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The art of the rom-com can’t and will never die. To put it simply, people love to watch strangers fall in love on the big screen, no matter the pairing or what the plot is. To be swept up in a story of love and to have to sit through a third-act breakup just so the two main characters come back together, in the end, is what the audience wants and needs!
Of course, you have your classics in the rom-com genre, such as the beloved When Harry Met Sally… and You’ve Got Mail, but now more than ever, the rom-com genre is alive. In the past few years, romance lovers have been blessed with several great films, but some five-star movies have flown under the radar. So, if you’re a fan of rom-coms and want more modern options, check out this list of 15 films.
Update February 10, 2024: This article has been updated with more new, underseen films to watch on Valentine’s Day and the information on where to stream each movie on the list.
15 Sleeping With Other People (2015)
Jake (Jason Sudeikis) and Lainey (Alison Brie) are first-year students in college who lose their virginity to each other. The next time they see each other, 12 years have passed, he’s a womanizer, and she’s having an affair with a married man. They begin to hang out, and a friendship develops between them, even though something else might happen.
A Fun, Sweet, Raunchy Film
Sleeping with Other People was written and directed by Leslye Headland, who also directed Bachelorette and whose next project is the anticipated Star Wars series The Acoltye, proving she might be one of the best writers and depicting modern women, their desires, and frustrations in a kind-of-raunchy way. Both actors are great together, and Andrea Savage and Jason Mantzoukas as the friends are hilarious. Even if it’s obvious how the film might end, the journey there is fun, funny, sweet, and interesting and is a modern R-rated update of the When Harry Met Sally formula. Stream on Hulu
14 Set It Up (2018)
Set It Up has everything a bona fide rom-com lover needs to enjoy such a film: the enemies to friends to lovers trope. Starring Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch, this film focuses on two overworked employees who realize that in order for their bosses to ease up on them, they have to set them up with each other. It’s lighthearted but also hilarious as Charlie and Harper’s attempts to get their bosses together initially backfire until, eventually, they start to date. While they work together to make this plan successful, Charlie and Harper grow closer and harbor feelings for each other, and yes, there is a heart-stopping moment that involves running in an airport!
A Lighthearted but Hilarious Film
Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch are romantic lead royalty at this point. The film was a hit on Netflix when it first aired in 2018, but due to the nature of Netflix putting out new material constantly and the algorithm favoring new material, anyone who missed this on first viewing might not have had the chance to watch this delightful romantic comedy. Now that Glen Powell is lighting up the box office with Anyone but You, Set It Up is a rom-com worth checking out if one missed it. Stream on Netflix
13 The Big Sick (2017)
In this heartwarming romance, screenwriters Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon wrote this movie to depict what they went through in real life as they fell in love and Gordon was diagnosed with adult-onset Stills disease. Not often do we see a rom-com based on true events, but in The Big Sick, they sell it as the audience watches Emily and Kumail fall in love, while simultaneously, Kumail is pressured by his parents to marry someone from an arrangement instead of naturally pursuing someone. Emily soon becomes very sick and is placed in a coma to fight off the illness, and when her parents arrive from out of state, it’s like Kumail and Emily’s relationship grows even stronger as he fights to visit her constantly, despite her parents’ initial disapproval.
A Rom-Com That Proves True Love Can Beat Anything
The Big Sick received positive reviews when it opened in theaters in the summer of 2017, and it certainly made a decent return at the box office; it certainly did not light up the box office the way other romantic comedies and one that does not get mentioned as much as it should. The Big Sick is a great movie when you need to cry, but you also feel that true love can beat just about anything. Stream on Prime Video
12 Drinking Buddies (2013)
Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Olivia Wilde) are best friends who work together in a beer factory and look like a couple to the untrained eye. The reality is they both have a couple at home, Jill (Anna Kendrick) and Chris (Ron Livingston). After the four go on a weekend trip together, everything starts to change.
The Best Example of the Mumblecore Movement
Drinking Buddies was one of the biggest box office successes in the mumblecore movement, which by definition means it likely was not seen or heard of by general audiences. This film, directed by Joe Swanberg, was done by improvising dialogue, creating a much more natural and real atmosphere. All the actors are great, but Johnson and Wilde make a meal out of their characters and their attraction to each other. The film is an unconventional romantic movie, and it’s much better for it, showing that small stories about real, normal people can be incredibly rewarding. Stream on Hulu
11 Plus One (2019)
In this film that shows off the classic trope of two friends agreeing to be each other’s wedding dates while also helping each other find love, Plus One is funny, warm, and heartfelt. This modern rom-com depicts two friends from college who are sick of attending weddings alone and then awkwardly having to navigate flirting with other guests, so they link up and decide to help each other, even though the pair is a strange match at first.
Perfect Friends-to-Lovers Movie
Starring Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine, the two gel well together, and you’ll find yourself awkwardly laughing at what happens between them, especially when they become intimate for the first time. Plus One is a great movie if you despise wedding season and also enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope. Stream on Netflix
10 Bros (2022)
Bros tells the love story between Bobby (Billy Eichner) and Aaron (Luke Macfarlane). When they meet at first, they look incompatible, as Bobby thinks Aaron is boring, and Aaron thinks Bobby is too much. But as they spend more time together and open up, they discover the real person behind those first impressions and start to date. From there, hijinks, heartbreak, and love ensue.
It’s Tailored to Eichner’s Sensibilities as He Co-Wrote the Script
Eichner co-wrote the film, so the tone, humor, and look at the world are all his. He’s always been able to mix the scandalous with the funny, the surprising with the romantic, and the weird with the mainstream. This movie does the same while giving audiences a mainstream romantic comedy that just happens to be focused on a same-sex relationship. Bros notably bombed at the box office, but it was a delightfully modern take on the romantic comedy genre that deserved to do better and be seen by more people. Stream on Peacock
Bros
- Release Date
- September 30, 2022
- Director
- Nicholas Stoller
9 What If (2013)
What If (also known as The F Word) is all about the friendship that develops between Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) and Chantry (Zoe Kazan). She’s in a committed relationship with Ben (Rafe Spall), so they become friends, but the more they talk, laugh, bicker, and find things in common, the more difficult it becomes for both to just be friends.
Both Leads Should’ve Become Rom-Com Royalty
The film has a great supporting cast of Adam Driver and Mackenzie Davis, shows a beautiful summer in Toronto, and has great chemistry between its leads. Their conversations feel natural and charming, and that’s because the actors improvised many of them. This film was one of the first post-Harry Potter films for Daniel Radcliffe, and it proved he should’ve been the next rom-com king as he was great in it. The same can be said for Kazan, as she already appeared on this list in The Big Sick. Stream on Paramount+.
What If
- Release Date
- September 7, 2013
8 Palm Springs (2020)
Palm Springs is a good old-fashioned Groundhog Day-style movie that disguises itself as a rom-com is a fresh addition to this list and, like the other entries, isn’t talked about nearly enough. After the two are sucked into a time warp of sorts at a resort where Sarah’s sister is getting married, the two fall into a comfortable cycle as they experience the same day over and over again while also falling for each other.
A Time Loop Rom-Com
Andy Samberg belongs in more romance movies, and the chemistry between him and Cristin Milioti will have you thinking they’re the next Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as they continuously relive November 9th together. The movie was released on Hulu during the COVID-19 pandemic and is certainly one of the best movies released in the 2020s so far that, because of its pandemic-era release, has sort of been forgotten about. It’s a very sweet and original romance film that’ll leave you feeling warm as the credits roll. Stream on Hulu
Palm Springs
- Release Date
- July 10, 2020
- Director
- Max Barbakow
- Runtime
- 87
7 The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)
Mark (Kyle Allen) is trapped in a loop, repeating the same day over and over again. He’s been living in it long enough to know most of the things that happen and enjoys his time there as much as possible. Everything changes when he discovers Margaret (Kathryn Newton), who is also stuck in the loop, so they start to hang together and enjoy their time together and their surroundings, where they find tiny, perfect things.
A Different Kind of Teenage Romance
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is named this way as the leads create a map where they keep adding all those small, beautiful, and cute things they find in their town while they start falling for each other. The story is also surprisingly about grief, giving a layer of existentialism to this charming movie. This is not the only movie to use the time loop concept for a romantic story, but it might be the best to do so with teenagers at the center of it. Stream on Prime Video
6 Enough Said (2013)
It’s still surprising how few films are about people falling in love later in life, in their forties and fifties, and Enough Said might be the best of them all. This is the story of divorcees Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Albert (James Gandolfini in his last film ever). The problem is he’s the ex-husband of Eva’s new friend, complicating everything.
The Chemistry Between the Two Leads Is Incredible
Nicole Holofcener has always had a great ear for dialogue and for creating realistic characters who are a bit lost in life, and here she does so brilliantly. Even then, what makes the movie a must-watch is the palpable chemistry between its leads, especially Gandolfini, who has never been more vulnerable and fragile on screen, proving he had much more registries than Tony Soprano. Stream on fuboTV and the Paramount+
5 Long Shot (2019)
Something great about rom-coms is when they bring two actors from opposite sides of the business and force them to be together, creating a pairing that you didn’t know you needed until it was right in front of you. In Long Shots, Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron (proving she should do more comedies) star in this grossly underrated romance that follows two people who are reunited after years: a journalist (Rogen) and the United States Secretary of State (Theron). When Fred starts to work as Charlotte’s speechwriter, the two start to grow closer and share some hilarious moments, and sweet ones, too, as they realize their true feelings
Classic Structure but With Some Hilarious Moments
Long Shot was notably a box office bomb and made studios rethink the concept of releasing romantic comedies in theaters. Yet the movie sadly underperformed due to a poor release date (it opened one week after Avengers: Endgame), but for audiences who saw it, the movie was a nice return to the romantic comedies of the 1990s that were led by charismatic leading stars. Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron certainly are not the traditional pairing one would expect from a romance, but that is what makes it so funny. The two bounce off one another very well, and one can’t help but swell up when they finally get together. Stream on Netflix
4 The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)
If you’ve ever been broken up with before, a.k .a. dumped, then it might be a universal experience where you keep something of your ex-partner’s for nostalgia and also as a memento. Now, imagine there was a place where you could bring these little items and put them on display for the world to see, for other onlookers to peruse and share your experience. In The Broken Hearts Gallery, this idea turns into reality as a hopeless romantic (Geraldine Viswanathan) who has kept several things from her past boyfriends meets a man named Nick (Darce Montgomery), and the two start up a gallery of sorts to display heartbreak in an artistic way.
Best Movie to Get Over an Ex
This film came out in 2020, which, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, certainly hurt its chance to be seen by a wide audience. It was a movie that flew under the radar for many but features an incredible cast of talented actors and a very modern 21st-century view of romance that feels timely and relevant. Check out this sweet movie that’ll make you rethink the box of items you have stored in your closet from past relationships. Stream on Starz
3 Sh*thouse (2020)
Sh*thouse tells the story of Alex (Cooper Raiff), a freshman in college who isn’t adapting well to that life as he feels lonely and isolated. Everything changes when he meets sophomore Maggie (Dylan Gelula), and they start to hang out. His friendship (and maybe relationship) with her helps Alex start to open up to the many great things college has to offer.
The Debut Feature of Cooper Raiff Shows He’s a Promising Talent
Raiff wrote, directed, and starred in the movie when he was only 23, so this film is all about how he sees the world. He sees it as a quirky place for love, friendship, and naturalistic interactions, so the film has all those in spades. Raiff might be a fan of Richard Linklater and Woody Allen, as the movie has the vibes of the Before trilogy and Annie Hall, making it a great watch. Stream on AMC+
2 Rye Lane (2023)
Rye Lane came out in 2023, and most of the plot takes place all in one day, making it real and special as Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson) meet and form a connection that neither of them was expecting. The two meet at an exhibit before they bond over broken hearts and decide to spend the day together, visiting the Rye Lane market, after which the film is named. As the day progresses, the two bond and get themselves into tricky situations until, of course, they have a full-blown argument, which results in them not speaking for months. The grand gesture at the end of this film is very sweet and personal to the two, making you swoon as the two characters are brought back together.
One Whole Day to Fall in Love
Rye Lane premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews and currently has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie was released on Hulu on March 31, 2023, and while audiences who did see it loved it, the movie was greatly overlooked by most people who likely were going to the theaters to see John Wick: Chapter 4 or Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Yet this romance is a great debut feature for Raine Allen-Miller and was one of the best movies of 2023 and a romance that is worth checking out. Stream on Hulu
1 Five Feet Apart (2019)
Young adult romances tend to get a wide audience, but one that has sadly gone under the radar despite being a moderate hit at the time of its release is Five Feet Apart. Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse play two young patients with cystic fibrosis who try to have a relationship despite being forced to stay six feet apart from each other. These two young people are constantly close to death, and the mere act of being young and in love could also kill them. They decide to take a chance by being five feet apart from one another, the closest they can be.
A Relevant Romance
Five Feet Apart opened in theaters on March 15, 2019…and then one year later to the date most of the world went into lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the idea of social distancing and staying six feet apart became common practice, yet this did not translate to a resurgence or a spike in viewership like how Contagion saw a boost in the streaming charts. The movie features two charismatic romantic leads, Richardson and Sprouse. Richardson, in particular, gives a potent performance that is underrated due to many not taking YA romance seriously. Sprouse himself can be seen in theaters now in the horror romance Lisa Frankenstein, but for anyone wanting to see another romance with him, check out the underrated Five Feet Apart. Stream on Prime Video, AppleTV+, Vudu, and Google Play.
Cole Sprouses’s Five Feet Apart and Kathryn Newton’s The Map of Tiny Perfect Things made this list, so check out MovieWeb’s interview with the two on their latest film, Lisa Frankenstein.
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