The best romantic comedies on Netflix right now
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When you can’t figure out what you want to watch, the best romantic comedies on Netflix right now can bail you out of a boring night of scrolling. There’s a reason why rom-coms are so popular. Love is universally relatable, and who doesn’t love to laugh?
However, as is to be expected with such a popular genre, Netflix’s library is absolutely packed with rom-coms — not all of them good. So, to help you out, we assess the collection every month to highlight only the ones most worth your time. These are the best romantic comedies on Netflix right now.
We’ve also curated posts highlighting the best rom-coms on Amazon Prime Video and the best rom-coms on Hulu, just in case Netflix doesn’t have what you’re looking for.
Anyone But You (2023) [New]
Metacritic: 52%
Rated: R
Duration: 103m
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Mia Artemis
Directed by: Will Gluck
Two of the biggest young stars in Hollywood team up in this rom-com about the seemingly perfect couple who actually kind of hate each other. Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Twisters star Glen Powell) have a fiery first date, but that initial attraction quickly turns to icy friction. Unfortunately, when they find themselves at the same destination wedding in Australia, single and under the microscope, they decide to behave like rational adults and pretend to be dating. What starts as a ruse turns into something more, but will Bea and Ben realize their attraction to each other is real before it’s too late?
Wedding Season (2022) [New]
Metacritic: 57%
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 99m
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Pallavi Sharda, Suraj Sharma, Arianna Afsar
Directed by: Tom Dey
This Netflix original went a little under the radar, but it’s an entertaining watch for anyone who has dealt with the issue of parental pressure to get married. Asha (Pallavi Sharda) and Ravi (Suraj Sharma) are under constant pressure from their parents to find spouses, so during a summer full of weddings, they decide to pretend to be in item. As these things tend to go, however, they soon find themselves falling for one another for real.
Hit Man (2024)
Metacritic: 82%
Rated: R
Duration: 116m
Genre: Crime, Comedy, Romance
Stars: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Slightly grittier than the average romantic comedy, Richard Linklater’s Hit Man is at its heart a rom-com. Based on the life of Gary Johnson, a fake hit man employed by the New Orleans Police Department to catch people looking to arrange murders, Hit Man is about what happens when a fake hit man catches feelings. Glen Powell stars as Gary, a guy who really leans into his role until he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman who wants to hire someone to kill her abusive husband. When Gary is overcome by her beauty and genuine understanding and sympathy, he intentionally blows the sting, beginning a chain of events that he can’t slow down.
The Sweetest Thing (2002)
Metacritic: 32%
Rated: R
Duration: 84m
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Thomas Jane
Directed by: Roger Kumble
A great example of the early 2000s super-ensemble rom-coms, The Sweetest Thing is positively loaded with stars, even if it’s a little light on story. Christina’s (Cameron Diaz) love life is stuck in neutral until she meets her perfect match at a club on a girl’s night out. When she discovers Peter (Thomas Jane) has left town, it takes the encouragement (and companionship) of her friends to go and chase him down before he can get away. A loaded supporting cast includes Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Jason Bateman, and Parker Posey.
Easy A (2010)
Metacritic: 72%
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 93m
Genre: Comedy
Stars: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes
Directed by: Will Gluck
Although it’s not your traditional rom-com, there is some romance involved, which allows us to gently bend the rules to get the terrific Easy A on this list. Emma Stone (Poor Things) stars in this modern adaptation of The Scarlet Letter as Olive, a typical below-the-radar high school student whose reputation is destroyed overnight due to a terrible rumor. Rather than suffer the ignominy, Olive embraces it, riding the lies and scandal of the rumor mill to the top of the social pyramid with the help of her parents and longtime crush, Woodchuck Todd (Penn Badgley).
La La Land (2016)
Metacritic: 93%
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 129m
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Music
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
A romance for the city of Los Angeles as much as it is one between the two protagonists, La La Land earned a record-tying 14 Oscar nominations, winning six. Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress who serves lattes on a studio in between auditions. Sebastian (The Fall Guy‘s Ryan Gosling) is a jazz musician committed to his craft and authenticity, scraping by playing gigs in dive bars. When they meet one another, they’re drawn to one another’s artistic struggle, but when success finally comes into sight, each must make decisions that threaten to tear them apart.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Metacritic: 74%
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 121m
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Stars: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
A smash hit in 2018, Crazy Rich Asians stars Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, an ordinary Asian American who joins her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), at his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. It’s Rachel’s first visit to Asia and first time meeting Nick’s family, whom she’s blindsided to discover is one of Singapore’s (and the world’s) wealthiest families. Nick, therefore, is also one of the country’s most desirable bachelors, putting a massive target on Rachel’s back from jealous socialites and even Nick’s own mother (The Brothers Sun‘s Michelle Yeoh).
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Metacritic: 77%
Rated: R
Duration: 105m
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Haley Lu Richardson
Directed by: Kelly Fremon Craig
Hailee Steinfeld was already on her way to the A-List, but The Edge of Seventeen cemented her as a star and brought Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus) into the spotlight. Steinfeld plays high school junior Nadine, an awkward teenager for whom things get even more awkward when her popular older brother, Darian (Blake Jenner), starts dating her best friend, Krista (Richardson). Nadine suddenly feels more alone than ever and life feels exceedingly pointless until she strikes up an unexpected friendship with the quiet Edwin (Hayden Szeto).
The Wedding Planner (2001)
Metacritic: 33%
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 103m
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Justin Chambers
Directed by: Adam Shankman
Some of the most beloved rom-coms have been panned by critics. Such is the case of The Wedding Planner, which has a putrid 33 on Metacritic from critics, but a strong 8.0 from fans.
Atlas star Jennifer Lopez stars as San Francisco’s top wedding planner, Mary Fiore, who is saved from a terrible accident by dreamy doctor, Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey). Mary falls hard at first sight, only to discover that Steve is the fiancé of her latest client, putting Mary and Steve in a constant string of awkward situations that force them to acknowledge their mutual attraction.
Plus One (2019)
Metacritic: 65%
Duration: 98m
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Stars: Maya Erskine, Jack Quaid, Beck Bennett
Directed by: Jeff Chan, Andrew Rhymer
When that annoying late 20-something year comes along when seemingly everyone they know is getting married, long-time single friends Alice (Mr. and Mrs. Smith star Maya Erskine) and Ben (Jack Quaid) decide to be each other’s plus ones to soften the blow of nosy friends and family members asking about their love lives. But while they expect the arrangement to remain a platonic one, they soon find the inklings of a romantic connection as they spend more time together.
No Hard Feelings (2023)
Metacritic: 59%
Rated: R
Duration: 104m
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti
Directed by: Gene Stupnitsky
No Hard Feelings is perhaps a little light on the romance, but it is heavy on the comedy, so it makes this list. After her car is impounded, Uber driver Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) is desperate to find a car to get back to work and make up the property taxes on her Montauk home before she loses that, too. Lo and behold, an opportunity arises as rich parents offer a car to a woman to “date” their awkward, sheltered 18-year-old son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), to help him escape his shell before college. Maddie, however, is 32, unhinged, and dealing with more emotional baggage than Percy. She struggles to seal the deal and suppress what slowly blossoms into a very real friendship.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)
Metacritic: 37%
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 94m
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Elena Kampouris
Directed by: Kirk Jones
Fourteen years after the smash-hit original, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 brings Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (Sex and the City‘s John Corbett) back to another Portokalos family wedding. This time, however, there’s trouble in paradise as Toula and Ian are dealing with their troubled teenage daughter and a marriage that is beginning to strain.
Your Place or Mine (2023)
Metacritic: 49%
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 109m
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Ashton Kutcher, Jesse Williams
Directed by: Aline Brosh McKenna
Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher team up in this Netflix Original rom-com! Debbie (Witherspoon) and Peter (Kutcher) are best friends, but complete opposites — living diametrically opposed lives in LA and New York, respectively. But when they decide to swap houses and lives for a week, they find that each is lacking something that the other provides, coming to the realization that there’s more to their relationship than just friendship.
The Kissing Booth (2018)
IMDb: 5.9/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 105m
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi
Directed by: Vince Marcello
A list of the best romantic comedies would never be complete without at least one teen rom-com on the list, and The Kissing Booth is a good fit. Joey King stars as Elle, a teenager who finds herself in a pickle when she begins a romance with her best friend’s popular, bad boy older brother, played by Priscilla’s Jacob Elordi. Spawning two sequels, it’s a heavily clichéd story, but that’s precisely what makes The Kissing Booth the perfectly predictable movie to watch when you’re in the mood, provided you go into it with the right expectations.
Long Story Short (2021)
IMDb: 6.5/10
Rated: R
Duration: 90m
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars: Rafe Spall, Zahra Newman, Ronny Chieng
Directed by: Josh Lawson
Long Story Short hails from Australia, and it tells the story of Teddy (Rafe Spall), a man who wakes up after his wedding to discover that time is moving at a rapid pace: A year has already passed, and every minute, another year goes by. Confused and shocked, he discovers that time isn’t moving as fast for anyone else he interacts with. While Teddy and his best friend concoct a plan to ensure he has a “perfect day” to try and break the curse, Teddy learns of growing troubles in his marriage down the road that make this difficult to accomplish. Long Story Short is predictable and repetitive, but the clever premise and moral lessons about focusing on what matters make for a fun watch.
To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
Metacritic: 65%
IMDb: 6.3/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 115m
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Stars: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
The third and final entry in Netflix’s hit To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy is a bit more grown-up than the first two. It makes sense, considering the characters are growing up, about to leave high school, and making the first truly major decisions of their lives. Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is back from a family trip to Korea that has inspired her to think a bit more broadly about her future. That means making college plans — with or without beau Peter (Noah Centineo).
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Metacritic: 72%
IMDb: 6.5/10
Rated: R
Duration: 83m
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, No?l Wells
Directed by: Jim Strouse
The Daily Show veteran Jessica Williams has a star-making turn as the title character in The Incredible Jessica James. Fresh off of a breakup with her boyfriend, Damon (Lakeith Stanfield), Jessica unexpectedly hits it off with a recently divorced man named Boone (Chris O’Dowd). The pair bond over stalking their exes via social media, and they decide to make some changes in their lives for their mutual benefit. However, Damon still lingers on Jessica’s mind, and Boone’s ex isn’t as out of the picture as Jessica is led to believe.
The Perfect Date (2019)
IMDb: 5.8/10
Rated: TV-14
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Cast: Noah Centineo, Camila Mendes, Laura Marano
Noah Centineo is certainly making his name as Netflix’s go-to romantic foil in To All the Boys I’ve Ever Loved and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser. But Centineo takes the leading role in The Perfect Date as Brooks Rattigan, a high school student who is desperate to get into Yale. With the help of his friends, Murph (Odiseas Georgiadis) and Celia Lieberman (Laura Marano), Brooks launches an app that lets him hire himself out as the perfect plus-one to any female companion. He also pursues Celia’s rich cousin, Shelby Pace (Camila Mendes), while crossing some moral lines that ultimately force him to question who he is becoming.
I Am Not an Easy Man (2018)
IMDb: 6.3/10
Rated: TV-MA
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Vincent Elbaz, Moon Dailly Monira, Marie-Sophie Ferdane
We would not be surprised if there is an eventual English language remake of the French comedy, I Am Not an Easy Man. In the meantime, this is an ideal example of why subtitles were invented. Vincent Elbaz stars in the film as Damien, an unapologetic womanizer. However, a head injury lands Damien in a world that he barely recognizes. In this apparent alternate universe, women have all of the power, and Damien is routinely mocked and sexually harassed by the opposite sex. The lone bright spot is a novelist named Alexandra (Marie-Sophie Ferdane), because she and Damien may be kindred spirits.
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
Metacritic: 71%
IMDb: 5.6/10
Rated: TV-14
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Cast: Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse, Emmanuelle Chriqui
The Knight Before Christmas is basically a Hallmark Channel movie that was just made for Netflix instead. So, it’s a standard time-travel romantic flick that just happens to take place around Christmas. But there’s something charming about this earnest flick that doesn’t even really try to get all of the historical facts right. In the distant past, a young knight named Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse) goes on a quest that ultimately leaves him stranded in the far future. That would be the present for us. It’s almost love at first sight for Brooke Winters (Vanessa Hudgens) when she accidentally smacks Sir Cole with her car. While Brooke initially believes that Cole lost his memory, she finds herself drawn to his genuine warmth and his good old-fashioned chivalry.
The Half of It (2020)
Metacritic: 74%
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 104m
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Stars: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire
Directed by: Alice Wu
The Half of It takes a bit of inspiration from Cyrano de Bergerac and makes the formula its own. In this case, Leah Lewis (Ellie Chu) plays the Cyrano role, as she reluctantly agrees to help Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) pursue the girl of his dreams, Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire). The problem is that Aster is already the girl of Leah’s dreams. But to make ends meet, Leah agrees to coach Paul so he can get closer to Aster. Of course, Paul and Leah get close as well. But the film never loses sight of who Leah really wants to be with, or what she wants out of life. Leah can’t get everything she desires, but she does have a transformative experience that allows her to grow and become the person she was always meant to be.
The Lovebirds (2021)
Metacritic: 59%
IMDb: 6.1/10
Rated: R
Duration: 87m
Genre: Comedy, Action, Romance
Stars: Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Paul Sparks
Directed by: Michael Showalter
Getting decent reviews since it was released in late May, this film stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani as a couple on the brink of breakup. After they witness a murder, they decide to go on the run to avoid being blamed for something they didn’t do. Forced to stay together under such unexpected circumstances, they begin to reconnect in new ways. The two stars are lauded for their performances and chemistry. As a follow-up to The Big Sick, which got rave reviews, this isn’t director Michael Showalter’s best project (he did, after all, co-create the Wet Hot American Summer franchise). But it’s a worthy watch for a fresh and modern take on the typical rom-com.
Someone Great (2019)
Metacritic: 63%
IMDb: 6.2/10
Rated: R
Duration: 92m
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Stars: Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise
Directed by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Someone Great isn’t a typical romantic comedy, and that’s one of the reasons the film’s primary romance ends early. On the verge of a cross-country move, Jenny Young (Gina Rodriguez) is blindsided when her longtime boyfriend, Nate Davis (Lakeith Stanfield) breaks up with her. Distraught, Jenny turns to her best gal pals, Blair Helms (Brittany Snow) and Erin Kennedy (DeWanda Wise); both of whom have troubled romantic entanglements of their own. To complicate matters, Jenny can’t seem to escape Nate’s shadow. Jenny has to determine if she even wants Nate back. But it’s the friendship between the three women that really turns this film into an uplifting story.
Set It Up (2018)
Metacritic: 62%
IMDb: 6.5/10
Rated: TV-14
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu
Sometimes, even characters in romantic comedies know the rules of engagement. In Set It Up, assistants Harper Moore (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie Young (Top Gun: Maverick‘s Glen Powell) realize that their respective bosses, Kirsten Stevens (Lucy Liu) and Rick Otis (Taye Diggs) need a little love in their lives. However, arranging a romance between Kirsten and Rick is easier said than done. Meanwhile, Harper and Charlie’s relationships start to hit the skids just as they slowly realize they might be right for each other too. It’s a sweet story, and one of the best Netflix original romances.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Metacritic: 64%
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 101m
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito
Directed by: Nahnatchka Khan
Comedian Ali Wong (Beef) both wrote and stars in this 2019 film as Sasha, a woman who reunites with Marcus (Fresh Off The Boat‘s Randall Park), a childhood friend and one-time fling, when she returns to her hometown of San Francisco. There’s a clear chemistry between them but Sasha has a demanding career and the timing is always off, especially when Marcus discovers Sasha’s new celebrity love interest: Keanu Reeves (yes, he’s in the movie!) Will they finally realize they’re meant for one another? The film has been almost universally liked, and praised for its ability to layer typical rom-com tropes with “smart social commentary.”
Ali's Wedding (2017)
Metacritic: 64%
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rated: TV-MA
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Cast: Osamah Sami, Don Hany, Helana Sawires
This Australian film from 2017 is one of the, if not the first, Muslim rom-coms. The story follows Ali, a musically inclined young Muslim man struggling with his desire to be with one woman when he has been promised to another by his family. The film touches upon universal ideas about relationships that anyone can relate to despite the very specific and cultural setting.
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