Valentine’s Day can either be one of your favorite or least favorite holidays depending on your relationship status. Watching and hearing about others’ romantic plans for the upcoming holiday can be upsetting when you’re single (like me), so to avoid this lonely feeling, here are the best Netflix Original romantic comedies that I have come across. So grab your other single friends and have fun living vicariously through these protagonists.
1. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
This movie came out early in 2018, focusing on Lara Jean (Lana Condor) who tends to blend into the background when it comes to high school. She is suddenly thrown into the spotlight when five of her previously written love letters – that were never meant to be seen by anyone else – are mailed out to her past crushes. It specifically focuses on two of her old crushes, Peter, the popular guy, and Josh, her sister’s ex boyfriend. Both bring new drama and feelings into her life. This movie gives off feelings of high school nostalgia with its cute, yet unique narrative.
2. Always Be My Maybe (2019)
This movie focuses on two childhood best friends and lovers, Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park), who drifted apart for awhile before reuniting as adults. Sasha is a celebrity chef while Marcus is a struggling musician. The two have various speed bumps as they deal with their very contrasting lifestyles while still experiencing the fun of their old teenage relationship. This movie is different than most romantic comedies because of its strong cultural aspects and original comedic touch, and yet it is still a bit cliche and very fun to watch.
3. Set it Up (2018)
This movie also came in 2018, where two assistants, Harper (Zoey Deutsch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), are being held to crazy, unrealistic expectations by their bosses. In order to lessen the pressure on themselves, the two assistants attempt to make their bosses fall in love with each other. Somewhere along the way, spending so much time together, the two of them find themselves catching feelings for one another! The movie kept me entertained throughout its entirety with its lighthearted humor and interesting plot.
4. Someone Great (2019)
This movie is more of an anti-romantic comedy. It came out early in 2019 on Netflix, focusing on Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) and her two friends, Blair and Erin, after she and her boyfriend of nine years broke up suddenly before she soon has to move to a new city for a new, exciting job. This movie is realistic while still comical, taking the viewers through her own personal healing process. It shows the importance of growth within a person and their friendships in a unique take on a romantic comedy.
5. Alex Strangelove (2018)
This movie is a realistic take on the struggling sexuality of a teenager, Alex Truelove, stuck in a love triangle between his girlfriend, Claire, and a boy he had just met at a party, Elliot. He feels pressured to stay with his long-term girlfriend, but is having doubts as he continuously meets up with Elliot. The plot of the film is more unique and relatable to many compared to the classic boy-girl narrative that is constantly shown in Netflix Originals.