8 Rom-Coms On Netflix That Are Actually Good
There’s nothing as comforting as a good romantic comedy, and while Netflix has lots of good ones, too often we find ourselves scrolling so long we run out of time and give up entirely. We’re here to save you time, because we’ve rounded up some of our favourites from Netflix’s unfortunately less populated UK service. From Richard Curtis classics and Adam Sandler’s finest hour to career-launching 80s flicks and underrated gems, here are the best rom-coms on Netflix you can stream right now.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
One of those rare, once-a-decade times when Adam Sandler gets bored of getting paid untold millions to churn out his usual stuff and prove to everyone he’s actually a hell of an actor. He’s absolutely brilliant as a lonely business owner who gets involved with a group of scammers just when he meets the love of his life.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who specifically wrote the film to work with Sandler, it also boasts a ridiculously strong supporting cast of Emily Watson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Luiz Guzman.
She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
Fans of Spike Lee know the rom-com isn’t exactly his signature genre, however his debut film She’s Gotta Have It is definitively one – and a great one at that.
Filmed in black and white and with a tiny budget, it follows a young graphic designer who is drawn to three different men, refusing to choose between them despite their desire for exclusivity. As well as launching Lee’s career, it remains an iconic work of US cinema, and a great twist on the rom-com with signature flair from the director.
Bros (2022)
Billy Eichner‘s 2022 rom-com Bros was a critical success but unfairly underperformed at the box office, and it’s an under-viewed gem just waiting to blow up on Netflix.
It follows two emotionally unavailable men in New York who fall for each other, but continue to find new and creative ways not to be together. Featuring an all-star cast of comedians and comic actors – from Bowen Yang and Kenan Thompson to Amanda Bearse – it’s non-stop laughs combined with genuine heart.
This nder-viewed gem just waiting to blow up on Netflix
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
One of those ‘anti rom-coms’ that have become so big in recent years, The Incredible Jessica James is about a break-up that feels as fresh as any recent ventures into the genre.
Comedian Jessica Williams, known for The Daily Show, broke out as a serious actor to know with a starring role that feels like it was written just for her, and has some seriously talented backing in LaKeith Stanfield and Chris O’Dowd.
The Incredible Jessica James is about a break-up that feels as fresh as any recent ventures into the genre
Hit Man (2023)
Last year Anyone But You was credited, probably too generously, with revitalising the genre, but it wasn’t even the best rom-com starring Glen Powell that was released in 2023. The set-up is perfect rom-com fodder – a professor moonlights as a police officer who poses under various different hitman guises to entrap those looking to hire one and ends up falling for one of his clients, who in turn falls for his fake hit-man persona, and he gets targeted by her abusive ex-boyfriend.
It’s actually loosely based on a true story, with presumably a strong emphasis on loose.
About Time (2013)
Richard Curtis said he intended to write a film about fatherhood, but thought he might as well throw some classic rom-com stuff in there to pad it out, so of course just unintentionally wrote one of the best films of the genre in recent memory. Domhnall Gleeson fills in perfectly as the new [profile-link]Hugh Grant[/profile-link], a bumbling, awkward yet charming young man who, despite himself, lands the girl of his dreams.
Throw in a great soundtrack, brilliant supporting performances from Bill Nighy, and Tom Hollander and a random pre-fame Margot Robbie cameo, and you’ve got a guaranteed good time.
Wedding Season (2022)
Under parental pressure to find spouses, Asha and Ravi pretend to date during a summer of weddings but – and you’re not going to believe this – they find themselves actually falling for each other.
A great exploration of romance, culture and old traditions clashing with modern realities, this is a slam dunk heartwarmer.
A great exploration of romance, culture and old traditions clashing with modern realities
Notting Hill (1999)
Of course. The ultimate film to throw on when you’re out of ideas, Notting Hill never fails to deliver. If they ever dared to take it off Netflix the public would storm HQ, and even the most cynical among us would find it hard to resist its endless charm.
Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts are at their very best as two lovers from completely different backgrounds falling for each other and struggling to navigate their respective worlds.
