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With Valentine's Day upon us, we thought the time was right to create the ultimate list of the best rom-coms ever made.
From timeless classics through to modern-day hits, we've taken 30 of the most popular flicks and ranked them as a team by scoring each them out of 100.
We'll warn you now, this has caused A LOT of debate in our office. After all, what is a rom-com? What happens when it's more com than rom? Should the newbies get as much of a look-in as the old favourites? What about the ones that we used to love when we were younger, only to realise they've aged even worse than we have?
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Here's the final verdict:
30. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
54%
This 2002 blockbuster very nearly missed out on a spot in the top 30, but that’s not to say it isn’t worth a watch. It follows 30-year-old Toula (Nia Vardalos) as she falls in love with non-Greek Ian (John Corbett), struggling to get her larger-than-life family to accept him, while also coming to terms with her own cultural identity.
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Streaming: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime
29. Hitch
57%
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After womanising dating guru ‘Hitch’ (Will Smith) - whose job it is to teach men to make women fall head over heels for them - meets his match in an unphased, unwooed columnist (Eva Mendes), he’s forced to try even harder to win her over. Wow, it’s almost as though the ‘treat em mean, keep em keen’ approach doesn’t work on all women!?
Streaming: Netflix, Sky/NOW
28. She’s All That
61%
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Fun literature fact: this Freddie Prinze Jr classic is actually inspired by George Bernard Shaw’s 1912 play Pygmalion and the Audrey Hepburn classic My Fair Lady. After betting he can make the their high school’s most socially inept ‘loser’ Laney into ‘Miss Popular’, prom king Zach ends up falling head over heels for his very own experiment and realising she was beautiful after all. An eyeroll-worthy premise but an irritatingly watchable rom-com.
Streaming: Amazon Prime
27. Coyote Ugly
62%
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Perfectly epitomising the OG Y2K fashion from decades past, the outfits alone in Coyote Ugly are enough to make us whack it on at any given moment. With a young Tyra Banks and Sex and the City’s Bridget Moynahan alongside a steamy coupling of Piper Perabo and dancer heartthrob Adam Garcia, this one is always a crowd-pleaser.
Streaming: Disney+
26. The Wedding Planner
62.1%
The Wedding Planner helped cement J-Lo as a rom-com icon, while also making history as she became the first woman to simultaneously have the number one album and film in the United States. QUEEN! While it’s hard to condone a wedding planner falling for her client (awks), it’s an enjoyable watch that ends well.
Streaming: Amazon Prime (Icon Film Channel via free trial)
25. Bride and Prejudice
63%
This romantic comedy with a Bollywood twist tells the tale of Lalita, played by the stunning Aishwarya Rai, who is a strong-willed young woman from a traditional family with three sisters - and a mother eager to marry them to eligible young bachelors. A beautiful mix of faultless dance choreography, fantastical musical numbers and a pretty wicked sense of humour, Bride and Prejudice is a more than thrilling take on the beloved 1813 Jane Austen novel.
Streaming: N/A
24. Never Been Kissed
65.7%
This gem from the late 90s has everything you could possibly want from a rom-com: a journalist protagonist going undercover, Drew Barrymore with a bob and sterling advice against smooching a ‘whole bunch of losers’. With that said, there's also a whole lot of weirdness going on between the teacher who is seemingly A-okay falling in love with the woman he believes is a student… Not aged too well, that.
Streaming: Disney+
23. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
66.7%
This 2003 chick-flick sees Kate Hudson star as a journalist researching the ultimate guide on how NOT to date, only to realise that her subject – played by the dashing Matthew McConaughey - is conducting a scheme of his own.
Streaming: Amazon Prime
22. My Best Friend’s Wedding
71.2%
If Hugh Grant is the male representatives for rom-com hits, then Julia Roberts is his female counterpart. In this hilarious hit, she’s can’t quite believe that her guy best friend Michael is getting married. Unsure whether she’s just envious that she can’t seem to land the right man herself, or whether she’s just suppressing feelings for him (spoiler: it’s the second), she sets out to sabotage his big day. Will he see her passive aggression as a declaration of true love, or has she ruined their romance all together? You’ll have to watch to find out…
Streaming: Amazon Prime
21. Maid in Manhattan
73.2%
Any chick flick with Jennifer Lopez in it is going to be a good ride, and Maid in Manhattan is a rags-to-riches masterpiece - with a great wardrobe to boot. Special mention for that iconic Amerie cover of 'I'm Comin' Out', too!
Streaming: Sky/NOW, Amazon Prime
20. Mean Girls
75.3%
Is it a rom-com? Is it a teen comedy? Is it a social commentary on class, power and prestige? We’d argue it’s all of the above and more, and a perfect watch in every way.
Streaming: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime, also currently available on Channel4.com
19. Sleepless in Seattle
75.3%
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan channel old-school romance in this 90s classic, written and directed from the QUEEN of rom-coms, Nora Ephron.
Streaming: Sky/NOW
18. 13 Going on 30
77.5%
OK, we're sure this one isn’t a surprise to anyone. With Jennifer Garner’s Pinterest-worthy outfits, the iconic soundtrack and that one extremely random yet nonetheless iconic ‘Thriller’ dance sequence - it’s no wonder this 2004 classic made it on the rundown.
Streaming: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime
17. Notting Hill
77.7%
A classic tale of boy-meets-girl – except she happens to be a Hollywood superstar, and he’s a bumbling bookshop owner who lives in Notting Hill with a scruffy Welsh housemate sporting ‘nice, firm buttocks’. Star-crossed romance at its absolute finest.
Streaming: Sky/NOW
16. Crazy Rich Asians
78.2%
Based on the satirical 2013 romantic comedy novel by Kevin Kwan, this flick is a glamorous ride into the wealthy elite of East and South-East Asia. Not only was it the first movie to feature a predominantly Asian cast since 1993, it also became the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the 2010s.
Streaming: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime
15. Love Actually
78.9%
Before you come at us with the whole ‘this is a Christmas film, not a rom-com!’ spiel, it’s got ‘Love’ in the title and a lobster in the nativity, so just chill out. Yes, some of the storylines have become a little, ahem, dated, but with this all-star cast - including awkward British romance veterans Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth - this big-name festive blockbuster has us laughing, crying and all things in between year upon year.
Streaming: Sky/NOW
14. Easy A
79.2%
The nostalgia is real with this one, having not only introduced many to Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Pocketful of Sunshine’, but also a subsequent lifelong obsession with Emma Stone and Stanley Tucci. Serving up some proper 2010s high school drama realness, Easy A is a bittersweet coming-of-age tale of friendship, childhood crushes and what happens when a rumour mill gets thrust into overdrive.
Streaming: Netflix, Amazon Prime
13. Mamma Mia
79.8%
Here we go again… We can confidently say Mamma Mia with all its ABBA hits, stunning Greek vistas and love triangle chaos will be the star player when it comes to the ‘what to watch’ discussion every V-Day (or just about any other day, for that matter).
Streaming: Sky/NOW
12. Definitely, Maybe
80%
In an attempt to talk his pre-teen daughter Maya through his impending divorce from her mother, Will (Ryan Reynolds) opens the lid on how they first fell in love, touching on the other two great loves of his life. Whilst Maya focusses on which mystery lady ended up being her mother, Will realises he may have picked the wrong woman all along… chills. Literal chills.
Streaming: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime
11. Pretty Woman
82%
If you’ve never feasted your eyes upon this Julia Roberts hit, you’ve made a big mistake – HUGE! Starring 90s heartthrob Richard Gere as a rich entrepreneur fed up with his usual boring corporate love interests, this movie sees him fall head over heels in love with the prostitute he initially hired to keep him company at social events. The duo must navigate their growing adoration for one another, whilst faced with judgemental shop assistants, leery business buddies and the stark contrast between their worlds.
Streaming: Netflix, Disney+
Right, let's push in to the top 10...
10. Bridesmaids
82.6%
If you ever feel like your own love life is going off the rails whilst your friends seemingly start settling down with their Prince Charmings, get this on your TV screens immediately. You can thank us later. This iconic gal pal hit is GUARANTEED to make you feel better, with an A-list cast, women supporting women and, well, Melissa McCarthy. And believe us, you’ll be quoting Bridesmaids for the next 10 years.
Streaming: Netflix (but leaving soon!)
9. The Holiday
83.2%
Yes, we are aware it’s no longer Christmas, but you can’t deny the legacy of The Holiday. Whether it’s for Nancy Meyer’s tear-jerking direction, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet’s incredible acting or simply the chance to - yet again - see Jude Law drunkenly stumbling across the cutest cottage ever, we obviously couldn’t do a rom-com roundup without including this 2006 blockbuster smash.
Streaming: Netflix
8. 10 Things I Hate About You
83.5%
It’s the movie that introduced many of us to the Aussie heartthrob that was Heath Ledger, and despite no longer being with us, his boyish charm has kept 10 Things a rom-com classic to this day. Think empowering female lead meets loveable adolescent bad-boy. What’s not to love?
Streaming: Disney+
7. Four Weddings and a Funeral
83.6%
If you’re wanting some more Richard Curtis representation then you’ll be chuffed that this 1994 British classic has made it on the rundown. Chronicling the antics of Charles (Hugh Grant) and his inability to express his feelings to a woman he is attracted to over the course of five major social occasions, Four Weddings and a Funeral is a charming and witty tale of self-growth, self-confidence and, most importantly, self-love. D'aaawww.
Streaming: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime
6. When Harry Met Sally
85%
Can a man and a woman ever just be friends? That’s the hypothesis being challenged in this 1989 gem, which stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal as two enemies-turned-pals on opposing sides of the theory.
Streaming: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime
And now for the top 5!
5. Bridget Jones’ Diary
86.3%
The novel that was on every woman’s bookshelf in the 1990s became THE definitive romance flick of the noughties, with Renee Zellweger giving a star turn as everyone’s favourite Chardonnay-swigging singleton.
Streaming: Sky/NOW
4. Booksmart
86.7%
While many rom-coms go hard on the rom, Booksmart wins big with the com as a truly hilarious coming-of-age story following two graduating teens who finally break the rules after years of playing by the book. While there are certainly romantic elements, including a tenderly-told LGBTQ+ strand, here the focus is more about the best kind of love: the platonic relationship between best friends Molly and Amy.
Streaming: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime
3. The Proposal
88%
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds star as a Canadian executive and her long-suffering personal assistant as they travel to Alaska to prove that their fake relationship isn’t just for a visa. Their on-screen chemistry is palpable, while Betty White as Grandma Annie steals the show.
Streaming: Netflix, Disney+
2. Rye Lane
89.7%
'BuT I'Ve NeVEr EveN HeARd Of It!!!' Alright, grandma… Not all rom-coms have to be from the ’90s or star Meg Ryan, okay? This indie flick first hit cinemas just last year but has clearly proved its high-scoring spot with near-perfect raving reviews online. It follows Yas and Dom (Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson), who find a connection as they enjoy a day out in South London together, while healing from respective bad break-ups. Even better? The rom-com legend himself, Colin Firth, makes a brief cameo as a tortilla chef in a restaurant called Love, Guac-tually. Iconic.
Streaming: Disney+
1. Crazy, Stupid, Love
90.8%
This 2011 banger is packed to the brim with a bunch of Hollywood A-listers including Barbie’s very own Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore - just to name a few. Not only taking the top spot for its lasting legacy, quotable one-liners and the ability to be adorably tender while never teetering into cheesy territory, Crazy, Stupid, Love also boasts one of the most jaw-dropping plot twists the genre has ever seen.
Streaming: Netflix, Amazon Prime
What do you think about the final selection? Are there any titles that deserved to do better? Or any others that you feel missed out altogether?
And yes, we are all still squabbling about what constitutes a rom-com...
Words: Jess Hardiman, Rhiannon Ingle, Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Universal Pictures/Film FlexTopics: TV And Film, Valentines Day, Sex and Relationships