LOS ANGELES, February 13, 2026 — As women are reportedly block-booking cinema seats to see Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights, a new survey reveals that men are surprisingly open to watching romantic movies—though their reasons are complex and varied.
A Surprisingly Complex Appeal
A recent poll explores the motivations behind men’s willingness to watch romance films, revealing a mix of desires for connection, tranquility, and even… romantic opportunity.
- Over a third of men watch romantic films to feel closer to their partners.
- A significant 20% admit to hoping a movie night might lead to intimacy.
- Women are less likely than men to view romance films as a pathway to sex.
- Studies suggest men enjoy romantic movies more than commonly believed.
A poll of 2,000 film fans conducted on behalf of a channel specializing in romance movies found that 36% of men watch romantic films to feel closer to their partner. Wanting a quiet life (21%) and the hope that it might lead to sex (20%) were also significant motivators. Twenty percent said the films “remind me of the magic of when we met,” while 10% considered it “low effort but still feels like bonding.”
Interestingly, some men admitted less romantic reasons, with 8% saying it “means I can fall asleep” and 4% admitting it “means I can check my phone.”
Differing Perspectives
The survey highlighted a clear divergence in motivations between genders. Only 15% of women cited an unwillingness to argue as a reason for watching a romantic film, and just 11% believed it might lead to sex. A third more women than men (15%) said that even though it’s low effort, it still feels like bonding, and significantly more women (11% versus 8%) cited the potential for sleeping during the movie as a draw.
Why do men secretly enjoy romantic movies? Research suggests that men’s enjoyment of the genre is often underestimated, and the decision to watch is frequently a mutual one.
These findings echo a 2007 study by Kansas University psychology professor Richard Harris. He asked 250 men and women to watch a romantic movie together and rate their enjoyment on a seven-point scale. While women averaged a score of around six, men averaged 4.8. “Everyone thinks that women like romantic movies and that they drag guys along to them,” Harris told Reuters. “What was significant was that the guys also liked the movies, and that the choice to view a romantic movie was usually made together as a couple, not just by the girl.”
Harris’s study also explored assumptions about desired scenes. Women tended to choose romantic scenes they’d like to enact, while guessing their male partners would prefer sex scenes. However, the study revealed that fewer participants adhered to this stereotype than anticipated.
“There are a lot of men who go to these romantic movies and enjoy them,” Harris said. “I wouldn’t write off the male audience just because it is a romantic film. I would suggest marketing to the men in the audience.”
Marketing to Both Sides
Films released since Harris’s study that have attempted to appeal to both genders include Palm Springs, She’s Out of My League, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and films by Judd Apatow, such as Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
Steve Carell, star of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, recently suggested that his 2011 film Crazy, Stupid, Love might have performed better at the box office if it had retained its original title, The Wingman. Carell believed the buddy movie elements featuring himself and Ryan Gosling could have attracted male viewers, but the title Crazy, Stupid, Love might have felt embarrassing to request at the ticket counter.
A 2007 study found that men rated romantic movies an average of 4.8 out of 7, suggesting a greater enjoyment of the genre than often assumed.
