The Three Fundamentals Of A Good Rom-Com
Let me start by saying that I have not seen the new St. Patrick’s Day adjacent Netflix movie, Irish Wish, that inspired today’s newsletter. I almost got sucked into the excitement that swirled on Twitter when the trailer dropped last month. Mainly because of Lindsay Lohan, whose mere appearance in a movie had me sprinting to the theater from the years 2003 to 2006. She even did a Parent Trap inspired interview to promote the movie, playing into the exact type of nostalgia that should have worked its charms on me. Unfortunately, as I suspected, the reviews for Irish Wish are absolutely dreadful. A particularly hilarious one on Vulture provides a list of the most bonkers moments from the movie. I read that instead of watching.
There’s plenty of merit to a bad film. We all have our favorites. Something that’s so nonsensical that when watched with a glass of wine and a group of friends provides plenty of fodder for a fun night. But in my heart of hearts, I have no patience for bad romantic comedies. Like with any genre, there are good and bad iterations. There are tropes that are done well in some movies and completely mishandled in others. But with this genre in particular, people begin to lump them all together, citing Netflix originals like Love Hard (a mess!) in the same breath as To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (a masterpiece!). There’s become this idea that’s spread across streaming services, various cable channels and sometimes even to the big screen that if you put two hot people in a movie and end with them in love, the rom-com box has been checked.
I’m writing today to say that we can do better. In order to get more of the quality rom-coms we need and deserve, it’s important to identify the elements that make up the gold standard. Here are the three fundamentals that I believe make a good rom-com, as well as some movie recommendations available to watch right now.
The Rom-Com fundamentals:
Chemistry: This is without a doubt the number one quality in a good romantic comedy. If audiences can see it, if audiences can feel it, they may even be willing to overlook the other two factors on my list. I want two leads who look at each other with yearning in their eyes. With passion. I should be blushing while watching them interact! I will point you to one of my favorite Twitter threads, where Alanna Bennett writes about (and MANY people share excellent examples of) the way two romantic leads should look at each other.
A connection that builds and has a real foundation: One of my biggest pet peeves in a rom-com is when I can’t understand why the two love interests would ever like each other outside of the movie’s premise. You should be able to picture these two people having a real conversation. It should be easy for audiences to identity why they connect and what they’re bonding over. And thus, we should also understand why these two people should be together. You can’t just have someone say the other person understands them in a way no one else ever has! Audiences need to see multiple examples of this play out throughout the movie.
Clever writing (preferably with lots of banter): These movies should be making us laugh! Not because they’re bad. But because they’re actually funny! If you take the laughter out, you’re left with a different movie genre. Rom-coms should have humor - this can be done situationally, through dialogue, through side characters, through physical comedy. Growing up studying the work of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Nancy Meyers, Nora Ephron and we’ll even throw Aaron Sorkin into the mix, I’m biased towards fast-paced, banter-heavy dialogue. It’s breezy. It feels heightened. It makes things gel especially well in this genre.
Quality rom-coms that are currently available on streaming (This list is obviously not extensive, the newsletter would never end, and omits the classics in an effort to highlight under-appreciated movies for your viewing pleasure):
Plus One (Netflix / Hulu)
Holidate (Netflix)
Fire Island (Hulu)
Always Be My Maybe (Netflix)
Rye Lane (Hulu)
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (Netflix)
Set It Up (Netflix)
Life Partners (Hulu)*
Crush (Hulu)
The Incredible Jessica James (Netflix)
The Lost City (Hulu)
*Heads up that unlike other movies on this list, Life Partners has romantic arc(s) for its characters, but the main focus is around infusing rom-com beats into a story about two best friends. It’s a great movie, features real-life couple Leighton Meester and Adam Brody not getting along and Hulu put it in the Romance category, so I’m keeping it here.
