Who doesn’t love a romantic comedy? They’re sweet, funny, and you can usually count on them to have a happy ending that leaves you swooning.
Rom-coms, as they’re more affectionately known, have been popular since the 1990s and early 2000s, hitting their stride with classic films like When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Rom-coms skyrocketed in popularity, only to quickly fall behind again shortly after the early 2000s, losing out to major studio productions with larger budgets (and profits). However, the romantic comedy renaissance seems to be upon us!
Romantic comedies are films with a love-driven plot and a light-hearted, humorous tone. People fell in love with their wit, charm, and predictability, but that also soured them for many audiences who were tired of their lack of creativity.
Many actors started dismissing rom-coms and stopped being attracted to taking romance-driven roles. For a while, objectively “good” rom-coms seemed to disappear due to a mix of disinterest and financial support from the film industry. However, the television industry changed with streaming platforms, making cozy watch-on-the-couch-at-home films like rom-coms more desirable.
Thankfully, it seems that rom-coms are coming back, and hopefully, this time, they’re here to stay. If you’ve been browsing Netflix recently, you’ve probably noticed an abundance of new romance films to watch, with new and exciting twists on popular themes. Increasingly diverse audiences are demanding increasingly diverse stories, flipping romantic comedy stereotypes to be more inclusive and relatable.
Perhaps one of the breakthrough trilogies for modern rom-coms was the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before movies, highlighting an Asian-American lead actress. People fell in love with the main character, Lara Jean, for her fun style and romantic personality, and it wasn’t hard to swoon over her co-star, Noah Centineo, either! These films were massively popular, with Netflix claiming them to be some of their most viewed original films ever.
Jenny Han, the author of the original book trilogy, used her success with the films to produce another book-to-movie adaptation of her series The Summer I Turned Pretty. This also features an Asian-American lead and became an incredibly popular TV show on Amazon Prime. The third season is scheduled to be released in July 2025.
Another example is the 2018 film Love Simon, which depicts a high school romance between a closeted gay teenager and an anonymous classmate that he becomes close to over email. While the plot may seem like any other classic rom-com, the LGBTQ+ main characters widened its reach and popularized it with many audiences. The film grossed over $65 million at the box office worldwide.
Anyone But You, the 2023 summer film that skyrocketed the popularity of both Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, grossed over $215 million, solidifying its place as one of the most successful recent rom-coms. This movie proved that the genre can make just as much money as the action-packed superhero and thriller movies that have more “serious” roles for actors. With this comeback moment, the genre has taken over streaming platforms and theaters alike.
The genre is stepping it up, reinventing classic tropes to fit modern, diverse audiences who want to see representative stories that are more than your everyday Cinderella story. They’re moving away from basic, plug-and-play plots and finding new ways to excite modern audiences and celebrate romance in real and honest ways. Rom-coms are back and ready to earn their place in the cinema!
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