Few genres make audiences feel as good as a romantic comedy, and the best rom-coms of the last 5 years offer a variety of stories that deftly bring as many swoons as they do laughs. The genre remains as popular as ever, and the best romantic comedies that have come out in the last five years have told some of the most original stories so far. The rom-coms of today feature more diverse casts and often flip traditional romance conventions.
While romantic comedies are known for their tropes, some modern and recent rom-coms are trying different and creative setups while their characters are more representative of Millennials, Gen Z, and younger audiences. Modern rom-com characters still live fantastical lives filled with meet-cutes and deus ex machina moments while also reckoning with more serious themes like not being successful at work, being rejected, and being single after a long relationship. The best recent rom-coms are a breath of fresh air in the genre.
Jennifer Lawrence stars in the romantic comedy No Hard Feelings, a movie that came out in 2023 and was one of her raunchiest, yet funny movie turns. The film had a chance to cause controversy, as Lawrence played a young woman who agrees to help a teenager lose his virginity when his parents offer her a new car in exchange for the deed.
While an older woman seducing a teen could have been a terrible idea, the movie remains a sweet story, albeit with some highly raunchy scenes throughout. Lawrence was all in on this role and showed a different side to her already incredible acting talents. The movie also had some fun supporting characters, with the boy’s parents played by Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti.
Jennifer Lawrence earned a Golden Globes nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical and the movie also earned a Critics Choice Awards nomination for Best Comedy. On top of that, No Hard Feelings has gone on to become a hit on Netflix.
Somebody I Used To Know is a Dave Franco-directed movie that arrived in 2023 with Alison Brie starring as the showrunner of a reality TV series called Dessert Island. When she learns her show was canceled, she decides to take a break from TV and visits her mom in Washington, where she runs into her ex-boyfriend.
As expected in a rom-com, they hook up again, and then she learns after they sleep together that he is about to get married and his mother, unaware of what happened, asks Ally to video the wedding. This seems a perfect setup for a romantic comedy with a lot of uncomfortable situations and is similar to classics like My Best Friend’s Wedding.
However, this ends up surpassing the familiar storylines and is a movie with some nice depth and characters realizing what they are supposed to be doing in life, while not cheating with a fake happily ever after ending for Ally in the end. It has some interesting things to say for a comedy and was a surprising film, yet one that was mostly overlooked.
Red, White & Royal Blue is a Prime Video original romantic comedy that features an LGBTQ+ love story between the United States President’s son and Prince Phillip, Duke of Cambridge. As with many rom-coms, the two men do not start off on good terms, and neither likes the other after an early embarrassing incident.
However, their parents force them to act like friends for better relations between the countries, neither leader realizing that the sons would end up falling in love. The movie received mostly positive reviews from critics, sitting at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it offers up a more inclusive romantic experience for viewers at home.
It also received praise at the end of the year, with the GLAAD Media Awards naming it the Queer Fan Favorite of the year, while also nominating it for Outstanding Film – Streaming of TV. It also received a nomination at the Producers Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures. The film was such a success that Prime has greenlit a sequel.
I Want You Back is a more irreverent romantic comedy starring Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Jenny Slate (Parks and Recreation). With the two comedic television actors leading the way, the movie tells the story of two people who were just dumped by their romantic partners.
They become friends and try to help each other navigate their new lives after the breakups. However, they then decide they will help each other try to win back their exes, who have already moved on. However, as expected in movies of this type, the two end up falling for each other along the way.
Critics loved the movie, and it sits at a nice 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. The cast received praise for their performances and it is a rom-com that not only delivers the laughs and romance but also has a great story as well about learning to move on in life, even if it is not what the couple expected along the way.
Ghosted is a movie that has some big-time stars behind it and some successful directors helming the project. Chris Evans plays against type as a hapless romantic who heads to London to find a woman he had a one-night stand with after a date. However, when he arrives, a criminal abducts him and his former date has to save him. This is Oscar-nominated actress Ana de Armas (Blonde), who is a highly-trained secret agent.
Seeing the former Captain America needing to be saved constantly made this worth the watch. The Apple TV+ original movie was written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the team who wrote Deadpool and Deapool 2 and was directed by Dexter Fletcher, who previously directed the Oscar-nominated Rocketman.
While critics hated the movie (with a 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the audience score was much higher. That makes this is a crowd-friendly movie and a rom-com worth the watch for anyone just looking to have a good time.
Available to stream on Netflix
One of the best recent rom-coms, The Perfect Find is a Netflix original movie that arrived on the streaming service in 2023. Though it’s inspired by a novel of the same name by Tia Williams, fans of the book will find several differences in the movie.
In a cast stacked with talent, Gabrielle Union leads as Jenna, a woman who is just getting out of a decade-long relationship. After starting a new job, Jenna finds herself drawn to a much younger man (Keith Powers).