It’s been hard for the romantic comedy to compete with big budget comic book and action flicks at the box office, but the genre is having a renaissance on Netflix.
There’s something to be said for watching a romcom at home. Change into your comfiest clothes, order some takeout, get those snacks ready, then cuddle up on the sofa and fire up your Netflix account.
Besides the fact that romcoms are the perfect feel-good fare for a night in, the Netflix offerings are doing things a bit differently by telling the stories of diverse and underrepresented voices. From Someone Great to this Friday’s new release, Always Be My Maybe, here are five Netflix original films that are putting the romantic comedy back in the spotlight.
Written by Michael Golamco, Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat) and Ali Wong (Tuca & Bertie), and directed by Nahnatchka Khan (Fresh Off the Boat), Always Be My Maybe stars Park and Wong as childhood friends who haven’t spoken in 15 years. When Sasha, a celebrity chef, returns to her hometown of San Francisco, she runs into her former bestie, Marcus, a musician still living at home and working with his dad. Despite their resistance, the sparks may still be there. Plus, it has Keanu Reeves playing a dreamy romantic interest for Sasha!
Watch Always Be My Maybe starting Friday, May 31, and be sure to add Wiretap to Chrome so you can comment on every hilarious and heartfelt moment. Invite your friends to add their commentary, too!
In Someone Great, Gina Rodriguez stars as Jenny, a music journalist about to move across country for her dream job when her long-time boyfriend, Nate (LaKeith Stanfield), ends their relationship. Jenny deals with her broken heart by enlisting her two best friends, Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow) for one final hurrah in NYC. Written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (creator of Sweet/Vicious), it’s a tale of love, friendship, and growing up … and when it comes right down to it, the true romance of the movie is between these three friends.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Based on the best-selling young adult novel by Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before stars Lana Condor (Deadly Class) as Lara Jean Song Covey. She’s a teen with an imaginary love life that quickly goes off the rails when the love letters she wrote to every boys she’s ever had a crush on are mysteriously mailed out. Noah Centineo (The Fosters) plays Peter Kavinsky, the role that cemented him as a verified Netflix original film heartthrob. A follow-up is already in the works.
Jessica Williams (The Daily Show) is Jessica James, an aspiring playwright trying to get over a recent breakup. Following a date that she’s forced to go on with a recent divorcee, Boone (Chris O’Dowd, The IT Crowd), they become unlikely friends while learning how to navigate a social media-obsessed, post-breakup world. It’s raw, cynical, sarcastic, and a joy to watch.
In this romcom written by Katie Silberman — the woman behind recent critical darling, Booksmart — Harper (Zoey Deutch and Charlie (Glen Powell) are overworked, underpaid assistants who don’t have a social life. They come up with a wacky plan to regain some of their free time by tricking their bosses (played by Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) into a relationship.
Which Netflix original romcom has been your fave so far? Let us know in the comments below.
Wow. Awesome i watched all the boys i loved before
but can’t wait for the rest of 4 movies to watch. great work
impressed 🙂