We discuss 10 Movies like The Notebook you must watch. Add these well-recommended romance films to your watchlist.
The Notebook has always had a kind of prestige about itself. Maybe it is the cast, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams both seem to shine in the production, or perhaps it is the premise. Maybe the period setting in the flashback elevates the story, and the success of the original novel by Nicholas Sparks also helped.
Still, there is no doubt that The Notebook is a much-loved story that follows the lives of two people from different backgrounds, just doing the best they can. We are hoping that a few of you out there love this movie as much as we do, so we thought that for all you star-crossed lovers out there, we would find you 10 movies like The Notebook you must watch.
10 Movies like The Notebook you must watch
The Fault in our Stars (2014)
The first on our list is another adaptation of a well-loved novel. The book of the same title by John Green may not have a similar plot to our featured film, but it is a similar movie to The Notebook, as it will also leave you in tears. The story of two young cancer patients that fall in love was a critical success, had a great cast, and has everything you would want in a love story. Brace yourself.
Dear John (2010)
Letters feature heavily in this film and The Notebook, so it feels right to have this on the list. The story follows Anna, who falls in love with John, a soldier on leave from his base in Germany. The two hit it off, but fate gets in the way between the two, leading to a long separation. Starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, this entry may not be on everyone’s list, but it has some magical moments and nice directorial flair. Although a little more subdued than similar films, it still leaves some viewers dewy-eyed.
Me Before You (2016)
Here is another classic premise for a romantic movie similar to The Notebook. Who can resist the story of a young girl who has a paralyzed man in her care, when the leads are played perfectly by Emelia Clark and Sam Claflin, you know you are onto a winner. Clark positively embodies the character of Lou in Me Before You, doing her best to bring some light to Claflin’s Will Traynor. There is another letter pivotal to the plot here, and it is certainly a movie like The Notebook that should induce at least one or two tears.
Remember Me (2010)
Before Robert Pattinson was locked in a lighthouse with Willem Defoe or dressed up as a giant bat, he was a shining vacant Hollywood pretty boy, flitting between vampire franchises and cheesy melodramas. In this dramatic love story, we find Ally, a young student at NYU that lives with her detective father. Events lead to her meeting Tyler, who audits classes at the university and works in a bookshop. However, the whole film is tinged with a feeling of tragedy, and the tone is quite dark throughout the movie. There is a final act reveal that further enhances the tone and may divide viewers who watch, but this is still a recommendation if you loved The Notebook.
The Lake House (2006)
If you were a film producer in 2006 and got the chance to reunite Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in a romantic drama, you would have jumped at the chance. So they did and released The Lake House. More letters are playing a big part in the narrative here, and the two great leads also give us the feeling that this is a similar film to The Notebook. We follow the story of Alex and Kate, trying to connect through letters and solve the true mystery behind their relationship and The Lake House. The time travel premise and mystery keep you hooked to the final tear-drenched scene.
The Longest Ride (2015)
Scott Eastwood plays Luke, and Britt Robertson plays Sophia in this tale of a relationship between a bull rider and a student who encounters the aged Ira, who shares the story of his decades-long love affair with his wife, which becomes inspirational for the loving couple. Adapted, once again, from the novel by Nicholas Sparks, this film shares a lot of beats with The Notebook and proves that Sparks, as a novelist, knows what his audience wants and knows how to deliver it.
Atonement (2007)
We thought we would slightly up the ante with this offering from director Joe Wright. An all-star cast including Keira Knightley, James McEvoy, and Brenda Blethyn elevate this production into something more than just a romantic drama. The dark story of a past event misconstrued leads to a chain of tragic events that impact the characters. This is a thematically complex story that was critically acclaimed. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, winning one for best score. Classy, timeless, and more layered than you might think, this is a must-see for highbrow fans of the genre.
P.S I Love You (2007)
Scottish gladiator and hero pilot of the common man Gerard Butler stars with Hilary Swank in another film similar to The Notebook, with another use of the letter-writing trope to frame the romantic action. Holly and Gerry are married, but Gerry loses his life to illness, and Holly is left bereft. However, Gerry has prepared for the moment and has left his love with a series of letters that are delivered to her in various ways. The messages and letters are sent to guide Holly, helping with her grief and helping her find herself, and of course, each one ends with the sentence, P.S. I Love You.
Say Anything (1989)
For many people, the iconic scene in The Notebook is the embrace in the rain. So when we thought about other such moments, how could we forget the boombox scene in Say Anything? John Cusack holding up his CD player above his head as it plays Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” has been parodied to death in other shows, but it still manages to tear the eye. Filled with smaller, more nuanced moments, this is a quieter film than others on the list, but it’s so nice. Watch this, and let us know if it beats The Notebook.
Love Affair (1939)
And now, one for the film buffs out there. Love Affair starred Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer in a classic tale of love and tragedy that set the venue at the top of the Empire State Building as a perfect location for doomed lovers. When Michael and Terry meet on an ocean voyage, they fall in love. Trouble is, they are both in other relationships. They decide to meet again in six months after sorting out their lives. However, this would never work out well, and tragedy intervenes. The film has been a template for the genre for decades, and has been remade numerous times, including two Bollywood versions.
Do you have any other recommendations for Movies like The Notebook? Let us know!
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