Some Refreshing Rom Coms of the 21st Century
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Well, the most commercialized holiday is just around the corner, and it’s never too early to start planning your Valentine’s Day. Maybe you’re tired of the same old picks. Perhaps you’re not wanting to get too far away from your comfort zone (okay, so no avant garde German films [this time]). You also don’t want a romantic drama per se, so let’s stick with just the lighter (kinda) stuff. I’ve got you covered. Some of these films dive a bit into dramedy territory, but I think the following ten films still apply as romantic comedies, even in the loosest sense of the word. Here are ten refreshing rom coms (from the 21st century) for you to check out this Valentine’s Day.
Warm Bodies
Warm Bodies peculiarly had very little to do with the teen “horror” romance films of its time (particularly a specific, sparkly franchise), but was surprisingly a bit of a spoof of this wave instead. All the while, Warm Bodies was still well made enough to elicit being its own worthwhile experience entirely, as the warmest zombie film you’re likely to watch today (how often do these even get made?).
Silver Linings Playbook
David O. Russell’s magnum opus is the mental health romantic dramedy Silver Linings Playbook, which pairs up two black sheep of differing settings; they relate heavily to one another’s positions, despite their confrontations with one another. The film’s aesthetics match its theme, including visual blurring to indicate zoning out, or audio cues that overtake the main sound track; this allows us to get right into lead character Pat’s perspective throughout the picture, creating an engaging watch.
The Half of If
Around the early months of the pandemic last year, The Half of It graced Netflix, presenting us with Alice Wu’s reinvention of the love triangle. A guy asks a girl for help with going out with a fellow female classmate; meanwhile, this girl has fallen for the same crush. Set in a typically awkward high school setting, The Half of It is a conventional romantic comedy set in a new age, encompassing progressive love and the raw spirit of independent cinema.
Her
In a weird way, I consider Spike Jonze’s Her to be a rom com in the loosest sense of the word. It’s certainly funny, even if in an awkward or out-there sense (I find it funny, anyway), and it is self aware in its spin on the lovey-dovey sweet nothings of schmaltzier films (there’s a job where people come up with expressions of love, for crying out loud). Besides, this is somewhat of a rom com in a science fiction sense: the pondering of what would happen if we could date operating systems. It’s also weighted in its dramatic roots, so get ready to feel those tears coming.
The Big Sick
Inspired by the real relationship of star Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon (both of whom wrote the screenplay), The Big Sick is the first film I considered when coming up with this list. It’s already a rom com for the modern age, as it sheds light on the realities many interracial couples face even in the 21st century (when family members don’t approve). Then, we see Emily’s illness, resulting in her being put into a comatose state (as well as her recovery afterwards), and how all of this plays into a relationship (particularly one that was already on the rocks). The Big Sick is an explorative rom com that begs to be watched.
Love, Simon
The tales of Simon Spier have taken on a life of their own. For now, I’m focusing just on the 2018 feature Love, Simon, which is another spin on the high school rom com. Simon faces an involuntary outing of his homosexuality whilst coming to terms with a schoolmate he fancies; the juggling act of his high school struggles and his secret being kept from his family and friends is a threshold you can’t wait for him to conquer. Becky Albertalli’s successful literature series is also adapted into the show Love, Victor, released on Hulu last year.
Always Be My Maybe
We’ve seen romantic comedies where relationships are mostly platonic, or a couple just didn’t work out. What about two teenage best friends who try to be something more, only for this experience to ruin their connection for many years? Always Be My Maybe brings us two adults who have drifted apart and are living very different lives (one a celebrity chef, the other a humble air conditioner installer, in a local band at night). The animosity between the two slowly turns into understanding, as Always Be My Maybe vows to right wrongs and allow for necessary growth.
Safety Not Guaranteed
Inspired by a real newspaper advertisement that made its viral rounds, Safety Not Guaranteed starts out as an inquiry of the peculiar and becomes an unconventional romantic dramedy in the process. Part time travel curiosity and part questioning of one’s chemistry with another, Safety Not Guaranteed is the kind of independent romance that is so awkward that it works on all fronts. You can’t have a more fitting pair of leads than Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass for this mission, either.
Moonrise Kingdom
So Moonrise Kingdom isn’t fully a rom com in the normal sense, but it has always felt like an offshoot by Wes Anderson to me. These two kids escape society to grow together in their own dream ways (there’s this coming-of-age angle to boot). Meanwhile, their parents (and other adults around them) can’t get their acts together, even in a romantic sense. It feels like a clashing of ideologies, including from children aiming too high, as they have yet to be disillusioned by life.
Crazy Rich Asians
What I like a lot about Jon Chu’s adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians is how it plays like a typical romantic comedy, yet is still refreshing just from its Asian voice (the cast is a mixture of various nationalities in Chinese roles, which has received its own controversy but is still a progressive milestone). The gorgeous sets and loving representation of various customs is a cinematic celebration worth having again and again. There’s also the endless opportunities that unfathomable riches can bring, and that taste of the good life is always nice.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.