These 10 Romantic Comedies Will Actually Make You Believe In Love Again
Here's to love, laughs, and choosing wisely!
1. The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)
For all you hopeless romantics out there nursing broken hearts, meet the antidote to your love woes – The Broken Hearts Gallery. A delightful and underrated gem, this film serves love, laughs, and life lessons on a sparkling silver platter.
Lucy, played by the vivacious Geraldine Viswanathan, is a 20-something art gallery assistant in New York City who decides to create an exhibit for items from past relationships after a heartbreaking breakup. Enter Nick, a charming hotel developer, portrayed by the hunky Dacre Montgomery of Stranger Things fame.
The film's heartwarming tale of love, resilience, and art pulled in a cool $4.7 million at the box office, not bad for a movie released during a global pandemic! The film is the directorial debut of Natalie Krinsky who previously wrote for Gossip Girl. Can you feel the love again?
2. Long Shot (2019)
Political junkies and rom-com enthusiasts alike can find solace in Long Shot, a delightful film where the worlds of politics and romance amusingly collide.
Starring Charlize Theron as Secretary of State, Charlotte Field, and Seth Rogen as a free-spirited journalist, Fred Flarsky, the film unravels a tale of love in the unlikeliest of places. Field hires Flarsky to punch up her speeches as she prepares to run for president, and sparks fly amidst the policy drafts and diplomatic dinners.
Long Shot managed to bag a 81% score on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed over $53 million at the box office.
3. The Half of It (2020)
Alice Wu's The Half of It is a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac set in high school and features a love triangle unlike any you've seen before. Ellie Chu, played by Leah Lewis, is a shy, introverted, straight-A student who starts writing love letters for a jock, Paul, who's smitten with the popular girl, Aster. Only thing is, Ellie also has a crush on Aster.
The film is a refreshing take on teenage love, exploring themes of friendship, identity, and sexuality. The Half of It was a winner at the Tribeca Film Festival and holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And if you need more convincing to watch, did we mention it involves a secret love letter exchange?
4. Isn't It Romantic (2019)
Picture this: a cynic gets trapped in her worst nightmare, a PG-13 rom-com universe, where everything is cutesy, everything is pinky-perfect, and she has to find love to escape. Sounds like a wild ride, right? Well, that's the premise of Isn't It Romantic starring Rebel Wilson as the cynic, Natalie, and a supporting cast including Liam Hemsworth and Priyanka Chopra.
Despite its unique and hilarious premise, Isn't It Romantic didn't exactly break the bank, making just over $48 million at the box office. However, it's a thoroughly entertaining watch that deconstructs and pokes fun at all those classic rom-com clichés we love to hate.
5. The Big Sick (2017)
Here's a romantic comedy that takes 'based on a true story' to a whole new level. The Big Sick, written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, is based on their own love story. It's a heartwarming, cross-cultural rom-com that navigates love, family expectations, and a mysterious illness.
The film, starring Nanjiani himself along with Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano, managed to bag a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed a whopping $56 million at the box office. Pretty impressive for a small indie film, right?
6. Plus One (2019)
Friends going to weddings together, what could go wrong, right? Well, a lot apparently in the case of Plus One, a charmingly relatable film that takes the wedding rom-com trope and flips it upside down.
Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid star as Alice and Ben, two longtime pals who agree to be each other's plus ones during a marathon of summer weddings. As they navigate through drunken toasts, bizarre traditions, and some truly bad wedding DJs, Alice and Ben find themselves questioning if there could be something more between them.
Erskine and Quaid had never met before filming began but became fast friends, mirroring their characters' on-screen friendship – cause yes, Plus One is that kind of movie.
7. Happiest Season (2020)
Love, family, and the holiday season? You've got yourself a recipe for a heartwarming rom-com in Happiest Season. Abby, played by Kristen Stewart, decides to propose to her girlfriend Harper, portrayed by Mackenzie Davis, at Harper's family annual Christmas dinner. There's just one teeny, tiny problem: Harper hasn't come out to her conservative parents yet.
Directed by Clea DuVall, this holiday rom-com delicately weaves a story of love, acceptance, and being true to oneself. Not only did Happiest Season warm the hearts of viewers, but it also broke records as Hulu 's most-watched original film on its opening weekend. And here's a fun fact: this is Kristen Stewart's first ever comedy role.
8. Booksmart (2019)
Olivia Wilde 's directorial debut, Booksmart, is a coming-of-age romantic comedy that's as smart and sensitive as it is hilarious.
The plot revolves around Amy and Molly, two best friends and academic overachievers who realize, on the eve of their high school graduation, that they should have worked less and played more. Determined to catch up on all the fun they've missed, they embark on a wild adventure to cram four years of partying into one night.
With an ensemble cast including Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, and Jessica Williams, Booksmart was a critical success with a whopping 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Interestingly, much of the movie was shot at a real high school in Los Angeles.
9. Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Childhood sweethearts turned estranged adults, Sasha and Marcus find themselves crossing paths again after 15 years in Always Be My Maybe. Played by Ali Wong and Randall Park, who also co-wrote the film, the pair navigate a series of hilarious and heartwarming events that lead them to question if they could be more than just old friends.
The film boasts a delightful surprise cameo from Keanu Reeves playing an exaggerated version of himself, which was one of the most meme-worthy moments of 2019.
10. Palm Springs (2020)
Palm Springs is a rom-com that takes the Groundhog Day concept and injects it with a fresh dose of millennial humor.
Starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as wedding guests stuck in a time loop, the film is an existential comedy about love, life, and the importance of the choices we make. Palm Springs was a Sundance favorite and holds a stellar 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.