As Valentine’s Day approaches, many people turn to romantic comedies, or rom-coms for short, to get into the holiday spirit. This collection of movies are fan-favorites and are sure to achieve the romantic vibe viewers watch for. From classics to more modern films, there’s something for everyone.
Based on William Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew,” “10 Things I Hate About You” follows two sisters, Kat (Julia Stiles) and Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). Kat is aggressive and opinionated, while Bianca is romantic and popular. Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a new student, instantly falls for Bianca, except he or any other guy can’t date Bianca until Kat dates someone, a rule their father came up with. Cameron and his friend Michael (David Krumholtz) work with Joey (Andrew Keegan), another student hoping to date Bianca and come up with a plan to pay Patrick (Heath Ledger), a student with a reputation, to date Kat. This movie features many quotable moments as well as a heartfelt ending. “10 Things I Hate About You” is available to watch on Peacock and Disney+ or rent on Amazon Prime.
“The Proposal” is a hilarious movie featuring Editor-In-Chief Margaret (Sandra Bullock) and her assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). All of Margaret’s employees, including Andrew, despise her. However, when Margaret faces getting deported back to Canada, she convinces Andrew to marry her for a year in exchange for a promotion. Andrew takes a trip to Alaska, to visit his family who he hasn’t been able to see due to a busy work schedule, and Margaret goes with him. In Alaska, Andrew and Margaret pretend they are engaged, and Andrew’s family starts preparing for a wedding there. However, as their trip continues, Andrew and Margaret develop feelings for each other. “The Proposal” can be rented through Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
“Clueless” is a classic movie, highlighting the height of the 90’s with its outfits, characters, and music. Based on Jane Austen’s novel “Emma,” this movie is lighthearted and timeless. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is a popular rich girl with everything she could want, except a boyfriend. Cher is an expert at playing matchmaker for her friends and even teachers, but she claims she doesn’t need a boyfriend. Cher and her best friend, Dionne (Stacey Dash), befriend the new girl Tai (Brittany Murphy) and quickly make her their new project and help her become popular. However, when Tai confesses her feelings for Cher’s ex-step brother Josh (Paul Rudd), Cher realizes that she’s in love with him. This film features iconic catchphrases, like Cher’s famous “As if!” This movie is perfect for fans of 90’s films. “Clueless” is available to rent through Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
A more modern movie, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is a recent adaptation based on Jenny Han’s novel. Lara Jean (Lana Condor) loves everything about romance books, music, and movies; except she’s never had a boyfriend. Whenever she has feelings for a boy, she deals with those feelings by writing a love letter to that boy but never intends to send them out. As a junior in high school, Lara Jean has written five letters. One day, her letters get sent out and they reach the boys she used to love, one being her sister’s ex-boyfriend Josh (Israel Broussard). To avoid talking to him about her past love for him, she and another recipient of the letter, Peter (Noah Centineo), decide to fake date. While Lara Jean likes the attention she’s getting from Peter, she’s scared because she has developed real feelings for him and is worried he will not return those feelings. “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” is a popular book-to-movie adaptation and has two sequels, “P.S. I Still Love You” and “Always and Forever.” “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” can be watched on Netflix.
“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” is a rom-com with a talented cast, catchy soundtrack, and intriguing plotline, so look no further if searching for a rom-com. Andie (Kate Hudson) works for a magazine and she is doing a story on how to date a guy and lose him in 10 days. She meets Benjamin (Matthew McConaughey) and picks him as her candidate for the column. However, Ben has a motivation of his own for dating Andie; he has a bet that in 10 days he can make a girl fall in love with him. They start dating and Andie does everything she can to make Ben break up with her, and even though she acts crazy at times, he stays. With the witty banter and chemistry between Andie and Ben, it’s perfect for a Valentine’s Day movie. This movie highlights both parts of rom-coms, with its romantic, touching moments, and laugh-out-loud parts as well. “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” can be watched on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime or rented on Apple TV.
