I absolutely love romantic comedies. They are perfect on any day, good or bad. I can watch them anywhere and with anyone, like on the plane, snuggled up on the couch during a girl’s night, or by myself in bed with a pint of strawberry ice cream. Rom-coms fuel my hopeless romantic heart, and I can’t help but rewatch my favorites over and over again. But lately, there have been fewer rom-coms than there used to be, and many just do not hit the same. As a self-proclaimed rom-com enthusiast, I decided to get to the bottom of this.
The golden age of rom-coms started in the late 80s and lasted until the early 2000s. However, the popularity of rom-coms began to fade in the 2010s. One of the biggest reasons for this is many of the leading stars moved on to other genres. We no longer saw Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock fall for a new leading man or Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks find love in a big city. Another reason for their downfall was harsh criticism characterizing rom-coms as too vapid and meaningless. These critiques, however, beg the question of whether or not the genre itself is vapid or if it is only seen that way because of its primarily female audience. These factors led studios to stop funding rom-coms and stop wanting to make them altogether.
That being said, the genre is not dead. Lately, there has been a rom-com renaissance with movies like Anyone But You and Upgraded piquing people’s interest. While I’m excited my favorite genre is returning to the big screen, I can’t help but feel like something is missing from these newer rom-coms.
There is less focus on building chemistry and deep connections between the main characters. Many new rom-coms fall into the trap of ‘instalove’ where characters get to know each other and seemingly fall in love far too quickly than seems realistic. Where is the tension? The buildup? The yearning? Steamy sex scenes or make-outs in the park don’t make up for the tender moments where the characters get to know each other’s passions, goals, deepest fears or darkest secrets. I want to see more vulnerability and grand confessions of love like the New Year’s scene in When Harry Met Sally or Kat’s speech in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Rom-coms are overcomplicated now by trying to be too modern and relevant. The addition of dating apps and social media helps make a movie feel more realistic in these times, but I rarely see them used in realistic ways in a movie. Another thing to note is that the writing often tries too hard to be funny and relatable to younger audiences and falls flat. When it comes to rom-coms, the simpler, the better, allowing us to focus on the characters and their growth instead of an overly complicated plot.
While I have many critiques of modern rom-coms, some still have the same charm and quality as the classics. Here’s a list of rom-coms made after the golden age that I love:
- The Switch (2010)
- Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
- Love, Rosie (2014)
- Sleeping With Other People (2015)
- Set It Up (2018)
- Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
- Rye Lane (2023)