It’s Valentine's Day, and for many of us, that means celebrating with a loved one with some good food, some good films and maybe a little bit of booze. For me, that’s not the case, BUT I love reading a good romantic book, or watching a brilliant RomCom. I like to think of myself as someone who has watched A LOT of movies, and has a fairly good idea of which ones are the best. So, in the spirit of things, I thought I’d share my top RomComs here, and who knows, it might inspire you to watch some of them.
*disclaimer* You absolutely can watch these alone today or with your gals and pals for a galentines / palentines day!!!
Okay, onto the ratings.
Number 1:
Set It Up - When two frustrated, overworked assistants meet, they decide that the key to their freedom is by setting up their bosses. As their scheme continues, so does their bond. But when things start to go wrong in their bosses' relationship, the assistants’ own relationship is put to the test.
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When I first watched this film, I had no idea how much I’d love it. It’s hilarious and heartwarming, and it shows such a beautiful relationship. Every change in their relationship is so subtle and yet so obvious at the same time. I genuinely don’t think I can ever get bored of this film.
Number 2:
13 Going On 30 - After a disastrous 13th birthday, Jenna makes a wish that gets her everything she’s ever wanted. But after getting to know this new life, she realises that she no longer knows who she is, and her childhood best friend might be the answer to her new questions.
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This film is an absolute classic, with a stellar cast. It’s chock full of 80's references that’ll make you smile, sing and give a little dance in your seat. There’s so much strength shown in this film, and it’s truly beautiful.
Number 3:
The Proposal - To stop herself from being deported, an editor must convince everyone around her that she’s engaged to her assistant. As they travel to his family house for the weekend, their lie grows and grows, but so do their feelings for each other.
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Honestly, this is such a feel-good film. There’s an abundance of tension throughout, but you can see the shift between hatred and love and it’s done so magnificently. It’s full of a truly incredible cast, and they have such brilliant chemistry. No matter how many times I watch this film, I will always find myself laughing out loud, and feeling warm inside.
Number 4:
Easy A - A young girl’s lie spirals out of control when it spreads through the school, but she realises that her lie can help others. However, by the time she realises that she wants out, it’s gone too far, so she must turn to an old friend for help.
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I love this film because it shows that a first crush may never truly go away, and that old friends will always be there for you. There’s a real emphasis on the power of being there for someone, and the power of being a shoulder to cry on, and it’s so beautiful. It’s also full of brilliant classic references, whether that’s classic novels, or classic 80's films.
Number 5:
Isn’t It Romantic - After being involved in an accident, a cynic is thrown into a romantic movie where everything goes right for her. It’s perfect at first, but she soon realises that none of this makes her feel better, and she starts to worry when she’s unable to get back to reality.
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This is such a favourite of mine. It’s a fight against the cliches of RomComs, and it’s a film that’s completely self-aware and calls out stereotypes with so much humour. It’s a tale about falling in love with yourself, more than anything, and it’s powerful stuff. It’s all mixed with some banging music that teeters the film on the edge of a musical (but don’t worry if you’re not a musicals fan, there’s not that many musical numbers).
Number 6:
Love, Simon - A young guy finds himself falling in love with someone he doesn’t know. As he realises these feelings, he must face being outed to his school, and uncovering the identity of the person he’s been speaking to.
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I don’t know if I’d necessarily call this a RomCom, but I guess it works. I know this film has a lot of debate around it, but it genuinely makes my heart swell with love. It wasn’t a perfect film by all means, but I do believe that it helped open up the conversation about queerness and queer rep in Hollywood. I think it was a needed film, and there were some incredibly powerful moments in there that made me sob, as well as some beautifully hilarious moments that made my face ache with happiness. It also probably has one of my favourite movie soundtracks of all time.
Number 7:
Always Be My Maybe - A famous chef returns to her hometown and reunites with her childhood best friend. As their friendship grows, it is once more put to the test as they battle against their different lifestyles. But as the pair spend more and more time with each other, they realise their feelings may be growing beyond friendship.
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I freaking love this film. It has your besties, to strangers, to friends, to lovers' tales, and I’m here for it. It’s wholesome and hilarious, and a little bit saucy, and it’s truly remarkable. This film has a hilarious cast, and it’s another beautiful movie about finding comfort in old friends.
Number 8:
The Other Woman - After finding out her husband has been having an affair, she confronts his mistress, and the pair start working together to uncover all of his secrets, including a third woman. As the trio plot revenge, friendship begins to blossom unexpectedly.
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Honestly, this is more for galentines than valentines, as yes, there’s a bit of love thrown in the mix, but the best and most beautiful relationships in this film is one of unexpected friendship. There are some absolutely stunning shots, and some hilariously chaotic moments. It’s the perfect tale of revenge and gal power.
Number 9:
Life As We Know It - After a horrendous first date, two people vow to never see each other again, only to find out they’re the godparents of the same child. After a horrific accident, the pair must come together, despite their differences, to become a family.
I think I went through a period of watching this once every two months. It has some truly heartbreaking moments, but there’s so much laughter, hope and love sprinkled in this film that it’s generally a heartwarming movie. There’s layers of tension and heartache in the relationship, but there’s also so much growth and it’s a beautiful film.
Number 10:
Chalet Girl - A down-to-earth young girl heads to a fancy Ski Lodge for work, being thrown into a whole new lifestyle. With her new life comes the chance to have new experiences, and, in a desperate bid to earn more money to help her father, she must face her fears and learn to snowboard. But when feelings begin to grow for her boss, tensions begin to rise.
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This film just cracks me up, and it makes me want to visit a ski lodge. The scenery is stunning, the friendships are incredible, and romance is spicy too. I think my favourite thing about this film, however, is the inspiring self-growth of our main character. She does something she never thought she’d do, and despite her fears, ends up pushing herself and finds that she can’t live without it.
Honorable Mentions:
(aka childhood faves / surprise movies)
She’s The Man - After her soccer team is cut, Viola creates a scheme that enables her to play for the boys team, but for this to work, she must pretend to be her twin brother, Sebastian. As feelings begin to blossom for her, and as she falls in love with her roommate, her secret is at risk of coming out before she can really make a change.
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It’s such a hilarious take on Twelfth Night, and it’s so heartwarming. It’s a lowkey empowering tale about a girl proving herself, and she’s supported by such a good friend group. Obviously, it’s also a film about finding love, and so much chaos occurs along the way.
About Time - After discovering that he and all of the men in his family can time travel, Tim uses his new abilities to help him find love without messing it up. But the more he uses these abilities, the more at risk he is of falling out of touch with reality.
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Everything about this movie is brilliant. The cast is incredible, the storyline is fascinating, and so are the questions about morality that it brings up. It’s fascinating to see how the reasons behind Tim time travelling change throughout the movie, and how his actions affect those around him. It has a beautiful romance in it, obviously, but I think my favourite relationships in the film are between Tim and his family.
When We First Met - After his best friend's engagement party, a young man realises he can go back in time to try change his life, to make him the one she is marrying. But each attempt brings new consequences, and it all relies on one night and that one impression, so which personality will help him find love with her?
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It’s a pretty cliche film but I have such a love for it. The cast work so well together, and their comedic timings are perfect. I think I love this film because it shows that no matter how hard you try to make it work, some people just aren’t meant to be together romantically, and that’s okay. But it also shows that once you open your eyes, sometimes the person you’re meant to be with has been there the whole time.
Can You Keep A Secret - A young woman spills all of her secrets to a stranger on a plane, including everything she hates about her job. A few days later, she realises that this stranger is the CEO of her company, and despite her embarrassment, he likes her honesty, and the pair make a wonderful team.
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I think I’ve only watched this film once but it made me smile the entire time. It was cliche and mysterious as hell, but it’ll definitely leave you feeling mushy and your face feeling achey with smiling so much.
No Strings Attached - A pair agree upon a strictly physical relationship after some disastrous breakups. However, the two soon become friends, and they begin to realise how much they really do care for each other.
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This is on here because it was a surprisingly good film. I thought it was going to be super misogynistic and problematic, but it was surprisingly wholesome. It was an unexpected high rating for me. I’ve only watched it once, but it did kind of make me fall in love with love for a little bit.
So, now I’ve gone through my list of fave RomComs, I might go watch some of them now. I've definitely missed a lot of films out, but that doesn't mean that I don't think they're excellent RomComs. Obviously I wrote this for Valentine’s Day / Galentines / Palentines, but you can watch these any day with the people you love.