I love rom coms, but I am painfully single. With Valentine’s Day last month, I found myself watching movies about love and then subsequently eating a lot of ice cream. So after extensive research, and in no particular order, here are the top 17 rom coms that make me feel extremely lonely.
- When Harry Met Sally (1989)
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Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) share a car ride from Chicago to New York, where they discuss the age old question of whether men and women can be just friends with no romantic feelings. They meet again ten years later, and they attempt to remain friends without romance becoming an issue between them.
- 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
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Kat Stratford’s (Julia Stiles) younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) isn’t allowed to date until her older sister does. In this adaptation of William Shakespere’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” Bianca and her beau attempt to set Kat up with any available boy. Will Kat fall for the boy she’s set up with? Spoiler alert: she does.
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
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Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) moves to Seattle with his son Jonah (Ross Malinger) after his wife dies. Jonah calls in to a radio show to help his father find a new spouse, and Sam gets on and talks about his feelings. Annie Reed (Meg Ryan), hears Sam and falls in love with him, despite her engagement. She writes Sam a letter asking him to meet at the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.
- 50 First Dates (2004)
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Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) falls for Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore). Only one problem: Lucy has short-term memory loss and can’t remember what happened the day before. Every day, Henry has to woo her again.
- To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
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In this film adaptation of the book with the same name by Jenny Han, lovesick teenager Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) writes love letters to all of the boys she has had crushes on before. When the letters accidentally get sent out, her life becomes chaos and she falls in love in the midst of it all. The film sparked two sequels, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020) and To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021).
- Love Actually (2003)
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Nine stories come together to display one emotion, love. Between the British Prime Minister falling for a Staffer, a woman taking care of her disabled brother’s love life gets put on hold, and a married man tempted by his new secretary, this movie exemplifies love in so many ways.
- Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
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Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), a New York college professor, goes with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) to a friend’s wedding in Singapore. There, she discovers Nick is actually a wealthy socialite and one of the most eligible bachelors of the country. Rachel has to deal with Nick’s disapproving relatives and jealous woman coming from left and right.
- The Wedding Singer (1988)
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After being left at the altar by his fiance, Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) returns to his job as a wedding singer. He meets Julia Sullivan, a waitress at a venue he sings at. Julia asks Robbie to help plan her wedding. He falls in love with Julia and has to break up her engagement before it is too late.
- The Notebook (2004)
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Set in 1940’s South Carolina, mill worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) falls in love with a rich girl Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams). Her parents do not approve of the romance, and the two part their ways when Noah goes to serve in World War II. When he returns, Allie is engaged to another man, but is still very much in love with Noah.
- Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)
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Proud single woman, Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) writes a rounchey diary about what she wants to happen in her life. Her life is soon turned upside down when two men vie for her affection.
- Set it Up (2018)
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Overworked assistants Harper Moore (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie Young (Glen Powell) just want to get further in their careers. Their bosses, who work in the same building, have high temperaments. They work to set up their bosses, and in the process, fall in love with each other.
- Pretty Woman (1990)
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This modern version of Cinderella stars Richard Gere as Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman, and Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward, a prostitute. The two fall in love after spending a weekend together and try to overcome hurdles, such as wealth disparity, in order to bring their lives together.
- Clueless (1995)
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This loose adaptation of Jane Austin’s novel Emma stars Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) as a spoiled girl from Beverly Hills. She decides to give a new student at her school, Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy), a makeover. Tai becomes more popular than her, and Cher realizes that her stepbrother (Paul Rudd) was right and her morals need realigning, and in the process falls for him.
- Crazy Stupid Love (2011)
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Cal Weaver (Steve Carell)’s wife cheats on him with a coworker, leading to their divorce. He is then guided by Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) through the world of dating.
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
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Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), an advice columnist, is assigned a piece on how to make a guy leave you in ten days. Executive Ben Berry (Matthew McConaughey) believes he can make any woman fall in love with him in ten days. When they meet, both of their plans fail.
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (1944)
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At their friend’s wedding, a British man, Charles (Hugh Grant), meets an American woman, Carrie (Andie MacDowell). He falls for her as their paths continue to cross at three other weddings and one funeral.
- Notting Hill (1999)
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London bookstore owner William Thacker (Hugh Grant) meets American actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts). The pair fall in love and attempt to stay together despite their radically different lifestyles.
Hopefully my hours and hours of movie watching gave you some entertainment! Feel free to check out these movies on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.