10 Best Movies To Watch Like Leap Year

It’s hard to believe that Leap Year first graced our screens 16 years ago. The film is one of Amy Adams and Matthew Goode’s finest, with the story set in Ireland. It’s a fan-favourite romantic comedy with great cinematography, performances and storyline.

The film grossed £24 million ($32.7 million) against its 313.9 million ($19 million) production budget and has become a much-loved comfort film for fans to watch over and over again. And if you love it as much as I do, there are plenty of other films you can now discover just like it. This post will dive into the 10 best movies to watch if you love Leap Year.

Rundown of Leap Year – What you need to know:

• Genre: Romantic comedy / romance
• Stars: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott and John Lithgow
• Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Creators: Directed by Anand Tucker; written by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont
• Release date: 2010
• Where to watch (UK): Apple TV, Amazon Video and Sky Store

What is Leap Year about?

This film follows the unlikely relationship between a woman named Anna Brady and a man called Declan O’Callaghan. Anna travels to Dublin in the hope of proposing to her fiancé, Jeremy, on February 29, following the Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on Leap Day.

However, after a series of unfortunate circumstances leave her stranded, Anna is forced to rely on the help of Declan, a grumpy Irish innkeeper who agrees to take her to Dublin. As the pair face a series of mishaps and unexpected adventures along the way, Anna begins to realise that her relationship with Jeremy isn’t what she she believed it was.

Here are the recommendations:

Notting Hill

• Genre: Romantic comedy / romance
• Stars: Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Hugh Bonneville, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers and Gina McKee
• Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
• Creators: Written by Richard Curtis; directed by Roger Michell
• Release date: 1999
• Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video, NOW TV Cinema, Sky Go and Channel 4 Plus

Notting Hill is a classic feel/good film either you’ve already seen it or it’s sitting on your watchlist. This romantic comedy follows a humble Notting Hill bookseller named William Thacker (Hugh Grant) whose life is turned upside down when he meets world-famous Hollywood actress, Anna Scott, played by Julie Roberts.

The Proposal

• Genre: Romantic comedy / comedy / romance
• Stars: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White and Malin Åkerman
• Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes
• Creators: Directed by Anne Fletcher; written by Peter Chiarelli
• Release date: 2009
• Where to watch (UK): Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Rakuten TV and Sky Store

Starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, the film follows a Canadian executive who realises she may face deportation from the U.S. and, in desperation, convinces her long-suffering personal assistant to temporarily pose as her fiancé to avoid it. It reminds me so much of the Leap Year, following one woman’s relentless pursuit to tie the knot.

Letters to Juliet

• Genre: Romantic comedy, drama and romance
• Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero
• Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Creators: Directed by Gary Winick; written by José Rivera and Tim Sullivan
• Release date: 2010
• Where to watch (UK): Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Sky Store and Rakuten TV

This is another feel-good romance which reinforces the message that you can often find love in the most unexpected places. Letters to Juliet follows Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, as she travels to Verona, Italy, where she discovers a long-lost love letter written decades earlier. And finds love for herself too. It stars starring Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero.

Made of Honor

• Genre: Romantic comedy / romance
• Stars: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Kathleen Quinlan, Sydney Pollack, Busy Philipps and Kadeem Hardison
• Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes
• Creators: Directed by Paul Weiland; written by Adam Sztykiel, Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont
• Release date: 2008
• Where to watch (UK): Apple TV, Amazon, Rakuten TV and Sky Store

In Made of Honor we follow Tom, a charming bachelor who suddenly realises he is in love with his best friend, Hannah, after she gets engaged to another man. When Hannah asks Tom to be her maid of honour, he agrees with hopes of stopping the wedding and winning her heart before it’s too late.

Man Up

• Genre: Romantic comedy / comedy
• Stars: Simon Pegg, Lake Bell, Rory Kinnear, Olivia Williams, Ophelia Lovibond, Ken Stott and Harriet Walter
• Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes (88 minutes)
• Creators: Directed by Ben Palmer; written by Tess Morris
• Release date: 2015
• Where to watch (UK): Apple TV, Amazon Video, Rakuten TV and Sky Store

Starring Simon Pegg and Lake Bell, Man Up is a hilarious romantic comedy about a second-chance romance and two strangers who meet by chance.

500 Days of Summer

• Genre: Romantic comedy, comedy, drama and romance
• Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler and Clark Gregg
• Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Creators: Directed by Marc Webb; written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
• Release date: 2009
• Where to watch (UK): Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Rakuten TV and Sky Store.

This is a story of a guy who mets a girl and falls hopelessly in love with her. This romantic comedy stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom and Zooey Deschanel as Summer, and sees the story jumping back and forth through the 500 days their characters know each other.

It Had to Be You

• Genre: Romantic comedy / romance
• Stars: Natasha Henstridge, Michael Vartan, Michael Rispoli, Olivia d’Abo and Faith Prince
• Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes
• Creator: Directed and written by Steven Feder
• Release date: 2000
• Where to watch (UK): Tubi

The film follows Anna Penn and Charlie Hudson, two strangers who meet while staying at the same New York hotel to make the final arrangements for their respective weddings. As they spend more time together, they begin to question whether they are really marrying the right people.

The Wedding Date

• Genre: Romantic comedy / romance
• Stars: Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney, Amy Adams, Jack Davenport, Sarah Parish, Jeremy Sheffield, Peter Egan and Holland Taylor
• Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
• Creators: Directed by Clare Kilner; written by Dana Fox
• Release date: 2005
• Where to watch (UK): It is currently not available to stream in the UK, according to JustWatch.

Kat Ellis is preparing to be as maid of honor at her younger sister’s wedding, but she’s taken aback when she finds out that the best man is her former fiancé.

Just Like Heaven

• Genre: Romantic comedy / fantasy / romance
• Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, Donal Logue, Dina Spybey-Waters, Jon Heder and Ben Shenkman
• Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Creators: Directed by Mark Waters; written by Leslie Dixon and Peter Tolan
• Release date: 2005
• Where to watch (UK): Paramount+, Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Rakuten TV and Sky Store

Just Like Heaven is about a lonely architect who comes to learn that his apartment is haunted by a previous tenant named Elizabeth. This film offers plenty of hilarious and heartwarming moments. It stars Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo.

Love Rosie

• Genre: Romantic comedy, drama and romance
• Stars: Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Christian Cooke, Tamsin Egerton, Suki Waterhouse and Jaime Winstone
• Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
• Creators: Directed by Christian Ditter; written by Juliette Towhidi
• Release date: 2014
• Where to watch (UK): Apple TV and Amazon Video

Following the story between Rosie and Alex, they are best friends who secretly love each other. However they are kept apart for various reasons – including bad timing and life choices. It stars Lily Collins and Sam Claflin. This is a great story of love and its challenges.