Brothers1960

    Film · 2h 58mDrama, Romance, Crime★ 8.0

    When a impoverished widow’s family moves to the big city, two of her five sons become romantic rivals with deadly results.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelOVIDDarkroomKino Film Collection+2

  6. Which of these would you actually like?

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  7. 6. La Notte1961

    Film · 2h 2mDrama, Romance★ 7.9

    A day in the life of an unfaithful married couple and their steadily deteriorating relationship in Milan.

    Stream onHBO MaxAMC+Criterion ChannelKanopy (free)

  8. 7. Great Expectations1946

    Film · 1h 58mDrama, Romance★ 7.3

    In this Dickens adaptation, orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman.

    Stream onfuboTVHBO MaxCriterion ChannelFlixFling+9

  9. 8. The Young Girls of Rochefort1967

    Film · 2h 6mRomance, Comedy, Drama★ 7.7

    In the seaside town of Rochefort, twin sisters Delphine and Solange dream of love and artistic fulfillment beyond their quiet lives.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  10. 9. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp1943

    Film · 2h 43mWar, Drama, Romance★ 7.5

    General Candy, who's overseeing an English squad in 1943, is a veteran leader who doesn't have the respect of the men he's training and is considered out-of-touch with what's needed to win the war. But it wasn't always this way.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelArtiflixDarkroom (free)+6

  11. 10. The Cranes Are Flying1957

    Film · 1h 37mDrama, Romance, War★ 7.9

    Veronika and Boris come together in Moscow shortly before World War II. Walking along the river, they watch cranes fly overhead, and promise to rendezvous before Boris leaves to fight.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelDarkroom (free)Artiflix (free)Roku Channel (free)

  12. 11. Tess1979

    Film · 2h 52mDrama, Romance★ 7.1

    A strong-willed peasant girl is sent by her father to the estate of some local aristocrats to capitalize on a rumour that their families are from the same line.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  13. 12. Scenes from a Marriage1974

    Film · 2h 49mDrama, Romance★ 8.1

    Johan and Marianne are married and seem to have it all. Their happiness, however, is a façade for a troubled relationship, which becomes even rockier when Johan admits that he's having an affair.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  14. 13. The Thief of Bagdad1940

    Film · 1h 47mAdventure, Fantasy, Romance★ 7.1

    When Prince Ahmad is blinded and cast out of Bagdad by the nefarious Jaffar, he joins forces with the scrappy thief Abu to win back his royal place, as well as the heart of a beautiful princess.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelMometu (free)Tubi (free)

  15. 14. L'Eclisse1962

    Film · 2h 6mDrama, Romance★ 7.6

    Vittoria is a beautiful literary translator living in Rome. After splitting from her writer boyfriend, Riccardo, Vittoria meets Piero, a lively stockbroker, on the hectic floor of the Roman stock exchange.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  16. 15. The Immigrant1917

    Film · 24mComedy, Romance★ 7.3

    A European immigrant endures a challenging voyage only to get into trouble as soon as he arrives in New York.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelKanopy (free)Public Domain Movies (free)

  17. 16. A Short Film About Love1988

    Film · 1h 27mDrama, Romance★ 7.8

    19-year-old Tomek whiles away his lonely life by spying on his opposite neighbour Magda through binoculars. She's an artist in her mid-thirties, and appears to have everything - not least a constant stream of men at her beck and call.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelKlassiki

  18. 17. Mona Lisa1986

    Film · 1h 45mCrime, Drama, Romance★ 6.9

    George is a small-time crook just out of prison who discovers his tough-guy image is out of date. Reduced to working as a minder/driver for high class call girl Simone, he has to agree when she asks him to find a young colleague from her…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  19. 18. Orpheus1950

    Film · 1h 35mRomance, Fantasy, Drama★ 7.7

    A famous poet in postwar Paris, scorned by the Left Bank youth, is in love with both his wife Eurydice and a mysterious princess.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelArtifyMometu (free)

  20. 19. My Night at Maud's1969

    Film · 1h 50mRomance, Comedy, Drama★ 7.6

    Devout Roman Catholic Jean-Louis subscribes to an austere moral code influenced by the philosophy of 17th-century physicist Blaise Pascal. When he spots a pretty girl at church, he promises to one day marry her.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  21. 20. Ballad of a Soldier1959

    Film · 1h 29mDrama, Romance, War★ 8.0

    During World War II, earnest young Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov is rewarded with a short leave of absence for performing a heroic deed on the battlefield. Feeling homesick, he decides to visit his mother.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelDarkroom (free)

Questions

What are the best romance films and series on Criterion Channel right now?
In the United States, as of November 12, 2026: Modern Times (1936), rated 8.3 out of 10 on TMDB, then Three Colors: Red and The Circus.
How is this list made?
Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.
Can it pick something for me?
Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

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