Debapriya Bhattacharya
One of the fiercest feelings experienced by all sentient beings, love cannot be defined by any boundaries. The heart wants what the heart wants, irrespective of any superficial differences such as nationality, race, ethnicity, and so on. The sentiment has held true for on-screen couples as they live out heartfelt narratives. The genre of interracial romance serves as an inspiration to explore cultural differences, family dynamics, and ultimately, the similarities of human existence. A torch-bearer of inclusivity, the streaming giant Netflix has depicted interracial couples in its original content since its inception. If you’re looking to explore the subgenre of interracial romance on Netflix, the following list of films is the perfect place to get started.
15. The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Helmed by James C. Strouse, ‘The Incredible Jessica James’ stars Jessica Williams, a Black American, as the titular character. Following her recent break-up with her boyfriend, she goes on a blind date to meet an Irish fellow, Boone (Chris O’Dowd). As the latter is nursing a recent divorce, the pair hits it off, bonding over their loss. They both admit to stalking their exes on social media and decide to help each other out by keeping tabs on each other’s exes. With time, love blossoms between the pair. Through the occasional stumbles, Jessica and Boone move forward with their lives and grow in confidence to take charge of their own destinies. Watch the film here.
14. JJ+E (2021)
Originally titled ‘Vinterviken,’ based on the eponymous book by Mats Wahl, the Swedish film ‘JJ+E’ by Alexis Almström chronicles the young love between the Scandinavian girl Elisabeth (Elsa Öhrn) and the Moroccan boy John-John (Mustapha Aarab), both living in Stockholm, Sweden. Hailing from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, the two find themselves drawn to each other as JJ saves Elisabeth from drowning one day, and both start attending the same high school. John and his friends get in trouble with law enforcement over their activities. As he struggles to manage it all, his feelings for Elisabeth never falter. You can catch the film on Netflix.
13. The Lovebirds (2020)
‘The Lovebirds’ by Michael Showalter revolves around African American Leilani Brooks (Issa Rae) and Pakistani American Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani). After staying together for four years, the defining moment of their relationship arrives when they become inadvertently involved in the murder of a cyclist. The couple goes on the run and attempts to clear their names. However, it turns out to be easier said than done, as they have no clue on how to investigate and seemingly make stuff up as they go. Tumbling down the rabbit hole of the criminal underworld, they soon find themselves way out of their depths and only each other to rely on. A breezy romantic comedy, you can watch the film here.
12. You People (2023)
Directed by Kenya Barris, ‘You People’ is set in Los Angeles and centers around an interracial and interreligious couple. When Ezra Cohen (Jonah Hill), a secular Jewish liberal elite man, falls in love with Amira (Lauren London), an Islamic Black nationalist woman with antisemitic parents, it is their families who clash over cultural differences and societal expectations. However, the two decide to test out uncharted waters by moving ahead with their relationship. The film moves away from the cliched concept of young love and explores the challenges of romance in middle age. Watch ‘You People’ on Netflix.
11. A Jazzman’s Blues (2022)
From the mind of Tyler Perry, ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ tells the story of the forbidden love that blooms between young African American Horace John Boyd (Joshua Boone) and an affluent White woman, Leanne Jean Harper (Solea Pfeiffer), in the mid-twentieth century in the southern state of Georgia. Even as their families warn them of the consequences of seeing each other, they refuse to give up on the love that they share. The risks that the couple takes yield horrific results. The film depicts the dark age of interracial romance in American history. You can watch ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ here.
10. A Tourist’s Guide to Love (2023)
Steven K. Tsuchida’s ‘A Tourist’s Guide to Love’ follows Amanda Riley (Rachael Leigh Cook), a White woman and travel industry professional who goes on a covert research trip to Vietnam after falling apart with her boyfriend of five years. There, she meets local tour guide Sinh Thach (Scott Ly), who takes her on an exotic journey through his country, away from the tourist traps promoted in travel vouchers. Amanda develops feelings for Sinh, but things get complicated as her ex-boyfriend shows up in the country. The film follows the evergreen trope of discovering oneself in a foreign land and letting go of the burden of expectations. Watch ‘A Tourist’s Guide to Love’ here.
9. The Royal Treatment (2022)
‘The Royal Treatment’ by Rick Jacobson centers around Isabella (Laura Marano), an Italian American running a salon, who gets invited to do the hair and makeup at the wedding of Prince Thomas (Mena Massoud) of the fictional kingdom of Lavania. As the Middle Eastern prince spends time with Isabella, he finds himself drawn to her despite his approaching nuptials. The film explores many popular tropes, such as the rich prince meeting an ordinary working-class girl, and love blossoming across boundaries and socio-economic differences, at times when least expected. You can watch the film here.
8. Love in the Villa (2022)
Mark Steven Johnson helms ‘Love in the Villa,’ a film about Julie Hutton (Kat Graham), a Black American woman and third-grade teacher who embarks on a week-long trip to her dream destination of Verona after breaking up with her boyfriend. Her situation does not immediately improve, as the flight is uncomfortable, and her holiday villa is double-booked. However, the latter incident soon appears advantageous for her, as the other person staying on the property is the charming British man, Charlie Fletcher (Tom Hopper). With the property owner nudging them both to be accommodating, the pair inexplicitly decide to turn their individual holidays into one romantic getaway. Catch the film on Netflix.
7. Love, Guaranteed (2020)
Another film by Mark Steven Johnson, ‘Love, Guaranteed’ stars Rachael Leigh Cook as Susan Whitaker, a White woman and struggling lawyer based in Seattle, who takes on an affluent client suing the titular dating website. Nick Evans (Damon Wayans Jr.) is a handsome Black man who claims to have had 986 dates without finding love. As Rachael and Nick start working together, an obvious answer comes up for the latter’s search. The meet-cute between a lawyer and her client in a bustling city is a fun and easy watch, with things simply falling into place for them to get together. You can catch ‘Love, Guaranteed’ here.
6. Falling Inn Love (2019)
Helmed by Roger Kumble, ‘Falling Inn Love’ revolves around Gabriela Diaz (Christina Milian), a Brown Latina from the US who wins a countryside inn in New Zealand by participating in an online contest. However, her joy at being the new property owner is short-lived, as she travels across continents to discover the establishment to be in ruins. To help fix the place, Gabriela reluctantly takes the help of Jake Taylor (Adam Demos), a handsome local White boy who is skilled at handiwork, with whom she had an awkward encounter right after arriving in the country. As the two turn the broken-down structure into the inn from the lottery website’s picture, Gabriel realizes she has fallen in love with the building, the community, but mostly, with Jake. Watch love bloom over the course of a shared project on Netflix.
5. Juanita (2019)
Based on the book Dancing on the Edge of the Roof by Sheila Williams, ‘Juanita’ by Clark Johnson stars Alfre Woodard as the titular Black woman from Columbus, Ohio. Leaving behind her adult children and a dead-end job, Juanita travels to Butte, Montana, to rediscover herself among the people running a French-cuisine restaurant. Much to her surprise, she discovers love with the restaurant owner Jess (Adam Beach), an indigenous Canadian. ‘Juanita’ serves as a testament that it is never too late to rediscover yourself and open up to new and exciting experiences. You can catch the film here.
4. The Noel Diary (2022)
Adapted from the eponymous book by Richard Paul Evans, Charles Shyer’s The Noel Diary is a holiday movie about best-selling author Jake Turner (Justin Hartley), a young White man who returns home to Connecticut after his mother’s death to settle her estate. Among her belongings, he discovers a diary that holds details of his past. Meanwhile, Rachel Campbell (Barrett Doss), a Brown woman in search of her own mother, introduces herself to Jake as the daughter of his nanny, Noel. Together, they take on an unexpected journey to learn more about their past. Thrown together in the most magical time of the year, they simply cannot help but grow closer together. Watch the film here.
3. Love Hard (2021)
‘Love Hard’ by Hernán Jiménez follows Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev), a Los Angeles-based dating column writer who seems to have no luck when it comes to dating apps. After expanding her search radius, she falls for Josh Lin (Jimmy O. Yang) from New York. Deciding to surprise him over the holidays, she shows up at his doorstep only to realise she has been catfished. The sweet, bumbling Asian American guy used his friend Tag’s (Darren Barnet) photos on his profile, and in an attempt to make up to Natalie, he offers to set her up with him instead. ‘Love Hard’ highlights the struggles of finding true love in the digital age, and the occasional rewards of opening ourselves up to new experiences. Watch the movie here.
2. Irreplaceable You (2018)
Stephanie Laing’s ‘Irreplaceable You’ tells the story of childhood best friends-turned-lovers Abbie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Sam (Michiel Huisman). When Abbie, the young and lively Black girl, gets diagnosed with terminal cancer, their blissful life comes crashing down. However, she decides to use her final days to search for a person to love her White fiancé following her demise. Abbie makes friends with other patients and a nurse, who help her realise that it is more important to focus on living than dying. An uplifting tale of love surviving through all hardships, watch the film here.
1. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Based on the eponymous book by Jenny Han, ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ stars Vietnamese-American actress Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey, a shy high schooler who writes letters to boys she has an intense crush on and locks them away in a box in her room. One day, her letters go missing and reach their addressed recipients, landing Lara in the middle of a sudden storm. Lara gets closer to Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), a young White jock, more than the other recipients, and the two fake a relationship to save her from embarrassment. Soon, they realise that their feelings are very real. A heartwarming high school romantic comedy with a healthy dose of drama thrown in the mix, watch ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ on Netflix.
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