These cringe-free films deliver love, laughs, and just the right amount of charm. Hold the fromage.
14 of the Best (And Least Cheesy) Rom-Coms You Can Stream Right Now
These cringe-free films deliver love, laughs, and just the right amount of charm. Hold the fromage.
There’s nothing quite like a good rom-com. At their best, they are heartwarming, humorous and make us feel hope. They give us characters to root for, love stories to believe in, and lines to quote for years.
Great rom-coms take classic tropes and make them feel fresh instead of formulaic and, well, cheesy. And while there is a place for cheesiness (we’ll make some exceptions for Christmas movies), too much corniness tends to feel more ‘cringe’ than ‘cute’.
So, if you’re always up for a romantic comedy but want to save the cheese for a cacio e pepe, consider this your new watch (or rewatch) list. Keep reading for some of the best (and least cheesy) rom-coms you can stream right now.
1. Crazy Rich Asians
Where can I watch it? Netflix
As the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the 2010s — it made a casual US $236 million at the box office – Crazy Rich Asians’ place at the top of this list is well and truly earned. Based on the first book in Kevin Kwan’s bestselling series of the same name, the film stars Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American economics professor who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young (played by Henry Golding), where she discovers he belongs to one of the country’s most affluent families, and she’s in for much more than she anticipated.
2. Roman Holiday
Where can I watch it? Binge
Starring Audrey Hepburn in her American debut, 1953’s Roman Holiday is a classic of the rom-com genre – with a few unconventional twists. In it, Hepburn plays Princess Ann, who abandons her hectic European touring schedule to play hooky for a night in Rome. Exhausted, a sedative from her doctor causes her to fall asleep on a park bench, where she is found by Joe Bradley, an American reporter. Discovering her royal identity at work the next day, Joe bets his editor he can score an exclusive interview with her. Cue: a romantic romp around Rome sans the Pecorino Romano.
3. Crazy, Stupid, Love
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Unvarnished and utterly quotable, Crazy Stupid Love remains one of the 2010s’ most loved rom-coms for its honesty and humour. Helmed by a star-studded cast including Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon, the film follows a series of intertwined romances, prompted by the divorce of Cal and Emily Weaver (played by Carrell and Moore) which sees Cal try to become like Jacob (Gosling), a womaniser who takes him under his wing. Things don’t go as planned when Jacob falls for Hannah (Stone), the only woman who appears to be to his charms. And that’s just for starters.
4. About Time
Where can I watch it? Binge
Fancy a heartwarming rom-com with a sci-fi flair? Add About Time to your list. The British-American film follows the lovably awkward Tim Lake, who at 21 discovers the men in his family can travel back and forth through time, but only to places and situations they have been before. Then, he meets and falls for the beautiful but insecure Mary at first sight – right before an unforeseen ripple in time sparked by the time travel renders them total strangers. Hoping to win back Mary’s affections, Tim attempts to use his powers to return to the past and save their future.
5. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Yes, it has its tropes (the Cool Girl™ working at a fashion magazine, for one), but How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days foregoes the excess clichés. Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey respectively play a magazine columnist (writing a story on what women do to quickly drive men away by putting it into practice) and an advertising executive (betting a colleague that he can make any woman fall for him to win a campaign). When the pair cross paths, they unknowingly become each other’s targets, and we get one of the best romantic comedies of the early 2000s.
6. The Proposal
Where can I watch it? Disney+
A romantic comedy of errors starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal sees Margaret, a publishing house head facing deportation to her native Canada when her visa renewal is denied, pretending to be engaged to her hapless assistant Andrew for a green card to stay in New York City. A grand charade – spurred by the immigration official waiting to catch them out at every turn – ensues, but so does a little something called romance…
7. Always Be My Maybe
Where can I watch it? Netflix
When comedian and writer Ali Wong (Beef, Fresh Off the Boat) is involved, you know the comedy is going to be top-tier. As is the case with Always Be My Maybe, which Wong co-wrote and acted in alongside her co-star Randall Park. In it, the pair play Sasha, a celebrity chef, and Marcus, a contentedly complacent musician: two childhood friends who fell out of touch for 15 years following a teenage fling gone bad. When Sasha returns to San Francisco to open a restaurant, the two rekindle their romantic spark. However, after 15 years apart, they struggle to adapt to each other’s worlds, wondering if their relationship is destined to be a ‘maybe’.
8. The Big Sick
Where can I watch it? Stan
Based on actor Kumail Nanjiani’s actual love story with his wife Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick is a rom-com with a real-life heart. Nanjiani stars as his fictional self, playing a Pakistani-American comedian who falls for Emily (played by Zoe Kazan), a white American graduate student who he meets at one of his stand-up shows. The pair begin a relationship but struggle with culture clashes of their very different backgrounds. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness that leaves her in a coma, Kumail finds himself forced to reckon with his family’s expectations to marry a Muslim woman, Emily’s feisty parents and his own feelings.
9. The Holiday
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Heartwarming and particularly perfect in winter, The Holiday is the movie version of a quality hot chocolate: sweet, but not too sweet. Directed by Nancy Meyers (who also accidentally pioneered the Coastal Grandmother aesthetic), the film centres around Iris and Amanda, two heartbroken women from snowy Surrey and sunny LA homes for the holidays via a house exchange website in a bid for a fresh start. As they heal and find themselves, their lives begin to change – especially when sparks begin to fly with local guys.
10. Set It Up
Where can I watch it? Netflix
With its sharp one-liners and subtle physical comedy, Set It Up is an easy watch that covers some familiar clichés without overdoing them. The premise? Two overworked assistants suffering under their demanding bosses decide the only way to get them off their backs is to “parent trap” them into dating. The film boasts a solid cast, with Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs playing the bosses, and Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell as their sneaky match-making assistants.
11. Silver Linings Playbook
Where can I watch it? Netflix
A rarity in the rom-com world, Silver Linings Playbook was nominated for eight Academy Awards, with star Jennifer Lawrence taking home the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the film. More a romantic ‘dramedy’ than a straight laugh-fest, the story follows Pat Solitano (portrayed by Bradley Cooper) who attempts to reconcile with his ex-wife after a stint in a mental institution. A twist appears, however, in the form of Tiffany (played by Lawrence), a mysterious young widow with troubles of her own.
12. Friends with Benefits
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Can two friends share some regular fun between the sheets without catching feelings? It’s an age-old question and the premise of Friends with Benefits. Mila Kunis plays Jamie, a headhunter who recruits art director Dylan, played by Justin Timberlake, for a job at GQ magazine. After becoming close platonic friends and realising they both believe hooking up shouldn’t require emotional attachment, they enter into a friends-with-benefits relationship. Of course, when are such situations without their complications, hmm?
13. Amélie
Where can I watch it? Stan
Famous for its whimsical storytelling, Amélie is one of France’s most globally loved films. Set in Paris, Audrey Tautou stars as the titular Amélie, a shy waitress with a sad childhood who decides to help others find happiness. Concocting fantastically kooky schemes to secretly change people’s lives, her quest to spark others’ joy takes her on her own journey to find true love.
14. 10 Things I Hate About You
Where can I watch it? Disney+
Loosely inspired by William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You is one of the few ‘90s rom-coms that has truly stood the test of time. The story sees Cameron, a new student at Padua High School, smitten with Bianca. The catch? He is not allowed to date Bianca until her spirited and antisocial older sister Kat gets a boyfriend. His plan? To pay handsome Australian “bad boy” Patrick Verona to date her, only for the attempted ‘fauxmance’ to make way for an unexpected connection.
