“Anyone but You” has been dominating the box office and social media conversations; people have quickly said this film cemented the return of the romantic comedy.
While the Sydney Sweeney-Glen Powell film could help motivate studios to release more rom-coms to theaters, the genre didn’t miraculously return out of nowhere.
Now that it’s Valentine’s Day, here are five romantic comedies that have come out in the past decade that prove that the once-dominant genre, while not as prolific, has never really left.
- “Sleeping with Other People” (2015)
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The film, starring Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis, may be the most underrated romantic comedy ever.
Brie and Sudeikis star as college students who lost their virginity to each other and reunite years later after the attending a sex addict meeting.
The two agree to stay friends but not engage in any physical relationship so they can work through their issues that have halted them from love in the past.
There’s a realism to the dating culture, especially for college students, that is refreshing to see in a romantic comedy.
It’s a funny, sexy, profound and compelling story that deserves more recognition.
- “Set it Up” (2018)
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While Powell might be dominating the box office with a romantic comedy right now. But real rom-com lovers know that his work on the 2018 Netflix movie “Set it Up” is what got him in this position in the first place.
Powell and Zoey Deutch’s characters are both assistants to terrible bosses and attempt to set their employers up, hoping it will improve their work lives.
The film’s concept was enough to put it up with all-time great rom-coms. But the performances from Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs are hysterical, and Powell and Deutch have such captivating and raw chemistry that take this movie from good to great.
Sweeney and Powell were great together, but put Powell back in another film with Deutch. It’s what the people want.
- “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018)
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People may like to consider this film childish and thus not significant. But the first film in the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” series deserves respect for how good it is.
Based on a book series, this movie seemed to be everywhere when it was released. Netflix did a disservice by calling it a teen film.
Starring Lara Condor, the film as a high schooler who writes letters to her crushes that are never meant to be seen by anyone but her. But when her sister sends these letters out, she engages in a fake relationship with Noah Centineo’s character to make his ex-girlfriend and her ex-best friend jealous.
The fake relationship trope will always be entertaining, and Condor and Centineo had such fun chemistry that rounds out the whole movie.
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is one of those Netflix movies that sounds corny (like “The Kissing Booth”), but was truly worth all the hype it was given.
- “Always Be My Maybe” (2019)
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Written by and starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, “Always Be My Maybe” tackles the classic question of whether things would be different if you had a chance at a relationship at a different point in life.
Wong and Park two play childhood best friends who grew up next-door neighbors. Even in their teenage years, the two stay close. But after a tragedy, they engage in a physical relationship, complicating things so much that they stop staying in touch.
They meet 16 years later while they’re both in committed relationships and chaos ensues.
Wong, who was best known for her stand-up comedy, delivers such a funny and compelling performance. Anyone who’s seen this movie knows why she received so many accolades this award season for her work in “Beef.”
Netflix makes so many movies, but “Always Be My Maybe,” like the two aforementioned films, serves as a reminder that the original streaming service has some bangers of films among some lesser projects.
- “Palm Springs” (2020)
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It’s not always wise to touch the classics, but “Palm Springs” does a time-loop romantic comedy in a way that honors “Groundhog Day” with its own themes, aesthetics and humor.
The Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti film centers around the two meeting at a wedding in the titular city. However, Milioti’s character follows Samberg into a cave one night, which causes her to be forced into the same time loop as him, and they live the day of the wedding over and over.
“Palm Springs” has great dry humor and a story filled with plot twists and darker moments, making this movie feel like a classic romantic comedy despite being only four years old.
At the Golden Globes, “Palm Springs” was nominated for best picture for a comedy or musical and Samberg got a nod for lead film actor in a comedy or musical. How many romantic comedies can boast critical success like that?
Hopefully “Anyone But You” can inspire studios to trust romantic comedies and start funding them again. But this list serves as a reminder that even without the box office success or A-list actors, romantic comedies will always be a great time.