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What To Watch
16 Romantic Comedies to Fall in Love with on Netflix
These meet-cutes will bring on all the feels.
By Mary Sollosi and Phillipe Thao
April 23, 2024
16 Best Romantic Comedies To Watch on Netflix - Netflix Tudum
Love isn’t dead — and neither is the romantic comedy. While the ’90s and early aughts presented us with a bounty of rom-coms, the beloved genre is having a renaissance: We’re seeing new takes on old tropes, marginalized voices finally getting the mic, and even more slow-burn scenes to get the waterworks going. As the list of rom-coms grows, one thing remains the same: They’re always cathartic to watch.
Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, whether you’re having a date night, or getting over an ex, there’s a title for every occasion. Don’t let the sparks fizzle while you search for something to watch — we’ve got you covered. Here are our top rom-com picks, new and old, that you can stream on Netflix right now.
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Anyone But You
The Bard got a 2023 update in Will Gluck’s rom-com Anyone But You, loosely based on Much Ado About Nothing. Shakespeare’s beloved romantic duo Beatrice and Benedick become Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell), two young Bostonians whose initial attraction quickly sours to resentment after a misunderstanding. Months later, they’re thrown together once again for a wedding (all the way in Sydney), where their family and friends worry that the pair’s mutual dislike will ruin the celebration. Modernized, Australian-ized Shakespearean hijinks ensue! And maybe — just maybe — Bea and Ben find their way back to liking each other.
Players
Sportswriter Mack (Gina Rodriguez) has spent years coming up with hookup “plays” with her best friend Adam (Damon Wayans Jr.) and their crew in this sporty love story. Her playbook has led to many successful one-night stands, but there’s one big rule: You can’t build a relationship from a play. When Mack unexpectedly falls for a war correspondent, will she be able to go from playing the field to playing for keeps?
No Hard Feelings
It’s Percy Barker (Andrew Barth Feldman)’s last summer at home before heading off to college, but he’s too socially awkward to leave the house. Unbeknownst to him, his parents have hired a local hottie and bartender (Jennifer Lawrence) to help bring him out of his comfort zone. Nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Maddie Barker, Lawrence has one summer to make a man out of the lonely teen gamer.
The Perfect Find
Jenna Jones (Gabrielle Union) is ready to make her career comeback as a fashion editor. One night, she goes out to a party and kisses a man named Eric (Keith Powers), who happens to be 15 years younger than her. Little does she know that Eric is the son of her boss and the company’s new videographer who she’ll be working with. With everything at stake, will Jenna be able to keep her work romance a secret?
A Tourist's Guide to Love
Early aughts rom-com royalty Rachael Leigh Cook is grabbing her passport and jetting to Southeast Asia. After an unexpected breakup, travel executive Amanda Riley (Cook) goes on an undercover group tour in Vietnam. As she traverses throughout different cities, she meets expat tour guide Sinh (Scott Ly), who opens her eyes to adventure — and love. A Tourist’s Guide to Love not only celebrates the sights and landscapes of Vietnam, but it’s also the first film to be shot in the country post-pandemic.
Set It Up
A pair of burned-out assistants, tired of setting up meetings, appointments, deliveries, travel, and everything else, decide to set up their bosses instead in Claire Scanlon’s clever 2018 hit. When Charlie and Harper (Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch) realize that they’re similarly overworked by their demanding employers (Taye Diggs and Lucy Liu), they conspire to spark a relationship between their bosses, hoping it’ll ease the pressure at work. The scheme may or may not work as planned, but what Charlie and Harper aren’t prepared for is how the very act of scheming brings them close enough to catch feelings themselves.
The Incredible Jessica James
In James C. Strouse’s smart 2017 indie, a young artist doesn’t just find romance, she also falls back in love with her own work. Jessica Williams stars as the title character, a struggling playwright in New York City who’s feeling aimless and low after a difficult breakup and professional rejection. When her friend sets her up on a blind date with the divorced Boone (Chris O’Dowd), they bond over their recent heartbreaks. As the pair spend more time together and deepen their connection, Jessica rediscovers the passion for theater that brought her to the city in the first place.
Alex Strangelove
With equal parts grace and humor, Alex Strangelove tells a story about the discomfort of finding yourself. For anyone who struggled with coming out in high school, this is a queer rom-com you wish you had then. Best friends Alex (Daniel Doheny) and Claire (Madeline Weinstein), both virgins, start dating and plan to book a hotel room so they can have sex for the first time. But their new relationship unravels when Alex attends a party and meets Elliot (Antonio Marziale), an openly gay teenager. As the two boys continue hanging out, Alex begins to question his sexuality. Is he bisexual? Gay? And also, what about Claire?
Always Be My Maybe
Who doesn’t love a good Mariah Carey reference? Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park) are childhood best friends who reunite after drifting apart for 15 years. She’s now a celebrity chef with an unsuccessful romantic life; he’s a hometown musician who’s still living with his dad. Naturally, the former besties revisit their relationship as adults — and we know what that eventually leads to. The film subverts rom-com stereotypes and serves up strong Asian American representation, with many sides of savory cuisine.
Love Hard
If two of the greatest Christmas movies had a baby, this would be it (we’ll let you guess which ones we’re referring to). Natalie (Nina Dobrev) is a dating columnist , but romance isn’t on her side. After matching and falling for Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) on a dating app, she flies 3,000 miles to surprise him for the holidays. Unfortunately, yep, she’s been catfished: Josh looks nothing like the guy in the profile, but he can introduce Natalie to Tag (Darren Barnet), the person whose photos he’s been using.
Love in the Villa
Need a mental getaway? Here’s your boarding pass. Julie (Kat Graham) has been looking forward to going to Verona, Italy, with her boyfriend (Raymond Ablack), but when he dumps her out of nowhere, the newly single hopeless romantic decides to embark on the trip anyway. Unfortunately, her solo trip doesn’t go exactly as planned. It turns out that her villa has been double-booked, and she must now share the rental space with Charlie (Tom Hopper), a handsome but cynical Brit. The unexpected roommates immediately butt heads, but as they get to know each other more, their chemistry just might surprise them.
Someone Great
Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) seems to have it all. She’s a music journalist in New York City, has been dating her boyfriend, Nate (LaKeith Stanfield), for nine years, and just landed a dream job in San Francisco. There’s little to celebrate, however, when Nate suddenly ends the relationship. Devastated, Jenny’s best friends (Brittany Snow and DeWanda Wise) take the day off work to go on one last hurrah before she embarks on a new chapter. If you’re getting over a breakup, Someone Great is a necessary reminder that you’re “100% that b*tch.”
The Half Of It
If you need a good cry, look no further. Book-smart high schooler Ellie (Leah Lewis) needs some extra money to pay the electricity bill. To make some quick cash, she agrees to help football jock Paul (Daniel Diemer) ghostwrite a love letter to his crush, Aster (Alexxis Lemire). Through their correspondence, Ellie forms a surprising friendship with Josh — and a crush on Aster. The Half of It is a win for queers, himbos, Grinnell College alums, and awkward teens who sent anonymous messages to their Tumblr crushes. Whether or not you’re part of those communities, this film will tug at your heartstrings.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
As the first installment in the franchise of the same name, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before feels like a return to the classic rom-coms we grew to love. Lara Jean (Lana Condor) has been writing secret love letters to her crushes and locking them away — until one unexpected day when the letters are mysteriously sent out to the objects of her affection. To avoid a series of uncomfortable situations, Lara Jean and Peter (Noah Centineo), a letter recipient and former childhood crush, decide to fake a relationship. What’s in it for him? He wants to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. But as they help each other out, their relationship doesn’t seem all that fictional after all.
Your Place or Mine
Switching places with your friend might sound like a great idea, but for Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher), it’s about to open up a whole slew of emotions. The single mother from Los Angeles and the bachelor marketing executive from New York think they know everything about each other after 20 years of friendship. But after trading coasts for a week, Debbie and Peter realize that they might not have each other — or their lives — figured out.
Something's Gotta Give
When you’re craving a romantic comedy, it’s never a bad idea to turn to one of the undisputed masters of the genre. Nancy Meyers delivers one of her best films (and one of her most aspirational on-screen homes) with 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give. Diane Keaton stars as Erica, a successful playwright with a stunning house in the Hamptons, which is where she meets Harry (Jack Nicholson), the wealthy playboy dating her daughter (Amanda Peet). After Harry has a heart attack, he extends his stay at Erica’s house to recover and the two of them form a connection — even as she begins a relationship with his doctor (Keanu Reeves).
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