The 20 best romantic comedies to watch on Netflix
Nothing beats a great romantic comedy, especially on Valentine's Day.
Luckily, there are lots of good ones on Netflix.
From modern hits like "Set It Up" to classics like "13 Going on 30," there's something for everyone.
A little love and laughter sound like a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day, and Netflix is here to help.
The streaming platform has a large collection of romantic comedies to choose from, so to help you avoid wasting time in the search bar, we've compiled a list of 20 of the best movies to watch this holiday.
With '90s classics like "My Best Friend's Wedding" and modern favorites like "The Half of It," there are plenty of films to fall in love with this Valentine's Day.
Note: Numerous Netflix titles drop off the service monthly, so the availability of titles below may change.
"Always Be My Maybe" (2019)
Ali Wong and Randall Park are great as childhood friends who reconnect as adults. Though their lives have taken them in different directions, there's still a lot of laughs and love between them.
But things really go up a notch when suddenly Park's character has to compete with Keanu Reeves, starring as a hilarious fictionalized version of himself.
"The Incredible Jessica James" (2017)
Jessica Williams plays the title character in this indie rom-com that follows her character as she gets over a breakup by casually dating a guy she met on a blind date (Chris O'Dowd).
Unlike the typical Hollywood rom-com, this one has some realness to the characters and the warts-and-all relationship being formed.
"The Kissing Booth" franchise (2018-2021)
This teen rom-com trilogy — aptly named "The Kissing Booth 1," "The Kissing Booth 2," and "The Kissing Booth 3" — came to an end in 2021, but fans can still relive the highs and lows of Elle (Joey King) and Noah's (Jacob Elordi) forbidden "best friend's brother" and "little brother's best friend" romance.
"Set It Up" (2018)
Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell — who play assistants to demanding bosses and genuinely have great on-screen chemistry — decide the best way to make their lives easier is to get their bosses to date each other.
While you may predict the outcome of this one, it's still a fun, sweet movie that helped modernize the rom-com genre on Netflix.
"Silver Linings Playbook" (2012)
Director David O. Russell takes on the rom-com the only way he knows how: telling a story filled with dysfunction, dark comedy, and lots of heart.
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence play two troubled people who build a relationship when they agree to team up for a dance competition.
The film went on to receive eight Oscar nominations, with Lawrence winning for best actress.
The movie is also stacked with an impressive ensemble cast that includes Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles, Shea Whigham, and John Ortiz.
"To All the Boys" franchise (2018-2021)
This popular teen rom-com franchise — "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," (2018) "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" (2020), and "To All the Boys: Always and Forever" (2021) — follows high schooler Lara Jean Song-Covey (Lana Condor) as she navigates the fallout after love letters to her crushes get sent out.
Based on a best-selling book series by Jenny Han, it's a sweet coming-of-age story about being true to your feelings.
"My Best Friend's Wedding" (1997)
Julianne (Julia Roberts) has a problem: She's finally realized she's in love with her best friend, Michael (Dermot Mulroney), but he's just announced his engagement.
Sabotaging the wedding becomes Julianne's primary mission ... which is difficult because she's also the maid of honor.
Roberts is fantastic, as always, in this late '90s classic.
"The Perfect Find" (2023)
What would you do if you found out you'd kissed your new boss' son?
That's the predicament faced by protagonist Jenna — wonderfully played by Gabrielle Union — as she launches a career comeback after a difficult breakup.
Together, they must work to understand both their personal and professional relationship.
"13 Going on 30" (2004)
In this beloved early 2000s staple, Jenna Rink is an awkward 13-year-old girl who wishes to skip the woes of adolescence and become an established 30-year-old woman. When her wish magically comes true, Jenna (Jennifer Garner) learns that her adult life is much more complicated than she expected.
This movie — a modern classic for a reason — features standout performances from Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, and many other beloved actors.
"Long Shot" (2019)
After quitting his job, journalist Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan) has a chance run-in with his former babysitter, US Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron). The two reconnect, and Charlotte decides to hire Fred as the speech writer for her upcoming presidential campaign. As the campaign ensues, it's only a matter of time before their romantic relationship develops.
"Plus One" (2019)
Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid star as college best friends, Alice and Ben, who agree to be each other's "plus ones" to weddings all summer long. Happily avoiding the singles' table, the two take turns being each other's wingmen, but as they attend wedding after wedding, it's only natural that the love starts to rub off on them, too.
While the movie has its predictable moments, critics praised the chemistry between Erskine and Quaid, making this a must-see.
"No Hard Feelings" (2023)
Jennifer Lawrence's big return to the silver screen came in this R-rated romantic comedy where she stars as Maddie, a 30-something-year-old Uber driver and waitress. After her car is towed, she accepts a Craigslist ad from a wealthy couple offering a Buick in exchange for dating their sheltered son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), before he leaves for college.
The relationship (which faced criticism when the movie was released) ends up being sweet — and hilarious.
"This Is 40" (2012)
Judd Apatow's unofficial sequel to "Knocked Up" stars his wife, Leslie Mann, and Paul Rudd as married couple Debbie and Pete.
The couple navigates a rough patch in their relationship that captures the realities of marriage, parenthood, finances, and love with Apatow's signature sense of humor.
Mann and Apatow's daughters, Maude and Iris, also star in this 2012 movie, making it a full family affair.
"The Half of It" (2020)
Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), an introverted Chinese American girl, is known for writing fellow students' essays in exchange for money in her small town. Meanwhile, Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) is a football player who needs help communicating with his crush, Aster (Alexxis Lemire). Ellie agrees to write love letters for Paul, as she secretly likes Aster, too.
This modern adaptation of "Cyrano de Bergerac" is just too cute to miss.
"Love at First Sight" (2023)
As the title suggests, this is a movie all about chasing love at first sight.
Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver (Ben Hardy) meet on a flight to London and feel an instant connection. When they arrive, Hadley's phone dies, causing her to lose Oliver's number. With no way to contact him, she tries to find him again.
While this film has its cheesy moments, it's sweet, too — and critics were charmed by the leads and their chemistry.
"She's All That" (1999)
OK, the "nerdy girl is actually beautiful if you just take her glasses off" trope is admittedly a bit outdated, but "She's All That" is still a rom-com classic.
Freddie Prinze Jr. plays popular guy Zach, who's just been dumped by his girlfriend, Taylor (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). Zach then accepts a bet that he can transform the awkward Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) into prom queen in six weeks. The two become close, but must fight to reconcile their relationship after Laney learns about the bet.
"Falling Inn Love" (2019)
After losing her job and her boyfriend, Gabriela (Christina Milian) enters a "Win an Inn" contest — and wins. After finding that her new inn in New Zealand needs a renovation, she enlists the help of local Jake Taylor (Adam Demos) and the pair begins to fall for each other.
This is a gooey Hallmark-esque movie that's packed with rom-com clichés ... but we're not complaining.
"The Holiday" (2006)
The star-studded cast features Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as Amanda and Iris, two women with their own relationship struggles. The two decide to swap houses during the holidays, bringing Amanda to the English countryside and Iris to Los Angeles, where they each unexpectedly meet some special people, played by Jude Law and Jack Black.
This movie is too good to only watch during Christmastime.
"When We First Met" (2018)
Noah (Adam DeVine) meets Avery (Alexandra Daddario) at a Halloween party, and the two hit it off before hanging out for the rest of the night. Unfortunately for Noah, Avery says goodbye with a hug, leaving him in the friend zone. Three years later, Avery's engaged and Noah heartbrokenly returns to the photo booth they visited the night they met. Suddenly, he's back in time with the ability to use the photobooth for unlimited chances to make Avery fall in love with him ... but does the future ever really go as planned?
"Players" (2024)
A Valentine's Day premiere! This Netflix original stars Gina Rodriguez as Mack, a sportswriter who enjoys setting up hookups for her friends ... before she falls for someone herself.
"It's as much a story of love among friends as it is of any couple, and a handful of good gags and great performances keep the whole thing steaming along," The New York Times' Alissa Wilkinson wrote.
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