The 20 best romantic comedy movies on Netflix

Alex Strangelove (2018)

A coming-of-age rom-com that sees a popular teen wrestle with his sexuality may sound like a familiar narrative, but Alex Strangelove adds its own spin. Alex Truelove (Daniel Doheny) lives in an especially progressive and supportive environment for a high school tale, nearly void of the common prejudices against queerness. Still, Alex doesn't know what — or who — he wants, and he has to learn about himself before he can know for sure. Many LGBTQ+ rom-coms tend to focus on protagonists that are working against societal biases, but Alex Strangelove offers a more joyful take on the queer experience. EW's critic praises the film's underlying theme beneath its (occasionally cringey) twist and turns, writing, "It's hard to fault the bigger message here: that we all deserve the right to be true to who we are, even if it takes a few hard turns — and some collateral emotional damage — to get there." —Angela Andaloro

Where to watch Alex Strangelove: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Craig Johnson

Cast: Daniel Doheny, Antonio Marziale, Madeline Weinstein, Joanna Adler, William Ragsdale, Daniel Zolghadri

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Along for the Ride (2022)

Based on the novel by Sarah Dessen, night owl Auden (Emma Pasarow) displeases her type-A mom (Andie MacDowell) by going to stay with her absentee dad (Dermot Mulroney), his wife (Kate Bosworth), and their newborn over the summer before college. Now on a mission to taste all the teenage experiences she's missed out on, Auden soon makes her first real group of girlfriends and roams the beach town in the wee hours of the morning. Doing so brings her to meet another night-type, Eli (Belmont Cameli), who has a repressed past of his own. Sofia Alvarez is no stranger to teen rom-coms, given that she adapted To All the Boys I've Loved Before into the hit Netflix film franchise. Now, she's made her feature-length directorial debut with Along for the Ride, having collaborated with Dessen, queen of the beach read, on this quintessential summer romance film. "I have always really loved those nostalgic summertime movies that I grew up watching, and I think I immediately saw the potential for this movie to be one of those," Alvarez told EW. "I really wanted it to be the kind of summer movie where you smell the sunscreen through the screen...or it has a soundtrack that everyone is singing in their cars this summer when they're driving to the beach." Spoiler alert: This movie (and its soundtrack by Beach House) achieves all of that and more. —A.A.

Where to watch Along for the Ride: Netflix

Director: Sofia Alvarez

Cast: Emma Pasarow, Belmont Cameli, Kate Bosworth, Dermot Mulroney, Andie MacDowell

Related content: Behind the scenes of the epic food fight in Along for the Ride

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

Who says you can't go home again? Ali Wong shines in this romantic comedy about childhood best friends who cross paths as adults after an awkward teenage romance ended badly. Fast forward 16 years, and life has taken celebrity chef Sasha Tran (Wong) and unsuccessful musician Marcus Kim (Randall Park) to some very different places. Much has changed, but their chemistry sure hasn't as the two come face-to-face with their many differences on the road to reconciliation. Costars Wong and Park are also co-writers for the film, and, given the hilarity of Wong's Netflix stand-up specials, it's no wonder Always Be My Maybe was an instant hit. The central lovebirds have a lot of healing to do from their complicated youths before they can live happily ever after, but the laughter makes it that much sweeter. Throw in a disastrous double date featuring Keanu Reeves playing, well, Keanu Reeves, and you've got yourself a chaotic love triangle unlike any you've seen before. EW's critic highlights the film's graceful lack of tokenism as well: "Always Be My Maybe … joins a burgeoning if still too small club of mainstream movies centered without any special pomp or circumstance on Asian American characters." Seriously, what's not to love? —A.A.

Where to watch Always Be My Maybe: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Nahnatchka Khan

Cast: Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito, Michelle Buteau, Vivian Bang, Daniel Dae Kim, Keanu Reeves

Related content: Ali Wong reunites with 'ex-boyfriend' Keanu Reeves at standup show: 'It's never gonna work'

Anyone but You (2023)

Like the beloved '90s rom-coms that transplanted classic stories to modern-day high school, Anyone But You is a modern spin on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. The charming flick centers on Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell), a pair of attractive singles whose first date ends poorly. Six months later, they're shocked and dismayed to be in each other's lives again at a destination wedding, and their bickering leads those in the wedding party to try getting them together. A sleeper box office hit, Anyone But You is an earnest throwback where most of the plot is predictable but you don't mind — largely because of its compelling leads. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch Anyone but You: Netflix

Director: Will Gluck

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Rachel Griffiths

Related content: How Anyone but You navigated shark-infested waters and rom-com tropes

The Half of It (2020)

In a modern retelling of the classic French play Cyrano de Bergerac, Ellie (Leah Lewis) starts ghostwriting love letters for a jock, Paul (Daniel Diemer), in exchange for some much-needed cash. But as she continues to correspond with Paul's dream girl, Aster (Alexxis Lemire), Ellie finds they have a lot in common and wonders if she's actually her better half. Though the romantic tension between the unknowing Aster and the unfortunate Ellie pushes the film forward, the true heart of this story is the blossoming friendship between Ellie and Paul. He may not be able to write to save his life, but Paul speaks up where it counts, causing an intimate and (somewhat) overlapping love triangle between teens who are just trying to learn what life is all about. The characters' bond is rooted in Lewis and Diemer's genuine affection, too. "Daniel is like my brother now," Lewis told EW. "His belief in me as Daniel definitely translated onscreen where Ellie finds the courage to perform because of Paul's belief in [her]." —A.A.

Where to watch The Half of It: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Alice Wu

Cast: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Enrique Murciano, Wolfgang Novogratz, Catherine Curtin, Becky Ann Baker, Collin Chou

Related content: Decoding the cultural references in The Half of It

The Holiday (2006)

Christmas and Nancy Meyers is a match made in cinematic heaven. This dreamy romantic comedy centers on Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslet) as a pair of women struggling with their love lives — one American movie-marketing business owner, one British society columnist — who subsequently agree to swap houses for a holiday to escape their problems. Amanda has a meet-cute with Iris' book editor brother Graham (a dashing Jude Law) while Iris hits it off with film composer Miles (Jack Black, cast refreshingly against-type). Christmas can be a time of reflection, and this film is all about taking stock of your life and finding a way forward, even if it means escaping into a different world for a bit. "Everyone has that fantasy of 'What if I lived here? How would my life be different?'" Meyers told EW in 2006. While undoubtedly rooted in fairy tale rom-com tropes than grounded realism, we wouldn't want The Holiday any other way. —K.J.

Where to watch The Holiday: Netflix

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Nancy Meyers

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach

Related content: The conversation: Kate Winslet and Nancy Meyers

The Incredible Jessica James (2017)

Jessica Williams (2 Dope Queens, Shrinking) is a relatable force to be reckoned with in her debut lead role. As the uber-confident Jessica James, she's trying to find out what's next in both her work life and her love life, with New York City as the backdrop. However, a blind date throws a wrench in all her plans as she finds herself unexpectedly falling for Boone (Chris O'Dowd) though she's still not quite over her ex, Damon (LaKeith Stanfield). While the love story at the center of The Incredible Jessica James may seem a little trope-y and basic at times, the protagonist is anything but that. Jessica is a joyful, empowered character who faces her mistakes head-on without beating herself up about them. EW's critic celebrates the rom-com for its not-so-delicate balance, writing, "Even when the film falls into indie clichés, Williams keeps things moving with her cleverness and charisma, whether she's chastising man-spreaders on the subway or introducing an as-yet-unborn baby to the fight to dismantle the patriarchy." —A.A.

Where to watch The Incredible Jessica James: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: James C. Strouse

Cast: Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, Noël Wells, LaKeith Stanfield, Megan Ketch, Zabryna Guevara

Related content: Jessica Williams on her Incredible rom-com role — a woman who kicks ass and isn't defined by romance

Kicking and Screaming (1995)

After graduating from college, a group of friends move in together, hoping to delay the start of the rest of their lives. One of them is Grover (Josh Hamilton), who passes on his girlfriend's offer to study abroad with her. Like many of his future works, Noah Baumbach's directorial debut is a meditation on adults trying to figure out what they want in life. Grover and his friends are far from perfect, as they deal with romance and dashed dreams within their limbo period between college and the real world. "What distinguishes Baumbach," EW's critic observes, "is that his cleverness conceals a ruefully romantic temperament." —K.J.

Where to watch Kicking and Screaming: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Josh Hamilton, Olivia d'Abo, Chris Eigeman, Parker Posey, Jason Wiles, Cara Buono, Carlos Jacott, Elliott Gould, Eric Stoltz

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Knocked Up (2007)

Judd Apatow perfected the gross-out rom-com with Knocked Up. Eight weeks after a one-night stand, driven reporter Alison (Katherine Heigl) realizes she's pregnant with slacker Ben's (Seth Rogen) baby. Despite having little in common, the pair try to commit to a relationship with each other, but this proves far more difficult than expected. While the overarching plot plays on classic odd-couple tropes, much of the best humor in the film can be found in the eccentric observations from Ben and his roommates. EW's critic writes, "Knocked Up is the very opposite of a storybook romance, and also the very model of a great comedy for our values-driven time." —K.J.

Where to watch Knocked Up: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Judd Apatow

Cast: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr

Related content: Seth Rogen addresses Katherine Heigl Knocked Up controversy

Long Shot (2019)

Girl babysits boy; boy crushes on girl; girl grows up to become Secretary of State; boy becomes an out-of-work journalist; boy and girl reunite when she hires him on as her speechwriter. While not the most conventional setup, so much of the appeal of Long Shot is in seeing Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron bounce off each other. As EW's critic writes, "Rogen and Theron's chemistry is as fizzy as a Red Bull-and-Champagne cocktail." Even in its raunchier elements, there’s also a poignant story at the film’s core, on the struggles of finding love while in the public eye and staying true to your values. —K.J.

Where to watch Long Shot: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Jonathan Levine

Cast: Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk, Alexander Skarsgård

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The Lovebirds (2020)

The relationship between Leilani (Issa Rae) and Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) is on its last legs and fading fast when the struggling couple is invited to a dinner party. On their way there, a chance encounter with a criminal changes the course of their night — and their separation. If they want to make it out alive and clear their names, the two will have to work together, but not without throwing a few passive-aggressive jabs at each other in the process. The Lovebirds gives viewers a different kind of second-chance romance. It's light on the romance and heavy on the antics, making it an honest portrayal of all that can make or break a relationship — romantic or not. Still, the chemistry between Rae and Nanjiani eliminates any question of their potential as a couple. They bicker in that comfortable, weathered way that shows strain, but that edge may be just what they need to see their situation to the other side. And confronting it all is just as challenging as solving the murder they witnessed. EW's critic notes, "What feels freshest, maybe, is the mere fact of two leads of color taking on all the tropes of the genre and making it feel as modern as they do." —A.A.

Where to watch The Lovebirds: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Michael Showalter

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae, Paul Sparks, Anna Camp, Kyle Bornheimer

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No Hard Feelings (2023)

While No Hard Feelings may have been sold as a raunchy comedy, the film has an underlying sweetness that makes it fit nicely alongside others on this list. But don't get us wrong, the film's setup certainly provides plenty of broad, laugh-out-loud humor: Jennifer Lawrence stars as Maddie, a 32-year-old Uber driver who is desperate for money. She finds a Craiglist ad from a wealthy couple who are hoping to hire a woman to date (and perhaps do more with) their inexperienced 19-year-old son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), before he goes to college. Maddie's attempts to court Percy lead to hilarious results, though they soon come to unexpectedly appreciate each other over the course of the summer. The film proves Lawrence's adeptness as a comedic star, fully committing to even the most ludicrous of scenes. "No Hard Feelings is a welcome addition to a dwindling genre," writes EW's critic, "and a reminder that Lawrence is one Hollywood's best (and funniest) leads." —K.J.

Where to watch No Hard Feelings: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Gene Stupnitsky

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Matthew Broderick

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Queen Bees (2021)

In recent years, older actresses have shown off their comedic chops in films such as Book Club, 80 for Brady, and this charming rom-com. Queen Bees stars Ellen Burstyn as an independently minded widow who accidentally burns down her kitchen and has no choice but to enter a retirement community. She has trouble integrating at first, in large part because of the Mean Girls-esque group of "Queen Bees" who rule the roost, but she eventually develops a relationship with a new resident played by James Caan in his final onscreen role before his death. While not exactly on the level of Burstyn's classic work in films like The Exorcist and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, the breezy comedy goes down easy on a relaxing afternoon. —K.J.

Where to watch Queen Bees: Netflix

Director: Michael Lembeck

Cast: Ellen Burstyn, James Caan, Ann-Margret, Christopher Lloyd, Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine, Elizabeth Mitchell

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Set It Up (2018)

Overworked assistants Charlie (Glen Powell) and Harper (Zoey Deutch) have a corporate meet-cute in their shared office building when they bond over their demanding, miserable bosses: venture capitalist Rick Otis (Taye Diggs) and sports media maven Kirsten Stevens (Lucy Liu). Desperate to make their jobs (and lives) easier, Charlie and Harper hatch a plan to merge their superiors into a happy power couple. But playing matchmaker might be way above their pay grade. A romantic comedy in the same vein as The Devil Wears Prada (2006), this film has its fair share of gaslighting, but the twist is its good intentions. Charlie and Harper feel genuine admiration for their successful bosses, and though their motives are self-serving, it's all in the name of love, right? What follows is a satisfying take on the feel-good genre, complete with meditations on work lives, love lives, and everything in between. EW's critic hails Set It Up as the "gold standard for the frothy summer rom-com," and she was right on the money. —A.A.

Where to watch Set It Up: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Claire Scanlon

Cast: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu

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She's Gotta Have It (1986)

Spike Lee exploded onto the scene with his 1986 directorial debut. Made for only $175,000, She's Gotta Have It tells the story of Nola (Tracy Camilla Johns), a graphic artist in Brooklyn who juggles relationships with three men, each with their own distinct personalities. The situation becomes complicated after the men meet and figure out what's happening. Meanwhile, Nola comes to realize the value in her freedom as a sexually liberated person. Lauded for its depiction of a confident Black woman at a time when Hollywood rarely centered such characters, She's Gotta Have It proved to be predictive of the kinds of groundbreaking stories Lee would tell in the decades to come. The Oscar-winning filmmaker also adapted the film into a Netflix series in 2017. —K.J.

Where to watch She's Gotta Have It: Netflix

Director: Spike Lee

Cast: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee, Raye Dowell

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Someone Great (2019)

This charming directorial debut by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson proves that break-up movies can make for great rom-coms. Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) lands her dream job at Rolling Stone, but it costs her her longtime boyfriend (LaKeith Stanfield). Desperate for a last hurrah in New York City before her big move, the new bachelorette rallies friends Blair (Brittany Snow) and Erin (DeWanda Wise) to help send her off, though it proves to be anything but a clean break. The misadventures of their big night out inspire each woman to reflect on whether they've been choosing their relationships over themselves. The result is an empowering, modern spin on what's expected from the genre, placing sisterhood and self-love at the center stage. Ever the rom-com expert, EW's critic heralds Something Great as "... a newer breed of movie: the scrappy female-POV in which the love story at the center is as much about friendship or the face in the mirror as it is about any one man." —A.A.

Where to watch Someone Great: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise, LaKeith Stanfield, Peter Vack

Related content: Why Jennifer Kaytin Robinson wanted to break female stereotypes in Someone Great

Something's Gotta Give (2003)

The star-studded cast of this Nancy Meyers rom-com compares to no other. Meyers wrote the part of womanizing Harry Sanborn for Jack Nicholson, and it shows. His comedic, wildly irresponsible persona meets its match with Diane Keaton as the successful and stern writer Erica Barry. The only problem? He's dating her daughter, Marin (Amanda Peet)…at least, until a health emergency pulls Dr. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves) into the mix, turning this love triangle into a dizzying square. Unlikely romances are at the heart of this film, which follows Harry and Erica as they explore dating, both within their generation and outside of it. It's an unusual take on what romance looks like as we age and grow, a premise that won over Reeves, who was at the height of his Matrix fame when he took on this project. He told EW that he knew the film was unique right away, saying, "It's one of the best romantic comedy scripts — or any script — I've read in a long time. It's smart and personal and relevant and funny." And who are we to question Keanu? —A.A.

Where to watch Something's Gotta Give: Netflix

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Nancy Meyers

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Frances McDormand, Amanda Peet, Jon Favreau

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

One of the better teen rom-coms for the modern age, To All the Boys I've Loved Before was a smashing success for Netflix upon its 2018 release. Lana Condor plays Lara Jean Covey, a high schooler who secretly pens love letters to crushes but never sends them. Her younger sister finds them stashed away and decides to mail them herself, leading to a fair share of awkward situations. To prevent her current crush from initiating yet another cringey confrontation, she impulsively kisses one of her former crushes (Noah Centineo), which proves to be the catalyst for an ever-evolving relationship. To All the Boys I've Loved Before was very well-received, with EW's critic calling it "breezy and charming." Netflix released two sequels to the film: To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You in 2020 and To All the Boys: Always and Forever in 2021, though the original remains the series' best entry. —K.J.

Where to watch To All the Boys I've Loved Before: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Susan Johnson

Cast: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Andrew Bachelor, Trezzo Mahoro, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, John Corbett

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Yesterday (2019)

Yesterday has the kind of premise that only the writer of Love Actually and About Time could sell. Written by Richard Curtis, the film follows Jack (Himesh Patel), a singer-songwriter who is hit by a bus and awakens to discover he's the only person in the world who remembers the Beatles. He uses this knowledge for his own benefit, passing off their songs as his own and becoming absurdly famous in the process. His longtime friend and manager Ellie (Lily James) secretly pines for him, and their relationship changes as Jack finds further success. As long as you don't think too hard about the silliness of its premise, Yesterday succeeds as a sweet musical fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously. —K.J.

Where to watch Yesterday: Netflix

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Ed Sheeran, Kate McKinnon

Related content: Danny Boyle explains how they pulled off that gasp-inducing Beatles moment in Yesterday

You've Got Mail (1998)

The quintessential rom-com of the "dot-com" era, You've Got Mail transports the charms of the 1940 classic The Shop Around the Corner to modern-day Manhattan. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, previously seen in 1993's Sleepless in Seattle, star as Joe and Kathleen, respectively, AOL chat buddies who have never met in real life — until they unknowingly become enemies when Joe's major-chain bookstore eats away at Kathleen's independent bookstore's business. Plenty of duplicity and misunderstandings follow, with Hanks and Ryan proving why their frequent pairing in the '90s was so enjoyable. While not quite reaching the swoony heights of its '40s inspiration, EW's critic calls You've Got Mail a "perfectly enjoyable star vehicle that does exactly what it sets out to do." —K.J.

Where to watch You've Got Mail: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Nora Ephron

Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chappelle, Steve Zahn, Greg Kinnear

Related content: From the EW archives: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan reunite for You've Got Mail