The Absolute Best Romantic Comedies From The Last Decade

People have been lamenting the death of the rom-com since at least the mid ‘00s.

For awhile there, we definitely entered a rough patch where it seemed like the halcyon days of the ‘80s and ‘90s were long gone, and we’d never reach the giddy heights of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts again.

But in the last few years in particular, the rom-com has come back in a big way.

Blockbuster smashes combined with streaming services leaning into rom-coms brought new life to the genre. The 2010s were a good time to be a rom-com fan. Let’s take a look at the best the decade had to offer…

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

This movie captured the heart of, well, basically the entire internet in 2018.

Based on the book by Jenny Han, the story of Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky’s fake dating shenanigans cemented Netflix as the go-to service for rom-coms, and made its stars the hottest commodities in Hollywood.

While Noah Centineo’s Peter Kavinsky got A LOT of attention for being the dreamy high school boyfriend we all wanted, it’s Lana Condor’s Lara Jean that really carries the movie, infusing it with sweetness and humour.

Set It Up

While To All The Boys is Netflix’s shining example of what a teen rom-com can be, Set It Up is their best adult offering.

There isn’t anything particularly revelatory about Set It Up, in which Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell play overworked assistants who try to set their bosses up, but gosh it’s fun.

That being said, it does play with iconic rom-com tropes in interesting ways.

Love, Simon

2018 was a truly excellent year for teen rom-coms.

Love, Simon was a cinematic release early that year, based on the popular book Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Nick Robinson plays the titular Simon, a closeted teen who strikes up an anonymous correspondence with a fellow gay student, known as Blue, at his school.

The climax of the movie — a grand romantic gesture on a ferris wheel — has to be one of the most swoon-worthy scenes in recent history.

About Time

Richard Curtis did it again.

This gentle, time-bending British rom-com has a tinge of drama and sadness to it, but that’s all part of its beauty. Rachel McAdams is as charming as she always is — and in this case, unlike many others in her career, she actually has good material to work with. But it’s Domhnall Gleeson and Bill Nighy who really steal the show with their tender father/son chemistry.

Crazy Stupid Love

Yes, this movie was released this decade. In 2011, to be exact.

It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s funny and entertaining and involves Ryan Gosling shirtless and doing the Dirty Dancing lift with Emma Stone. It also has Steve Carell, Julianne Moore and Marisa Tomei, and they are all as great in this, as they are in everything.

What’s Your Number?

This is perhaps one of the most underrated rom-coms of the decade.

It doesn’t get a bunch of attention, but it’s hilarious and romantic (as every good rom-com should be, of course), and Anna Faris and Chris Evans are incredibly charming together. Plus it’s remarkably sex positive, a trait that isn’t always present in this genre. Also: Chris Evans hardly wears clothes in it. So. You know.

Crazy Rich Asians

Honestly this movie is pushing it in terms of being classified as a rom-com, considering the main story isn’t actually about Nick and Rachel’s love — at least, not directly.

It’s more about Rachel’s relationship with Nick’s mother, Eleanor. But it was such a huge movie and there’s just enough romance in it that it wouldn’t feel right not to include it. It was successful for good reason: the cast are wonderful (and wall-to-wall good looking), it’s visually stunning, and not only is it funny, it’s also very moving.

The Big Sick

This was one of the quieter rom-coms that nevertheless earned a devoted following.

Written by Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V Gordon, and based on their real-life romance, The Big Sick is real and raw, with the comedy derived from relatable interactions between the characters rather than over-the-top slapstick.

There are some downright heartbreaking moments in there too, but overall it’s a lovely and comforting movie.

Isn’t It Romantic

Rebel Wilson’s style of comedy is, frankly, more often miss than hit, but as a woman who hates rom-coms and ends up getting sucked into one, she nails it.

Isn’t It Romantic satirises the genre in a really affectionate way that embraces fans rather than alienates them. The supporting cast are good too, with Liam Hemsworth in particular shining in an all-too-rare comedic role. Can he do more rom-coms, please?

Love, Rosie

Love, Rosie is one of those movies that doesn’t blow you away when you first watch it, but it somehow gets under your skin and you find yourself coming back to it time and time again.

It’s the kind of rom-com that feels cozy and comforting, tracking the cute friends-to-lovers story of Rosie and Alex over a number of years. Lily Collins and Sam Claflin have good chemistry, and the ending leaves you all warm and fuzzy, which is exactly what a rom-com should do.

---

Jenna Guillaume is a Sydney-based writer who loves all things TV and pop culture. She tweets @JennaGuillaume, and her new book, ‘What I Like About Me’ is available now.