The romantic comedy has a branding problem. En vogue since nearly the beginning of cinema, the ‘80s and ‘90s proved to be the genre’s heyday: when romantic comedies could not only top the box office but nab critical praise and Oscar nominations to boot. But the aughts brought with it largely a slew of passable, derivative films that betrayed better, earlier influences, and after more than a handful of high profile disappointments, the genre remains, at least in the mainstream, on what amounts to genre life support.

But to think the genre is dead would be totally incorrect. The romantic comedy is alive and well, particularly in the indie sphere, where ambitious new filmmakers are carving out their space in the industry by placing fresh spins on the well-worn genre. And while the divining logic as we continue into the 21st century seems to largely be adapt or die, that doesn’t mean the century hasn’t produced some stellar examples of the traditional rom com, from the unabashedly faithful (the charming Just Friends) to the darkly strange (hello, Secretary).

In honor of the genre that seems increasingly on the verge of making a comeback with each passing year, we've compiled our 26 favorite of the century so far.

Amelie (2001)

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Image via Miramax

Amelie is a movie that, romantically anyway, should appeal most to the dreamers and the introverts. Though much of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s magical film focuses on Amelie (Audrey Tautou) going through her days trying to help others (by secretly orchestrating their lives), she doesn’t have the courage to reach out for what she wants, and in fact, actively hides from it. It, of course, is actually a him — Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz), who is just as strange and creative and lonely as Amelie. The two dance towards and away from one another throughout the film in the most subtle and unexpected ways, but don’t worry — Jeunet won’t keep them apart forever. Yann Tiersen’s uniquely carnivale-esque score augments the singular, unforgettable style of this deeply emotional, yet playful, Parisian love letter. — Allison Keene

Kate & Leopold (2001)

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Image via Miramax

Before they made The Wolverine and Logan together, director James Mangold and actor Hugh Jackman first teamed up for the “rom com with a sci-fi twist” Kate & Leopold. Jackman plays a 19th century Duke who stumbled upon a portal that transports him to 21st century New York City, where he falls in love with a cynical woman played by Meg Ryan. Pleasantries are exchanged, mishaps ensue, and romance blossoms. The character dynamics are engaging and, as we know, Jackman and Ryan are great actors with swell chemistry, so adding in a dash of well-timed humor and solid direction from Mangold and we’ve got a winner. As a bonus, Jackman co-stars with future Sabretooth Liev Schreiber. – Adam Chitwood

Punch Drunk Love (2002)

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Image via New Line Cinema

Easily the lightest film on Paul Thomas Anderson’s belt (which isn’t particularly saying much), Punch Drunk Love was at first perhaps unfairly drowned out by the collective shock that Adam Sandler could, in fact, act pretty serviceably: giving a surprisingly touching portrait of a man so introverted as to seem almost turned inside out. But it’s Emily Watson as his equally strange object of affection, and of course, Anderson’s ever-present slant towards the near-surreal, that helps to elevate the film from the manic pixie dream girl doldrums it flirts with. Divisive, experimental, and perhaps most importantly, pulsing with the physical and mental side effects of obsession, it’s a romantic comedy for the weird kids at heart. – Aubrey Page

Secretary (2002)

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Image via Lionsgate Films

If the romantic comedy is an upstanding citizen of a genre known mostly for its socially acceptable representations of courting and marrying, Secretary is its misfit, deeply perverted stepchild. A romantic comedy only by the darkest of definitions, the BDSM-fueled romp is largely a comedy of errors, as the emotionally unhinged Lee (Maggie Gyllenhaal), recently released from a mental institution for self harm meets the dark and dominant Mr. Grey (James Spader). Quickly, both of their proclivities (for submission and dominance, respectively) are found out – despite the fact that Lee has a suitor of her own who’s decidedly more vanilla. The proceedings are, well, not for everyone. But for those looking for a romantic confection with a streak of something bitter, this twisted rom com should more than do the trick. – Aubrey Page

Love, Actually (2003)

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Image via Universal Pictures

It’s not a romantic comedy list without Love Actually. Sure, writer/director Richard Curtis’ 2003 ensemble is a little sappy, a little dated, a little creepy (cool it with the cue cards, Andrew Lincoln) but it’s hard not to fall for it. It helps that there are so many characters and storylines it’s easy to find one to connect with, but Curtis really does imbue this whole thing with a romantic spirit. Throw in the Christmas setting, A-list ensemble cast, and a memorable music moment and you’ve got yourself a classic. – Adam Chitwood

Saving Face (2004)

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Image via Sony Pictures Classics

Despite its relatively rigid romantic comedy bones, Saving Face is one of the genre's more giddily pleasant modern surprises: a charming, thought-provoking rom com that has its head in high places: in issues of tradition, of race, familial relationships and sexual orientation; all the while managing to stay thoroughly delightful. The directorial debut of Alice Wu, Saving Face spins its story around two unlikely lovers, a surgical resident named Wil (Michelle Krusiec) and a beautiful ballerina (Lynn Chen) and continues ever out, devoting nearly as much time to the pair's blossoming love to Wil's complicated relationship with her mother (Joan Chen). A confident, deeply beguiling debut feature, Saving Face wasn't treated to much fanfare during its release over a decade ago, but it deserves the eyes of any soft-hearted movie goer. You'll be happy you sought it out.  Aubrey Page

Just Friends (2005)

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Image via New Line Cinema

Not every great romantic comedy has to be a complete subversion of the genre, or even particularly high-minded. Just Friends is a silly, pretty traditional romcom story that is extremely watchable thanks to some swell comedic turns by Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris. Reynolds plays a former fat kid who’s now a famous and svelte record producer. But when he’s forced to spend the holiday in his hometown with his high school crush (played by Amy Smart), things get topsy turvy. Again, this movie is incredibly silly, but there are some really great comedic bits to it and Reynolds and Faris knock it out of the park. – Adam Chitwood

Juno (2007)

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Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures

Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman’s iconic first collaboration has a reputation that precedes it. But that reputation, of speedy, newly minted wordplay that struck viewers even a decade ago as twee and stylized, is almost inaccurate. Yes, on rewatch, the “this is one doodle that can’t be undid, homeskillet”s are still there – but what we’ve somehow forgotten in the decade since Juno’s release is how quickly Cody’s quirk falls away in favor of something far more compelling. Juno, while being perhaps tangentially about teen pregnancy, is a coming of age film of the most complicated sort: of disappointment in the adults you were told to trust, of the first pangs of existential despair, and the sudden awareness that even the most trusted safety nets will almost always dissolve. It also happens to feature a refreshingly realistic and charming high school relationship (Ellen Page and Michael Cera in a mush-mouthed pairing for the ages) that culminates in an acoustic guitar duet, in case that’s your also thing.  – Aubrey Page

Knocked Up (2007)

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Image via Universal Pictures

It’s only fitting that Judd Apatow, the writer-director who gave Seth Rogen his start withFreaks and Geeks and Undeclared, would launch him into stardom with his first leading role. Knocked Up stars Rogen as Ben Stone, a deadbeat stoner who ends up a baby daddy after a drunken one-night stand with Katherine Heigl’s Alison. The two couldn’t be more different; Ben is a schlubby guy trying to profit off of celebrity nudity and living off a disability settlement, while Alison is an ambitious television personality at the beginning of a promising career. Basically, they never would have talked again under normal circumstances, but with the decision to keep the baby, their lives are inextricably intertwined, making room for an unconventional romance to blossom.

In true Apatow fashion, Knocked Up tackles the realities of modern maturity with a mix of savvy sophistication and boisterous goofiness. The film takes an honest and uncompromising look at courtship, commitment, ambition and aging, and Like all of Apatow’s films, Knocked Up has a crazy roster of comedic talent in the cast including Paul RuddJonah HillMartin StarrAlan TudykKristin Wiig, Bill HaderJay BaruchelJason Segel, Ken JeongCraig Robinson, and even the legendary Harold Ramis as Ben’s lovely father. It’s hilarious, it’s enduring, and bottom line, it’s one of the best romantic comedies in ages. – Haleigh Foutch

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

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Image via Universal Pictures

Despite being likely best known as part of the Judd Apatow-tinged “aw shucks” raunch thanks to its famously over-the-top sex scene and Jason Segal’s pathetically hilarious decision to bare it all for the camera, Forgetting Sarah Marshall deserves a bit more credit. Sure, it’s a broad comedy on its surface, but at the ooey-gooey romantic comedy center, it’s a decidedly nuanced picture of the trauma of long term breakups, their often codependent, weak willed road bumps, and the true joy of falling back in love with oneself. It’s got more heart than even some of the best on this list: even amidst the deluge of dick jokes. – Aubrey Page

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

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Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures

Though perhaps its reputation has soured in the years since its release and in the wake of director Marc Webb’s tangle with the Spider-Man franchise, (500) Days of Summer remains one of the most unique (if lampoonable) takes on the rom com genre. Joseph Gordon Levitt stars as Tom, a lovelorn, indie-music loving introvert charmed by manic pixie Summer (Zooey Deschanel), a detached and flighty ingénue with a flair for absurd. If it all sounds unbearably twee, that might actually be the point. Ticking each conventional box you might expect from the white indie subgenre: a wise little sister, a requisite karaoke scene, mutual fawning over an only slightly obscure rock song, (500) Days of Summer works just fine as a straight romantic comedy, but it works far better as a deconstruction of the manic pixie dream girl trope and the men who love them. – Aubrey Page

Easy A (2010)

The only high school-set romantic comedy to land a spot on this list, Easy A makes its home amidst plentiful references to John Hughes films of yore, despite Will Gluck’s persistently modern script. Olive (Emma Stone) is the quippy high schooler at its center, the kind of girl adults might describe as an old soul despite her love for Red Lobster and web cam confessionals, and as a result, is all but invisible in her suburban California high school. But that all changes – fittingly, at a house party – when Olive attempts to save the skin of her closeted gay friend by mimicking a raucous hookup session for the party’s many attendees. Inadvertently, Olive inducts herself as the school’s performative “loose girl,” allowing boys to claim they’ve slept with her in exchange for cash (or coupons) in order to score entrance into the boys’ club. It’s all a rather manic affair: one that might put off less game viewers, but for those willing to sit through the quirk, Easy A becomes one of the richest explorations of what it feels like to be a teenaged girl in the 21st century. – ­Aubrey Page

Beginners (2010)

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Image via Focus Features

Perhaps Mike Mills’ most Mike Mills-y film to date (yes, that includes 20th Century Women), Beginners is ostensibly about the filmmaker’s father (Christopher Plummer) and his coming out, as he explores gay culture for the first time in his 70s, uprooting Oliver’s (Ewan McGregor’s) conceptions of his identity and his childhood in the process. But Beginners is also a love story: an understated, sweet little tale of affection in its inchoate phases, and the way loving someone else can help reveal even the most deeply hidden truths about yourself. Doubling as a stirring family drama and a light love story charmer, Beginners is deceptively deep, lingering in the corners of your mind long after its decidedly gauzy look at life has faded from the screen. – Aubrey Page

Your Sister’s Sister (2011)

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Image via IFC Films

Love is complicated. So is Your Sister’s Sister. Easily Lynn Shelton’s most underrated work to date, Your Sister’s Sister isn’t necessarily the most plausible romantic comedy, but its mildly outlandish premise is one of the things that allows its genuine emotional undercurrent to ring so painfully true. The basic strokes are these: Iris (Rosemarie Dewitt) invites her usually platonic friend Jack (Mark Duplass) to soothe his mental wounds after the death of his brother at their island getaway. Unbeknownst to both, Iris’ sister (Emily Blunt) is already staying at the cabin, and a bottle of tequila later, the pair have consummated their brief relationship. Iris, of course, returns – and things get even messier from there. Your Sister’s Sister is a romantic comedy told only the way a perceptive female director could, a pleasant outlier that defies its own sex-fueled premise in favor of some of the most compelling emotional work (and stellar performances) this side of the decade. – Aubrey Page

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Long after the romantic comedy had gone out of vogue, David O. Russell would coyly reinvent his career with the one, the tricky tonal tightrope of Silver Linings Playbook. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper as a pair of misfits with little in common save for their mental health – which is, to put it lightly, completely in shambles. Russell circumvents the predictable drum of the rom com by incorporating a heavy familial presence and some pop psychology that understandably had certain viewers rolling their eyes. It’s all a bit messy, but it would be hard to discount the stirring romance at the center of the film, and Russell’s undeniable ability to follow each beat of the genre without ever feeling anything less than fresh. – Aubrey Page

Frances Ha (2012)

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Image via IFC Films

There are some films that simply pulse with life yet to be lived. Frances Ha is one of those. After decades of relishing the acerbic wit and misanthropist tendencies of his prickly, male protagonists, Noah Baumbach did something that would change his career immensely: he fell in love. The object of that affection (and she of his) was actress and writer Greta Gerwig, who would quickly become the fast-talking realist muse to power some of Baumbach’s best work to date. And while Frances Ha isn’t a romantic comedy in the traditional sense, it is in the emotional one: centering on one quickly aging Brooklyn misfit at a crossroads: suddenly “dumped” by her best friend in favor of a TriBeCa apartment and a boyfriend named Patch, the aspiring dancer finds every aspect of her life called unceremoniously into question all at once. Rather than follow Frances’ hard won journey to success, Baumbach tracks her deeply funny (and deeply real) metaphorical flailing, as she flits back home, into a stylish studio with two over-the-top trust fund hipsters, even to Paris for 24 hours, funded by credit cards. It’s a gorgeous, stirring picture of life as a young artist in the city that also just so happens to be one of the most satisfyingly unconventional rom coms to hit screens in the last two decades. – Aubrey Page

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)  

Modern partnerships require more equal sacrifice; moving for your partner’s study or career, and being prepared to do so for each person, not just one. Societal breakdown: We’re in the first time period where people’s careers or jobs are likely to change frequently, and partnerships need to weather more location and vocational change. But this also requires many to put marriage and baby-making on hold while attempting to navigate all of this. If you’ve ever been in a pairing that has moved, or survived big change, Jason Segel-Nicholas Stoller’s The Five-Year Engagement refreshingly acknowledges the difficulty in navigating this.

In Engagement, Segel is a hotshot chef in San Francisco when he proposes to Emily Blunt. Blunt then is accepted to grad school in Michigan and he goes to support her but cannot find a similar prestige job. Meanwhile, his restaurant understudy in the Bay Area (Chris Pratt) ascends to the position he left behind, and that success puts him on the fast track to marriage and babies (with Alison Brie, playing Blunt's sister). Egos are wrestled, fights are had, beards are grown, new hobbies arise to take the place of previous careers, and temptation creeps in for both. All these difficulties (and lax personal hygiene) are familiar to anyone who’s had a long term commitment tested; but what makes The Five-Year Engagement great is that you really want these two characters to work it out. You see how they’re great together, but also know that their stressors are very difficult to overcome (as is a crossbow arrow to the leg). — Brian Formo

Her (2013)

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Image via Warner Bros.

Her is a joy of a film about the difficulties to find joy with other people. Spike Jonze's futuristic love affair with an evolved Siri offers a buffet of simple truths and probable truths. The simple truths are about love and the need to share something with someone else; that technology has enhanced how we live but has often replaced interactions; and that the first post-intimacy period is full of unknown planes and questions. The probable truths are the adventurous scenarios that Jonze puts Joaquin Phoenix in, who’s fallen in love with his data system, one that was built to have, grow and maintain a distinct personality (and is perfectly voiced by Scarlett Johansson). The premise should be very difficult to pull off but Jonze and Phoenix perfectly escalate the scenarios to make an unbodied love feel real (while also capturing magnificent flashback moments with Phoenix's ex-wife, played by Rooney Mara, that capture the shared highs when a partnership works). I’s difficult to make a new love story, but that is indeed what Jonze did with Her

Part of what makes Her so successful is that Jonze isn’t pessimistic. This is a big beating heart about humans learning to retain their humanity. Another component that makes Her successful is that Phoenix has a lot of chemistry with … himself. — Brian Formo

Enough Said (2013)

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Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures

Though it carries the tragic weight of being one of James Gandolfini’s final performances, Nicole Holofcener’s blisteringly funny and occasionally painfully astute romantic comedy still strikes me as one of the more joy-inducing cinematic explorations of recent years. Centering on the recently divorced Eva (Julia-Louis Dreyfus) and her blooming relationship with the amiably odd Albert (Gandolfini), things begin to get confusing when Eva inadvertently makes friends with Albert’s ex – who shares horror stories aplenty in the midst of their blooming relationship. It’s enough to inspire some too-observant trepidation in Eva, as the fear of wasting time threatens to overshadow her occasionally inexplicable infatuation with Albert. And while Enough Said might strike viewers as a simple retread of territory known all too well in its first third, the film’s razor sharp wit and perceptive glance at the complicated joys of new relationships in the hearts of those who’ve seen it all do more than enough to set it up in a league of its own. – Aubrey Page

What If (2013)

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Image via Entertainment One

The romantic comedy genre as a whole has kind of been dead over the past few years, but there are bright spots every once in a while. What If is a perfect example of an underrated, underseen, but perfectly delightful riff on the romcom formula. Daniel Radcliffe stars as a medical school dropout who strikes up a BFF relationship with a smart animator played by Zoe Kazan—which becomes complicated when he develops romantic feelings for her, while she’s very much in a steady relationship with Rafe Spall. Goon helmer Michael Dowse directs, and while this is a premise that’s been played out to death, the winning performances of Radcliffe and Kazan coupled with the refusal to fall into tropes and tradition make this a refreshing and genuinely funny entry to the genre. Plus you get Adam Driver yelling about nachos. – Adam Chitwood