Our editors handpick the products that we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page.
Over the last few years, the rom-com genre has seen a reawakening, as the film industry flooded our screens with delightful stories that mix love with humor. The films have experienced a necessary rebirth (even the ones that are still soothingly formulaic). In 2019, rom-coms like Isn’t It Romantic cleverly played with tropes; 2017's The Big Sick adapted a real-life love story; and Always Be My Maybe inspired even more Keanu Reeves adoration. Clearly, the rom-com had a lot live up to in 2020. Luckily, movies like the genre-bending Palm Springs, the catchy The High Note, and the teen dream P.S. I Still Love You, rose to the occasion.
Here are the best romantic comedies that came out in 2020. In this year, we saw a sequel, threequel, and even a film adaptation of a Broadway musical, not to mention the most elite of the crowded holiday movie landscape. And don’t get us started on the screen talent—Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, to name a few. In 2020, the stars aligned to bring new takes (and comforting old ones) on the happily ever after.
The High Note
Tracee Ellis Ross channels her mom, the legendary Diana Ross, while playing pop star Grace Davis in this movie—which comes complete with charm and a catchy soundtrack. Dakota Johnson plays Grace's assistant, Maggie, who dreams of producing her own album. She and musician David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) have chemistry that could power more than one love song.
Downhill
Rather than a conventional rom-com, Downhill is a humorous movie about the reality of love and long-term relationships. Translation? It's for all the realists out there. Comedy legends Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell play a married couple who go through a rough patch after a trip to a ski resort.
The Wrong Missy
Tim Morris (David Spade) is an unexceptional guy. Predictable job, predictable life. Going out on a limb, he invites a woman he has a crush on to a work retreat in Hawaii. Turns out he invited the wrong Missy saved in his phone. Lauren Lapkus plays his larger-than-life date in this raunchy comedy.
Palm Springs
Palm Springs broke the record for the biggest sale in the history of the Sundance Film Festival—and if you ask us, it was totally worth the price. Currently streaming on Hulu, Palm Springs is about two people stuck in a time loop at a wedding. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti handle the movie's increasingly over-the-top twists.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
The first installment of the Netflix Original rom-com based on the 2014 novel by Jenny Han was a huge success for the platform—even serving as one of the pivotal romantic comedies leading the surge of reinvention to the genre. Based on Han’s novel follow-up, P.S. I Still Love You catches up with It couple Peter and Lara Jean, as their bliss is interrupted by one of the recipients of Lara Jean’s previous-storied love letters.
The Half of It
The Half of It is Alice Wu's first film since her acclaimed 2004 indie Saving Face, and the modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac Netflix adaptation does not disappoint. Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), the smartest kid in her Massachusetts high school, spends her days writing her classmates' English papers. She reluctantly agrees to help Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) write love letters to the alluring and kind Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire)—because she has a crush on her, too.
Love Wedding Repeat
Like the popular Netflix show Sweet Magnolias, Love Wedding Repeat is the definition of a romantic escapist watch. Jack (Sam Claflin) met his sister's friend, Dina (Olivia Munn), years ago, and fell for her instantly. Now, they're reunited at his sister's wedding—but everything keeps going wrong. Thanks to a supernatural twist, Jack can make the right decisions that will lead to their paths colliding.
Isi & Ossi
Isa (Lisa Vicari) is a billionaire's daughter. Ossi (Dennis Mojen) is a boxer from a working class town. They come together in this charming German rom-com, released on Netflix on Valentine's Day.
Emma
Adapting Jane Austen novels for modern contemporary society never gets old. Here, actress Anya Taylor-Joy steps out of the dark side of cinema (her work includes horror-bent films like The Witch, Thoroughbreds, and Split) to play the lead in a satirical romantic comedy adapted from the same-name Austen novel about a matchmaking meddler whose misadventures lead to her own happy ending. The Crown’s Prince Charles, Josh O’Connor, costars.
The Lovebirds
Director Michael Showalter (who starred in Wet Hot American Summer) and leading man Kumail Nanjiani reunite after The Big Sick for another reinvented genre comedy, this time inviting Insecure’s Issa Rae and Pitch Perfect’s Anna Camp to the party. Nanjiani and Rae play a couple on the verge of splitting up when they become embroiled in a murder mystery.
Happiest Season
Clea DuVall, who’ll you’ll recognize in front of the camera on hit shows like Veep, steps behind the lens to direct a modern rom-com about a woman planning to propose to her girlfriend at an annual holiday party. The only hitch? Her girlfriend is not exactly out yet. Mackenzie Davis and Kristen Stewart (you know, your Twilight heroine and future Princess Diana) headline the marquee.
The Prom
Ryan Murphy adapted the Tony-nominated Broadway show for the screen and recruited Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington—the list goes on—to ensure it’s just as smashing of a hit. If you’re not familiar with its plot, the musical rom-com pivots around a group of theater divas who get wind of a small-town high school canceling its prom after a student wants to ask bring her girlfriend as her date.
The Christmas Setup
The made-for-TV movie landscape is always crowded around the holidays—Lifetime is putting out 30 new ones alone. Of them all, start with The Christmas Setup, which made history as Lifetime's first holiday movie to feature a gay couple as the main characters. Real life married couple Ben Lewis and Blake Lee star.
Out on December 12
The Holidate
The Holidate deals with the pressure many feel about being partnered for the holidays. When Sloane (Emma Roberts) can't find a date for holiday events, she teams up with Jackson (Luke Bracey) to be her "holidate." The arrangement is only to see each other on holidays. But what if they want to see each other on other days?
Dash and Lily
If a movie isn't enough, get swept away by a heart meltingly sweet yet clever rom-com series. Based on a series of YA novels by the same authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Dash & Lily follows two New York kids who get to know each other during the holiday season through dares and scavenger hunts. We can't wait for season 2.
DeAnna Janes is a freelance writer and editor for a number of sites, including Harper’s BAZAAR, Tasting Table, Fast Company and Brit + Co, and is a passionate supporter of animal causes, copy savant, movie dork and reckless connoisseur of all holidays. A native Texan living in NYC since 2005, Janes has a degree in journalism from Texas A&M and got her start in media at US Weekly before moving on to O Magazine, and eventually becoming the entertainment editor of the once-loved, now-shuttered DailyCandy. She’s based on the Upper West Side.
Watch Next
Watch Oprah Talk Weight in a New Special
The Best Movies to Watch on Mother's Day
5 Surprising Facts About Anderson Cooper
Adam Glassman Talks Style at the 2024 Oscars
