Romance has been a beguiling genre for many years. With real-world relationships not always being the stuff of fairytales, what's better than escaping to the world of romantic cinema where everything is lovely. Pair that with comedic elements so the story and audience have the perfect combination of genres to get lost in for hours on end.
Romantic comedies, better known as 'rom-coms', have dominated the film game, producing many famous movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Roman Holiday. However, some rom-coms out there are criminally underrated and deserve to be thrust into popular consumption. From the friends-to-lovers trope all the way to LGBTQ+ love stories, these underrated rom-coms are made even more memorable by their beautiful endings.
'Fools Rush In' (1997)
A New Yorker named Alex Whitman (Matthew Perry) is in Las Vegas to supervise a building project. There he meets Isabel Fuentes (Salma Hayek), and their one-night romance is sparked by some significant chemistry. However, Isabel becomes pregnant. Alex proposes to her on a whim but as Alex and Isabel quickly discover, along with the marriage comes the compromise of one's own cultural traditions.
With the combination of Mexican and American culture, as well as the west coast meeting the east coast, Fools Rush In simply allows the showcasing of some of the best and funniest aspects of each. The strong performances by Hayek and Perry make the movie so special. With their whole relationship being so off-schedule and unconventional that the end will have you tear up.
'Seeking a Friend for the End of the World' (2012)
Dodge (Steve Carell) is left abandoned after his wife runs away in a panic when it is announced that a massive asteroid will destroy Earth in less than a month. He makes the decision to visit his high school sweetheart on the road. His bold young neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley) accompanies him on a road trip that eventually changes their outlook on what little life they have left.
Quirky, offbeat, lovable, zany and intelligent are some of the words to describe this dark comedy-filled movie. With the world impending doom, Carell and Knightley mange to bring a spot of light into their bleak futures. Moonlighting as a romantic comedy, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is actually an amazingly emotional movie with albeit a textbook unhappy ending which arguably turns out to be the right one. The tear-jerking final moments hit you right where it counts – the heart.
'The Rebound' (2009)
After learning about her husband's affair, Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) moves to the city. She meets Aram (Justin Bartha), a worker in the coffee house below her apartment, whose wife only married him for a green card. The two get along swell, and she asks him to be her kids' nanny when she goes back to work for the first time since giving birth. The two start dating but they both have to wonder, is their relationship genuine, or are they both merely using it as a rebound?
One of the better chick flicks out there, The Rebound relies heavily on the realistic chemistry between Zeta-Jones and Bartha. Audiences will love the iconic one-liners being delivered by the kids, along with the realistic approach to the genre of rom-coms. Although it's unclear whether they end up together, audiences can be satisfied that these two learn to live independently and embrace their new lives.
'Penelope' (2006)
A modern-day romantic tale, Penelope (Christina Ricci) is about a young girl's inspiring journey, a mysterious family secret and the power of love. With all odds against her, in order for Penelope to break the family curse, she must find true love with "one of her own kind." With endless amounts of suitors, all a disappointment, Penelope decides to take matters into her own hands.
It's a great approach to the recurring idea of accepting who you are rather than what you are. It is quite visually appealing and filled with slapstick humor and brilliant scripting. Ricci masterfully plays the lead role and has a strong acting presence, all the way to the film's fairytale ending for an unconventional fairytale movie.
'Love & Basketball' (2000)
Both Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) grew up in the same area and have known each other since they were young. They fall in love as they grow up, but they also have a second, equally intense passion in common: basketball. Through high school and college basketball, they eventually pursue separate career paths with the hopes of becoming major league professional ball players.
With audiences going in thinking that Love & Basketball would be a typical jock-flick with the romantic angle taking the sideline, they could not be more wrong. Refusing to be pinned down as one thing, Love & Basketball does a great job of mixing all the different elements of a typical romantic comedy. A true story of love, with a beautiful conclusion that makes sense for the characters involved.
'Set It Up' (2018)
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Two overworked assistants, Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), realize that they can make their lives easier if they set up their demanding bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs). As their plan works, the two have to go to extreme lengths to keep the ruse up. In the meantime, Harper and Charlie slowly come to the realization that they could be right for each other.
Deutch shines in her leading role as a quirky aspiring writer who cries at sports games, and Powell delivers a great performance as a man struggling to figure out what he really wants in life. With plenty of comedy and great background characters, Set It Up is a great rom-com, with a picture-perfect ending that will leave audiences feeling happy and fulfilled.
'Leap Year' (2010)
A woman (Amy Adams) hatches an intricate plan to pop the question to her partner on Leap Day because, according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it. However, her plans get derailed when inclement weather threatens to cancel the journey to Dublin. She might end up getting engaged as a result of her cross-country journey, though, with the assistance of a grumpy innkeeper (Matthew Goode).
This romantic comedy is cute and entertaining. At times, it is absurd. On the other hand, with two polar opposites ending up together in such an unlikely way, Leap Year's ending is something so precious to witness. Plus, viewers will be inspired to visit Ireland as a result.
'Imagine Me & You' (2005)
Rachel (Piper Perabo), who is getting married, spots Luce (Lena Headey) in the audience and is immediately captivated by her. The two women become great friends, and as Rachel finds out that Luce is a lesbian, she recognizes that she is falling for Luce despite being happily married to Heck (Matthew Goode). Rachel must choose between her committed partnership with Heck and her thrilling new friendship with Luce as she wrestles with her sexual identity.
Imagine Me & You is everything a romantic comedy should be: endearing, unique, full of hilarious and delightful scenes, built on a solid plot and starring a fantastic cast. With a lesbian relationship taking center stage, the movie handles it tastefully and manages to present an ending that, although may hurt certain people, is the right thing for everyone involved.
'The Proposal' (2009)
When Margaret (Sandra Bullock), a pushy boss, faces deportation for an expired visa, she hatches a scheme to marry Andrew, her assistant (Ryan Reynolds). Andrew is promised that he will get a promotion. With a skeptical INS agent on their case, the two fly to Andrew's hometown for his grandma's 90th birthday. In Sitka, Alaska, Mom, Dad, and Grandma wait to meet the new couple.
A charming and sweet romance mixed with heavy does of laughs, The Proposal is the perfect rom-com. With Bullock and Reynolds providing funny yet tender moments, the two bring the movie home with a great ending that makes all of us want to be proposed to just so we can keep dating the love of our lives.
'Love, Rosie' (2014)
Since they were children, Rosie Dunne (Lily Collins) and Alex Stewart (Sam Claflin) have been great friends. However, as they navigate life, they frequently find themselves parting ways. When it comes to relationships, the two find themselves with all the wrong people. These two are each other's worst enemies when it comes to love, life, and making the right choices.
It's a crime that more people don't know about this movie. A heartfelt and sincere film about the love between two best friends, Love, Rosie is totally underrated. There's a genuinely loving relationship between Collins' and Claflin's lead characters. We see both of them do countless selfless things for one another when they're in tough spots. The love sweeps off the screen and into the audience, allowing them to cheer when they finally end up together in its heartwarming ending.