Charming leads, serendipitous meet-cutes, and happy endings best defined the endearing rom-coms of the '90s and early to mid-2000s. The breezy rom-com has always had a loyal fan base, eagerly awaiting the next film that can successfully revisit old tropes with fresh perspectives. While Pretty Woman, 10 Things I Hate About You, Bridget Jones's Diary and The Proposal remain classics from the '90s and 2000s, among many others, something changed post-2010. There was a visible decline in the number of rom-coms that used to be produced in abundance year after year.
The mid-budget, dainty rom-com stood no chance in front of franchise Hollywood blockbusters from major studios. There was a noticeable cultural shift, and fans were quick to pick up on the slow decline of a beloved genre. Rom-coms have rarely garnered critical praise, but they've always managed to appeal to a wide audience, perhaps because of their hopeful take on love and romance. While they were often called out for the normalization of a fair share of problematic stereotypes, it was still sad to watch them gently fade away. Cut to 2023, and things seem to be looking up for rom-coms as a genre, thanks in no small part to streaming platforms.
Rom-Coms Have Streaming Platforms Like Netflix and Hulu To Thank
Streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and others have ushered in a rom-com renaissance of sorts. What was thought to be a genre with nothing left to offer now has a string of new films to its name that have performed well and continue to do so. Films like Netflix's To All The Boys I've Loved Before and The Kissing Booth, which were released in 2018, got the ball rolling for many other new romantic comedies. Traversing familiar territory of teenage romance and heartbreak sprinkled with some classic high-school drama, these films quickly turned into franchises because of how popular they were with audiences of all age groups. The success of these two films prompted Netflix to begin producing more movies in the genre, with Prime Video and other streamers following suit.
Granted, these rom-coms are not nearly as good as the ones from the '90s and 2000s, but they still retain a distinct charm that initially made the genre so popular. The holiday season has also become a popular time for streaming platforms to release romantic comedies. In recent years, films like Netflix's The Princess Switch (2018) and Holidate (2020), and Hulu's Happiest Season (2020) have effectively proved that the rom-com renaissance is here. With big names like Vanessa Hudgens, Emma Roberts and Kristen Stewart attached to each of these films, high-profile actors have become aware that rom-coms have returned with a flair to recapture the public's imagination.
Why the Return of Rom-Coms Is Appealing
Prime Video's catalog of rom-coms includes About Fate (2022), I Want You Back (2022), A Map of Tiny, Perfect Things (2021), and most recently, Shotgun Wedding (2023) starring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel, all of them being incredibly fun to watch. What's so appealing about most of these new films is that they've managed to capture the essence and joy of the genre. The nostalgia for a simpler time is another possible reason why the new-age rom-com seems to be working so well. The familiar beats of two people falling in love within a light-hearted narrative are back in a big way. What's also interesting is that many of these new rom-coms, like Happiest Season on Hulu and The Half of It (2020) on Netflix, focus on queer love stories and queer characters, something rom-coms of the past didn't often dabble in.
While many current rom-coms stick to rehashing all tropes, films like Palm Springs (Hulu, 2020) attempt to give the genre a new spin. Starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs functions as a sci-fi film with a love story at its center and has been widely praised for subverting tropes of the genre without losing out on building an interesting narrative around two people finding themselves and each other. Hollywood's renewed interest in the genre also led to two big-budget theatrical releases -- Ticket to Paradise (2022), starring rom-com darling Julia Roberts and George Clooney, and The Lost City (2022), featuring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. Both films performed quite well at the box office, with Ticket to Paradise earning nearly $170 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million and Lost City making $190 million against a $68 million budget.
The rom-com has made a fascinating comeback, and if the current trend is any indication, more films in the genre will continue to release. Patient fans who've waited for its return now have a wide selection to peruse from the convenience of their homes, thanks to streaming platforms. The comfortable familiarity of rom-coms has always been its allure, and it's so good to have it back.