20+ Swooningly Romantic Movies If You Loved ‘Pride & Prejudice’

Jane Austen’s novel Pride & Prejudice has been adapted what feels like a million times over. Even the original Bridget Jones’ Diary movie is a loose take on the classic tale. But nothing quite stands out like the 2005 film version starring Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as the notorious Mr. Darcy. If you love that version of Pride & Prejudice and just can’t get enough of the same story and romantic quotes, you can always tune into the 1995 TV miniseries adaptation starring Colin Firth as Darcy or one of the dozens of other versions of Pride & Prejudice that have aired since the first movie version in 1938. There’s even a Pride & Prejudice with zombies. What more could a romantic-minded movie lover want?

Of course, that might not be for everyone. And scrolling through Amazon to find 1930s films is a massive waste of time, when you already have Bridgerton, another take on the 18th-century dating scene, right at your fingertips on Netflix. Never fear: when it comes to movies like Pride & Prejudice, there are almost too many to choose from. But the following are some of the best, whether it’s because they take place in the same time period or just have that will-they, won’t they relationship vibe that’s at the center of all the tension in the movie.

1. Love & Friendship (2016)

If you can’t get enough of Austen’s work, this movie is based on the novella Lady Susan. Starring Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny, which is reason enough to watch, the movie is about a woman named Lady Susan Vernon who moves to her in-law’s estate in the name of finding the perfect match for her daughter. Director Whit Stillman said that he decided to adapt the novella with Beckinsale in mind as Susan, though at the time she was too young. So he waited, to great results, according to Indie Wire, saying, “One of the advantages of not having financing and struggling for financing is that you have a really long casting process.” Not only is it a great story, but the outlet even claims it’s one of Becksinsale’s best roles to date.

2. The Young Victoria (2009)

Written by Julian Fellowes, of Downton Abbey fame, this movie stars Emily Blunt as a young Princess Victoria in the early stages of her marriage to Prince Albert, played by Rupert Friend. The banter between the two love birds is definitely entertaining and watching them navigate social norms and politics to make their relationship work will give you all the Jane Austen vibes.

3. The Prince and Me (2004)

No one does early aughts rom-coms like Julia Stiles, who stars in this somewhat cheesy movie as Paige Morgan, a medical student who falls in love with a fictional Danish prince. He’s a bad boy and refuses to heed his parents’ wishes for his romantic life — he heads to America after seeing Girls Gone Wild, for example — where he ends up disrupting Paige’s perfectly mapped out life in the name of love. It’s far from Oscar-worthy, but it’s adorable, fun, and perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon when you just need to delve into a modern comedy of errors.

4. Becoming Jane (2007)

Jane Austen famously used her life and the culture around her to inform her work, so if you want to take a deep dive into her psyche, this romantic drama based on her life before fame is a perfect watch. Starring Anne Hathaway and Maggie Smith, it depicts Austen bucking her parent’s wishes for her marriage and falling in love with politician Thomas Langlois Lefroy. Could he be the real Mr. Darcy? That’s for you to decide.

5. Emma (2020)

This is a three-for-one weekend movie pick for fans of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. It’s based on another of Austen’s novels of the same name and follows the life of Emma Woodhouse, a woman living in the Regency period who is just obsessed with matchmaking and society gossip, a lá Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton. There is a 1996 version starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Alan Cumming, Toni Collette, and Ewan McGregor, and an updated 2020 version with up-and-coming actor Anya Taylor-Joy. So theoretically, you could spend an entire day immersed in the world of Ms. Woodhouse.

6. Austenland (2013)

If you want a quirky and ridiculous extension of the Pride & Prejudice universe, this is the movie for you. It’s about a young 20-something woman, played by Keri Russell, who is just so obsessed with the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice starring Colin Firth that it’s hindering her life. So she packs up and goes to the fictional Pride & Prejudice-themed Austenland, where you can pay to cosplay Jane Austen characters and find your very own Mr. Darcy. Roger Ebert hated it, which only means true cheesy rom-com lovers will have to add it to their DVR for repeated viewings.

7. Bright Star (2009)

Looking for a love story? This film follows the romance between John Keats and Fanny Brawne during the last three years of his life. It’s a biographical fiction drama that is just as poetic as Keats himself. The story unfolds in 1818 Hampstead. It’s a story of love, loss, and speaks to the work and faith relationships require to stay strong.

8. Atonement (2007)

Based on the book by Ian McEwan, this movie stars Kiera Knightley, and Jame McAvoy. A budding couple is broken apart by a lie. The film follows their love story as McAvoy’s character is arrested and Knightley’s is left heartbroken. However, there is a chance of a happily ever after for the two young lovers when they meet again during World War II.

9. I Capture the Castle (2003)

The title may sound like the name of a war novel, but it’s actually a funny and beautiful love story. It takes place in 1930 England and tells the tale of a fancy family with no fortune that lives in a crumbling English castle. The family is desperate to build their riches and hatches a scheme to save their wealth and status.

More Movies Like Pride & Prejudice

1. Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)
2. Anna Karenina (2012)
3. Jane Eyre (2011)
4. Miss Potter (2006)
5. A Room with a View (1985)
6. Bride And Prejudice (1985)
7. The Duchess (2008)
8. Belle (2013)
9. Little Women (2019)
10. Lady J (2018)
11. Tulip Fever (2017)
12. Sense & Sensibility (1995)
13. The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
14. Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
15. The Light Between Oceans (2016)
16. Vanity Fair (2004)