24 Romcoms For Your Valentine's Day Marathons
Whether you're celebrating Galentine's, Valentine's, or both, here are some of the best romantic comedies available to stream or buy, and where
In an essay for The New Yorker in 2011, actress and writer Mindy Kaling said: “Romantic comedies are my favorite kind of movie. I feel almost embarrassed revealing this, because the genre has been so degraded in the past twenty years that saying you like romantic comedies is essentially an admission of mild stupidity. But that has not stopped me from enjoying them.”
A decade later, some of that still applies, but some of it no longer does. While, for some people, there’s still a sense of shame and guilt that comes with binge-watching romcoms, the genre has been experiencing a renaissance of sorts for the past few years, both in production as well as in reception. The advent of streaming has certainly been part of the reason for this change, but much of it also has a lot to do with the rising number of women writing, directing, and producing movies. Some of it is also just because we, as a society, have learned to enjoy things in earnest!
Just like any other type of movie, there are bad romcoms, and there are good ones. The genre is not immune to the typical problems that can affect a film, but it’s not particularly prone to them, either. But what sets apart a great romcom from a good one (and a good one from a bad one) is the care that goes into developing the characters.
Romcoms, as a genre, are highly plot-based. We know how they end. What matters is that when we’re taken in for the ride, we empathize with the leads—despite, and because of, their flaws. We care about them, we root for them, and we want what they want. The romantic comedy, I’d like to think, is an offshoot of the fantasy genre. It allows us to dream, hope, and escape—pastimes that, when done in moderation, help us navigate life a little bit easier.
In the gallery below, we’ve rounded up 24 romantic comedies (as well as several romantic dramas, because why not?) available to stream and buy, and where, from old Hollywood classics like The Philadelphia Story to recent gems like Set It Up.
Romcoms to Stream or Buy
SWIPE LEFT OR RIGHT
TO NAVIGATE BETWEEN PAGES
Always Be My Maybe
In Always be My Maybe, two childhood sweethearts reconnect as adults after being estranged for 15 years. On Netflix.
About Time
Tim Lake can travel in time, just like all the other men in his family. With words of advice from his father, he pursues the woman of his dreams, Mary. On Netflix.
Crazy Rich Asians
Rachel is in for a surprise when she travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s family and learns that Nick belongs to the uppermost echelons of Singaporean society. On Netflix.
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Simple and unassuming Bridget chronicles all her hopes and dreams in a diary, her life changing when two men vie for her affection. On Netflix.
Definitely Maybe
Will Hayes’ precocious daughter wants to know how her parents met. Will tells the story of the three girls he met—one of which becomes his wife—but changes all the names, leaving his daughter to guess which one her mom is. On Netflix.
Down With Love
Barbara Novak has written a book about female independence, and meets Catcher Block, a journalist determined to seduce her. His ploys fall apart, however, when he begins to fall for her. On Prime Video.
Four Weddings and a Funeral
As he attends five occasions as the film’s title states, Charles comes to the conclusion that he may have—against all his wishes—discovered true love. On HBO Go.
His Girl Friday
Newspaper editor Walter Burns does everything he can to keep his ex-wife, reporter Hildy Johnson, from remarrying, including asking for her help on a story about the execution of a convicted murderer. On Apple Movies.
It’s Complicated
A divorcee runs into her ex-husband at their son’s graduation, complicating their relationship (and his) when they fall in love with each other again. On Netflix.
Modern Love
Based on the weekly column published by the New York Times, Modern Love explores love in all its forms. On Prime Video.
Leap Year
A real estate worker flies to Dublin to propose to her boyfriend on leap day, but complications arise on her way there. Instead, she meets an Irish innkeeper, whom she recruits to take her to Dublin, but things don’t go as planned. On Netflix.
Moonstruck
Just when the widowed Loretta Castorini decides to settle down with Johnny Cammareri, she meets his brother, Ronny. On Apple Movies.
The Parent Trap
Nick and Elizabeth met on the Queen Elizabeth II, and nine months later become the parents to estranged twins, Hallie and Annie. At a summer camp eleven years later, the twins meet, and hatch plan to get their parents back together. On Apple Movies.
Notting Hill
A British bookseller falls in love with an A-list American actress. On Prime Video.
The Philadelphia Story
Tracy Lord is set to marry the wealthy George Kittredge, but trouble brews when she crosses paths with her ex-husband, Dexter, and a reporter vying for her affection. On Apple Movies.
Roman Holiday
Princess Anne escapes from her chaperones and meets an American news reporter in Rome, with whom she falls in love. On Apple Movies.
Sleepless In Seattle
Annie Reed is one of the thousands of women touched by Sam Baldwin’s story that he shares on a nightly radio talk show. She writes him a letter, inspired by An Affair to Remember, asking him to meet her on top of the Empire State Building. On Apple Movies.
Set It Up
In Set It Up, two overworked assistants in desperate need of a break set up their workaholic bosses with each other. On Netflix.
Someone Great
Before moving to the West Coast, a music journalist and her two best friends gear up for one last adventure in New York City. On Netflix.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
In this adaptation of the novel of the same name, five of Lara Jean Covey’s crushes receive letters from her—letters she never planned to send—resulting in a fake relationship with one of the boys, Peter. On Netflix.
To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
In the sequel, Lara Jean and Peter are navigating their first year together when one of the other letter’s recipients—the charming John Ambrose McClaren—shows up at the same retirement home Lara Jean is volunteering at. On Netflix.
To All The Boys: Always and Forever
Premiering on Netflix this Friday, the final installment of the To All The Boys trilogy sees Lara Jean and Peter at the cusp of young adulthood: senior year of high school, with college not far off. What does the future hold for these young lovers? On Netflix.
When Harry Met Sally…
Harry and Sally have been good friends for years, despite Harry’s firm believe that they can’t, because “the sex part gets in the way.” On Apple Movies.
You've Got Mail
You’ve Got Mail follows Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox—two warring bookstore owners in New York who don’t know that they’re falling in love with each other online. On HBO Go.
Photos from IMdB