With finals quickly approaching, workloads can begin to feel overwhelming. Oftentimes, we find ourselves pushing past our limits and in need of a break. Taking time out of your day to reset can become extremely beneficial, as it allows us to slow down and come back with a refreshed mind and renewed perspective. My favorite quick way to take a pause from my exam studying and final projects is with a good movie. Personally, the best genre for me when I’m inundated with work is a fun, lighthearted rom-com. These movies are an unserious way to get a few laughs in and not think critically for an hour or two, while you wait to reapproach your workload. As a diehard rom-com fan, I’ve compiled my list of my top 5 must-watches to help take your mind off of finals season for a quick break.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a lively watch about everything that can go wrong in a relationship. When an advice columnist is in need of a new attention-grabbing article and an executive marketer is in need of a new relationship in order to win a bet, boundaries become blurred as this new relationship implodes from the inside through all sorts of funny disasters. This forced enemies-to-lovers flick is a great way to unwind and watch all the ways that romance can go wrong.
The Proposal
The Proposal is another forced relationship trope where Editor in Chief Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is facing deportation to Canada, following her not-so-legal out of country business trips during her Visa registration, and on a whim announces her engagement to her tortured assistant (Ryan Renolds), in order to remain eligible for US residence to keep her executive position at her firm. In order for their marriage to seem legitimate, the pair must learn to overcome their hardships and learn all there is to know about each other. As their wedding plans proceed, not only do cracks begin to appear in their facade, but antics arise leading to laughs and intrigue, as to how this pair will work out.
My Best Friend’s Wedding
My Best Friend’s Wedding follows childhood best friends who agreed to get married at 30 if they both were still single by then. As that deadline nears, Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) receives a phone call from Michael O’Neal (Dermot Mulroney) revealing that he’s engaged and wants Julianne to be in the wedding party. With only a few days till the wedding, Julianne realizes that she’s in love with Michael and must stop the wedding. As the countdown to the wedding continues, this movie follows Julianne’s attempts to stop at nothing to end this engagement. This film will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering just how far Julianne will go to win back Michael and whether the wedding will go to plan.
He’s Just Not That Into You
He’s Just Not That Into You follows a star-studded cast all dealing with relationship woes, from singleness, to the notorious situationship, to long-term dating and marriage. This movie allows everyone to feel seen in all stages of their dating life with hilarious commentary and horrible scenarios allowing for the cast to make the worst, yell-at-your-tv choices possible when it comes to love. This movie allows you to root for love, while also revelling in the nightmare that can be single life in your 20s and 30s.
27 Dresses
27 Dresses is a classic watch for me and helped me to make it through the week before Thanksgiving break. This movie details notorious “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” Jane (Katherine Heigl) as her sister gets engaged to Jane’s boss, who she’s been too scared to confess her feelings to. As Jane and her sister navigate this engagement, a reporter (James Marsden) joins this cast to document the engagement and the plight of persistent bridesmaid Jane. This movie will keep you on your toes to see who will end up with who and just how much Jane will go through to appease her 28th bride.
With this list of classic laughs, you can find a great reset from finals or a great watch with friends. These movies are designed to be just unserious enough to destress, while also allowing you to jump right back into work, once it’s finished up. These go-tos can serve any college girl well, in the face of exams, projects, and papers.