10 Defining Rom-Coms Of The 21st Century!

The romantic-comedy genre has been going through somewhat of a renaissance of late, so let’s take a moment to look back at 10 films that helped us laugh, cry, and heal since 2000, thus the defining rom-coms of the 21st Century!

1. Before Sunset (2004)

The second installation in Richard Linklater's Before Trilogy, Before Sunset is a film that finds two people reunited after a spontaneous, romantic 24-hour date that occurred 9 years prior. Starring Ethan Hawke and Julia Delpy, this film initiated the early definition of the 21st Century rom-com, notably stripping down the conventions and structure of the genre. Using a looser feel, emotional ambiguity, and realism not often seen in the genre before, Before Sunset became one of the first films to pave the way for rom-coms that were spiritually and emotionally speculative, while maintaining it’s comedic and fun feel, effectively evolving the genre. (Available on VOD/Digital)

2. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Once Crazy, Stupid, Love hit the big screen in 2011, it captured the hearts of viewers and hasn’t let go since. With unforgettable performances by Steve Carell, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and Julianne Moore, this film effectively moved the needle for rom-cms in the 21st Ccentury. Both endearing and self-aware, Crazy, Stupid, Love utilizes the ensemble form, yet effectively creates interwoven, character-driven stories. Bringing the genre into the light of the 2010s, this movie leans heavily into awkwardness and cringe-induced comedy, something that would become a modern day rom-com staple. (Available on VOD/Digital)

3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Written by and starring Jason Segel, Forgetting Sarah Marshall truly emphasizes the "com" aspect of the genre. Weaving raunchy humor and absurd characters with emotional truth and vulnerability, this Nicholas Stoller directed movie pushed the limits of what a rom-com can look like, moving past some of the mostly-mushy aspects of the genre’s early-2000s burst. Forgetting Sarah Marshall showed audiences that crass humor can be intermixed with a sweet, endearing story, thus paving the way for a slew of 2010s rom-coms that followed its lead. (Available on VOD/Digital)

4. About Time (2013)

About Time changed the rom-com game, and its effects on the genre remain seen today. Following a time-travelling romantic, this film’s heart-warming, uncynical approach to family, love, and grief took the raunch and sex out of the conversation and focused more on existentialism and life. Replete with goofiness and fun, About Time continues to inspire audiences and writers today, as it took the time-travelling convention and turned it on its head, effectively using it metaphorically rather than a gimmick. The timeless film also contradicted the evolution of the genre in the early-2010s, which saw rom-coms becoming increasingly more cynical and sarcastic. (Available on VOD/Digital)

5. Her (2013)

Spike Jonze’s Her is an Academy Award-winning film that takes a look into the near future, cluing us into a love story that eerily seems to be becoming a reality in today’s world. With its blend of sci-fi, romance, and cringe humor, Her is one of the most unique rom-coms to date. It focuses on conventional tropes found in the genre, such as grief and divorce, and dives into new topics such as the relationship between humans and AI, thus crafting a non-traditional romantic storyline. It’s contemplative, existential, and often philosophical; all tones and feels of the modern day rom-com. (Available on VOD/Digital)

6. The Big Sick (2017)

The Big Sick takes the newfound realism of the 21st century rom-com to the next level, as its stakes not only seem real but are indeed real! Based on Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon’s real-life relationship, this story dives into a culturally specific story that in turn shows audiences that love and romantic conflict are universal. Setting the stage for films like Crazy Rich Asians and Past Lives, this film dives into the nuances of culture and heritage in romance, as well as maintaining some hilarious moments. (Stream on Prime Video)

7. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

This film starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt helped propel the cynical nature of the genre into the 2010s, thus creating the "anti-rom-com". A funny and heartbreaking story about unrequited love, (500) Days of Summer is a non-linear look into the male point of view of love, critiquing the conventional thoughts of romance, courtship, and love seen in the male gaze. It paints the titular Summer as flawless and idealistic through the eyes of Levitt’s character Tom, analyzing the genre as a whole up to its release. (Available on VOD/Digital)

8. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Another Oscar-nominated film, Crazy Rich Asians was not only the first rom-com but the first film in 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast. It’s a pure rom-com, reprising the tropes of a disapproving mother, jealous exes, and glamorous romance. However, this film twists all its familiar conventions, framing it within cultural values and the core of generational conflict, specifically within the Asian context. It’s funny, endearing, and a new look into how heritage affects love. (Stream on Netflix)

9. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

David O. Russell teamed up with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper back in 2012 to court the genre into the 2010s with Silver Linings Playbook. Reminding audiences once again that the rom-com genre isn’t all lovey dovey, this film also shows how the genre can be prestigious, as the film picked up 8 oscar nods following its release. Silver Linings Playbook is rooted in mental illness and flawed characters finding common ground, bringing a new conversation to the rom-com table and pushing the tropes of perfect fits and flawless characters aside. This film also helped bring the cynical nature of the genre into the early-2010s, planting the seed for more rom-coms to encapsulate more realism rather than idealisation. (Stream on HBO Max)

10. Palm Springs (2020)

Palm Springs hit streaming in 2020, and similar to About Time and Her, it roots itself in a sci-fi storyline that doesn’t lean on the convention but rather uses it metaphorically and in a speculative nature. Emerging as one of the first films to analyze existentialism through the Millennial and Gen-Z lens of absurdity and cynicism, this film takes on the modern ideas of life, romance, and nihilism. Turning these concepts on its head, the time loop reveals to Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti that love conquers all, even in a world where happiness seems elusive and questionable to younger audiences. (Stream on Hulu)