Nowadays, there are so many types of romantic comedies to choose from, often resulting in endless scrolling on Netflix and Hulu trying to pick the right one.
To save you the trouble, I have picked five of my go-to romantic comedies.
“The Proposal” (2009)
Margaret Tate is an executive in a publishing company in New York City who faces deportation because her visa paperwork did not go through. Tate finds a loophole by telling her immigration agent she is getting married to her assistant, Andrew Paxton, and chaos ensues. They take a trip to Paxton’s hometown which turns into a weekend of mayhem mixed hilarity.
“The Proposal” has a-list stars Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Betty White. My first time watching it, it instantly became one of my favorite movies of all time.
I recommend “The Proposal” because it is a spin on the classic romantic comedy. Like any romantic comedy, it is predictable but not as predictable as you may think. There are so many unexpected scenes that make the movie easily quotable. Bullock and Reynolds play off each other easily and provide great chemistry, you want them to be together.
“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018)
Nick Young and Rachel Chu are a New York City couple who travel to Young’s home in Singapore to attend his best friend’s wedding. While there, Chu learns that Young is part of the wealthiest family in Singapore. Young’s mother, Elenaor, quickly disapproves of Chu because of her background. The movie navigates through many relationships between Young and Chu, Young and his family, Chu and Young’s family and more.
I recommend watching “Crazy Rich Asians” because it is a slow love story with a lot of little love stories within it. The cinematography was great. The movie plays out like a modern Cinderella story with Chu (Cinderella) falling in love with Young (Prince Charming), but with more family drama.
“Love, Simon” (2018)
Simon Spier, a closeted gay guy in high school, finds out about another closeted gay guy who goes under a pseudonym, Blue. Under his own pseudonym, Spier starts emailing him and slowly catches feelings. Martin, one of Spier’s acquaintances, has a crush on one of Spier’s close friends, Abby. Martin finds Spier’s emails and blackmails Spier into helping him date Abby.
“Love, Simon” is a classic coming-of-age story with a colorful twist. This is one of the few mainstream movies that has an LQBTQ+ character as the main romantic lead.
I recommend “Love, Simon” because not only does it show romantic relationships, but also the relationship between friends and family. Although some elements seem overly dramatic, the quality doesn’t suffer.
“The Notebook” (2004)
Set in 1940, “The Notebook” tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun. The moment Calhoun sees Hamilton, he is in love. It is a whirlwind summer romance that ends in heartbreak for both Calhoun and Hamilton. Years later, their paths cross again. Did their love sustain after years apart or do they give each other the cold shoulder?
It might seem cliche to have “The Notebook” on this list, but how could I not put it on here? It has all the elements of a romantic comedy. A boy meets a girl and they fall madly in love. You want them to be together even if outside sources try to prevent it. Although it is predictable, it’s still a great movie.
I recommend “The Notebook” not only because it is a classic, but because it’s a feel-good love story.
“She’s The Man” (2006)
Viola Hastings attends Cornwall where she plays on an all-women’s soccer team. The team gets cut, and Hastings tries to join the men’s team but gets denied. Meanwhile, Hastings’ twin brother ditches school to go on tour with his band. Hastings takes on his identity and impersonates him to join the soccer team.
“She’s The Man” has many love triangles and is definitely not your average romantic comedy. In most romantic comedies, there seems to be a formula on how the plot is laid out and how the characters interact with each other. “She’s the Man” does not follow this unspoken formula. There are so many characters and all of them play a vital role in the plot. Also, the movie was made when Amanda Bynes was doing her best acting.
Watch one of them. Watch some of them. Or watch all of them. Any of them will get you in the feels.
