In homage to Valentine’s Day and the celebration of love, it’s time to indulge in some classic feel-good rom-coms. While some might argue that the nature of rom-coms means that viewers know how they will play out, there is something comforting in the simplicity and familiarity of these benevolent stories.
Over the years, there have been many attempts at making a good rom-com film, but not many have successfully earned the status of being regarded as a classic. Set your worries aside, as Letterboxd has made it easy to determine the best rom-com movies of all time, some of which include When Harry Met Sally…, Amélie and 500 Days of Summer.
10 ‘500 Days of Summer’ (2009)
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a greeting card writer and a hopeless romantic who has a crush on his new colleague, Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Although initially reluctant to admit they like each other, they hit it off pretty quickly after Summer makes the first move. A casual relationship soon turns into a serious one. However, while Tom has always been sure that Summer is “the one”, it is apparent that Summer has always had doubts about their relationship. So Tom is caught off-guard when Summer decides to break up with him.
500 Days of Summer is presented in a nonlinear narrative as it jumps back and forth within the 500 days of their relationship. Tom recounts their early days of getting to know each other to when the relationship went sour. Yes, it is a classic story of boy meets girl, but one that feels more grounded in reality.
9 ‘It Happened One Night’ (1934)
A spoiled heiress, Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), has run away and gotten married to pilot “King” Westley (Jameson Thomas) against her father’s wishes. On a bus en route to New York City, Ellie sits next to a reporter, Peter Warne (Clark Gable), who recognizes her. He gives her a choice: either she gives him an exclusive story, and he will, in turn, help her reunite with Westley, or he will inform her father of her whereabouts. But as the bus breaks down, and they must go off on several adventures of their own, they begin to fall in love.
As It Happened One Night was released in 1934, the story in the film became the template for every single romantic comedy that has been made ever since. In other words, the film pioneered a timeless storyline that many romantic comedy films have recycled many, many times.
8 ‘Amélie’ (2001)
Amélie Poulain (Audrey Tautou) is a young girl who has been isolated from the real world since a young age due to being brought up by eccentric parents who mistakenly believed she had a heart defect. Amélie’s active imagination is the only thing that keeps her company. At 18, she moves to Paris to work as a waiter in an eccentric café. And as this is the first time Amélie has experienced what life has to offer, she finds herself frequently helping people - something that makes her happy. And while doing this, she discovers what it means to live a meaningful life and that experiences such as falling in love with Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz) is a feeling that makes life worth living.
Unlike most rom-coms, Amélie is not just about falling in love with someone but falling in love with the world. Since it is a film that teaches its audience that the only way to find love is to do the things that make them happy, even viewers who don't like rom-coms will appreciate it.
7 ‘The Apartment’ (1960)
Bud Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is an office worker at an insurance corporation in New York City. Desperate for a promotion, he allows four managers who work at the same company to use his apartment as a hideout for their extramarital affairs. But when Bud asks the elevator operator, Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), whom he has a crush on, out on a date, he discovers that she is the mistress of his manager, Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), who has also been using his apartment for his affairs. Now, Bud must choose between Fran and his career.
Not only is The Apartment considered one of Letterboxd’s top rom-com films of all time, but it was also nominated for numerous awards, including winning five out of ten Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and more.
6 ‘Groundhog Day’ (1993)
A television weatherman, Phil Connors (Bill Murray), travels to Punxsutawney to report on the annual festivities of Groundhog Day. The next day, he wakes up to Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” and later reports on the celebration of Groundhog Day. Again on the next day, the day after that, and so on, Phil keeps waking up on February 2nd and reliving the same day over and over. As he realizes he is stuck in a time loop, he realizes that his actions have no consequences and utilizes them to his advantage to manipulate others.
One day, he seduces his producer Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell). But after many days and attempts to seduce her, he fails every single time. Things only start to improve for Phil once he changes his manipulative attitude and uses the time loop to help people instead. In turn, Rita starts to see Phil differently. Though Groundhog Day falls into many genre categories, it is ultimately a romance story, as love was what he needed to change for the better.
5 ‘The Big Sick’ (2017)
Kumail Nanjiani (who plays a fictionalized version of himself) is a Pakistan immigrant who aspires to be a stand-up comic in New York City. After one of his shows, he decides to meet the girl, Emily (Zoe Kazan), who heckled him during his performance. They soon develop feelings for each other. At home, Kumail’s parents pressure him to meet different Pakistani women, insinuating an arranged marriage. This leads to a heated argument between Kumail and Emily, and they decide to break up.
However, the next day Kumail receives news that Emily was admitted to the hospital and had fallen into a coma. Devastated, he visits Emily every day without fail and even bonds with her parents. Based on the relationship of Kumail Nanjiani and his wife, Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick explores the struggles and cultural differences faced by an interracial couple.
4 ‘Annie Hall’ (1977)
The film begins with comedian Alvy Singer (Woody Allen), who reflects on the early years of his childhood and upbringing before sharing the full story of his relationship with a nightclub singer, Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). Alvy examines the struggles of their relationship and how ultimately, the realization of their differences ended it.
Unlike many rom-com films, Annie Hall is a more realistic take on what romantic relationships can be. Not all relationships will last, and not all stories have happy endings.
3 ‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
Based on the 1973 William Goldman novel of the same name, The Princess Bride follows the tale of a young woman, Buttercup (Robin Wright), who lives in the kingdom of Florin. After her lover Westley (Cary Elwes) is presumed dead due to a ship attack, she is forced to marry Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). But before their wedding ceremony, she is kidnapped by three outlaws, but fortunately, is followed by a masked man, who turns out to be her lost love, Westley. Now, they must defy all the evil that comes their way and, at long last, reunite with each other.
Since its release, The Princess Bride has become a cult classic and is considered "a perfect movie" partly due to being extremely quotable, but also for giving an old damsel-in-distress story a breath of fresh air. The film has frequently been included in top film lists and selected in the top 100 best screenplays of all time by the Writers Guild of America.
2 ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999)
Sophomore student Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls in love with Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) but learns that she is prohibited from dating until her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) starts dating. Cameron attempts to solve his problem by asking his new friend, senior Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan), to find a guy who could match her: the bad boy with a tarnished reputation, Patrick Verona (the late Heath Ledger).
But there’s a twist: for $500, Patrick has to make Kat fall head over heels for him, only to break her heart before the end of the school year. But the more time Kat spends with Patrick, the more she develops feelings for him. With an iconic ensemble and plot line, 10 Things I Hate About You remains a force to be reckoned with.
1 ‘When Harry Met Sally…’ (1989)
Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) are fresh college graduates of the University of Chicago who are sharing a cab to New York City for their new jobs. In the car ride, the two have different ideas on whether men and women can be platonic friends without sex getting in the way, an idea Sally supports but Harry contests. They part ways after the drive. Five years later, they meet again on a flight, this time, both are dating other people. Harry insists that they become friends, but Sally refuses.
Another five years go by, and they meet at a bookstore. This time, they agree to pursue a friendship, but as they spend more time in each other’s company, they form a mutual attraction and thus test the very idea they have been arguing about for the past decade. When Harry Met Sally… has remained one of the most memorable rom-coms for many reasons: great story, great performances, and of course, who could forget that iconic diner scene?