The romantic-comedy is one of the most popular genres in film history, and it's not hard to see why. Real-life relationships can be complicated, and so watching a lighter, fictional relationship play out on screen can be comforting or cathartic. Or for some, just seeing two fictional characters get to know each other and come to share feelings can be a fun, breezy way to spend two hours, even if the storylines are formulaic.
Because of the genre's popularity, there are a ton of romantic-comedies out there, with some naturally get overlooked. The following romantic-comedies all have a ton to offer for fans of the genre, but aren't quite as popular as they deserve to be. For anyone who's burnt out on the most well-known rom-coms out there, these overlooked gems are well worth checking out.
'The Sure Thing' (1985)
Between 1984's This is Spinal Tap and 1986's Stand By Me, Rob Reiner directed a solid, though somewhat forgotten, romantic-comedy called The Sure Thing. While it's not quite as great as the two films it's sandwiched between, it's still pretty good, and while it may very much feel like a product of its time, it's at least dated in a way that's more charming than uncomfortable.
The plot is rom-com narrative 101: two people who don't really like each other are forced to go on a road trip together, and along the way, come to realize how many similarities they share, which leads to inevitable romance. It's an easy watch, and decently funny and charming throughout, which is exactly what you'd want out of a typical romantic-comedy.
'The Wedding Banquet' (1993)
Ang Lee is one of the greatest directors alive who hasn't had one of their films win a Best Picture Oscar. As early as his second feature film, he was already a great filmmaker, as The Wedding Banquet demonstrates. It's a more serious type of romantic-comedy, as it's not afraid to lean heavily into drama, particularly during its second half.
The plot revolves around a gay couple who need to fool one of the pair's nosy parents, who continually insist he gets married to a woman, as they don't know he's gay. The film becomes farcical when a whole elaborate scheme is put in place to have a "marriage of convenience" that will keep his parents off his back, though the comedy of the situation does lead to more serious consequences further on down the line. It's a fantastically made and very emotional romantic-dramedy that certainly deserves more love.
'The Four Seasons' (1981)
Alan Alda is probably best known for playing the lead role in the long-running war dramedy series, M*A*S*H, but he's also an accomplished writer/director (and even directed some of the show's best episodes). Of his feature films, The Four Seasons is probably the best he directed, wrote, and starred in.
As the title implies, it takes place over four different seasons spanning a long period of time, each involving the main characters going on vacation together, with dramatic life events occurring in between each. It's very much a romantic comedy/drama that's aimed at middle-aged audiences, but still might have appeal to others, thanks to the unique premise and the naturalistic, often very funny dialogue throughout.
'Enough Said' (2013)
Enough Said is a rom-com worth watching for the two leads alone. It's one of Julia Louis-Dreyfuss's best-known roles outside the two legendary TV comedies she starred in - Seinfeld and Veep - and also might have James Gandolfini's best film performance (he's of course best-remembered for being one of the main reasons why The Sopranos was as great as it was).
Otherwise, it is admittedly a fairly standard rom-com, standing out mainly thanks to the fact that the two leads are so great, and because it focuses on a middle-aged romance instead of one between younger characters. It's an efficient, funny, and sweet movie, and a shining reminder of how great both Louis-Dreyfuss and Gandolfini are.
'Seven Chances' (1925)
While he's perhaps best known for helping to define what we now understand as the action genre with a movie like The General, silent film legend Buster Keaton also starred in and directed a fair few romantic-comedies. One of them is Seven Chances, which sees Keaton's character in a desperate race to get married by 7:00 pm on his 27th birthday, or else he runs the risk of losing his $7 million inheritance.
As long as you're okay with watching movies that are dialogue-free - and can grin and bear a few instances of humor that haven't aged the best - this is a silly and very entertaining early rom-com. It's got a good pace to it and some impressive stunts throughout, as you'd expect from a skilled physical stuntman/actor like Keaton.
'It's Love I'm After' (1937)
It's Love I'm After centers on a couple who work as an acting team, and who seem to love each other, despite the multiple times they've put off getting married. Their romantic procrastination leads to complications when a younger actress begins working with them, and a very early cinematic depiction of a love triangle inevitably follows.
There are plenty of witty, enjoyable screwball comedies from the 1930s, though It's Love I'm After tends to get overlooked. It's notable for starring two actors who went on to star in Gone With the Wind just two years later - Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland - which makes the part where their characters talk about Clark Gable - another Gone With the Wind star - extra amusing in hindsight.
'It’s Tough Being a Man' (1969)
The first entry in a spectacularly long series that would end up spanning 50 years and 50 films, It's Tough Being a Man starts the iconic Japanese Tora-San series off with a bang. Like most films in the series, this one focuses on Tora, a seemingly eternal bachelor who continuously falls for new women, only to find himself out of love by the movie's end, due to bad luck or the errors of his ways.
There's a formula to the series established by this first movie that's continually followed, but the large cast of characters who grow as people (and physically grow older) makes it a worthy endeavor. There are 50 romantic-dramedies in this series, with most of them being good to great, which is a testament to the devoted cast and crew who made it happen over the course of half a century.
'Under the Cherry Moon' (1986)
Prince will always be best known for his music, though he starred in a few movies, too. Of those, Purple Rain is easily the most well-known, but most would be surprised to learn that the overlooked Under the Cherry Moon - released two years after his most famous movie - might be a stronger film overall.
It's a silly, breezy romantic-comedy about two friends who try to scam their way into a large fortune, involving romancing a young heiress... only for true feelings to eventually intervene and complicate things. It's light and not exactly an original story, but it's surprisingly beautiful to look at, has great music (obviously, seeing as Prince is involved), and is also notable for starring a very young Kristin Scott Thomas.
'Honeymoon in Vegas' (1992)
There are so many movies that feature Nicolas Cage that a few good ones are bound to be overlooked, and Honeymoon in Vegas is one of them. Admittedly, it might be an acquired taste, due to a far-fetched plot that involves a man getting scammed by a professional gambler and accumulating a debt he can't repay, thereby agreeing to "give" his fiancée to the gambler for a weekend, as repayment.
It sounds dark, and it's a little weird, but the movie has such a goofy tone throughout that it never becomes quite as uncomfortable as it could. It's a good romantic-comedy to watch if you want something with minimal stakes and little true drama.
'Shall We Dance?' (1996)
While the 2004 Hollywood remake of the same name might be more well-known, the original 1996 Japanese version of Shall We Dance? is the better of the two. It's a charming movie about an accountant who takes up ballroom dancing because of a woman who catches his eye... though he keeps this from his wife, who becomes suspicious of what he's doing with his free time.
It's a feel-good movie for most of its runtime, and even if that runtime does feel a little long at over two hours, it's still worth sticking with. It's funny, has good characters, and celebrates dancing in a way that both dancers and non-dancers alike can enjoy.