8 romantic films and shows to watch on Netflix Hong Kong

In this screen adaption of a book of the same name, Lily James plays Juliet Ashton, a London-based author who accepts an invitation to speak to a book club in Guernsey. Despite her engagement, she finds a kindred spirit and deep attraction in Dawsey Adams, played by Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones). We think this a film worth watching even if only for the beautiful location shots and costumes.

A smash hit in mainland China, Finding Mr Right tells the culturally specific story of Wen Jiajia, the spoilt mistress of a wealthy Chinese tycoon, who gets sent to Seattle to give birth to their illegitimate love child. She throws tantrums and money around to get her way, but gets a harsh dose of reality when her lover faces legal inquiries and has his assets frozen. On hand to facilitate Jiajia’s growth is Frank, a quiet divorced dad and his daughter Julia. While a thoroughly dislikeable character at first, Tang Wei nonetheless injects her lead character with just the right amount of exasperating charm for viewers to root for her.

Title character Alex Truelove is skittishly determined to lose his virginity to his girlfriend but hits it off with (and accidentally chats up) Elliot, a gay indie kid who stirs up a maelstrom of confusion and longing. This quippy post-millennial grab bag of identity politics hits a tender note regarding the navigating of social environments, and Madeline Weinstein is great as Alex’s girlfriend Claire. We are still waiting for old-school conservatism to die its slow death in the representation of teen gay romance, but Alex Strangelove is nevertheless is another step in the right direction.

Comedian Ali Wong, who wrote for sitcom series Fresh Off the Boat, and Randall Park, who starred in said sitcom, collaborate once again in Always Be My Maybe. Sasha (Wong) and Marcus (Park) are childhood best friends who drifted apart and then reconnect as thirty-somethings leading very different lives. Nobody is accusing this film of attempting to be wildly original, but it is refreshing to see two Asian American leads and a unapologetically cultural specific tone in the writing. Watch also for Keanu Reeves’ weird cameo.

Isn’t It Romantic is for those who scoff at the genre. Starring Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam DeVine, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, just the cast alone already has us smiling. This hilarious rom-com-cum-musical tells the story of a New York architect, Natalie (Rebel Wilson), who's stuck in a crappy job, and is cynical of love and happily-ever-afters. Naturally, after an accident, she wakes to discover that her life has suddenly become her worst nightmare—she’s the leading lady in a romantic comedy.

While the movie does call out all the cliché rom-com tropes, thanks to Rebel Wilson’s charming performance, you can’t help but root for Natalie’s happily ever after—either with the new hottie (Liam Hemsworth) or formerly overlooked colleague (Adam Devine). From the laugh-out-loud one-liners to a dance scene in Central Park, this is just one of those films that leaves you in a ‘walking on cloud nine’ kind of mood.