Love is funny. Or, at least, you hope it is. That’s preferable to many of the other adjectives associated with love, from sad to rage-inducing. As such, it’s no surprise that a humorous outlook on a universal emotion would make such a popular film genre. It’s also no surprise that there would be so many bad entries to that film genre.
Netflix has a pretty ample supply of both good and bad romantic comedies, so it can take some time to find a rom-com worth a watch. But don’t worry, we’ve already gone through the library to filter out the time-wasters. 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.
Recently added to Netflix
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Sleepless in Seattle1993 -
Easy A2010
105m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman
Directed by
Nora Ephron
Many Nora Ephron rom-coms feel like they could only have been made when they were, in that ’90s and early 2000’s period before catfishing and dating apps added an extreme creep element to the blind meet-cute. (Try You’ve Got Mail again with a 2023 perspective.)
Sleepless In Seattle, fortunately, remains pretty cute due to the timelessness of the meet-cute medium of choice: Radio. After his wife’s death, Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) moves he and his eight-year-old son Jonah (Ross Malinger) to Seattle for a new start. On Christmas Eve, Jonah calls a radio station to make a wish for his dad to find a new partner. All the way in Baltimore, journalist Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) is listening in and gradually falls in love. To reveal more would be spoiling the fun; just enjoy and watch a rom-com at its finest.
93m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Emma Stone, Cam Gigandet, Amanda Bynes
Directed by
Will Gluck
Olive (Emma Stone) isn’t exactly the coolest kid in school, but when she tells a little white lie about losing her virginity, the grapevine kicks into overdrive, giving the kind of notoriety no teenager wants.
But rather than just take the punches, Olive decides to capitalize on this promiscuous new reputation by using it to help elevate the social standing of other rejects and afterthoughts. With her classmates shunning her, her teachers shaming her, and even the school board growing concerned about her, Olive uses the support of her goofy parents and long-time crush Micah (Cam Gigandet) to crush the high school rumor mill. (And get the guy.)
129m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Music
Stars
Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend
Directed by
Damien Chazelle
This genre-bending musical ode to Hollywood was an Oscars darling, earning an astounding 14 nominations and winning six awards, including Best Director and Best Actress for Emma Stone. Mia (Stone) is an aspiring actress who works as a barista on a studio lot. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a jazz musician scraping by playing cocktail parties and dive bars. When they meet by chance in Griffith Park, they fall fast and hard for one another. But as each of their dreams start becoming realized, the fabric of their love begins to fray.
133m
Genre
Drama, Romance
Stars
Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco
Directed by
Ryan Murphy
Based on the smash hit novel of the same name, Eat Pray Love stars Julia Roberts as Liz Gilbert, a modern woman who supposedly has everything: husband, house, and successful career. But she still feels lost and confused over what she really wants in life. After getting a divorce, Gilbert takes a full dive out of her comfort zone into a journey around the world that becomes a romantic quest of self-discovery through Italy, India, and Bali.
100m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, John Lithgow
Directed by
Anand Tucker
When yet another anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna (Amy Adams) decides to invoke an Irish tradition of women proposing to men on February 29th — which only falls during leap years. When her boyfriend, Jeremy (Adam Scott), heads to Dublin, Anna decides to clandestinely follow behind to pop the question. But the weather doesn’t cooperate, leaving Anna stranded in Ireland far apart from Jeremy. To finally rendezvous with him, she enlists the help of the handsome Declan (Matthew Goode) to make it across the island.
95m
Genre
Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction
Stars
Eddie Murphy, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Coburn
Directed by
Tom Shadyac
With how off-the-rails the Klumps franchise eventually got, it’s easy to forget that The Nutty Professor began with a simple guy-trying-to-get-the-girl setup. Dr. Sherman Klump (Eddie Murphy) is a kind, overweight genetics professor who is hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Carla Purty (Jada Pinkett Smith). Believing his only chance with her is to shed the weight, Sherman creates an experimental fat-reducing serum. But the serum has the unexpected side effect of turning him into Buddy Love, a fast-talking macho man who is everything that Sherman isn’t. Now, Sherman has to stop his alter ego before Buddy takes over for good.
101m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd
Directed by
Paul Weiland
Tom (Patrick Dempsey) seems to have it all: great job, great love life, great friendship with his platonic best friend, Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). Hannah, however, is also the only constant in his life. So when Hannah goes overseas for a six-week business trip, Tom finally realizes how empty his life is without her. He resolves to propose when she returns. Unfortunately, Hannah comes back six weeks later engaged to Scottish businessman Colin (Kevin McKidd). Hannah asks Tom to be her “maid” of honor, to which Tom agrees just so he can sabotage the wedding.
124m
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Drama
Stars
Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Gina McKee
Directed by
Roger Michell
Ever wonder what it might be like to be a normal person dating a celebrity? Notting Hill has the answers. William Thacker (Hugh Grant) owns a bookstore in London and leads a perfectly plain, mundane life. When American actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) shows up in his store, a chance encounter quickly spirals into a full-blown affair. As the regular guy and the international superstar grow closer together, the disparate nature of their lives threatens to pull them apart.
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 Euphoria’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.
90m
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars
Rafe Spall, Zahra Newman, Ronny Chieng
Directed by
Josh Lawson
One of the newer entries on the list, 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.
100m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne
Directed by
Ari Sandel
Things are good for Bianca (Mae Whitman). She’s in the cool crowd and is doing well in her senior year of high school. Her world is torn asunder, however, when she finds out that her peers think of her as the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her pretty friends. Determined to reinvent herself and save her senior year, Bianca enlists the help of jock Wesley (Robbie Amell). That means overthrowing the school’s ruthless label maker, Madison (Bella Thorne).
Digital Trend's streaming roundup
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).
83m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, Noël 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.
84m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell
Directed by
Spike Lee
Spike Lee’s directorial debut was a daring black and white romantic drama/comedy called She’s Gotta Have It. He even co-stars in the film. However, the movie really belongs to Tracy Camilla Johns’ Nola Darling, a woman who completely rejects traditional relationships. Instead, Nola openly dates three men simultaneously: Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks), Greer Childs (John Canada Terrell), and Mars Blackmon (Lee). Regardless, Nola’s trio becomes dissatisfied when they finally meet each other, because they all want her to themselves. But she’s much too independent to ever be tied down to anyone. She’s Gotta Have It is part of Netflix’s Black Lives Matter collection.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (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.
101m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito
Directed by
Nahnatchka Khan
Comedian Ali Wong 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.”
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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