Romantic comedies: Love them or tolerate them—and let's be honest, you can't hate a rom-com—they're always good for a cozy evening and a life lesson or two. They're also versatile: As with all the best movies, you can enjoy a good romantic comedy with almost anyone in your life, from your partner to your parents to your best friend. For when nothing but a good rom-com will do, those of us obsessed with the genre at Marie Claire have put together our list of the best romantic comedies of all time.
On this list, you’ll find picks from the genre’s queens, a.k.a. Julia Roberts and Nora Ephron. And while rom-coms are all generally funny and romantic (duh!), the films on our list feature a variety of plots and classic tropes. Are you looking for an enemies-to-lovers romance? We got you—The Proposal made this list. Love watching a couple fake date only to fall in love à la 10 Things I Hate About You style? Same. Stressing over who two teenagers will take to the prom? (Plot twist: They'll meet each other there.) That's our favorite activity!
Our point is that rom-coms are the feel-good movie butter of the film world—they go perfectly with whatever you're craving. We've ordered our list of the 100 best rom-coms by genre, from laugh-out-loud rom-coms to teen versions to bittersweet rom-coms that will make you laugh and shed a tear or two. Last, you’ll find our final section dedicated to the absolute best of this genre.
The Best Laugh-Out-Loud Rom-Coms
'27 Dresses'
Director: Anne Fletcher
Stars: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract, third-act declarations of love
This movie has dozens of gorgeous dresses and a "Bennie and the Jets" bar duet between Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. What more could you want? For anybody who feels like a forever bridesmaid, this 2008 movie will have you laughing and crying all at once.
'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' (2005)
Director: Judd Apatow
Stars: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogan
Rom-com tropes: The makeover
The 2000s were one hell of a time for romantic comedies, with The 40-Year-Old Virgin reigning as one of the most hilarious movies to come out of the period. This film marked Judd Apatow as a standout comedic director who can brilliantly weave together comedy and sweetness, and it's not the only film of his you'll find on this list. It also cemented Steve Carell as a comedy star as he would later go on to reach iconic status in The Office.
'50 First Dates' (2004)
Director: Peter Segal
Stars: Drew Berrymore, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting
Reuniting once again after starring in The Wedding Singer together, Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler's chemistry is undeniable in 50 First Dates (2004). Sandler plays a man named Henry who falls in love with a woman named Lucy (Barrymore) who has short-term memory loss. Every day, Henry tries to get Lucy to fall in love with him until she remembers him.
'Anyone But You' (2023)
Director: Will Gluck
Stars: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa
Rom-com tropes: Enemies to lovers, fake dating
After a bungled one-night stand, much to their horror, Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Powell) wind up at the same intimate wedding in Sydney, Australia where Bea’s parents are pressuring her to get back with the guy she recently dumped and Ben is desperate to win back his Aussie teenage fling. What else is there to do besides pretend to be dating to make his ex jealous and get her parents off her back?
'Coming to America' (1988)
Director: John Landis
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley,
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract
There's a literal royal romance at the heart of this classic Eddie Murphy film. Prince Hakeem of the fictional nation Zamunda (Murphy) travels to Queens, NY, to find his true love, rather than have an arranged marriage. He falls for local beauty Lisa (Shari Headley), but he has to win her away from her Jheri-curl sporting boyfriend.
'Deliver Us From Eva' (2003)
Director: Gary Hardwick
Stars: Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Essence Atkins
Rom-com tropes: Fake dating
Two men hire a sweet-talking Casanova named Ray (LL Cool J) to temporarily court their no-nonsense sister-in-law (Gabrielle Union), but things go awry when Ray also wins over the hearts of their lady loves. Deliver Us From Eva hits all the necessary points of a good rom-com: a contract relationship, insane chemistry, and a kidnapping plot.
'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' (2008)
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Stars: Jason Segal, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell
Rom-com tropes: Trouble with the ex, fantasy/vacation setting
Jason Segel stars as Peter, who becomes completely shattered when dumped by his famous, TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kirsten Bell). In an attempt to get over her, he goes to Hawaii, only to find that he's staying in the same hotel as Sarah and her new, obnoxious boyfriend (Russell Brand).
'Friends With Benefits' (2011)
Director: Will Gluck
Stars: Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson, Woody Harrelson
Rom-com tropes: Friends with benefits (surprise, surprise), friends to lovers, third-act declarations of love
She’s been burned by one too many guys. He’s not ready to settle down (read: commitment-phobic). The obvious solution, of course, is to add casual sex into their friendship, right? It’s not like they’ll both quickly begin to catch feelings and be unable to figure out how to tell each other, to the detriment of their entire friendship, right?!
'I Want You Back' (2022)
Director: Jason Orley
Stars: Jenny Slate, Charlie Day, Scott Eastwood, Gina Rodriguez
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers, trouble with the ex
This criminally underrated Prime Video original rom-com opens with Slate and Day’s characters each being broken up with. They then meet by chance and decide to help each other win back their exes—but not with a classic fake-dating scenario to inspire jealousy. Instead, they each set out on a mission to break up the new relationship of the other’s ex. Chaos and, of course, hilarity ensue.
'Knocked Up' (2007)
Director: Judd Apatow
Stars: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogan, Leslie Mann
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers
Let's all take a moment to acknowledge that Knocked Up is over 15 years old. Never forget Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen who play, respectively, a rising journalist and an irresponsible slacker who have a one-night stand and, well, you get it...
'No Strings Attached' (2011)
Director: Ivan Reitman
Stars: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Cary Elwes, Kevin Kline
Rom-com tropes: Friends with benefits, old flames reignited
In the other of the two friends-with-benefits-themed rom-coms that came out in 2011 and starred one-half of the Kunis-Kutcher marriage, Kutcher plays an aspiring TV exec, Adam, who begins casually hooking up with his childhood friend Emma (Portman). He quickly catches feelings—and confesses them—only to be shut down by the extremely commitment-averse Emma, setting up a confusing few rounds of will-they, won’t-they.
'The Parent Trap' (1998)
Director: Nancy Meyers
Stars: Lindsey Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson
Rom-com tropes: Old flames reignited, third-act declarations of love
Come for Lindsay Lohan being absolutely iconic in her role as twins Hallie Parker and Annie James trying to get their parents back together, stay for Daddy Dennis Quaid who broke all of our late '90s hearts.
'The Proposal' (2009)
Director: Anne Fletcher
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract, enemies to lovers, fantasy/vacation setting
A hotshot book editor (Sandra Bullock) facing deportation to Canada forces her younger male assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her for a green card. When they take a trip to visit his family in Alaska to sell the lie, sparks start to fly. Yes, it's a #MeToo nightmare, but rom-coms sometimes live in their own special alternate universe.
'Some Like It Hot' (1959)
Director: Billy Wilder
Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon
Rom-com tropes: The makeover, third-act declarations of love
Marilyn Monroe plays a member of a traveling jazz band who believes she's fallen in love with a millionaire, when in fact she's being duped by one of her fellow band members (a man on the run who's pretending to be a woman). Some Like It Hot features one of the steamiest kisses in film history and lots of great Marilyn Monroe song numbers.
'There's Something About Mary' (1998)
Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Stars: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller
Rom-com tropes: The makeover
After an unusual accident screwing up their prom date, Ted (Ben Stiller) thought his chance with Mary (Cameron Diaz) was over. 13 years later, he realizes he's still in love with Mary so he hires a private investigator (Matt Dillon) to track her down, only for the P.I. to also fall in love with her. There's Something About Mary has no shortage of funny, often ridiculous scenes, and it still holds up just as well today as it did in 1998.
'Something Borrowed' (2011)
Director: Luke Greenfield
Stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinski
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers, third-act declarations of love
What happens when you're in love with your best friend's fiancé and you don't know what to do about it? Allow Something Borrowed (2011) to show you! Things get messy and multiple declarations of love ensue.
The Best Bittersweet Rom-Coms
'500 Days of Summer' (2009)
Director: Marc Webb
Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend
Rom-com tropes: The meet-cute
All of the millennial angst of meeting someone who you believe to be the one, followed by disillusionment and despair, is captured in this excellent *non-romance* starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Bookmark this to watch alone, and experience all the feels.
'About Time' (2013)
Director: Richard Curtis
Stars: Rachel McAdams, Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy
Rom-com tropes: Memory loss
When 21-year-old Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) learns the men in his family can time travel, he decides to put his power to good use by getting a girlfriend. He meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) and falls in love with her thanks to some time traveling, but ends up losing her after an accident and has to repeat the process all over again when she doesn't remember who he is.
'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)
Director: Michael Gondry
Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst
Rom-com tropes: Memory-loss
With a comical air, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind dives into breakups, breakdowns, and breakthroughs. When Clementine (Winslet) decides to forget her painful relationship with Joel (Carrey) through a new procedure, Joel decides to do the same thing. As his memories with Clementine fade, he realizes he may be making a mistake. Its sweet message, outstanding performances, and trippy visuals will stay with you long after the credits roll.
'He's Just Not That Into You' (2009)
Director: Ken Kwapis
Stars: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers, multiple storylines
Interlocking storylines are a great way to show all the good and bad that can come with love, which is the case in He's Just Not That Into You. In this film, you've got a woman who wants to get married to her non-committal boyfriend, a man who can't stop cheating on his wife, plus a needy woman who's tired of waiting by her phone for men who never call. These characters and a few more show how much love is never a clean-and-cut story.
'Kissing Jessica Stein' (2001)
Director: Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Stars: Jennifer Westfeldt, Heather Juergensen, Tovah Feldshuh
Rom-com tropes: Main character who works in New York media
Tired of the same disappointing men she keeps dating, Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt) decides to open her love life up to women after she sees an ad in the newspaper. Instead of your boy-meets-girl love story, here we get girl-meets-girl, which was way ahead of its time over 20 years ago. And while the ending may not be the happy ending you would expect in a traditional rom-com, it's happy nonetheless.
'Love and Basketball' (2000)
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Stars: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Jedd Williard
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers
This movie includes one of the sexiest scenes of all time, a good old-fashioned friends-to-more-than-just-friends storyline, and some heart-wrenching heartbreak. Oh, and Omar Epps.
'Love and Other Drugs' (2010)
Director: Edward Zwick
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Judy Greer
Rom-com tropes: The player falls in love
Jamie (Gyllenhaal) is a medical sales rep and chronic womanizer until he meets his match in Maggie (Hathaway) a woman who won't let anything tie her down. As the two attempt a "friends with benefits" type of relationship, they can't help but fall for each other, leading Maggie to reveal she's sick with Parkinson's. While there are certainly laugh-out-loud moments and undeniable chemistry between the leads, this movie will leave you in deep thought on our healthcare system and the harsh reality of living with a disability.
'Me Before You' (2016)
Director: Thea Sharrock
Stars: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer
Rom-com tropes: Forced proximity
Fair warning: This will feel like a gut punch to the heart, but don't let that dissuade you from watching this. This may be the most bittersweet of bittersweet rom-coms in the best way possible. Small-town girl Lou (Emilia Clarke) is hired as the caretaker for a recently-paralyzed man named Will (Sam Clafin). While they spend more and more time together, she learns that Will has plans to die by assisted suicide so she tries to show him how great life can be.
'Obvious Child' (2014)
Director: Gillian Robespierre
Stars: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann
Rom-com tropes: The meet-cute
Obvious Child is by no means a typical rom-com, as it's centered around a one-night stand that results in an unplanned pregnancy—which it tackles with poise. Slate plays a struggling, unemployed stand-up comedian in NYC who hooks up with a sweet grad student (Lacy) and finds herself having to stand on her own two feet for once. Slate is utterly adorable in this indie flick, and it's a compelling story about coming-of-age as an independent woman as it is an unconventional romance.
'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012)
Director: David O. Russel
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro
Rom-com tropes: Trouble with the ex, third-act declarations of love
It's about mental illness, and it also manages to be sweet and incredibly funny. It doesn't hurt that the two leads, played by Cooper and Lawrence, are giving some of their best work. (Lawrence won an Oscar for the role.) Come for the snappy banter, stay to watch two people who are imperfectly perfect for each other fall in love.
'Waitress' (2007)
Director: Adrienne Shelly
Stars: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Jeremy Sisto
Rom-com tropes: Forbidden romance
Before it was a hit Broadway musical, Waitress was a charming indie rom-com. Both tell the story of a small-town waitress who begins an affair with her OBGYN after she accidentally becomes pregnant by her no-good husband.
The Best Teen Rom-Coms
'A Cinderella Story' (2004)
Director: Mark Rosman
Stars: Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray, Regina King, Jennifer Coolidge
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract, forbidden romance
The title says it all: As a modernized take on the iconic fairytale, this 2004 teen classic follows the secret romance between a high school star quarterback (Murray) and a much less popular classmate he’s barely noticed (Duff). In true early-aughts fashion, instead of a glass slipper, she leaves behind her bedazzled flip phone while running away from the ball (a.k.a. school dance) to get home before her wicked stepmother and stepsisters notice her absence.
'Easy A' (2010)
Director: Will Gluck
Stars: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci
Rom-com tropes: Old flames reignited, third-act declarations of love
The true “rom” of this rom-com doesn’t kick in until the end, but when it does, it easily lives up to main character Olive’s dream of a John-Hughes-movie-style declaration of love. Before then, the (loosely) Scarlet Letter-inspired film sees Olive (Stone) pretend to have sex with classmates in return for various gift cards and then, when that earns her a notorious reputation at school, parade around with red “A”s sewn onto her clothes.
'Grease' (1978)
Director: Randal Kleiser
Stars: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract, the makeover
Okay, so you don't immediately shout "ROM-COM!" when Grease (1978) appears on your screen, but it is a romantic musical movie that has a lot of snarky comedy throughout. Plus, it's just iconic!
'Juno' (2007)
Director: Jason Reitman
Stars: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers
Featuring gorgeous performances by Page and Cera, Juno features an unplanned pregnancy between high school besties, the journey towards adoption, and the cutest (unconventional) on-screen romance since...ever?
'Love, Simon' (2018)
Director: Greg Berlanti
Stars: Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford, Jennifer Garner
Rom-com tropes: The meet-cute
Love, Simon has been praised for its long-overdue Hollywood storyline about a gay teenage romance starring Robinson, Langford, and genre faves Duhamel and Garner. While dealing with a blackmailer who has threatened to "out" Simon to the entire school, the teen is also attempting to balance home life and the classmate he fell in love with online. You know, the usual!
'Never Been Kissed' (1999)
Director: Raja Gosnell
Stars: Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan
Rom-com tropes: The makeover
Anyone who had a hard time in high school can definitely relate to this movie. Drew Barrymore stars as aspiring journalist Josie, who goes undercover at a high school for an assignment and ends up falling in love with her English teacher (problematic, much?).
'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' (2008)
Director: Peter Sollett
Stars: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings
Rom-com tropes: Fake dating
Michael Cera was basically the king of the mid-aughts rom-coms. In Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Cera stars as high school student Nick who meets Norah after she asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend. Throughout the night, they bond over their love for music.
'Say Anything' (1989)
Director: Cameron Crowe
Stars: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract, third-act declaration of love
This is a classic '80s film—from the famous Peter Gabriel boombox scene to the teenage coming-of-age love story. You'll never look at trench coats and sneakers the same way.
'She's All That' (1999)
Director: Robert Iscove
Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract, the makeover
A jock bets his friends that he can turn any girl into the prom queen and they choose the ultimate challenge: Rachel Leigh Cook with glasses and paint on her clothes. Problematic teen comedy tropes aside, it's a quintessentially '90s rom-com.
'She's the Man' (2006)
Director: Andy Fickman
Stars: Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey
Rom-com tropes: The makeover
This underrated gem is guaranteed to make you laugh. Bynes stars as Viola, a soccer star who impersonates her brother to make the team at an elite boarding school. There, she meets the swoon-worthy jock, Duke (Tatum), and things get complicated. The chemistry between Tatum and Bynes is off the charts and Bynes' take on how girls think guys act is nothing short of comedy gold (We're still laughing about the tampon-in-the-nose bit).
'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' (2018)
Director: Susan Johnson
Stars: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, John Corbett
Rom-com tropes: Fake dating, opposites attract
Based on Jenny Han's beloved YA book series, To All the Boys I've Loved Before is basically a high school nightmare that becomes a teenage dream. When the letters Lara Jean (Condor) writes to her crushes but never sends are mailed out, she pretends to date one of them (Centineo) to mitigate the fallout.
The Best Classic Rom-Coms
'The Apartment' (1960)
Director: Billy Wilder
Stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray
Rom-com tropes: Love triangle
The Apartment follows C.C. Baxter (Lemmon), an insurance clerk who lends his apartment to his bosses for their extramarital affairs in the hopes of moving up the corporate ladder. He's also in love with his company's elevator operator—who happens to be one of his boss' mistresses. It's a surprisingly modern view on men in power and workplace harassment, but one filled with romance and humor.
'Bringing Up Baby' (1938)
Director: Howard Hawks
Stars: Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Charles Ruggles
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract
In this classic screwball comedy, Grant stars as a paleontologist who needs a donation from a wealthy benefactor for his museum. Things get complicated when he meets said benefactor's wacky niece (Hepburn), who pulls him into an adventure involving, among other things, a dinosaur and a (kind of) tamed leopard.
'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (1995)
Director: Aditya Chopra
Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting
The longest-running Hindi film ever literally rewrote the rom-com, as a modernized Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale with a celebration of Indian culture and an exploration of important issues like liberalization. In perfect Bollywood fashion, there's also catchy songs and gorgeous dancing. Marie Claire's Neha Prakash did an oral history of the iconic movie.
'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (1953)
Director: Howard Hawks
Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russel, Charles Coburn
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract
In this classic, Monroe plays a showgirl who gets engaged to a wealthy man (Tommy Noonan)—much to the chagrin of his family. The man's father (Taylor Holmes) hires a private detective to tail Monroe's character during a cruise with a girlfriend, looking out for anything that might ruin the marriage.
'Groundhog Day' (1993)
Director: Harold Ramis
Stars: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott
Rom-com tropes: The player falls in love
This charming rom-com starring Bill Murray set the premise for dozens of modern films. Murray stars as a conceited weatherman forced to relive February 2, a.k.a. Groundhog Day, over and over. After spending what may be months reliving the day, Phil decides to pursue Rita (McDowell) and devotes the repeating day to becoming the best version of himself for her. This one features a lot of hilarious and moving moments.
'His Girl Friday' (1940)
Director: Howard Hawks
Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy
Rom-com tropes: Trouble with the ex
If you like witty banter and dialogue so fast it would make the Gilmore Girls tongue-tied, then His Girl Friday is the rom-com classic for you.
'It Happened One Night' (1934)
Director: Frank Capra
Stars: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly
Rom-com tropes: Enemies to lovers
This 1934 classic rom-com from acclaimed director Frank Capra focuses on a spoiled heiress named Ellie (Colbert) who marries a scheming man (Connolly). Her dad then does the only logical thing and kidnaps her away on his yacht. Ellie—a free spirit—jumps ship and meets up with a hardened newspaper reporter (Gable), who sets off to help her link back up with her husband but ends up catching feelings.
'Jerry Maguire' (1996)
Director: Cameron Crowe
Stars: Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Rom-com tropes: The player falls in love
In this classic '90s movie, the titular sports agent (Cruise) has a crisis after he's suddenly fired at the top of his game. Clinging to his career, Maguire starts his own management firm with the only employee who would leave, a single mother named Dorothy (Zellweger). While struggling to make the business work, the two grow closer than ever before in this sweet, corny-at-times rom-com. Cruise earned an Oscar nomination with his performance, but we'd argue Zellweger deserved a nom, too.
'Love Jones' (1997)
Director: Theodore Witcher
Stars: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington
Rom-com tropes: Trouble with the ex
In this classic, a poet (Tate) and a photographer (Long) fall in love in '90s Chicago, but their ambitions and exes get in the way of their relationship.
'Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon' (2003)
Director: Sooraj R. Barjatya
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers, third-act declarations of love
A girl (Kapoor) gets set up with the heir (Roshan) to a multi-million dollar company and falls in love with him only to discover that he's not who everyone thought he was. This iconic Bollywood rom-com is considered a classic for a reason, complete with dreamy, longing gazes and killer dance sequences.
'Moonstruck' (1987)
Director: Norman Jewison
Stars: Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis
Rom-com tropes: Forbidden romance
The full moon sometimes makes us do crazy things—or, at least, that's what we'd like to blame—which is the central theme of this film about a widow (played by the fabulous Cher) who falls for the baker brother (Cage) of the man she's agreed to marry. Her father and mother, meanwhile, engage in extra-marital affairs. The romantic hijinx won over critics who awarded the film three Oscars, including a Best Actress award for Cher.
'Much Ado About Nothing' (1993)
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington
Rom-com tropes: Enemies to lovers, multiple storylines, the player falls in love
With such a stacked cast, this movie is well worth the watch. Branagh brilliantly adapts the Shakespeare play for the big screen, while also serving as one of the main characters. He plays Benedick, a stubborn bachelor constantly sparring with Beatrice (Thompson) and set up in a "love trap" by his friends. Give this one a chance if you're a fan of period pieces and ensemble comedies.
'The Philadelphia Story' (1940)
Director: George Cukor
Stars: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart
Rom-com tropes: Love triangle, third-act declarations of love
A rom-com for the ages, this iconic film from 1940 is led by frequent costars Grant and Hepburn as a married couple on the rocks. Hepburn plays Tracey Lord, a socialite who attempts to remarry after throwing out her ex-husband (Grant). That is until he shows up to her nuptials with an investigative journalist (Stewart) who's clued in on her dark family history.
'Serendipity' (2001)
Director: Peter Chelsom
Stars: John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale
Rom-com tropes: Old flames reignite, Christmas-time
Rom-coms are all about fate bringing two perfect-for-each-other people together, and Serendipity takes that idea and runs with it. This quintessential winter movie stars Beckinsale and Cusack as strangers who share a perfect, romantic night in New York City and then, instead of exchanging contact information, put their phone numbers on random objects and send them out into the universe, trusting fate to bring them back together if it's truly meant to be.
'The Seven Year Itch' (1955)
Director: Billy Wilder
Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Evelyn Keyes
Rom-com tropes: Forbidden romance
The Seven Year Itch is about a man who considers cheating on his wife with his gorgeous, model neighbor. Monroe and Ewell show that infidelity (or at least the idea of it) can be more hilarious than you'd imagine.
'The Shop Around the Corner' (1940)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Stars: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan
Rom-com tropes: Enemies to lovers
If you love You've Got Mail, you'll love The Shop Around the Corne. It's the original, black-and-white film the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan classic is based on (but, you know, pre-AOL).
'Something's Gotta Give' (2003)
Director: Nancy Meyers
Stars: Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet
Rom-com tropes: Enemies to lovers
There's something about sticking the enemies-to-lovers trope in a couple in their golden years to make a rom-com really special. In Something's Gotta Give, womanizer Harry (Nicholson) shows up at his young girlfriend's (Peet) Hamptons home only to find her disapproving mother (Keaton) residing over. The two come to blows over the age-inappropriate relationship but they soon find their heated arguments make way to love.
'The Wedding Planner' (2001)
Director: Adam Shankman
Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Judy Greer
Rom-com tropes: The meet-cute
Two words: Jennifer Lopez. The actress/singer/goddess takes us back to 2001 when she stars opposite Matthew McConaughey in the classic 2000s movie The Wedding Planner. If you can get past the white male savior complex at the start of the movie (McConaughey saves Lopez from getting run over by a huge cart and also happens to be the doctor who takes care of her in the hospital), the plot will completely throw you for a loop.
'While You Were Sleeping' (1995)
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher
Rom-com tropes: Memory-loss
A woman named Lucy (Bullock) saves her secret crush from being hit by a train. She goes to the hospital with him and accidentally implies to his family that they're engaged (oops). When he wakes up and doesn't remember her, everyone assumes he has amnesia and he just...is engaged to her. But then—awkward—Lucy starts to fall for Mr. Right's brother (Pullman, in peak awkward-adorable form).
The Best Modern Rom-Coms
'Always Be My Maybe' (2019)
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Stars: Ali Wong, Randall Park, Daniel Dae Kim
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers
Always Be My Maybe is so good that you'll want to watch it as many times as possible. The Netflix original stars comedians Wong and Park as childhood sweethearts who reconnect after 15 long years. Heartthrob Daniel Dae Kim makes an appearance, as does Keanu Reeves—pretty much playing himself. It's the perfect new movie for girls' night.
'The Beauty Inside' (2015)
Director: Jong-Yeol Baek
Stars: Han Hyo-joo, Park Seo-joon, Juri Ueno
Rom-com tropes: Third-act declarations of love, fantasy/vacation setting
This sweet Korean film follows Woo-jin, who wakes up in a different body every day. No matter if he's a man or a woman, an adult or a child, one thing never changes: He's in love with Yi-soo (Han Hyo-joo). Once she falls for him, the couple has to figure out how to find their happily ever after in this strange situation.
'The Big Sick' (2017)
Director: Michael Showalter
Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter
Rom-com tropes: Forbidden romance
Romances are always sweeter when based on real-life stories, which is why this rom-com from Nanjiani is such a breath of fresh air. It grounds the typical rom-com tropes in a time of Uber and dating apps, portraying an interracial romance between stand-up comic Kumail (played by himself) and his wife Emily (played by indie rom-com queen Kazan). They face their biggest challenge when Emily develops a sudden sickness that lands her in a coma.
'Bros' (2022)
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Stars: Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract, fantasy/vacation setting
Billed as the first major studio rom-com about a gay romance, Bros follows the ups and downs of a relationship between two very different men—one who’s proudly out and is well-known among the LGBTQ+ community (Eichner) and one who’s much quieter about his sexuality (Macfarlane)—and the things they learn from each other about embracing their identities and pursuing their dreams.
'Crazy Rich Asians' (2018)
Director: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting, opposites attract
For the first time, Asians finally got the representation and recognition they deserved on the big screen with this smash blockbuster based on Kevin Kwans best-selling novel. In the heartwarming film, Wu and Golding star as a couple who visits his family on a summer trip to Singapore. He fails to mention a few details—like how his family is mega-rich, hard to please, and, oh yeah, that he's the country's most eligible bachelor.
'Definitely, Maybe' (2009)
Director: Adam Brooks
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Abigail Breslin
Rom-com tropes: Old flames reignited
A father (Reynolds) going through a divorce is thrown for a loop when his 11-year-old daughter (Breslin) asks about his romantic past. As Reyonlds narrates a sanitized version of a 1992 bachelor lifestyle, we get to guess with Breslin which woman becomes her mom.
'Enchanted' (2007)
Director: Kevin Lima
Stars: Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden
Rom-com tropes: Grumpy guy meets sunshine girl, love triangle
A Disney fairytale is brought to life in this mostly live-action film following a princess (Adams) sent to New York City on the eve of her wedding by an evil queen (Sarandon). Expect the sweet moments, musical numbers, and light-hearted jokes as you would in any Disney movie, plus an unbelievably good performance from Marsden as the stereotypical Prince Edward.
'Fire Island' (2022)
Director: Andrew Ahn
Stars: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting
It's a beautiful thing when a film manages to nail a queer storyline, but the fact that this film combines queer and Asian American narratives makes it a real storyline. Fire Island follows a group of gay best friends as they head to, you guessed it, Fire Island, for their annual week-long romp on the beach. Not only is it hilarious, but it's also inspired by Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice.
'Happiest Season' (2020)
Director: Clea DuVall
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Dan Levy
Rom-com tropes: Christmas-time
This film nails a lot of things simultaneously: It's a funny rom-com, an adorable, sweet, sensitive love story between two women, and a painfully relatable story about complicated family dynamics and how we present ourselves to the world. And it's a perfect holiday movie? It's got everything!
'The Idea of You' (2024)
Director: Michael Showalter
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract
In this instant smash for Prime Video based on Robinne Lee's novel, an almost 40-year-old single mom (Hathaway) takes her daughter (Ella Rubin) to Coachella, expecting nothing more than to watch the teen finally get to meet the boy band she’s loved for years. Instead, said single mom catches the eye of one of the boy band’s members (Galitzine), more than a decade and a half her junior. Thus begins a whirlwind romance straight out of a good old-fashioned fanfic.
'Just Wright' (2010)
Director: Sanaa Hamri
Stars: Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patton
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers
Latifah plays a down-on-her-luck physical therapist who finds herself in the employ of a hotshot basketball player (Common) after he suffers from a career-threatening injury. The chemistry in this one is something—prepare to swoon.
'Long Shot' (2019)
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan, O'Shea Jackson
Rom-com tropes: Old flames reignited
Who knew Rogen would be the ideal rom-com lead? This seemingly odd couple pairing between him and Theron makes perfect sense once you get them in a room for five minutes. Pair it with sharp, literally laugh-out-loud dialogue and this becomes an underrated gem.
'Palm Springs' (2020)
Director: Max Barbakow
Stars: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting
Two guests at a wedding (Samberg, Milioti) have to relive the same day over and over again, in true Groundhog Day style. If you've ever had to go to multiple weddings in the same year, it's even more relatable.
'Plus One' (2019)
Director: Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer
Stars: Maya Erskine, Jack Quaid
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers
Each facing down a long list of weddings to attend all summer and no significant other to go with, a pair of friends (Erskine, Quaid) from college agree to be each other’s plus ones. With all that time spent together watching other people’s declarations of everlasting love, it’s no surprise that things quickly get complicated.
'Red, White, and Royal Blue' (2023)
Director: Matthew López
Stars: Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Uma Thurman
Rom-com tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity
This much-beloved rom-com book got the adaptation treatment for Prime Video. In case you weren't one of the millions to read the novel, the story follows a British prince and the son of the American president who have hated each other since they met. When their sour relationship threatens U.S. and Britain relations, the two are forced to act as best friends, and (of course) this leads to a different kind of relationship. Sure, some parts are especially cheesy, but that makes this movie more entertaining.
'Set It Up' (2018)
Director: Claire Scanlon
Stars: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu
Rom-com tropes: Enemies to lovers
Nothing's better for our nostalgic hearts than a film that takes inspiration from the best rom-coms of all time. Underlings Harper (Deutch) and Charlie (Powell) use all the tricks from the book to set up their demanding bosses Kirsten (Liu) and Rick (Taye Diggs), with interesting results for both of the pairs.
'Sleeping With Other People' (2015)
Director: Leslye Headland
Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Jordan Carlos
Rom-com tropes: Old flames reignited, friends to lovers, the player falls in love
This subversive rom-com has been called the "raunchy When Harry Met Sally." It stars Sudeikis and Brie as college exes who reconnect and decide to stay platonic friends as they look for love with super-messy consequences (both are prone to cheat and they meet again outside a sex addiction meeting).
'Someone Great' (2019)
Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Stars: Gina Rodriguez, LaKeith Stanfield, Brittany Snow
Rom-com tropes: Main character who works in New York media
Right before she's supposed to move across the country, Jenny's (Rodriguez) boyfriend of nine years (Stanfield) breaks up with her, leaving her devastated. To cheer her up, Jenny's best friends give her one last hoorah in the city, which amounts to some hilarious moments. While this may not be your typical love story, it is a story about love and the loss that can come with it.
'Trainwreck' (2015)
Director: Judd Apatow
Stars: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Tilda Swinton
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract
Hader should be the leading man in everything. Forever. And Schumer's immense writing and acting skills are on full display. This movie is a perfect storm of a great script, great casting, and great chemistry.
'Think Like a Man' (2012)
Director: Tim Story
Stars: Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Regina Hall
Rom-com tropes: Multiple storylines, the player falls in love, opposites attract
This rom-com based on Steve Harvey's best-selling advice book considers what happens when single women start acting more like the men they date. Instead of focusing on one romance, the film follows multiple couples in a star-studded cast, including Union, Michael Ealy, Hall, and Megan Good.
'Two Night Stand' (2014)
Director: Max Nichols
Stars: Miles Teller, Lio Tipton, Jessica Szohr
Rom-com tropes: Forced proximity
Before he became a bonafide movie star with roles in the Divergent series and Top Gun: Maverick, Teller often played the goofy, lovable guy in rom-coms, and Two-Night Stand is the best of the bunch. The film follows Megan (Tipton) as she meets up with Alec (Teller) for a one-night stand, only to be trapped at his place when a snowstorm hits—everyone's worst nightmare, right? What results is a surprisingly sweet time that neither of the two had anticipated.
The All-Time Best Rom-Coms
'10 Things I Hate About You' (1999)
Director: Gil Junger
Stars: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Rom-com tropes: Fake dating, third-act declarations of love, opposites attract
One of the most clever teen comedies of all time, 10 Things I Hate About You is a classic for its whip-smart script and hilarious camaraderie between the actors (see: a young Ledger and Gordon-Levitt). That's not to mention all the signature rom-com moments, from epic dance and song scenes (honestly, it's worth watching just for Ledger's immortal dance number with a marching band) to public declarations of love.
'13 Going on 30' (2004)
Director: Gary Winick
Stars: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers, main character who works in New York media
All Jenna Rink wants to be is "30, flirty, and thriving" until she gets what she wishes for. The bewilderment of being 13 in a 30-year-old's body is played pretty much perfectly here by Garner, and this film captures the exact moment when the world truly fell in love with Ruffalo.
'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961)
Director: Blake Edwards
Stars: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract
This Hepburn classic spawned a million dorm room posters and remains an enduring classic. The movie follows Holly Golightly, a young woman looking for a rich, older man to marry—but finds herself falling for a young man (Peppard) in her apartment building instead. Some aspects have aged poorly, but Hepburn's performance is timeless.
'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001)
Director: Sharon Maguire
Stars: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
Rom-com tropes: Love triangle, friends to lovers
The hilarious and uncensored Bridget Jones (Zellweger) forever has our loyalty as a news anchor caught in a love triangle with her boss and her childhood friend Mr. Mark Darcy (Firth, naturally modeled off the brooding Pride & Prejudice suitor). The British humor is pitch-perfect and we can't help but love how it glorifies the idea of waiting for someone who likes you "just as you are."
'Clueless' (1995)
Director: Amy Heckerling
Stars: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Paul Rudd
Rom-com tropes: The makeover, forbidden romance
Chances are you've seen Clueless, but if you need a refresher, it's a modern update of Jane Austen's Emma. Silverstone stars as the iconic Cher, a California high-schooler balancing her social life, bettering herself and others, and keeping up her expansive closet.
'Crazy, Stupid, Love' (2011)
Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Stars: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone
Rom-com tropes: Multiple storylines, trouble with the ex, the player falls in love
Hopefully, there'll be more romantic movies starring Gosling and Stone, because they're irresistible as a pair. Gosling plays a ladies' man who falls for the deadpan, unsinkable Hannah (Stone), while he's also trying to help a hapless divorcee (Carell) get his manly groove back.
'Failure to Launch' (2006)
Director: Tom Dey
Stars: Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew McConaughey, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract, fake dating, the player falls in love
With their 35-year-old son Tripp (McConaughey) showing no signs of being ready to move out, two aspiring empty-nesters hire an expert, Paula (Parker), to pretend to woo him and, in doing so, convince him to move out on his own. Unfortunately, Tripp doesn’t fit into Paula’s usual profile, throwing her off her game and—oops—causing her to fall for him. As a bonus, Deschanel, Bartha, and Cooper steal the show as a trio of delightfully wacky best-friend characters crucial to any respectable 2000s rom-com.
'Four Weddings and a Funeral' (1994)
Director: Mike Newell
Stars: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, James Fleet
Rom-com tropes: The meet-cute
Grant and MacDowell led this rom-com classic about an Englishman and an American woman who meet at a wedding...and then (just like the title says) three others and a funeral.
'The Holiday' (2006)
Director: Nancy Meyers
Stars: Kate Winslett, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law
Rom-com tropes: Multiple storylines, fantasy/vacation setting, Christmas-time
Two women (Diaz, Winslett) from opposite sides of the pond who are unlucky in love decide to swap home and, in the process, maybe totally find their soulmates.
'How Stella Got Her Groove Back' (1998)
Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Stars: Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting
Stella (Bassett) vacations to Jamaica and meets a hot man almost half her age (Diggs). The two hit it off, but can their love make it outside the vacation bubble?
'How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days' (2003)
Director: Donald Petrie
Stars: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Kathryn Hahn
Rom-com tropes: Fake dating, main character who works in New York media
A journalist at a women's magazine wants to take on more serious pieces, so her boss assigns her one last fluff piece as a final challenge: a story on how to lose a guy in 10 days. She uses all of the behavior men have been calling women "crazy" for ages but ends up falling for the guy (McConaughey) she's trying to get rid of. What she doesn't know is that he's taken a bet that he can make her fall in love with him, so it's a classic conflict of interests.
'Love Actually' (2003)
Director: Richard Curtis
Stars: Kiera Knightley, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson
Rom-com tropes: Multiple storylines, friends to lovers, third-act declarations of love, Christmas-time
The gift that keeps on giving. Love Actually is a go-to comedy during the holiday season, and everyone has their favorite plot line from the many diverging love stories that take place.
'Mamma Mia' (2008)
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Stars: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting, old flames reignited
If you need a reminder of how great of an actress Seyfried is, watch Mamma Mia!, then bask in the glory of Streep, who plays her mother in the film. The premise: Sophie (Seyfried) goes on a quest to find her birthfather to walk her down the aisle by inviting all potential suitors (read: her mother's exes) without telling her. The Greek setting will make you want to book a vacation ASAP and the soundtrack will make you want to download several ABBA albums.
'My Best Friend's Wedding' (1997)
Director: P.J. Hogan
Stars: Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers
No movie captures the frustration of being in love with your best friend quite like My Best Friend's Wedding, a sublime rom-com starring '90s screen queens Diaz and Roberts. Roberts plays a 27-year-old food critic who realizes she's in love with her best guy friend (Mulroney). When he announces he's engaged to a college-aged student (Diaz), she decides to sabotage their wedding.
'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (2002)
Director: Joel Zwick
Stars: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine
Rom-com tropes: Forbidden romance
You'll never look at Windex the same after watching this movie. But in all seriousness, this '00s favorite stars Vardalos and Corbett (during his SATC days). Vardalos plays a young Greek woman who comes from a—you guessed it—insanely big Greek family and falls in love with a non-Greek man. Things get complicated.
'Notting Hill' (1999)
Director: Roger Michell
Stars: Hugh Grant, Julia Robert, Richard McCabe
Rom-com tropes: Opposites attract
This rom-com is just the story of a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her—after a long, complicated love story, that is. Roberts plays a world-famous actress (a stretch, right?) who falls for an average London bookshop owner (Grant).
'Pretty Woman' (1990)
Director: Garry Marshall
Stars: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander
Rom-com tropes: Fake dating, opposites attract
This is a requirement. Roberts is epic in this movie about a wealthy businessman (Gere) who becomes smitten with a sex worker he hires on a whim.
'The Princess Bride' (1987)
Director: Rob Reiner
Stars: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting
Equal parts fairytale romance and laugh-out-loud comedy, The Princess Bride is a classic for all ages—with its self-described best kiss of all time.
'Roman Holiday' (1953)
Director: William Wyler
Stars: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert
Rom-com tropes: Fantasy/vacation setting
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story is only the second most romantic tale of European royalty falling for an American. The first is Roman Holiday, which stars Hepburn as an overwhelmed princess who runs away from her responsibilities on a trip to Rome and ends up romantically entangled with an American reporter (Peck).
'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993)
Director: Nora Ephron
Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Rita Wilson
Rom-com tropes: The meet-cute
When Hanks and Ryan come together, rom-com magic happens. (Not-so-spoiler alert: This isn't the only film with them on this list.) In this classic, a recent widower's son (Ross Malinger) calls into a radio show to find his dad (Hanks) a new love.
'When Harry Met Sally' (1989)
Director: Rob Reiner
Stars: Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher
Rom-com tropes: Friends to lovers
This quintessential rom-com begs the question: "Can guys and girls ever truly be friends?" Rom-com queen Ryan goes toe-to-toe with Crystal in a story about an 11-year friendship between two friends who (hilariously) try to keep the line between friends and lovers separate. Nora Ephron's immaculate screenplay is poetry.
'You've Got Mail' (1998)
Director: Nora Ephron
Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear
Rom-com tropes: Enemies to lovers
Set in '90s NYC, Ryan plays Kathleen, the owner of a small children’s bookstore, and Hanks plays the rival owner of a bookstore chain. They meet online and, well, we won't spoil the rest for you.
-
The Most Underrated '80s Movies EverIf this is your favorite film decade, there's lots more to enjoy beyond the classics.
-
The 21 Best Thrillers Streaming on NetflixFor those nights in when you simply don't want to relax.
-
20 Movies to Watch If You Love '10 Things I Hate About You'From more '90s favorites and teen rom-coms to other modern adaptations of classic literature.
-
Robinne Lee Knows Why We Love a Good Rom-ComThe author discusses the new adaptation of her best-selling novel starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine.
-
Behind Every Big 'Challengers' Moment Is This $330 Loewe TeeThe shirt, worn by Zendaya and Josh O'Connor in the film, has become a pop culture phenomenon.
-
A Definitive Ranking of Margot Robbie’s Top 10 Movie RolesShe's got a knack for playing complex women.
-
The Best Bollywood Movies of 2023 (So Far)Including one that just might fill the Riverdale-shaped hole in your heart.
-
The 'Barbie' Movie Poster Is Already This Year's Most Iconic MemeYour daily dose of internet comedy.
