Warning: There are spoilers ahead!
Ever since the dawn of historically recorded storytelling, romance has been one of the most popular and prolific genres. What is it about these kinds of stories that humans find so irresistible? Perhaps it’s the irresistible appeal of projecting oneself onto these tales of love, magic, and interpersonal transcendence. Whatever the case, watching a film’s romantic protagonists kiss usually causes sparks to fly.
However, a romance movie doesn’t need a kiss. In fact, some of the best romance films of all time never see their two leads share a kiss on the lips. It’s definitely a bold creative choice that, when done right, can bring up some interesting conversations on the nature of romantic love as a whole. These are the ten best films where the leads don’t kiss, ranked from great to even greater.
10
‘Once’ (2007)
Leads played by: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
The Irish filmmaker John Carney has been doing fresh and interesting things in the romance genre for several years now, but it was Once that put him on the map. One of the most underrated romance films of the 2000s, this feel-good musical refuses to stick to any formulas. It’s a fascinating look at the life of street musicians in Dublin, as well as an irresistibly beautiful story.
The thing about Once, however, is that its two leads don’t actually get together in the end and definitely don’t share a tender true-love kiss. Sometimes, this is the perfect ending for a love story. It’s tender, but bittersweet; beautiful, but undeniably poignant. There’s nothing wrong with a traditional “happily ever after,” but it’s fun to see something different every now and then.
Once
- Release Date
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March 23, 2007
- Runtime
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88 minutes
- Director
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John Carney
9
‘Sleepless in Seattle’ (1993)
Leads played by: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
One of the most essential rom-coms of the ’90s, Sleepless in Seattle is a special kind of romance film where the leads don’t meet until the very end of the story. Any less-capable writer-director might have made this concept feel boring and silly (a prospect which caused many studios to reject the script at the time), but Nora Ephron, queen of rom-coms, is no traditional filmmaker.
The scene where the characters played by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan finally meet atop the Empire State Building is, logically, the most memorable and iconic in the film. They don’t actually kiss, but their connection is undeniable, and Hanks and Ryan’s chemistry is the stuff of legend. There’s also the fact that many people dislike Sleepless in Seattle due to the romanticized way in which it portrays infidelity, so the fact that the leads don’t kiss is probably a win-win.
8
‘Your Name.’ (2016)
Leads played by: Ryûnosuke Kamiki (voice) and Mone Kamishiraishi (voice)
The 21st century has seen the release of several anime films that are bound to go down in history as some of the best animated movies of their era, and Your Name. is one of the most popular. It’s a beautifully unique sci-fi romp with gorgeous animation and deeply heartfelt moments, as well as one of the most unconventional romance stories in recent memory.
Your Name is one of the best coming-of-age anime movies ever, thanks to its moving tone and refreshingly original story. The profound romantic love shared between the two leads is so gorgeously transcendental that it feels entirely natural that they never kiss, a fact which might even be easy to not even notice upon one’s first viewing. Your Name is a must-watch of modern anime, even for those who don’t necessarily appreciate animation.
7
‘The Remains of the Day’ (1993)
Leads played by: Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson
The Remains of the Day is based on a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, and it’s about a butler who sacrificed body and soul for service in the years leading up to World War II, realizing how misguided his loyalty was to his lordly employer. Led by Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins at the very top of their games, it’s an intelligent and lavish literary adaptation, the way they rarely make them these days.All in all, The Remains of the Day is one of the best romance movies of the ’90s, anchored by a subtle approach that’s not at all common in this genre. The relationship between the two leads is remarkably complex and nuanced, far from the traditional romance one tends to see in these kinds of stories. Yet, it stings all the same when their faces come just close enough to make viewers think that a kiss is about to come, but it never does.
The Remains of the Day
- Release Date
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November 19, 1993
- Runtime
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134 minutes
- Director
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James Ivory
6
‘Past Lives’ (2023)
Leads played by: Greta Lee and Teo Yoo
Past Lives is far more than just a romance film. In many ways, it’s the anti-romance film. It touches on themes of romantic love in a way that feels painfully mature and realistic, but its primary themes are identity, immigration, the way these two intersect, and the way the latter transforms the former. It’s a beautiful movie, there’s no denying that, but it’s also one of the saddest of the decade thus far.
Past Lives is full of layered and beautifully filmed scenes that are impossible to forget, but the ending may just be the most impactful of the bunch. It’s a pivotal character moment full of thematic meaning that’s endlessly analyzable, but it’s also absolutely heartbreaking. There’s something bittersweet about the way the two main characters say goodbye, and most of the bitterness comes from the fact that they don’t share the kind of grand farewell kiss that one could expect from any romance drama. The thing is that Past Lives is no ordinary romance drama. That’s what makes it one of the best movies of the 2020s so far.
5
‘Pride & Prejudice’ (2005)
Leads played by: Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen
Jane Austen movie adaptations are aplenty, but there’s simply no beating the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice, one of the best and most iconic romance dramas of the 2000s. Bolstered by a beautiful script, Joe Wright‘s elegant direction, and a pair of career-best performances by the perfectly cast Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, it’s the definitive adaptation of the source material.
The movie is full of extraordinary scenes, most of which involve the explosive tension between Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennet and Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy. None of these scenes, however, involve a kiss—unless you’re watching the American cut of the movie, which includes an over-sentimental kiss scene at the end that’s better left forgotten. Part of what makes Pride & Prejudice such a great film is that the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is so unique, and that their romance is based on things other than just physical touch.
4
‘Her’ (2013)
Leads played by: Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson (voice)
With the modern rise of AI, movies like Her become absolutely essential watches. Even without the timely appeal of its subject matter, however, this retro-futuristic sci-fi romance is a masterpiece of the genre that should be watched by all romance movie fans. After all, there’s not exactly an abundance of movies about a man’s relationship with an AI that are truly and genuinely romantic.
The bittersweet Her can be read as a comment on humanity’s relationship with technology, as an allegory about long-distance relationships, or about pretty much anything else—but the fact of the matter is that it’s a great film. Since the protagonist’s love interest is an immaterial entity, however, there is logically no kiss between them, and that’s the entire point.
Her
- Release Date
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December 18, 2013
- Runtime
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126minutes
3
‘Before Sunset’ (2004)
Leads played by: Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy
People looking for a great film under 90 minutes long needn’t look any further than Before Sunset, although they might want to get started with Before Sunrise first, and will inevitably want to watch Before Midnight right after. Following the sentimental coming-of-age romance of the first installment, this sequel is a far more mature and more realistic study of regret, reminiscing, and opportunities missed.
It’s a deeply poignant film, but also a deeply beautiful one. Jesse and Céline, two of the best-written and best-acted (by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) characters in the history of the romance genre, kiss in Sunrise and Midnight, but there’s no kiss in Sunset. It’s part of what makes Before Sunset, a film told in real-time, stand out as much as it does. After all, a kiss isn’t necessary for this story. We know that Jesse and Céline adore each other, and all we want to do is hear them talk.
2
‘In the Mood for Love’ (2000)
Leads played by: Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung
The Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai is behind some of the greatest romantic movies ever made, and In the Mood for Love may just be his magnum opus. It’s also, however, one of the most unconventional romance dramas ever made. It’s an entry in the genre that’s purely and entirely about longing, unfulfilled desire, and transcendental intimacy.
Though Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung sell the connection and chemistry between their characters remarkably well, the fact that they never kiss feels inevitable and tragically beautiful. Very rarely in film history has such tremendous tension gone without the unleashing moment of a true-love kiss, and that’s exactly what makes In the Mood for Love so special. It’s perhaps the most swoon-worthy movie in cinematic history, an ardent portrayal of a more elusive side of love.
1
‘The Apartment’ (1960)
Leads played by: Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine
Back during the days of Golden Age Hollywood, it was the standard for leads to kiss in romance films, even more so than today. Why could they not? Wasn’t that what the genre was all about? Then again, Billy Wilder was always ahead of the curve, so it’s no surprise that he directed The Apartment, perhaps the greatest early example of a rom-com where the leads don’t kiss.
Then again, the relationship between Jack Lemmon‘s C.C. “Bud” Baxter and Shirley MacLaine‘s Fran Kubelik is quite unique, and a huge part of why this is one of the best rom-coms of all time. “Shut up and deal” are Fran’s last words to Bud. It’s a tender, sincere, trope-subverting moment that brings the themes and tone of the movie full circle. One might hope for a kiss while watching this ending scene, but it’s precisely in the fact that the kiss never comes that the movie’s significance lies.