Top 10 Rom Coms

by Guest Writer — April 29, 2020

There are countless rom coms, but few actually achieve the basic prerequisites of the genre - being simultaneously romantic and comedic. All too often, this style of film is guilty of creating unrealistic, one-dimensional characters and tired, predictable storylines, but there are some crackers - the movies that make you feel true pleasure and warmth. Our friends at Harpers Bazaar have rounded up 10 of their favourite rom coms that we believe to be worthy of your time.

1. When Harry Met Sally

Nora Ephron’s When Harry Met Sally will go down as one of the most endearing, amusing rom coms in history, raising the perennial question – can men and women just be friends? Renowned for the most famous fake orgasm scene known to cinema, the film stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal as two friends who may or may not get together at the end. The ease and naturalism of the characters’ relationship, coupled with a clever, funny dialogue make this a true classic.

2. Four Weddings and a Funeral

The film that first made Richard Curtis and Hugh Grant famous, Four Weddings and a Funeral largely contributed to the enduring stereotype of the bumbling, sweet-natured Brit. Most of us know the drill here – hapless, yet charming Charles falls for Carrie, a ruthless American with an inexplicable immunity to British rain. Alongside the central romantic storyline, we meet Charles’ group of friends – who make us laugh and, in one desperately sad scene, make us cry. The suggestion here is that the love between friends is just as strong as any romantic relationship.

3. Philadelphia Story

If chemistry, an excellent script and well-written characters are the requisites of a good rom com, then Philadelphia Story is surely one of the best. A stellar cast of Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart and Cary Grant form an entertaining love triangle. Hepburn plays Tracy Lord, a haughty, withering socialite about to remarry a moron when her ex-husband (Cary Grant), who is clearly still in love with her, hires an intellectual journalist and a photographer to gatecrash the wedding, while posing as cousins. The characters clearly fancy the pants off each other – the romantic stand-off between Hepburn and Grant fizzes with chemistry.

4. As Good As It Gets

A single mother and waitress (Helen Hunt) falls in love with a misanthropic, utterly dislikable author with OCD (Jack Nicholson) in this opposites-attract comedy. This is no reinvention of the wheel in that the plot follows the tried-and-tested formula of a good woman helping a vile, unwilling man become a better person, but Nicholson’s charismatic performance, coupled with the film’s sharp writing and warm tone places As Good As It Gets in our top 10.

5. Notting Hill

Despite its soppiness and cheese factor, it’s difficult not to feel any joy watching Notting Hill. Created by rom com master Richard Curtis, this is a British fairytale about a humble bookshop owner (Hugh Grant) who, despite his poor means, lives in well-heeled Notting Hill. He ends up having a brief, chance relationship with a Hollywood star (Julia Roberts), which initially ends badly, but, as we all know, there is a second act. Full of memorable one-liners and with excellent supporting characters (Rhys Ifans and Hugh Bonneville), this is a happy guilty pleasure.

6. 500 Days of Summer

Everyone will relate to aspects of 500 Days of Summer – sometimes it just doesn’t work out, regardless of how much you like someone. The film is a misshapen tribute to all the love stories that don’t endure; it focuses on Tom, a failed architect (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who falls for his boss’ assistant, an enigmatic, somewhat one-dimensional pixie girl (Zooey Deschanel, naturally). To cut a long story short, their romance – which is largely based on a mutual love of The Smiths and sneering at other people – is ill-fated. Tom doesn’t take this news well and so follows his post-break-up journey of moving on.

7. Sleepless in Seattle

Nora Ephron brings her trademark wit, humour and warmth to another cinematic classic with Sleepless in Seattle. Tom Hanks plays a bereaved man whose cute son calls up a radio station to talk about his depressed, insomniac father. - the latter of whom is then prompted to tell the world about his heartbreak. The sad story makes every woman in the US fall in love with him, including a tenacious, picky journalist called Annie (Meg Ryan). Culminating in a romantic situation on the top of the Empire State Building, the couple meet for the first time in the final scene. It sounds frustrating, the idea of a couple who are so obviously meant to be together from the beginning to be kept apart until the closing sequence, but actually it makes the storyline even more engaging and the ending all the sweeter.

8. 10 Things I Hate About You

Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles star alongside each other for a modern version of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Yes, it’s a teen romance with all the familiar high-school stereotypes, from the resident handsome, yet moronic heartthrob to the bookish geek, but don’t let that put you off – its sharp-tongued script, 90s soundtrack and feminist undercurrent (when do you ever find a rom com lead seen reading Sylvia Palth in cinema now?), coupled with Ledger’s singing rendition of Just Can’t Take My Eyes Off You makes it well worthy of anyone's time.

9. Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids Not a stereotypical rom com at first glance, Bridesmaids does, however, straddle both romance and comedy. The film looks at what happens when your oldest best friend gets engaged and the ensuing fall-out, from the horror and the pressure of hen parties to the competitiveness of bridesmaids. Female friendship is the key focus, but Paul Feig’s comedy also features a sweet romantic plot line involving our main protagonist (Kristin Wiig) and an Irish police officer (Chris O’Dowd).

10. Clueless

Arguably the best Jane Austen adaptation of all time, Clueless is funny, clever and sweet. A valley girl version of Emma, we follow Cher, a spoilt but big-hearted It-girl who tries to set her friends up. Despite having zero self-awareness and a predisposition for materialism, she’s endearing and amusing, eventually finding her way to fulfilment and an appreciation of the important things in life. It’s also worth watching for the 90s wardrobe alone.