Romantic comedies, aka rom-coms, are the perfect movies to put on when you want to curl up with someone special, with the family, or even on your own. But they can also be pretty hit-or-miss. So which rom-coms are worth watching?
To help you skip the duds and get to the good stuff, we’ve combed through Netflix to find the absolute best choices the service has to offer.
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The Lovebirds (2020)
Getting decent reviews since it was released in late May, this film stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani as a couple on the brink of breakup. After they witness a murder, they decide to go on the run to avoid being blamed for something they didn’t do. Forced to stay together under such unexpected circumstances, they begin to reconnect in new ways. The two stars are lauded for their performances and chemistry. As a follow-up to The Big Sick, which got rave reviews, this isn’t director Michael Showalter’s best project (he did, after all, co-create the Wet Hot American Summer franchise). But it’s a worthy watch for a fresh and modern take on the typical rom-com.
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Issa RaeDirector: Michael Showalter
Rating: R
Runtime: 90 minutes
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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
This movie may not be technically classified as a romantic comedy — it’s more of an action-comedy with a romantic foundation. And in our book, that’s a pretty great mix. Based on the graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley, the title character (Michael Cera) has to battle his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes before he can win her heart. As a slacker musician, he has his work cut out for him as he fights everyone from a Hollywood actor to a super-powered vegan. Released in 2010, the film has garnered a cult following for its savvy mix of comedy, surrealist action, and heart.
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%Stars: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth WinsteadDirector: Edgar Wright
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 113 minutes
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Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
If you’re looking for something different from the typical sappy rom-com, this classic Mexican erotic drama mixes a unique and compelling story with liberal sex scenes. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity, Roma), it’s a coming-of-age tale about two teenage boys who go on a wild ride with an unhappily married woman. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Maribel Verdú, it was released in English-speaking markets in 2002. The film, which translates to “And Your Mother Too,” earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%Stars: Maribel Verdu, Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego LunaDirector: Alfonso Cuarón
Rating: R
Runtime: 106 minutes
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Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Although its premise is fairly bleak, Silver Linings Playbook is one of the more refreshingly honest, realistic romantic comedies you’ll find. The movie follows Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), a man who has lost everything, including his house, his job, and his wife, and has spent the last eight months living in a state mental institution on a plea bargain. Determined to recapture his life, Pat sets out to reunite with his wife and put everything back to how it was. His parents, with whom he’s living now, would prefer if he just put his energy into being a Philadelphia Eagles fan. When he meets his eccentric neighbor Tiffany, he enlists her help to get his wife back. But Tiffany wants something in return: Pat’s participation in a couples dance contest that Tiffany is devoted to winning.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De NiroDirector: David O. Russell
Rating: R
Runtime: 122 minutes
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She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
Written and directed by Spike Lee, this film helped launch his career back in 1986. In the Mama Mia-like premise, a young woman is dating three men at the same time, each very different from one another. She likes them all for different reasons and thus finds it difficult to commit to just one. Far ahead of its time, the film is more about self-love than anything else. Follow it up with Lee’s 2017 modern series adaptation of the film, also available on Netflix.
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%Stars: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John TerrellDirector: Spike Lee
Rating: R
Runtime: 85 minutes
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Sleeping with Other People (2015)
This 2015 film might actually be considered the antithesis of rom-coms. Starring Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Natasha Lyonne, Amanda Peet, and Adam Scott, it’s about a woman suffering from sexual addiction who has a budding friendship and casual relationship with a man who has commitment issues. Heralded for its fresh and witty dialogue, the film features cheating, hook-ups, and a lot of back and forth. But in the end, it’s a compelling love story that’s well worth the ride.
Rotten Tomatoes: 64%Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Adam ScottDirector: Leslye Headland
Rating: R
Runtime: 95 minutes
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Grease (1978)
Everyone remembers Grease for its fantastic musical numbers. But the movie is also a very sweet romantic comedy between high school students Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John). Most of the early part of their relationship takes place before the movie. But once they go to the same school, Danny and Sandy just can’t quite get their romance to work again. The arc of the movie, and some of the film’s best songs, revolve around the love birds pining for each other and making a few changes to their lives. Naturally, it all comes to a head in another show-stopping song.
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%Stars: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard ChanningDirector: Randal Kleiser
Rating: PG
Runtime: 110 minutes
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My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Believe it or not, Julia Roberts is essentially the villain of My Best Friend’s Wedding. She plays Julianne Potter, a woman who made a pact with her friend, Michael O’Neal (Dermot Mulroney), to get hitched to each other if they didn’t find suitable romantic partners by the time they turned 28. However, Michael finds the love of his life in Cameron Diaz’s Kimberly Wallace just when Julianne realizes that she loves him. That’s why Julianne does almost everything she can think of to sabotage the wedding and win Michael for herself. Rupert Everett just about walks away with the movie, thanks to a dynamite turn as Julianne’s friend, George Downes. George briefly pretends to be a straight man engaged to Julianne, and Everett is hilarious as George tries to keep up the deception.
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%Stars: Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron DiazDirector: P.J. Hogan
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 104 minutes
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Someone Great (2019)
Someone Great isn’t a typical romantic comedy, and that’s one of the reasons the film’s primary romance ends early. On the verge of a cross-country move, Jenny Young (Gina Rodriguez) is blindsided when her longtime boyfriend, Nate Davis (Lakeith Stanfield) breaks up with her. Distraught, Jenny turns to her best gal pals, Blair Helms (Brittany Snow) and Erin Kennedy (DeWanda Wise); both of whom have troubled romantic entanglements of their own. To complicate matters, Jenny can’t seem to escape Nate’s shadow. Jenny has to determine if she even wants Nate back. But it’s the friendship between the three women that really turns this film into an uplifting story.
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%Stars: Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise, Lakeith StanfieldDirector: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Rating: R
Runtime: 92 minutes
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Set It Up (2018)
Sometimes, even characters in romantic comedies know the rules of engagement. In Set It Up, assistants Harper Moore (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie Young (Glen Powell) realize that their respective bosses, Kirsten Stevens (Lucy Liu) and Rick Otis (Taye Diggs) need a little love in their lives. However, arranging a romance between Kirsten and Rick is easier said than done. Meanwhile, Harper and Charlie’s relationships start to hit the skids just as they slowly realize they might be right for each other too. It’s a sweet story, and one of the best Netflix original romances.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%Stars: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Taye Diggs, Lucy LiuDirector: Claire Scanlon
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 105 minutes
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Falling Inn Love (2019)
Admittedly, Falling Inn Love has a very punny and predictive title. But no one can say that it doesn’t deliver on its premise. On a whim, Gabriela Diaz (Christina Milian) enters a contest to win an inn in New Zealand. However, her good fortune is seemingly fleeting when she discovers that the inn is terribly run down. Fortunately, local boy Dean Conner (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman) holds the key to restoring the inn and finding a way to Gabriela’s heart. Dean and Gabriela form a business partnership, but that partnership becomes something more as they face challenges from Gabriela’s ex and the community as well.
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%Stars: Christina Milian, Adam Demos, Jeffrey Bowyer-ChapmanDirector: Roger Kumble
Rating: TV-PG
Runtime: 98 minutes
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Lady Bird (2017)
Lady Bird is one of the most mature movies about first love that you’ll find. Driven by powerhouse performances from Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf as a mother and daughter who can hardly live in the same house yet deep-down are terrified by the impending adventure of college, Greta Gerwig’s take on the last year of high school is beautiful, profound, and very, very funny. Ronan plays Lady Bird, an intrepid, bright Sacramento high schooler who keeps looking ahead to college on the East Coast as life keeps on happening right in front of her. From navigating her rocky relationship with her mother to the trials of first love, there’s so much Lady Bird has to learn.
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Timothee ChalametDirector: Greta Gerwig
Rating: R
Runtime: 93 minutes
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About Time (2013)
Starring Rachel McAdams, Domhnall Gleeson, and Bill Nighy, this 2013 British film blends traditional rom-com themes with a sci-fi twist. The film follows Gleeson as a young man who discovers he can travel through time. In doing so, he hopes to change his past to improve his love life, taking us on a journey of his most poignant moments and deepest regrets. Also featuring Margot Robbie and Vanessa Kirby, the film is a bit sappy, but great performances and an intriguing plot carry it through for a heartwarming watch.
Rotten Tomatoes: 68%Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill NighyDirector: Richard Curtis
Rating: R
Runtime: 123 minutes
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Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Comedian Ali Wong both wrote and stars in this 2019 film as Sasha, a woman who reunites with Marcus (Fresh Off The Boat‘s Randall Park), a childhood friend and one-time fling, when she returns to her hometown of San Francisco. There’s a clear chemistry between them but Sasha has a demanding career and the timing is always off, especially when Marcus discovers Sasha’s new celebrity love interest: Keanu Reeves (yes, he’s in the movie!) Will they finally realize they’re meant for one another? The film has been almost universally liked, and praised for its ability to layer typical rom-com tropes with “smart social commentary.”
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%Stars: Ali Wong, Randall Park, Keanu ReevesDirector: Nahnatchka Khan
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 102 minutes
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To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
Following the success of the 2018 teen rom-com To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, this sequel continues to tell the love story between Lara Jean and Peter, who are now a full-fledged couple. It covers all of the necessary ingredients for a teen rom-com, including all the firsts (kiss, date), the supportive friends, and the trials and tribulations of navigating a new relationship. This Netflix original has been well-received, referred to as an “amiable postscript to its predecessors, and a “swoon-worthy sequel.”
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%Stars: Lana Condor, Noah CentineoDirector: Michael Fimognari
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 101 minutes
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Ali’s Wedding (2017)
This Australian film from 2017 is one of the, if not the first, Muslim rom-coms. The story follows Ali, a musically inclined young Muslim man struggling with his desire to be with one woman when he has been promised to another by his family. The film touches upon universal ideas about relationships that anyone can relate to despite the very specific and cultural setting.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%Stars: Osamah Sami, Helana SawiresDirector: Jeffrey Walker
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 100 minutes
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Definitely, Maybe (2008)
You can’t go wrong with a cast as talented as the one in this film. Set in the ’90s, Will (Reynolds) tries to help his 11-year-old daughter understand his pending divorce by telling her the story of his past romances. Except he doesn’t explain which woman in the long and winding story is the one who eventually becomes her mother until the very end. It’s a totally sugary-sweet story about love and romance, both lost and found.
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Abigail BreslinDirector: Adam BrooksRating: PGRuntime: 111 minutes
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Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Nineties rom-coms were defined by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and this film, a massive commercial success, is an adorable one that takes viewers back to the simpler days of dating. After being widowed for a year, Sam goes on a radio talk show to discuss how he misses his wife and attracts the attention of plenty of interested women. One is Annie, who is already in a relationship but feels a connection. She throws caution to the wind and decides to write Sam a letter (yes, pen to paper) asking him to meet her at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. It’s a predictable story, but the series of chance encounters and sheer persistence of a child make for an intense love story.
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Ross MalingerDirector: Nora EphronRating: PGRuntime: 105 minutes
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Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
This film is inspired by a joke classified ad that ran in a 1997 edition of Backwoods Home Magazine asking for someone to “go back in time” with the person who claimed to have done it already “once before.” Anyone who responds, notes the ad, will get paid but must bring their own weapons. Wait, what? This hilarious rom-com sees a curious team at the magazine investigate the want ad, though one man has an ulterior motive: An excuse to visit the town to seek out a long-lost love. And so, the adventure begins.
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan SoniDirector: Colin TrevorrowRating: PGRuntime: 86 minutes
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