19 Rom Coms that you must watch with Valentine's Day around the corner

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it is the perfect season to indulge oneself in some classic and hilarious romantic comedies or as they are popularly called, rom-coms. Whether you want to watch it with a partner or enjoy the beauty of love alone, here are 19 such movies that are a must-watch for the season. From festive movies with a Christmas backdrop to movies about the chaotic nature of love, this list has it all.

1. Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

Directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, this mature romance is fresh and unique. The movie revolves around two professionals who find love late in life and fall for each other, even though they have opposite personalities. The movie was a critical and commercial success and is a must-watch this Valentine’s Day.

2. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

One of the few movies that highlights Asian culture and revolves around Asian actors, this modern rom-com was an instant hit and stars Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, who travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s insanely rich but traditional family. As she tries her best to fit into his family, she also faces hilarious obstacles. The visually stunning movie will make one believe in love once again.

3. The Big Sick (2017)

Starring Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan, this unique rom-com is written by Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon and is based on their own experiences. The film has themes of multi-racial love and follows an interracial couple who must face obstacles due to their cultural differences. Full of hilarious moments and a thoughtful exploration of diverse cultures, this one is a must-watch.

4. The Proposal (2009)

This classic rom-com starring everyone’s favourite Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds is a laugh-out-loud flick about a Canadian editor-in-chief of a publishing house (Bullock) who gets into trouble after her visa renewal is denied. Desperate to retain her job, she forces her meek and terrified personal assistant (Reynolds) to become her fake fiancé. Like other rom-coms that have unbelievable plots, this one has it too but is charming and hilarious.

5. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Directed by Donald Petri and starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, this rom-com from the early aughts is from a time when Matthew starred only in ludicrous romantic comedies. The movie revolves around Andie (Kate) and Benjamin (Matthew) who each place a bet to make the other fall in love in 10 days and to drive the other away in the same period. This classic film is a must-watch.

6. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

A Valentine’s Day flick is incomplete without Meg Ryan. This classic rom-com from the 80s directed by Rob Reiner and also starring Billy Crystal is the perfect movie to watch as it has all the ludicrousness of romantic comedies. The movie is about two people who keep meeting each other over 12 years through chance encounters. The film’s central question about whether a man and woman can be friends is pivotal and it remains an endearing watch.

7. Anyone But You (2023)

Starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, this modern rom-com is a retelling of Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing and revolves around Bea (Sydney) and Ben (Glen), who have an initial spark but decide to part ways. But as fate would have it, they encounter each other at a destination wedding and must keep up appearances as the perfect couple. Light-hearted and sweet, this one is a must-watch.

8. Notting Hill (1999)

There is nothing better than to watch a movie with the gorgeous Julia Roberts and the handsome Hugh Grant this Valentine’s Day. Directed by Roger Mitchel, this heartfelt movie is about an American actress (Roberts) who visits London and falls in love with a British bookshop owner (Grant). The film captures the clumsy yet enchanting feeling of true love and has one of the most poignant monologues in rom-com history. Give this one a watch.

9. The Holiday (2006)

Directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Jack Black, this charming rom-com is set around Christmas and follows a British columnist (Kate) and the American owner of a film trailer company (Diaz), who are forlorn in love and decide to list their house for exchange during the holiday season for a much-needed change. As the two exchange places, they learn about love, life, and relationships and fall for a special someone. A cult classic.

10. Pretty Woman (1990)

This list would be incomplete without the mention of this acclaimed rom-com that remains a pop culture phenomenon. Directed by Garry Marshall and starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, this heartfelt yet hilarious movie is about a corporate raider (Gere), who hires an escort (Roberts), for his social functions and the two begin to fall for each other. Enchanting, wistful, and memorable, this one is a must-watch on Valentine’s Day.

11. About Time (2013)

Starring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson, this rom-com also has sci-fi elements and is directed by Richard Curtis. It is about Tim (Gleeson), who can time travel due to the special abilities inherent in his family and decides to change his past and correct his wrongs so that he can pursue his love, Mary (Rachel). The film is a sweet look at second chances in love and is a heartfelt watch.

12. You’ve Got Mail (1998)

A Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan rom-com is a tradition for Valentine’s Day and there is nothing better than to see them together in a Christmas-y movie directed by Nora Ephron. Set at the turn of the century when online chatting and emails were all the rage, this sweet and chaotic love story focuses on two rivals who are unaware that they talk to each other online and like each other. A true blue classic.

13. Always Be My Maybe (2019)

The surge in modern rom-coms that centre around Asian love is heartening to watch. This hilarious flick stars Ali Wong and Randall Park and follows the two as they play two childhood friends, Sasha and Marcus, who had a short fling and parted ways. But when the two meet each other in San Francisco, Sasha’s fame and Marcus’s fears create an obstacle in their relationship. Relatable and light-hearted, give this one a watch.

14. The Ugly Truth (2009)

Starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler, this romantic comedy about a television producer Abby (Heigl), who makes a deal with the cynical Mike (Butler), is all about giving love a chance. As Mike participates in a relationship-based show, to help Abby salvage her show and woo her crush, they two begin to instead, fall for each other. Even though it has all the tropes of a rom-com, it is an endearing watch.

15. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

One of the most underrated rom-coms, this one is a must-watch as it also has all the Christmas-y feels! Starring America’s sweetheart Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman, this warm and cosy movie has a hilarious plot about a woman saving her crush from an accident, getting mistaken as his fiancée by his family, but ultimately falling in love with her crush’s brother.

16. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

A modern classic that reimagines Shakespeare’s classic play, The Taming of the Shrew, this rom-com starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger is set in a high school and revolves around a new student Cameron, who requests Patrick (Ledger) to date his crush’s sister, the antisocial Kate (Stiles) so that he can date his love. The comical plot is elevated by the fiery performances of the two leads and is a smart flick.

17. Love Actually (2003)

Another rom-com with a Christmas setting, this one has an impressive ensemble cast comprising Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, and others. The film focuses on different stories that are each bound by various aspects of love and is set amidst the approaching Christmas and New Year. The movie has the festive vibes, the cosy-ness, and the true importance of love.

18. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Directed by Nora Ephron, this classic rom-com from the early 90s is the movie that set the stage for Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to collaborate in future rom-com movies. The movie revolves around a journalist (Hanks) who vents his feelings about his wife’s passing on a radio show, which is heard by an engaged woman (Ryan), who feels a connection with him. The winsome and earnest movie is a must-watch.

19. A Tourist’s Guide to Love (2023)

This romantic comedy is a modern take on love and stars Rachael Leigh Cook, Missi Pyle, and others. Directed by Steven K. Tsuchida, the film revolves around a travel executive who is recovering from a breakup and decides to have some change by going undercover for an assignment in Vietnam and ends up falling in love with an expat tour guide. Full of adventure, romance, and scenic locales, this one is a heartfelt watch.