Romantic comedy films are a genre that needs no explanation. It is full of classic movies and scenes that will forever live free in your head. These movies will make you want to raise your standards again and again. Many of us hope to achieve this love when thinking about our future.
We hope to run into our future spouses one day through college, at a coffee shop, or the airport. These are only a few starters to start watching if you are new to romcoms or want to remind yourself why you love these movies. Here are 9 romcoms that will fuel your hopes and make you believe that love exists.
When Harry Met Sally
First on this list is an all-time classic. When Harry Met Sally follows Harry and Sally through their ten-year friendship after they move away from college. The viewer watches their friendship start as something that quickly goes away until, time and time again, both characters continue to pop up in each other’s lives.
The movie asks the question, can men and women be friends? Which is what Harry and Sally go to find out through their lifelong friendship.
This film does a fantastic job of a slow burn through friendship. Harry and Sally do not get into a relationship but simply start as friends. Then, throughout the years, they grow closer and share everything together. This movie is the spark of romantic comedies.
The original ending for this movie was for Harry and Sally not to be together; however, the director, Rob Reiner, met his wife and decided to change the ending. The movie would not have been such a classic if the ending had not changed.
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
If friends to lovers are not your thing, do not fear. Pride and Prejudice is another classic based on Jane Austen’s novel. The film is fantastic and iconic in the famous scene of Mr. Darcy’s hand, which is what every girl looks forward to when rewatching this movie.
This film is set in the 18th century and uses the enemies-to-lovers trope with the characters Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy, a wealthy man looking for a wife, stumbles upon Elizabeth. She is from a lower-class family, and Mr. Darcy makes a bad impression on Elizabeth, which sets off the whole movie. Now, these characters have to get over their pride and prejudice if they want to be together.
Throughout the film, Elizabeth experiences many problems with her family. These problems tend to lead to Mr. Darcy, and he is unable to forget about her. There is also a confession scene in the rain, which is every girl’s dream to experience, which makes this romantic comedy film a must-see.
Crazy Rich Asians
When this first came out, it was an instant hit with audiences. The visuals and the luxury of the movie were iconic. Many people hoped they would end up with a wealthy family just to experience a wedding like that in this film.
Crazy Rich Asians is based on a novel with two characters named Nick Young and Rachel Chu. Nick’s family is stupidly wealthy, and Rachel is not, so when she is invited to figure out her way around the family and whether they will accept her so that she wedding, she and Nick can have a future together.
Love & Other Drugs
This one is an underrated film starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie is one that not many people would recommend; however, it is a worthy one to watch.
Jamie, a player, is trying to look for a new job when he bumps into Maggie, and they spark a romance. However, Maggie has Parkinson’s disease, and these characters have to figure out if this love is something they both truly want.
Even though Jamie is a player when he meets Maggie, his whole world changes, including his own. If that means keeping Maggie with him, he can put aside his old ways. Even with her disease, he still finds a way to be with her, even if she does not want it.
Both actors perform phenomenally in portraying a romance with each other, especially towards the end of the film. Anne Hathaway does a great job with her performance on Parkinson’s disease, and this movie deserves more credit.
The Notebook
Not including The Notebook on this list would be a crime—it is everyone’s go-to romantic comedy film. It has made everyone cry at some point in the movie, which deserves a spot on this list.
The movie leans more towards romance, but that’s not to say there are not any funny moments that give room to laugh before you start to tear up. The movie is known for its iconic lines and moments from actors Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.
The plot goes as follows: Two lovers, Noah and Allie, are in love, yet Allie’s parents do not accept Noah being with Allie, so the two separate. From there on, the two try to find their way back to each other with World War II going on and other partners.
Noah makes many romantic gestures in hopes of Allie returning to him, making the movie so much more romantic. His love for her comes through the entire film, and you know that after so many years of being a part of it, he loves Allie.
Love Rosie
Love Rosie follows the slow-burn and friends-to-lovers trope as Rosie and Alex go through a long journey to be with each other. They start out as friends from childhood all the way through their adult life.
Things turn when Alex does not believe his best friend, Rosie, likes him, so he goes out with another girl. From there on, the two struggle to keep their feelings to themself so the other does not find out.
The film captures what it is like to be in love with your best friend—the hardship and struggle of not telling them. The two characters do everything they can to avoid this and not ruin the friendship because it means too much to both to lose. Unfortunately, it is not enough for them to prevent this for the rest of their lives.
10 Things I Hate About You
When thinking about the enemies loves trope, 10 things I hate about you is usually the first on people’s minds. This one is a 1990s classic when talking about romantic comedies.
Both Kat and Patrick are in high school and Patrick bets that he can get Kat to go out with him so that Kat’s younger sister can date. However, the downside is that Kat is a rebel and does not want to date.
One of the most iconic scenes in this movie is towards the end when Kat confesses her feelings to Patrick through a poem. This scene is what makes this movie so memorable. It shows the transformation that both Kat and Patrick had on each other throughout the film. Kat goes from being hardcore to showing more affection not just towards Patrick but also towards her sister.
Patrick also changes from being a bad boy to being more kind towards Kat. The character development and chemistry between the characters show that this is a good choice romcom to watch.
Emma (2020)
Emma is another Jane Austen adaptation film. It tells the story of a woman named Emma trying to match-make couples; however, it leads to disaster when feelings and communication get mixed up between Emma’s friends.
Since this is a newer novel adaptation released before the pandemic, it did not get as much attention as it should have. In this movie, Emma is unaware of her love life and instead focuses on others. To then which feelings develop for one character, George Knightly.
The movie subtly hints at George’s feelings towards Emma throughout. Although the two are not close in the beginning, affections slowly start to appear.
Set It Up
Lastly, Set It Up is a modern romcom that deserves to be on this list. It stars Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch. These two actors do a great job of displaying a good romcom. The movie has a lot of balance between romance and comedy throughout the film. Both actors can bounce off each other’s personalities, which is an absolute success for this film.
The two main characters, Charlie and Harper, are assistants for their jobs, and both have difficult bosses. They both tend to work very late at their jobs and do not have time to spend outside of their career. When they work late one day, they run into each other and realize that they should set up their bosses to date each other to make their lives easier.
Throughout the film, the two grow more fond of each other, and their friendship grows. It is a classic for lovers, and you can always go right with it. The growth of their relationship is satisfying to see in the end.
And They Lived Happily Ever After!
So many more romantic comedy movies could have been put on this list; however, that would have been very long. These are just a few to rewatch or watch for the first time! These movies will make you rethink love and how much it is out there.
Romantic comedies are slowly making a comeback in the film industry today, with movies like Anyone but You being the latest release. Given how well this genre tends to do, many more will be produced. These movies are so easy to get into and never need an introduction. Romcoms have proven that love out there exists.
