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This 2020 rom-com sci-fi hybrid starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milliotti struck a nerve when it dropped on Hulu during the peak lockdown, when time felt like it was taken away from us and every day bled into the other. The philosophical film is uproariously funny, smart, and well-performed, and it sets itself apart from the traditional rom-com, offering hope for a creative future in the often repetitive genre.
This 2020s adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, one of the best movies based on a book, reimagines the work as a gay love story set in Fire Island. The new setting offers a fresh perspective, with layered commentary on sexuality, race, and the gay community itself all while showcasing a predictable but classic Mr. Darcy-Elizabeth Bennett style courtship. It's fun, it's serious, and you will laugh out loud constantly while also wondering, why can't this happen to me?
Zoey Deutch and Glenn Powell lead this equally raunchy and romantic Netflix movie that documents a classic love-hate relationship. Overworked by their bosses (played by Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs), Harper and Charlie attempt to set them up romantically to improve their work-life balance. The film, which came out in 2018, marked a return to rom-coms in modern cinema and launched successful careers for its leads. It also notably includes an appearance from one Pete Davidson.
In any discussion about romance movies, there is no avoiding The Notebook. The drama, which was adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel, is a sweeping love story about a young couple who fall in love but are separated after a series of miscommunications and misunderstandings come between them. When they finally reunite, it is...well, that photo of the two kissing in the rain should clue you in. The movie is a reminder that finding love for the first time can be just as wonderful, painful, and exciting as it is in the movies. Plus, you know, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.
It's unlikely that you and your partner would find yourselves on the run from the Feds, but it happens! Bonnie and Clyde Barrow are, of course, best known for robbing banks, but this classic movie is actually much more of a love story than people often remember. Their passion for one another is the engine that fuels their escapades, and Clyde's impotence is explored in depth. These two would literally take a bullet for one another.
THE quintessential Gen X/millennial queer girl movie stars Natasha Lyonne, Clea Duvall, and Melanie Lynskey (and RuPaul!) as teen lesbians sent to conversion therapy only to discover that there's no cure for being true to yourself. It may sound like a bummer, but this is an uplifting and empowering film without being saccharine or tearjerker-y.
It happens. When Jenny lands her dream job across the country, her boyfriend dumps her rather than trying to make it work, and only her friends can lift her spirits and give her the proper goodbye party she deserves. Not everything is meant to last forever, and while it might feel bad to lose something just to gain something else, you don't need to torture yourself for choosing what's right for you.
Before Knocked Up we had Fools Rush in, a broad comedy about a free spirit and a WASP forced to meet in the middle when a one-night stand results in pregnancy. It may not be the most realistic (or well-advised) love story, but since when is parenting easy or straightforward anyway? At the end of the day, you're picking a person and taking a risk, and that's exactly what these two do.
Toula loves her family. Toula loves being Greek. Toula needs to get the hell away from all of it so she can grow into her own person and attract a man who will appreciate her. Based on screenwriter and star Nia Vardalos's real-life love story, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the highest-grossing rom-com of all time and still an absolute delight, from the quotable lines ("put some Windex on it") to the sweet love story. He gets baptized, she steps into her own light, and no one has to give up what's important to them.
This holiday rom-com takes a light look at the perils of coming out, but winning central performances make it a crowd-pleaser and a welcome break from the same old Christmas fare. If your partner isn't fully authentic around their family, you may feel pressure to step back into the closet, a direction no one wants to be forced in. Maybe this movie can provide a road map for navigating some of those tricky discussions? Plus it features a killer pop song from Tegan and Sara.
About as grand and sweeping as it gets! Baz Luhrmann's Oscar-winning spectacle spawned a Broadway musical, and its central theme has become a common track for partners figure skating because it's just that romantic. Nicole Kidman was never lovelier, Ewan McGregor never more charming. Sure, there's consumption and elephant apartments and a green fairy played by Kylie Minogue, but at the end of the day, this is a story about star-crossed lovers who simply refuse to let go. Isn't that what we're all looking for?
A slightly twisted rom-com from Leslye Headland starring all your comedy faves. Jake and Lainey are commitment-phobic sex-addicted besties who make all the wrong decisions in life and apparently haven't seen When Harry Met Sally, because they don't recognize that they're in love with each other until it's almost too late. If you're in a sticky situationship, this might actually cut too close to home.
Interracial couples continue to celebrate Loving Day in honor of the Supreme Court striking down anti-miscegenation laws once and for all. They didn't set out to change the country, but Richard and Mildred weren't about to let something as backward as racism come between them. They simply wanted to be together as a family in their home state.
A couple with a complicated marriage playing a couple with a very happy marriage. Fame, money, power, and passion collide in the true(ish) story of Lucy and Desi. This movie gets into a little bit of everything: cheating, being a woman in the workplace, what happens when you hate someone you love. And putting pregnant women on TV which, shockingly, was not allowed for many years.
The simplest, purest exploration of being, literally, a woman in a man's world and how that can complicate romance is in this Disney classic. Hopefully the songs will lift your spirits as you navigate what is a pretty tricky situation.
Far from the shallow now! Though their partnership is ultimately destructive, Jackson and Ally find in one another something deeper than a soulmate: a true artistic partner. Gaga and Cooper had such good chemistry in this movie and in live performances that it sparked (untrue) rumors of an affair. Most romantic movies don't also come with a soundtrack as good as this.
Human desire is explored oh-so-adult-ly in this contemporary drama about longing. Everyone in the movie is kind of a bad person who wants what they shouldn't and lies to get it; but if you're past the fairy tale portion of your life, it may very well ring true. It's also pretty hot, if depressing!
Based on Nora Ephron's fiery roman clef about being cheated on by Carl Bernstein. If your husband won't stop having affairs, clearly, the best course of action is to take your kids, move to a great apartment in New York, and make a bunch of food.
Would you erase all memories of a painful relationship if you could? Even if the love helped you grow? Even if it's more honest to face it? This absolute heart-breaker starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey, one of the best romantic movies to watch on this list, is wacky and wondrous, using dream-like sequences to illustrate the experiences of memory and emotion, and explore how our childhoods inform our relationships.
Ya ever hear a guy on the radio and fantasize about him so hard you end up breaking it off with your fianc and using your company's money to fly across the country? It's delulu to the max. But. What if it's also love? Annie's certainly not dangerous in her low-level stalking of Sam. Okay, we're making excuses, but suspend your disbelief and lean into the magical realism. The universe put them together, with a little help from 8-year-old Jonah. And it's so sweet! One of the best romance movies of all time, full stop.
I was instantly reminded of Ticket to Paradise, where a mother (Julia Roberts) and her ex-husband (George Clooney) team up to stop their daughter from marrying a seaweed farmer in Bali (spoiler: romantic sparks begin to fly). Then there's Maybe I Do, where a happy couple introduces their parents to discuss marriage, only to find out that they already have a history. And I can't forget about the star-studded The Big Wedding, where two divorced parents agree to fake marriage as a favor to their engaged son on his wedding day.
They may not be exactly the same, but the meddling of parents (with a potential love story of their own) seems to be a common thread, and I suspect that this trend will continue for a while. Ticket to Paradise turned out to be a big box office hit in 2022, grossing $168 million worldwide and more recent streaming releases like You People (2023) have raked up enough views to dominate the top ten list. Add to this the successful history of older gems that tackle similar storylines, like Meet the Parents, which made a cool $330 million, and Monster-in-Law, which made $155 million.
So, why the fascination with boomer parents and in-laws when it comes to wedding flicks? In my humble opinion, it's because they're real, they're funny and they wield quite a bit of A-list star power. In-laws can create a breeding ground for chaos, awkwardness and conflict. They can clash over cultural differences and nitpick over wedding details. They can even put couples to the test and try to break up the engagement. And boy, is it entertaining to see how they approach these high-stress situations. Especially when those in-laws have a history or a dark past.
Another reason I suspect this trend is on the rise? These movies actually resonate, on some level, with the people who have lived it. Be it a mother who learned about her daughter's engagement at the very last minute or a daughter whose dad can't seem to find any common ground with her in-laws. Sure, the depictions aren't always accurate, but I'm guessing there are real-life in-laws out there who can see themselves in the characters.
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