Not everyone is going to be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, simply because not everyone is a football fan. Although most of America will be tuning in for the big game, you do have other options thanks to Netflix. And if you’re looking for some romantic comedies to enjoy instead of an evening of football, then you’re in luck. Netflix has an incredible lineup of rom-coms, from the past to the present.
To help you plan your movie night in place of the big game, we’ve chosen the three best Netflix rom-coms that you should watch instead of the Super Bowl. But there’s also nothing stopping you from watching these films and the Super Bowl. Since you can curate your own streaming experience, it doesn’t have to be an either-or choice.
Need more Super Bowl 2024 recommendations? Check out who is performing in the Super Bowl halftime show, how to watch the Super Bowl for free, and 3 great sports documentaries to watch.
It Could Happen To You (1994)
There are two dreams that are fairly common among Americans: finding true love and winning the lottery. The first is more likely to happen than the second, but It Could Happen To You is actually inspired by a true story where both scenarios played out together. The film just romanticizes it, but it does so in such a charming way that It Could Happen To You is already one of the most popular movies on Netflix.
Nicolas Cage plays Charlie Lang, an unhappily married cop who befriends a down-on-her-luck waitress, Yvonne Biasi (Bridget Fonda). When Charlie can’t afford to tip Yvonne, he promises to split his lottery winnings with her if his numbers are chosen. When that actually happens, Charlie lives up to his word, and both he and Yvonne become celebrities overnight. However, Charlie’s act of generosity leads his greedy wife, Muriel Lang (Rosie Perez), to scheme to steal his newfound wealth. But the most heartwarming part of this film is that Charlie and Yvonne slowly start to fall in love with each other.
Watch It Could Happen To You on Netflix.
Bird on a Wire (1990)
They don’t make many rom-com action movies like Bird on a Wire anymore. Goldie Hawn stars as Marianne Graves, a woman who unexpectedly encounters her previously presumed dead fiancé, Richard “Rick” Jarmin (Mel Gibson), a man who supposedly died in a plane crash 15 years earlier.
Rick has been in witness protection for testifying against a corrupt DEA agent, Eugene Sorenson (David Carradine), who just so happens to be fresh out of prison and looking for revenge. Although Marianne is initially fooled into thinking that Rick wasn’t the man she loved, she learns the truth when she sees him again shortly before an attempt on his life. Now, these ex-lovebirds find themselves on the run and falling for each other again.
Watch Bird on a Wire on Netflix.
Meet the Parents (2000)
Meet the Parents is a rare romantic comedy where the courtship isn’t between the central couple, Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo). Instead, the entire film is about Greg attempting to win over Pam’s family, especially her parents, Jack (Killers of the Flower Moon‘s Robert De Niro) and Dina Byrnes (Blythe Danner).
No matter how hard Greg tries to ingratiate himself with the Byrnes family, it always backfires on him in spectacularly outrageous ways. Because he’s an ex-CIA agent, Jack subjects Greg to extra scrutiny and he even makes him take a lie detector test. It’s enough pressure to push any relationship to its limits, and Greg may not have a future with Pam once Jack is through with him.
Watch Meet the Family on Netflix.
