30+ Movies Like ‘Titanic’ For When Only A Tragic Love Story Will Do

To paraphrase the great Kate Winslet, we will never let go of Titanic. The 1997 epic was a true blockbuster movie full of romance, action, and enough prestige to earn it a Best Picture win at the Oscars. But for a generation of fans, Titanic is more than just an award-winning film, it’s a way of life. From making Leonardo DiCaprio the ’90s definitive heartthrob to ensuring Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” would forever make you teary-eyed, Titanic truly is a film like no other. But while nothing will ever replace Jack and Rose’s love story in our hearts, there are movies like Titanic that serve up sweeping romances (hello, The Notebook) and big-budget disaster sequences (yeesh, movies like 2012) in equal measure.

Granted, no other film could ever spark such a fervent debate over the floatation capabilities of a wooden door, but the movies on this list are no slacker in the action or swooning departments. In the end, those really are the two ingredients to the success of Titanic: the next level chemistry between Winslet and DiCaprio and the intense action sequences. Finding movies that serve up both of these things in equal measure is tricky though.

A few blockbusters have managed to marry the two most compelling parts of Titanic‘s story — we’re looking at you, Atonement — but most of the time you have to choose whether you’re in the mood for action or a star-crossed romance. If it’s the former, then you might try The Poseidon Adventure, an old-school Hollywood disaster flick that’s every bit as anxiety-inducing as the back half of Titanic. If it’s the latter, then you can’t go wrong with the glitz and glam of The Great Gatsby (which also stars DiCaprio).

No matter which direction you go in, the movies on this list are bound to make you feel like you’re flying as high as Jack and Rose — at least until a tragic twist leaves you sobbing into your microwave popcorn.

Epic Romance Movies Like Titanic

1. Pearl Harbor (2001)

Weirdly, Titanic didn’t kick off a real-life disaster movie meets doomed romance trend in Hollywood, but the one movie that is clearly a direct descendant of Titanic is Pearl Harbor. Set during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the movie follows two World War II pilots, played by Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck, who are both in love with Nurse Lieutenant Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale). While critics didn’t love the film, there’s no denying the heart-string tugging love triangle makes this Michael Bay film a must-watch for romance fans.

2. Moulin Rouge! (2001)

The music, the costumes, the tragedy — Moulin Rouge! has everything Titanic fans could ask for and so much more. While the vibrant musical numbers will leave you feeling giddy (and let’s be real, a little dizzy), the love story between Satine (Nicole Kidman) and Christian (Ewan McGregor) is a total rollercoaster with major shades of Jack and Rose. Add in a period setting and plenty of tragedy, and you have a recipe for the perfect Titanic chaser.

3. Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Baz Luhrmann films are, in general, perfect for anyone who is obsessed with Titanic. In 1996, the gifted director turned his attention to modernizing Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy by casting DiCaprio as Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet, then setting the whole thing in modern-day California. The end result is a heart-stopping, beautifully shot reimagining of the classic play that will leave you hoping against hope for a happy ending.

4. The English Patient (1996)

True Hollywood epics are rare these days, but both Titanic and The English Patient fit the bill. Across more than three hours, the story of Almásy’s (Ralph Fiennes) doomed love affair with the married Katharine (Kristin Scott Thomas) unfolds in flashbacks that take viewers from the Sahara Desert to Italy. And while there’s no doubt the story is heartbreaking, it’s also riveting and full of beautiful moments that will stay with you long after the movie ends.

5. Atonement (2007)

Directed by Joe Wright, this lush adaptation of Ian McEwin’s bestselling novel is a story about love that transcends a class divide. Just like Jack and Rose, Robbie (James McAvoy) and Cecilia (Keira Knightley) are from different worlds. But despite knowing everyone is against their relationship, the two still fall in love, but when Cecilia’s little sister witnesses an intimate moment between the pair, their romance takes an unexpectedly dramatic turn.

6. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

A man is gifted with a special talent that allows him to time travel involuntarily. He eventually marries a woman he’s known all her life, which makes their marriage incredibly complicated. As they both navigate relatives, friends, and raising a family, they learn what they truly mean to one another. It’s a love story that transcends even time.

Even More Movies Titanic Fans Will Love

1. Cold Mountain (2003
2. The Great Gatsby (2013)
3. Somewhere in Time (1980)
4. The Perfect Storm (2000)
5. Twister (1996)
6. The Aviator (2004)
7. Troy (2004)
8. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
10. Water for Elephants (2011)
11. Life of Pi (2012)
12. Adrift (2018)
13. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005
14. Australia (2008)
15. An Affair to Remember (1957)
16. The Finest Hours (2016)
17. Testament of Youth (2014)
18. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
19. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
20. The Notebook (2004)
21. A Star Is Born (2018)
22. West Side Story (1961)
23. One Day (2011)
24. Cast Away (2000)
25. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)