Best Romantic Comedies: Finding the Perfect Romantic Comedy for You
Romantic comedies combine two types of movies and are many people’s go-to movie genre, especially on date night. You can enjoy a well-told story while also having several good laughs throughout the movie. And, of course, a happy ending to the movie when it is all over.
This list of the best romantic comedies has romantic comedies from across the decades. No matter the decade, each of these romantic comedies is sure to tug at your heartstrings while also providing a good laugh. So whether it is girl’s night or date night, you should be able to find at least a few excellent choices from this list.
Also, make sure you check out our list of the best movie websites as well. The movie sites on this list will allow you to be able to find all of these romantic comedies and more. And if you are really trying to take movie night to the next level, make sure to visit our lists of the best snack ideas and best mixed-drink recipes.
Top 25 Romantic Comedies:
1. The Princess Bride
Released In: 1987
Main Actors: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94%
About Romantic Comedy: A cult favorite, The Princess Bride, borders on absurd, yet still leaves room for true love. The memorable characters and action-packed storyline also help to make this a favorite. While definitely, a different type of romantic comedy, adults and children alike will love The Princess Bride.
2. When Harry Met Sally
Released In: 1989
Main Actors: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 89%
About Romantic Comedy: For many people, When Harry Met Sally is the rom-com that revolutionized the genre. And for a good reason – the dialogue and banter between Harry and Sally are thoughtful, entertaining, and captivating. All of this combines to make When Harry Met Sally is one of the best romantic comedies and a must-see for any romantic comedy fan.
3. Silver Linings Playbook
Released In: 2012
Main Actors: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 86%
About Romantic Comedy: With two flawed and unconventional main characters, Silver Linings Playbook is not the traditional rom-com. But, with stellar performances from both Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy for the ages.
4. The Wedding Singer
Released In: 1998
Main Actors: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor
IMDb Rating: 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 80%
About Romantic Comedy: The Wedding Singer offers classic Sandler and Barrymore humor and chemistry. It also features excellent wedding music and a great supporting cast as well. And, while more on the comedy side, this romantic comedy still has a classic love story.
5. Just Friends
Released In: 2005
Main Actors: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris
IMDb Rating: 6.2
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 71%
About Romantic Comedy: As longtime childhood friends, it seems that Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds) will always be stuck in the friend zone with his dream girl Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart). This romantic comedy is going to follow Chris on his journey as he tries to get out of the dreaded friend zone to steal Jamie’s heart.
6. 10 Things I Hate About You
Released In: 1999
Main Actors: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
IMDb Rating: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 69%
About Romantic Comedy: Featuring one of the best actors of his time in Heath Ledger, this rom-com is going to focus on what it looks like when polar opposites are attracted to each other. Taking place in a high school setting, 10 Things I Hate About You comes with laughs and a storyline that will keep you waiting to see what happens next.
7. La La Land
Released In: 2016
Main Actors: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 81%
About Romantic Comedy: If you enjoy a good musical, this needs to be your next movie. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone come together to make another blockbuster hit. La La Land has 6 Academy Award wins including, best director, best actress, and best original song. So be ready to enjoy possibly your new favorite movie.
8. Midnight in Paris
Released In: 2011
Main Actors: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 83%
About Romantic Comedy: Have you ever wanted to time travel back to a more cultured time to hang out with shakers and movers of the time? Midnight in Paris is going to follow screenwriter Gil (Owen Wilson) as he walks the streets of Paris one night and finds himself somehow transported back to the 1920s and in the company of historical figures like Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. You will enjoy the clever storyline, humor, and romance of Midnight in Paris.
9. Pretty Woman
Released In: 1990
Main Actors: Richar Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander
IMDb Rating: 7.0
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 68%
About Romantic Comedy: Not your typical love story (but still one of the best romantic comedies), Pretty Woman is going to provide laughs and an inspiring story of how love and attraction start in all different ways. This classic featuring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere is a must-watch if you enjoy a good romantic comedy.
10. Bridget Jones’s Diary
Released In: 2001
Main Actors: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 81%
About Romantic Comedy: Nothing gives you a better look into a woman’s mind than being able to read her personal diary. This romantic comedy is going to follow Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) as she looks for love and keeps every detail of her journey in her diary. Full of love and comedy that will leave your sides hurting, Bridget Jones’s Diary is an excellent choice for your next date night movie.
11. 500 Days of Summer
Released In: 2009
Main Actors: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 84%
About Romantic Comedy: This offbeat romantic comedy is about a girl who doesn’t believe in love and a young man who falls for her. What could go wrong? Follow this journey through the good times, the bad times, and the growth, all while enjoying a good laugh throughout.
12. Crazy Stupid Love
Released In: 2011
Main Actors: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 78%
About Romantic Comedy: Sometimes love is precisely that, crazy and stupid. This romantic comedy is going to allow you to follow several different love stories and everything that happens in between, as they all somehow intertwine. This star-studded rom-com is sure to leave you laughing and also appreciating the many aspects of love.
13. 50 First Dates
Released In: 2004
Main Actors: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider
IMDb Rating: 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 65%
About Romantic Comedy: In Adam Sandler fashion, 50 First Dates will keep you laughing throughout as he tries to pursue a girl who keeps forgetting who he is. You will be inspired by this love story and also enjoy all of the different predicaments that the couple ends up in throughout the movie.
14. You’ve Got Mail
Released In: 1998
Main Actors: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 73%
About Romantic Comedy: An unlikely love story, this love connection starts with two business rivals that have differing views about both business and life. It all changes, though, when they begin connecting online with a special someone. You’ve Got Mail is a classic Romantic Comedy that can be watched over and over again with the quality acting, original storyline, and, best of all, the romance.
15. The Big Sick
Released In: 2017
Main Actors: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 88%
About Romantic Comedy: Filled with cultural differences already, when Emily (Zoe Kazan) contracts a mysterious illness, the multi-cultural couple must finally meet the parents. This modern-day love story is filled with laughter, love, and the many sides of life. All of it combines to make one of the best romantic comedies and a must-watch film.
16. Something’s Gotta Give
Released In: 2003
Main Actors: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 69%
About Romantic Comedy: Something’s Gotta Give shows us all that there is never an age limit when it comes to falling in love. Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton come together to bring life to this romantic comedy. Their love story will keep you engaged and laughing throughout the movie.
17. Sweet Home Alabama
Released In: 2002
Main Actors: Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Lucas
IMDb Rating: 6.2
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 78%
About Romantic Comedy: There is nothing quite like returning home, especially when you come from a small town where everyone knows each other. Melanie Smooter (Reese Witherspoon) must return home to obtain a divorce from her husband after being separated for seven years. However, things do not go quite as expected when being home brings up some old memories.
18. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Released In: 2002
Main Actors: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 73%
About Romantic Comedy: If you have a big family that you might at times consider to be slightly overwhelming, you will definitely identify with this romantic comedy. When Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) falls in love with a man that isn’t Greek, she must win over her Greek family and deal with all the bold personalities in her family along the way. Get ready to laugh from start to end with this rom-com.
19. There’s Something About Mary
Released In: 1998
Main Actors: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller
IMDb Rating: 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 61%
About Romantic Comedy: Possibly Cameron Diaz’s best film. There’s Something About Mary will keep you rolling with laughter as everyone that meets Mary (Cameron Diaz) seems to fall in love with her. Ted (Ben Stiller) blew his chance with Mary in high school, but when fate hands him a second chance later in life, he looks to redeem himself with the woman he loves.
20. Notting Hill
Released In: 1999
Main Actors: Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Richard McCabe
IMDb Rating: 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 79%
About Romantic Comedy: With classic romantic genre features like chance encounters and different lifestyles, Notting Hill may not be unique, but Hugh Grant and Julia Robert’s characters make the movie. As you watch, you can’t help but root for love.
21. Annie Hall
Released In: 1977
Main Actors: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92%
About Romantic Comedy: A Woody Allen classic, Annie Hall showcases both the talents of Allen and Diane Keaton. While Allen and Keaton can never wholly figure out their relationship, Annie Hall is an excellent commentary on a love that people from all walks of life can identify with. This is one of the best romantic comedies and a true classic.
22. Roman Holiday
Released In: 1953
Main Actors: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
About Romantic Comedy: A 1950s classic, Roman Holiday was the American debut for Audrey Hepburn. With Gregory Peck as the leading man, Hepburn and Peck make a sizzling couple, and the movie abounds with laughs and romance.
23. Groundhog Day
Released In: 1993
Main Actors: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 88%
About Romantic Comedy: Trapped in a time warp, funny guy Bill Murray must relive the same day over and over until he gets it right in Groundhog Day. Despite this predicament, Murray is still destined to fall for leading lady Andie MacDowell.
24. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Released In: 2003
Main Actors: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 77%
About Romantic Comedy: The battle of the sexes is on in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Kate Hudson plays Andie, who is a journalist covering a story on how women tend to alienate the men they love. In order to write her story, she must make a man fall in love with her, and then drive him away within ten days.
Ben (Matthew McConaughey), who knows none of this, is competing for a new promotion at his ad agency and promises that he knows everything there is to know about the opposite sex and will prove it with this relationship. The movie is full of laughs and an excellent storyline for anyone that is looking for one of the best romantic comedies.
25. It Happened One Night
Released In: 1934
Main Actors: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
About Romantic Comedy: Showcasing the best of the 1930s, It Happened One Night is a classic tale of finding love when you are least looking for it. With standout performances by Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night has inspired many a modern-day rom-com.
Best Romantic Comedies Conclusion
