Valentine’s Day is almost here. You’ve got the day planned, the gift bought, the outfit prepared and the dinner plans ready to go. But it just wouldn’t be a proper Valentine’s Day celebration without a nice romantic comedy to enjoy at the end of the evening. The thing about romantic comedies is that they’re so exceedingly difficult to choose from. There are so many great options out there, you can’t help but want to watch them all!
It’s kind of hard to go wrong with your choices, because they are all so great for different reasons. But eventually you have to decide which movie to watch. Well, Fashion Fundamentals has come up with a narrowed down list of must have romantic comedies to watch for this Valentine’s season. Hopefully you love these films just as much as we do!
The Proposal (2009)
Two Words. Sandra Bullock. Two more words. Ryan Reynolds. We love to see the hilarious interaction between the two actors. The film follows the life of the diabolical book editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) who proposes to her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to avoid being deported back to Canada after her Visa gets rejected for renewal.
The plot is cheesy and the ending is predictable, and that’s why we love it. It’s not the most innovative or exciting storyline, but sometimes all we really need is that cheesy rom com that’s fun and lighthearted. And besides, if Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds didn’t convince you to watch this movie then maybe these two words will: Betty White.
Stream it on Amazon Prime.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Who ever said that Shakespeare can be boring? This 90’s rom com is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s, The Taming of the Shrew and tells the story of popular girl Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik), who can’t date until her older and less popular sister Kat (Julia Stiles) dates first. New student, Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is completely enamored with Bianca and decides to pull some strings and hire the school bad boy, Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), to take out Kat.
A deal gone wrong, a night at prom and two admirers vying for the same girl later and you have this iconic movie called 10 Things I Hate About You. It’s a film that we will never tire of watching (it doesn’t hurt that Heath Ledger is so swoon worthy to look at either).
Stream it on Disney Plus.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Crazy Rich Asians is easily one of my most favorite romantic comedies of all time. The film dives into the privileged world of Singapore’s elite, where we see their lives full of extravagance, glamour and lavishness: lives we all dream of having. The story specifically follows Rachel Chu (played by Rachel Wu), an economics professor at NYU who decides to travel with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) to visit his family, only to find out he is from one of the richest families in Singapore.
You most certainly will get a lot of laughs (you know you’re in for a good time when Awkwafina and Ken Jeong are in the cast) and a few cries, but it’s worth the whirlwind of emotions. It’s an inspiring film about staying true to who you are and not letting anyone or anything make you feel otherwise.
Stream it on HBO Max.
The Notebook (2004)
How can you make a list of romantic movies, and not include The Notebook? It was Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams tear jerking performance of a young couple in the 1940’s, that won over the hearts of millions of viewers. The film takes place in a modern-day nursing home where Duke (James Garner), one of the patients, reads the notebook of another patient which consists of the love story of Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) and Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling). The film is a true testament to always follow your heart. Just make sure you have a box of tissues with you before you press play.
Stream it on HBO Max.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
I am sure that many of us are familiar with this teen Netflix romance (that was a film adaption of the novel written by Sofia Alvarez). Lana Condor portrays Lara Jean, an everyday high school girl who wrote letters to every boy she’s ever loved and kept them secured in a shoe box.
Plot twist, they accidentally get sent out. And one of those letters just so happens to be addressed to the dreamy Peter Covinsky (Noah Centineo), a hot jock that also attends Lara’s school. This is one of the more recently made movies on the list, but I could easily see this film becoming a classic as the years go by.
Stream it on Netflix.
Maid in Manhattan (2002)
Believe it or not, there was a time before Jennifer Lopez’s acting career that was prior to her hitting the poles in Lorene Scafaria’s, Hustlers. She was cleaning out the bathroom as a hotel maid in Wayne Wang’s, Maid in Manhattan. J. Lo plays the role of Marisa Ventura, a single mother who falls in love with the high profile politician Chris Marshall (Ralph Fiennes), but there’s just one tiny problem… he has no idea she’s a maid and believes she’s actually a well known socialite. The movie takes you on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and has you biting your nails at the drama that will unfold once the truth comes out.
Stream it on Hulu (with Starz Add On).
Clueless (1995)
I am sure that most of us have had the fortune of watching this classic 90’s teen movie. Alicia Silverstone was an absolute genius with her portrayal of Cher Horowitz, a privileged and shallow teen being raised by her single father in the rich suburbs of Beverly Hills.
After being called out for being vain and superficial by her ex-stepbrother Josh Lucas (Paul Rudd), Cher decides to do good deeds by playing matchmaker. She first starts with two of her teachers and then moves on Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy), the new girl in school who Cher deemed “tragically unhip” and needed a makeover asap. 26 years later, and Clueless still remains as one the best teen romantic comedies out there. Can you name a better teen classic than this? Please, as if.
Stream it on Amazon Prime.
Coming To America (1988)
It’s not common that Eddie Murphy makes the list when it comes to romance. And it’s quite a shame, because the king of comedy gave a noteworthy performance as African royalty, Prince Akeem, in this film directed by Craig Brewer. He comes to America in the disguise as a foreign exchange student who was actually in search of a wife who likes him for who he is, not the title he carries.
Don’t get me wrong, playing a love interest did not let Murphy lose his comedic edge. He was still just as hilarious as he was as Sherman Klump in The Nutty Professor or Donkey in Shrek. But it was an enjoyable experience watching Murphy be hilarious with a romantic twist.
Stream it on Amazon Prime.
La La Land (2016)
Another Day of Sun. City of Stars. A Lovely Night. No one can deny that Damien Chazelle’s, La La Land is a cinematic masterpiece. The Oscar and Golden Globes award winning film was a complete cinematic experience. It’s not your typical cliche romantic comedy. It’s not even really a comedy at all to be honest.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone sang and danced their way into our hearts with their nostalgic performance as aspiring artists that fall in love as they work hard in LA to pursue their dreams. No one expected for them to not end up together when the last scene ended. We all thought they would get it all. The big gig, the romance, everything you could want. But they didn’t. And that’s what made it so spectacular. It’s a beautiful love story about choices, fate and destiny.
Stream it on Hulu (with Cinemax Add On).
Janelle Sessoms
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