Image credit: BFI, BBC Films, Canal+, Marwood Pictures, ES Film, Paramount Pictures, Umedia
These movies might not have been the biggest hits when they came out, but they're definitely worth watching.
Here are some of the almost criminally underrated historical romance movies from the past decade.
10. Tulip Fever (2017) Rotten Tomatoes score: 10% Set during the 17th-century Tulip Wars in Amsterdam, a married woman named Sophia (Alicia Vikander) begins a passionate affair with an artist (Dane DeHaan) commissioned to paint her portrait. As their relationship develops, they decide to invest in the high-stakes tulip market to build a future together.
9. The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017) Rotten Tomatoes score: 19% It's World War I; Lillie (Hera Hilmar), an idealistic American nurse, leaves the comforts of her home to provide aid at a remote mission hospital in Anatolia. Once there, she crosses paths with Ismail (Michiel Huisman), a lieutenant in the Ottoman Imperial Army. The two couldn't be more different, but, as they say, opposites attract.
As war engulfs the region, their love is put to the test.
8. Summer in February (2013) Rotten Tomatoes score: 30% Set in the early 20th century, this movie introduces us to the Lamorna Group – an artistic community in Cornwall. The story primarily follows three characters: Florence Carter-Wood (Emily Browning), a budding artist; Alfred Munnings (Dominic Cooper), a talented and slightly arrogant painter; and Gilbert Evans (Dan Stevens), an estate manager.
Florence finds herself torn between the charismatic Alfred and the kind-hearted Gilbert.
7. A Little Chaos (2014) Rotten Tomatoes score: 49% Kate Winslet stars as Sabine de Barra, a talented landscape artist in France. King Louis XIV's chief landscape architect, André Le Nôtre (Matthias Schoenaerts), hires her to design one of the main gardens at the Palace of Versailles. Sabine's unconventional approach ruffles some feathers, but it's her unexpected bond with André that's the movie's highlight.
Their relationship grows against the backdrop of the palace's lush gardens and political intrigue, and amidst personal tragedies, they find solace in each other.
6. Breathe (2017) Rotten Tomatoes score: 68% "Breathe" tells the story of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) who, after being paralyzed by polio at age 28, is confined to a hospital bed and given months to live. With the help of his wife, Diana (Claire Foy), and some groundbreaking technology, he defies all odds. Not only does he live much longer than expected, but he also becomes an advocate for the disabled.
Through all the hardships, the love between Robin and Diana remains unshakeable, proving that true love really can conquer all.
5. The Exception (2016) Rotten Tomatoes score: 75% German soldier Stefan Brandt (Jai Courtney) is sent on a mission to investigate the exiled German monarch, Kaiser Wilhelm II (Christopher Plummer), living in the Netherlands. As Brandt spends more time at the Kaiser's residence, he falls for a young Jewish maid named Mieke (Lily James).
As their clandestine love affair intensifies, so does the danger, with the SS closing in and loyalties being tested.
4. Suite Française (2015) Rotten Tomatoes score: 76% Set in Nazi-occupied France, the story revolves around Lucile Angellier (Michelle Williams), a French woman whose husband is away at war. When German soldiers are billeted in their small town, she finds herself reluctantly drawn to Bruno von Falk (Matthias Schoenaerts, again!), a German officer staying in her home.
As the war intensifies, so does their connection. Their love story is as forbidden as they come, filled with stolen glances, hushed conversations, and the constant threat of discovery.
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) Rotten Tomatoes score: 81% Set in the aftermath of World War II, writer Juliet Ashton (Lily James) discovers the existence of a peculiar book club formed during the German occupation of Guernsey. Curiosity piqued, she travels to the island, where she meets the endearing members of the club and learns about their wartime experiences.
While there, she grows close to Dawsey Adams (Michiel Huisman), a farmer and key member of the society.
2. Belle (2013) Rotten Tomatoes score: 84% A movie inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, played by the talented Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Born to a British Navy officer and an enslaved African woman, Dido is raised by her aristocratic great-uncle, Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson), in his mansion. She enjoys certain privileges due to her lineage but remains an outsider because of her skin color.
The movie centers around Dido's relationship with John Davinier (Sam Reid), a young lawyer. Their budding romance coincides with a significant legal case Lord Mansfield is overseeing – one that could change the fate of the slave trade in England.
1. Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% Based on Thomas Hardy's novel, this story revolves around Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan), an independent and headstrong woman who inherits a farm in Victorian England.
Her newfound status as a landowner doesn't just bring responsibilities – it brings suitors! Three, to be exact: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a shepherd turned farmhand; William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor; and Sergeant Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a dashing but reckless soldier.
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