We all know the classics of the romantic-comedy genre: “When Harry Met Sally,” “The Princess Bride,” “Groundhog Day,” to name a few.
But with Valentine’s Day approaching – and with the decade at the halfway point – it’s as good a time as any to take stock of rom-coms of the 2020s. As popular culture gets ever more splintered, these are films you may have missed and, in this humble writer’s opinion, are worth catching up on.
The Idea of You (2024). Anne Hathaway plays Solene, an art gallery owner who has a chance run-in with Hayes Campbell, a world-famous boy-band member played by Nicholas Galitzine. While Solene is a 40-year-old single mom and Hayes is just 24, an unexpected romance blossoms and the pair must navigate the myriad challenges it presents – avoiding paparazzi, grappling with the age difference, and continuing to parent Solene’s daughter, to name a few. This movie is admittedly more “rom” than “com” – and that’s OK! Streaming on Prime Video; rated R.
No Hard Feelings (2023). This is another age-gap relationship story, although it’s a completely different kind of film. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Maddie, who is hired by a wealthy couple (played by Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti) to date their awkward son and show him the ropes before he goes off to college. As you can imagine, things get complicated, and they may or may not become better people as a result of the experience. Who can say?? Either way, it’s a great vehicle for Jennifer Lawrence and a fun watch. Streaming on Netflix; rated R.
Hit Man (2024). Gary Johnson, played by Glen Powell, is a mild-mannered professor by day, but by night, a fake hitman hired by the New Orleans Police Department to uncover murder-for-hire schemes (which is apparently based off a real-life story). However, the professional lines blur when he falls for a woman who wants to have her abusive husband killed – and he struggles to keep all his increasingly complicated obligations fulfilled. Streaming on Netflix; rated R.
Licorice Pizza (2021). We’re including this in this ranking even though it’s not a “rom-com” as it’s traditionally defined. But it’s a fantastic coming-of-age comedy/drama with a romantic storyline at its center and directed and written by the great Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s, this is much different than the movies Anderson is known for like “There Will Be Blood” and “Boogie Nights” – so if those films weren’t your thing, this would be worth seeing. Licorice Pizza stars Alana Haim (of the band HAIM) and Cooper Hoffman, son of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Available to rent on streaming services; rated R.
Palm Springs (2020). My favorite rom-com of the decade. “Palm Springs” is a riff on “Groundhog Day” as the central characters (played by Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti) find themselves in a time loop, reliving a wedding reception over and over again. While it takes inspiration from “Groundhog Day,” Palm Springs is really its own thing – the venue and younger characters make this much sillier and raunchier, and the script is very, very funny. Highly recommend. Streaming on Hulu; rated R.
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Are there other top rom-coms in the 2020s that we missed? Let us know in the comments!
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