Bridgerton and the 8 best romantic period dramas on Netflix

Romantic period shows and movies on Netflix

3. The Bonfire of Destiny

If you like lavish costumes and don’t mind dubbed dialogue (or subtitles, which I think you can also change it to), this soapy French drama series set in 1897 Paris will sweep you away with its multi-character storylines. After a fire in the Bazar de la Charité, Adrienne, Rose and Alice all find themselves faced with making tough choices that will forever change the course of their lives…or destinies, as the French would say.

Will Adrienne find a way to gain custody of her daughter and escape her maniacal husband once and for all? Will Rose find a way to let her fiance know she actually survived the fire, or will she continue pretending she’s Madame Huchon’s daughter? And will Alice choose duty and marry Julien to help her family, or will she allow Victor to claim her heart?

The characters aren’t real but the fire at the center of each of their stories really did happen, which is sort of interesting.

4. Rebecca

One of the best romantic suspense movies ever made was Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, which was based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. Netflix’s Rebecca had big boots to fill because inevitably comparisons would be made to the original. It’s not quite as good, but it’s not bad either. It’s a little sexier, but it is still set in 1930s England. The costumes, sets and cinematography are all modernized and more elaborate than the original, which is a good thing and adds to the visual enjoyment. It also hits the spot if you’re craving a period romance with a twist of suspense.