#26 Legend (1985)
Amazon Synopsis: Tom Cruise stars in this visually stunning fantasy-adventure in which pure good and evil battle to the death in a mythical forest inhabited by fairies, goblins, unicorns and mortals.
Why You Should Watch: I don’t know about anyone else but I’ll watch anything with a unicorn!
Content Note: PG
#27 Let Me In (2010)
Amazon Synopsis: Owen, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz of KICK-ASS), a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire.
Why You Should Watch: This one may be too dark for some viewers but it’s an artistically made movie if you don’t mind the violence.
Content Note: Rated R for bloody violence, language, and some sexual situations.
#28 The Living and the Dead (2016)
Amazon Synopsis: When Nathan Appleby, a pioneering psychologist, inherits Shepzoy House in a beautiful but isolated Somerset valley, he decides to make a new life for himself and his adored wife, Charlotte. But soon the idyll is compromised by strange and disturbing occurrences that all seem to inexplicably swirl around the increasingly troubled Nathan. Is he being haunted? Why? And by whom?
Why You Should Watch: Romantic supernatural horror for period drama fans!
Content Note: TV-14
#29 Medium (2005)
Amazon Synopsis: A crime-solving wife and mother of three has visions and sees dead people. Inspired by real-life medium Allison DuBois.
Why You Should Watch: If you enjoy procedural shows, this is one of the better ones with a paranormal twist! Plus, the show includes the wonderfully romantic marriage between Allison and her husband, Joe.
Content Note: TV-14
#30 Merlin (1998)
Amazon Synopsis: Legendary wizard Merlin (Sam Neill, “Jurassic Park”) recounts his many adventures, including his young love for Nimue (Isabella Rossellini, “Suspiria”), the heroic tragedy of Arthur and Guinevere (Lena Headey, HBO’s “Game of Thrones”) and his battles with Lady Morgan Le Fey (Helena Bonham Carter, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”) in this star-studded Golden Globe-nominated series.
Why You Should Watch: Besides its award-winning status, excellent cast, and fun premise, there’s also an enjoyable romance between Merlin and Nimue.
Content Note: PG
#31 Merlin (2008)
Amazon Synopsis: Merlin will one day be the greatest wizard that the world will ever know, but for now, he is just a young man, geeky and awkward, who must keep his talent hidden in a kingdom where magic is banned or face certain death. In this ambitious and action-packed drama, the myths, monsters and magic of the legends are revitalized and given a modern twist in preparation for their inevitable destinies.
Why You Should Watch: If you’re a fan of romantic genre shows like Smallville, you’ll probably enjoy Merlin. Most people love the show for the Arthur/Merlin friendship. Plus, there’s plenty of supernatural romances to go around! But there’s also a standout performance from Santiago Cabrera (Salvation, The Musketeers) as Lancelot. And one can’t forget the fantastic performance of Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Uther Pendragon.
Content Note: TV-PG/TV-14 (mostly pretty mild)
#32 Primeval (2007)
Amazon Synopsis: Professor Cutter’s team struggles to keep the looming disaster a secret while dealing with savage dinosaurs, giant insects, prehistoric parasites and other deadly foes from the wildest shores of evolution. Cutter also has to deal with a deeply personal dilemma – his wife, believed dead for eight years, has actually been travelling in time; now she is back with possible answers to the riddle of the anomalies, but is it an answer she is willing to share? And if not, what does she really want?
Why You Should Watch: While the series leaves some unanswered questions by series’ end, Primeval is a fun fantasy/sci-fi series along the lines of Doctor Who. And while not a full-on paranormal romance series, there is a time travel romance (Emily and Matt) in the show that I think allows it to make the cut! However, Abby and Connor are the most popular TV couple in the series!
Content Note: TV-PG/TV-14 (mostly mild)
#33 Pushing Daisies (2007)
Amazon Synopsis: This forensic fairytale follows Ned (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Lee Pace), a young man with a special gift. As a boy, Ned found that he could return the dead briefly back to life with just one touch. Now a pie maker, he puts his skill to good use, not only touching rotten fruit and making it ripe, but working with a detective to crack murder cases by raising the dead to name their killers.
Why You Should Watch: If you haven’t watched this amazing and incredibly romantic paranormal romance/urban fantasy series, watch it right away! Pushing Daisies is swoony, adorable, clever, hilarious, and basically the best thing since apple pie!
Content Note: TV-14
#34 Rouge (1987)
Amazon Synopsis: This award-winning film follows Fleur, a beautiful performer in one of Hong Kong’s most luxurious bordellos. When Fleur falls for a wealthy heir, Chan, the two form a suicide pact. Decades later, in modern day Hong Kong, newspaper worker Yuen finds himself in the midst of a tale of otherworldly romance – Chan’s ghost, who never died, returns, in search of his beloved.
Why You Should Watch: For those of us who enjoy artistic foreign films with a sad story.
Content Note: NR; Content Unclear.
#35 Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1997)
Amazon Synopsis: Sabrina is a normal teenager, except for one thing — she’s a witch! Guided by her aunts, who come from a long line of witches, and Salem, a mischievous warlock doing penance as a black cat, Sabrina continually struggles to harness her powers while wittingly wreaking havoc on friends and foes alike.
Why You Should Watch: If you’re looking for a nostalgic, ’90s throwback, this is the show for you!
Content Note: TV-G
#36 Shirley Temple: The Little Mermaid (1961)
Amazon Synopsis: From The Shirley Temple Show, a collection of timeless children’s tales featuring legendary stars.
Why You Should Watch: I’m a huge Shirley Temple fan, so it’s fun to watch her act as an adult. This is a cute adaptation for the whole family to enjoy.
Content Note: NR but likely G
#37 Siren (2013)
Amazon Synopsis: Leigh has a has a unique power: every man who encounters her sees his ultimate fantasy, and falls uncontrollably in love with her.
Why You Should Watch: This one is paranormal romance through and through with an HEA.
Content Note: TV-MA; Content Unclear
#38 Stargate SG-1 (1997)
Amazon Synopsis: Stargate SG-1 picks up where the blockbuster film left off. Colonel Jack O’Neill and his SG-1 team; Daniel Jackson, Teal’c, and Captain Samantha Carter, set out to explore the mysteries of the Stargate. Each exciting mission through the gate takes the SG-1 team to new worlds in a seemingly boundless universe.
Why You Should Watch: This fantasy/sci-fi series is addictive, entertaining, and the perfect binge-watch! As far as paranormal romance goes, Samantha has a few “paranormal” romances throughout the series. There’s an alien and even an ascended ancient. That said, the best romance belongs to the slow-building love story between Sam and Jack.
Content Note: TV-PG/TV-14 depending on episode. Mostly mild.
#39 Tale of a Vampire (1992)
Amazon Synopsis: Condemned to life without end, and to an undying passion for a lost love he can never find, a vampire stalks a beautiful young woman.
Why You Should Watch: If you love romantic vampire films and don’t mind slow-moving artistic films, then you might enjoy this movie. I haven’t seen it yet but I hear it’s beautifully shot with gorgeous cinematography and lighting. It also stars Julian Sands which is never a bad thing!
Content Note: Rated R; Content Unclear.
#40 Teen Wolf (2011)
Amazon Synopsis: Scott’s a non-athletic, socially awkward high school sophomore…but a single wolf bite changes everything. Now he’s the popular star of his lacrosse team and dating the new girl in town. But Scott’s “new” abilities also pull him into the middle of a war between werewolves and werewolf hunters.
Why You Should Watch: If you’re a fan of werewolves, this is the paranormal romance series for you! A popular series with plenty of romances to enjoy.
Content Note: TV-14 for violence, language, and sexuality.
#41 Till Human Voices Wake Us (2003)
Amazon Synopsis: Dr. Sam Franks, is travelling home to bury his father in the Australian town where he was raised. It is a journey that forces him to confront the memories of a long-ago summer.
Why You Should Watch: This is a subtle romantic ghost story with fabulous actors! I really enjoyed this one.
Content Note: A very mild R rating (feels closer to PG-13). Rated R for brief sexuality/nudity.
#42 Torchwood (2006)
Amazon Synopsis: Torchwood follows the adventures of a team of investigators, led by the enigmatic Captain Jack Harkness. Set in the modern day UK, the team use scavenged alien technology in the real world to solve crime; both alien and human. They are separate from the government, outside the police and beyond the United Nations. Everyone who works for Torchwood is young, under 35. Some say that’s because it’s a new science. Others say it’s because they die young…
Why You Should Watch: If you’re a fan of Doctor Who or of urban fantasy in general, this series is a must-see. The immortal Captain Jack Harkness steals the show as he and his team solve supernatural crimes. And then there’s the love triangle between Jack, Gwen, and Ianto. It’s hard not to love Captain Jack Harkness.
Content Note: TV-MA for sexuality and strong language. Some episodes are milder and closer to TV-14.
#43 True Blood (2008)
Amazon Synopsis: In the not-too-distant future, vampires have come out of the coffin…no longer in need of a human fix. But can a young woman (Anna Paquin) forge a love match with a vampire? HBO presents this drama series based on the books by Charlaine Harris.
Why You Should Watch: There are some great things about the show. Most notably, the love triangle between Eric, Sookie, and Bill. I also thought the story of the vampire Godric was fantastic! But really, I honestly fast-forwarded through much of it just so I could watch Eric and Sookie scenes! Unfortunately, the show includes numerous unnecessary scenes (IE: graphic violence against women). But if you don’t mind explicit content or if you want to fast-forward to watch the paranormal romances from the books, then there’s some great stuff in between the graphic content and strong language. Despite the HORRIBLE ending.
Content Note: TV-MA for strong sexuality, nudity, violence, and profanity. (Not recommended if you dislike explicit content.)
#44 Twilight movies
Amazon Synopsis: Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn’t expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)- a boy who’s hiding a dark secret: he’s a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as the undead that would make Bella their prey. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephanie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers.
Why You Should Watch: For those of us (me!) who prefer paranormal romances to be less explicit, the Twilight movies are a great choice. And since a decade’s passed since they first premiered, I think most of us should let go of all the over the top Twilight hate! It’s honestly a solid YA teen paranormal romance series. In other words, good sensation fiction that just happened to become really popular. So, it’s not trying to be deep literature or a classic and the movies reflect that. (And no, it’s not about abuse. Edward is a Byronic Hero which includes darker traits. This is a COMMON archetype in classic literature, paranormal romance and/or Gothic stories.)
No doubt the best of the films is the first movie and I wish Catherine Hardwicke had stayed on as director for the rest but each of them has some good scenes. Some movies are weaker than others. Overall, the movies include some fantastic casting, fun vampire romances, and a memorable romantic Byronic Hero with Edward. Yeah, I’m definitely Team Edward.
Content Note: PG-13
#45 We Love You, Sally Carmichael! (2017)
Amazon Synopsis: Readers love Sally Carmichael’s young adult novels about a human girl who falls in love with a merman. No one knows that Sally Carmichael is really Simon Hayes, a bitter, serious novelist-and Simon would like to keep it that way.
Why You Should Watch: While not technically a paranormal romance, this romantic comedy is all about a paranormal romance author who writes under a female pseudonym. It stars Christopher Gorham (who’s always likable) and includes some hilarious moments with Sebastian Roché as the actor who plays the merman for a film adaptation of the books.
Content Note: PG
#46 The White Queen (2013)
Amazon Synopsis: THE WHITE QUEEN is a riveting tale of three different, yet equally relentless women who will scheme, manipulate and seduce their way onto the English throne.
Why You Should Watch: While the series looks closer to a period drama, this series is really more of a historical fantasy with witches! And yes, there’s romance.
Content Note: TV-MA; There are two cuts of the series. The original UK version and the US version. For the STARZ version of the series, they added new, more explicit scenes. So, just be mindful of which “cut” of the show you’re watching. There are scenes of sexuality, nudity, and violence. But it’s much more explicit for the Starz “cut.”
#47 Wolfblood (2013)
Amazon Synopsis: Being a teenager is hard enough. Being a Wolfblood teenager is ten times more complicated. 14-year-old Maddy loves her abilities – heightened senses, being faster, stronger and more graceful – but hates the secrets that come with them.
Why You Should Watch: A great paranormal romance series for teens!
Content Note: TV-PG
#48 Wuthering Heights (2009)
Amazon Synopsis: In Emily Bronte’s classic and haunting tale, Heathcliff is tormented by his love for Cathy. Will Cathy choose a life of comfort and wealth with Edgar Linton or will she succumb to her love for Heathcliff? Starring Tom Hardy (The Virgin Queen) as Heathcliff and Charlotte Riley as Cathy.
Why You Should Watch: Because Wuthering Heights is one of the greatest stories of all time! The Gothic romantic “ghost” story has a touch of the supernatural that haunts both Heathcliff and the audience. This adaptation, while flawed, still has some great qualities!
Content Note: Rated TV-PG but should be TV-14/TV-MA for a few sex scenes. The unedited version includes brief nudity.
#49 Young Dracula (2006)
Amazon Synopsis: Sink your teeth into this hit BBC television series about one boy’s struggle with his vampire family. Single dad Count Dracula moves to modern-day Britain from Transylvania with his two children, Vlad and Ingrid. To his father’s horror, Vlad wants not to bite, but rather to fit in with his newfound British friends, but it’s not easy when you are one of the undead.
Why You Should Watch: This series starts off as a kids’ show but evolves and becomes darker as the series continues. Later seasons include more teen paranormal romance.
Content Note: NR but would likely be TV-PG.
#50 You’re So Cupid (2010)
Amazon Synopsis: Starring Brian Krause (“Charmed”), Jeremy Sumpter (“Friday Night Lights”) and Lauren Holly (“NCIS”). When matchmaking sisters Emma and Lilly fall in love with the same guy, all bets are off–until they find that their parents’ marriage is falling apart. Setting aside their differences, these two matchmakers have to pull together like never before to bring their parents back together.
Why You Should Watch: For the romance between the parents! I have no problem with the typecasting of Brian Krause as Cupid! Now, this movie is silly, for sure, but it’s a cute movie the whole family can watch.
Content Note: G
What paranormal romance movies and TV shows will you watch on Amazon Prime? Sound off below!
Featured image at top: I Am Dragon (Bazelevs), Twilight (Summit Entertainment), Beastly (CBS Films), Detective Anna, Being Human (BBC), and Grimm (NBC).
Thanks for bringing Beyond Tomorrow yo my attention. I’m so excited to have a classic holiday film to watch that I’ve never seen. Ghost Town is a family favorite. And I watched I Am Dragon recently thanks to Silver Petticoat’s review.
You’re welcome! By researching this list, I found some things I hadn’t heard of before and look forward to checking out too. 🙂
I love, love, LOVE your all’s website! I have been “peeking in”, for several years now, and quite found your lovely website by accident.
Never was a hardcore rom-com fan. I remember going thru channels and seeing shows with women and men from different eras, when I was younger, and making that gag me motion, with my finger, along with the accompanying sound effects….well I grew up, finally, and was barely 30, when a lifelong friend had a movie someone gave her, “ Austen, or they are from Austin, I dunno, she said she had to read it in her English lit class I think, but anyway…”. I tried to get out of it then and there. I pleaded with her not to make me watch something they made us suffer through in school. 30 minutes. That was the deal. If it sucked, we would watch Forrest Gump-again. I quietly took my punishment. The next thing I knew, an hour and a half had passed, and either of us had barely said a word to each other, and we are both chatterboxes. I was completely fixated. My breath hung on every word spoken. A semi truck could have crashed thru the living room, and my singular thought would have been to see how fast I could claw myself over the truck hood so my eyes could reconnect with the screen as fast as possible. And the next thing I honestly can remember; a burning lump in my throat, followed by tears. Then streams of tears. It was this way, for the rest of the movie. Well, except for the last of the movie. It turned into sobbing. Like gasping-for-air sobbing, like being three again when-you-can’t-stop-sobbing-sob….for me, anyway; my friend had never, ever, seen me react this way during any of the girls night movies-and she was busy rolling in the floor, laughing so hard, she was crying as well; just not because of the movie. This may have been partly, because of a comment I had made a year or so ago, about “ people crying watching a love story?! Why do they cry for?? That makes no sense whatsoever! Well, you’ll never see me cry like some girly girl(even though I am a girl) over a love plot…”
In retrospect, I would have laughed at me, too. The next day, we piled into the car, to go search for anything else this woman, Jane Austen, did. Oh yes, I was lucky enough to have Pride and Prejudice be my very first “period drama, or costume drama, period romance..ect. I didn’t even know there was a name for this newly discovered, “guilty” pleasure. But I wanted more. And I wanted it now.
And so I typed in “Period drama romance”, and the “petticoat” in your name caught my eye. And as luck has it-this was the first, and last website I chose to click the link on, for all my Costume/Period romance “fixes” when I am withdrawing, so I can stay in my couch potatoes all day, with a blanket, box of Kleenex, and sugary junk food , on the sofa, and have “me” time. It’s good for my soul, and the workweek just seems so much, easier?
Just wanted to say thanks, ladies. I am an anonymous fan of your site, “why I do declare!” ( couldn’t resist…just got done watching a movie called Gone with the wind”..how could I have never liked this stuff?!?)
Wow, thank you for your lovely message. We really appreciate you sharing your story! And we’re glad you found us. I think more and more people are discovering just how lovely period drama romances are and that is wonderful!