Let’s face it, most of the time, when you’re in the mood for a movie, you just want to laugh and feel good. That’s why romantic comedies are so popular; they’re just easy movies to fall back on when you want a light evening. Of course, it’s also an extremely crowded genre, which makes finding a good rom-com to watch on Netflix a bit of an adventure. Fortunately, we’ve already sifted through the collection for you to sort the wheat from the chaff. These are the best romantic comedies on Netflix right now.
We’ve also curated a post 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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Just Friends2005
129m
Genre
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Stars
Ginnifer Goodwin, Justin Long, Bradley Cooper
Directed by
Ken Kwapis
This star-studded rom-com follows several love stories in Baltimore as 20- and 30-somethings navigate the joys and pitfalls of dating and marriage. From first dates to the murky waters of marriage, these couples (and not-to-be couples) are living out love on the screen, trying to figure out the opposite sex and hoping to find the one. With a cast that includes Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Ben Affleck, and Drew Barrymore, He’s Just Not That Into You is good, guilty fun.
96m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris
Directed by
Roger Kumble
Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds) has come a long way since being an overweight geek in high school. Today, he’s a trendy Los Angeles music executive who has well and truly put the past behind him. But when he gets stuck in his New Jersey hometown when a flight goes wrong and has to unexpectedly land, he soon finds himself reunited with his high school crush, Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart). Now, Chris isn’t so sure the past is in the past, after all.
111m
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Action
Stars
Sandra Bullock, Benjamin Bratt, Michael Caine
Directed by
Donald Petrie
Want to add a little action to your rom-coms? Well, then you need FBI agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock)! When the FBI discovers that a terrorist is planning an attack at the Miss America beauty pageant, the bureau tasks Hart to go undercover to foil the plot. Because, well, she’s the only woman at the office. Now, the less-than-elegant Gracie must tap into her inner beauty queen with help from the other contestants (and some FBI maneuvering) to last as long as possible in the pageant.
97m
Genre
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Stars
Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
Directed by
Sharon Maguire
A beloved early-2000s rom-com, Bridget Jones’s Diary has since spawned two sequels. Renée Zellweger perfectly portrays the titular character, a 32-year-old woman for whom things are … just fine. She has an OK job, an OK apartment, and an OK love life. Nothing is particularly extraordinary, however, and Bridget vows to change that. So she starts a diary and chronicles each day on her journey to excellence. But as she soon becomes embroiled in a love triangle, the diary quickly becomes far more steamy and provocative.
104m
Genre
Comedy, Music, Romance, Drama
Stars
Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley, Adam Levine
Directed by
John Carney
Keira Knightley is Gretta, a struggling singer-songwriter who finally gets her big break when a down-on-his-luck record label executive, Dan (Mark Ruffalo), discovers her and decides to produce her album. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song with Lost Stars, this movie is one of those hidden-gem rom-coms that features an A-list cast, including Maroon 5’s Adam Levine in his first acting role along with a young Hailee Steinfeld as Dan’s teenage daughter and James Corden as Gretta’s best friend. The movie was well-received by critics, who appreciated that it isn’t a typical rom-com about two people falling in love yet it still manages to satisfy by the end.
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, Drama
Stars
Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, DJ Dallenbach
Directed by
Victor Levin
Don’t expect a blockbuster hit with this romantic comedy. But what you will get are two veteran actors who will take you right back to the ‘80s. Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves are two singles who meet by chance while en route to attend a mutual friend’s wedding. Destination Wedding follows the typical rom-com trope of two people meeting by happenstance and disliking one another only to realize they are going to the same place before they eventually begin to bond. Nonetheless, the journey with the two compelling characters eventually sparks a romance, and it is beautifully fulfilling. While the movie itself received criticism, the chemistry between Reeves and Ryder more than makes up for the lackluster storyline.
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.
110m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant
Directed by
Luke Greenfield
The Girl Next Door may qualify a bit more as a sex comedy than a romantic comedy but Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert put together enough chemistry to keep this one on the romantic side. Matthew (Hirsch) is an overachieving, straitlaced student whose entire world is thrown into chaos when the slightly older Danielle (Cuthbert) moves in next door. It’s almost as if she stepped out of a dream and into his reality. But Matthew doesn’t know how to react when he learns that Danielle is also a one-time porn star, and some very bad people don’t want to let her go.
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).
95m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs
Directed by
Michael Showalter
Doris Miller (Sally Field) has lived virtually her entire life without romance. But when she meets her company’s new art director, John Fremont (Max Greenfield), she suddenly feels that gene awaken within her. Completely smitten, Doris enlists the help of her teenage granddaughter to internet stalk John and slowly intersect her life with his. Of course, they’re completely different lives and Doris often finds herself an endearing fish out of water. But entering John’s hip, young world gives Doris a new lease on life and the confidence to go all-in for the man she’s convinced she’s supposed to be with.
96m
Genre
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Stars
Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher
Directed by
Rob Reiner
Written by Nora Ephron, directed by Rob Reiner, starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan — When Harry Met Sally … is a tour de force of a rom-com and one that many consider the best ever. That’s in large part because it’s all about not falling in love. (Until it is, of course.) Long-time friends Harry and Sally have never become physical, despite an obvious, mutual, unstated physical and emotional attraction. But on a long trip from Chicago to New York, they’ll finally discuss the idea of having sex, and whether or not it will ruin their perfect friendship.
128m
Genre
Drama, Comedy, Romance
Stars
Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves
Directed by
Nancy Meyers
Nancy Meyer’s Something’s Gotta Give comes and goes from Netflix like a summer crush. But this April, it’s here. Jack Nicholson stars as a playboy who heads to the Hamptons with his much younger girlfriend (Amanda Peet) only to discover that her mother (Diane Keaton) is already there for the weekend. The playboy and the mother don’t exactly click, but when a health scare forces him to stay at the beach house rather than return to the city, mother becomes something of a caretaker. And almost as soon as the two can’t stand each other, they’re inseparable.
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.
78m
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Natalia Dyer, Timothy Simons, Wolfgang Novogratz
Directed by
Karen Maine
How do you deal with the unrelenting sexual impulses of adolescence when you’re constantly told that they’re evil and must be suppressed at all costs? You have a crisis of conscience! Alice (Natalia Dyer) is a good Catholic girl who does all the right things. But when an AOL chat surprisingly turns sexy, she’s suddenly overcome with temptation and all these confusing thoughts!
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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