I just noticed there's an editing error around 13:33. Here are the correct movie dates: - All About Eve (1950) (which is not a romcom; I think my editor meant to put The Lady Eve (1941) which actually follows screwball comedy conventions, though it sits outside of the trade paper-designated 'screwball era' of 1934-8). * TLDR: ignore this one.) - The Apartment (1960) - Send Me No Flowers (1964) - The Seven Year Itch (1955) - As Good as It Gets (1997) *** To clarify, I've noticed some sources will designate *all* early romcoms as screwball comedies, while others treat the genres as more separate and co-existing. (They believe that "romantic comedies" existed tangentially with screwballs in the 1930s.) For example, film professor Wes D. Gehring (who I cited) actually makes the case in his book for It Happened One Night (1934) being a romcom and *not* a screwball com. I didn't want to get into the weeds of this discourse since I didn't want this video to be all about semantics, but it's all very interesting,.
I'm not a big fan of Hallmark movies now a days but two of them have stuck with me for years. One that I can't seem to remember, I'll edit it here. And a romantic-comedy-cominghome type of movie there's also The Spirit of Christmas. It's so cute. No, I don't celebrate Christmas but something there on the writing, acting and execution is shows to us viewers that love can come from anywhere. We might call older movies naive, cringe, patriarchal, campy, etc. But something there in the writing it shows to the viewer. Some of these values, dating rules and positive outlook can and should be put back in place in the modern era. I don't and I won't go out with a guy today. And end up in his bed or his parent's bedroom. I want a guy that enjoys dating, enjoying life, me enjoying him with his weaknesses and strengths. Once we both are ready, you know? Pop the question. Then we can be intimate. I really hope we can bring back -- not all bad aspects of the 1930s - 1950s -- but let us enjoy dating, meeting, hugging, cuddling without high expectations. That would be great!
There is nothing like the 90s and early 2000s romcoms . Something about them being simple , genuine, authentic and fun with exciting plots and characters that keeps you engaged, interested and emotional. Am afraid actors were more honest and actually enjoying their roles than nowadays.
This is so true. I watched My Bestfriend’s Wedding last time and it was so good. You can clearly see how the story progresses and it really feels genuine. Something that even in today’s generation will still relate to and somehow thinks that it is realistic in some way. Deep romantic talks and chemistry of characters. However, today’s romcom such as He’s All That and some is kind of off to me as they seem very unrealistic and too fictitious (although they are really a work of fiction) but the fact that no one is even like that in real life is sending me 😭 but again, there are some hidden romcom gems in today’s generation. Some Filipino romcoms in Netflix still has this romance capture that I bet everyone still relate too.
commenting this before I watch the video: On top of the valid points I’m sure Mina makes in this vid, I think a big thing that no one points out is the ultra clear camera quality of today’s movies. It feels extremely digital and yet too realistic at the same time. Back in the 90’s and 00’s rom coms had a charming grain and vibrant colors. It helps contribute to that fuzzy feeling and visually romanticizes the movie. It’s like how we look at film photos as more charming as opposed to phone pics, it feels authentic, in the moment, and romantic
Adding to this, I think the actors nowadays being so polished and chiseled also takes away from the charm of these movies. Obviously, movie stars like Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts are very beautiful people but they were still styled like normal people and didn't feel so glamorous. Nowadays, the characters look and are styled to look so polished, it just feels like we're watching glamorous celebrities that are playing a role whereas in the past, the characters felt more authentic and felt very much separate from the actors. If you think about it, it was somewhat rare for even the male romcom stars to be so absolutely chiseled with an 8 pack but now, even the most random side character has that look. It just feels inauthentic and hence it's difficult to be immersed in the film.
Yes, and I've also noticed that the sets themselves are big, modern minimalist houses or apartments that the average viewer couldn't possibly relate to and it ruins the cozy vibe- and tells nothing about the character except that maybe they're extremely rich- although wealth never factors into the plot
YES. I feel like cameras show us MORE than our eyes can see in real life. Its TOO crisp. I love the 90s quallty and experiement with making my own pics a little more unclear on purpose
This is how I felt when the Barbie movie had intially came out and google had labeled it as a romcom like did whoever put that intial label even watch the movie?
I gotta imagine it's people not knowing how to say 'chick flick' without sounding like that so defaulting to 'romcom' even when it's really not relevant? Because you can't just call it a comedy obviously, it's for women, gotta differentiate it somehow 🙄 (eyeroll not at all aimed at you to be clear, xD)
@@restlessellisexactly, that's what people do when they're trying not to be misogynistic while saying "that's a woman's movie", and the devil wears Prada has so much more to offer than romance, romance is the least relevant part of it. They did NOT watch the movie.
I think the fact that movies only hire the same 5 actors is a big reason romance movies don’t feel genuine, it doesn’t feel like real people falling in love anymore and maybe gives the viewer hope for themselves. Not to mention most movies/series now seems too “instagram” too polished, it’s perfectly lit, sleek white,no mess , no “lived in” houses
They’ve been doing it for decades. The reason being now is that they are not hiring good actors. They are more focused on inclusivity and making the stories anything about love and romance. I understand that the whole girl gets saved by the guy Trope is repetitive and can be played out but in reality that’s what most romcom are about and what people want to see and we don’t get that anymore because everything needs to be woke
Holloywood hiring the same actors is nothing new. Back in the 90s, the go-to rom com girlies were Sandra Bullock, Drew Barrymore, and Julia Roberts. They were just better actors and/or had better scripts to work with than today's rom coms.
I reeeeallly love the movie “Always Be My Maybe” that came out recently on netflix (amazing Asian American cast), and “About Time” (also on Netflix) which felt so sincere, sweet, and had the added bonus of being about time travel.
i think part of why crazy rich asians worked was also that it wasn't about the initial liking each other and wanting to pursue a relationship stages. nick and rachel have been dating for 2 years and the movie is about them getting engaged. as an audience member it's just kind of refreshing to see a romcom that doesn't retread the same ground of getting to the first kiss again. not like they can't work today, but i think the romcom genre can also "save itself" by making more romcoms that don't focus on the beginning of a relationship and instead focus on an established relationship.
Sharp observation. I think seeing how much Nick and Rachel care about each other from the jump is what made them working through their external and internal struggles (class differences, traditional family values vs Americanized individual dreams, what it means to be Chinese 'enough,' etc) so interesting to watch. If their relationship was newer and more fragile, I don't think I would've been convinced that they'd get through all of that while still being in love. The strength of their love matches the height of the story's stakes -- both are very high! It's what made the movie hit home for me.
Oh for sure the route they chose to depict a relationship “on the rocks” or being tested was unique but also perfect for the type of cultural disparity story they wanted to explore. Portraying how new external factors can affect an established relationship instead of keeping it so insular makes the story super compelling and memorable.
One of the best aspects of Nick and Rachel’s relationship was that they communicated. She didn’t hide her discomfort. She didn’t hide the bullying from his ex. She didn’t hide information from him. He hid his riches but not intentionally in a sense of meaning to deceive. He just doesn’t have the perspective of knowing how jarring being among the rich can be.
It's almost like they don't want to show real struggles? Like love doesn't grow just because you're both hot and available. It's hard to get two people really together!!
Exactly! There are plenty of romcoms where the male or female love interest might not even be all that attractive, the movie is far more concerned with chemistry and a relationship of substance than it is with sexual tension
I used to love romcoms and stuff with cheesy easy romqnce plots but now it feel kind of shallow to me. That's just my personal likes and disslikes but it feels like romcoms are humans telling themselves that if love has to be perfect or dramatic and if its neither then its not romantic enough for a romcom but romance has a lot of thinking, work and time out into it. But a lot of romcom seem to have dramatic plots and simple love. (Again that's not bad but its getting kinda old)
My list is very long but I'll name 10 of my favorite romcoms: - Bridget Jones Diary - My Best Friend's Wedding - Easy A - What If - He's Just Not That Into You - 13 Going On 30 - How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - Bridesmaids - Under The Tuscan Sun - Spanglish
Here are some of my favorites that weren’t on your list: 27 dresses Shes the man Sydney white The wedding singer Ghost of girlfriends past 50 first dates The proposal Just my luck Hitch Failure to launch Along came Polly Never been kissed The ugly truth Shallow Hal I could name so many more but I better stop there lol
the graphics in this video were so cute and nostalgic, it had to be said. I appreciate the graphics in every video, thank you for putting effort into them, it really elevates the experience
I recently went on a romcom spree and realized that the new romcoms lack the fuzzy-comfy feel that I love about the 90s and 00s films. Apart from maybe to all the boys (but only the first one) the movies are either boring or cynical - and always empty. I just feel like they lack true substance. Yes, romcoms were always silly little films meant to be seen as escapes and fantasies, but most of them still had some decent messages.
I feel like some new movies fail to set the scene. A lot of successful romcoms are depicted in a (idealised of course) city or something and you could be transported there. I feel my patience for a film going when they bring in social media first before they establish the main characters home, street, car or something.
@@lalaland7961 there are certainly some movies where that is the case (the proposal for example) but when I went on the spree I also watched a lot of romcoms from that time that I previously didn’t know about, like „two weeks notice“ or „no reservations“. Again, these are not cinematic masterpieces but they had this cozy romcom vibe about them, that I just miss in romcoms nowadays.
Also, one of the the things that I love about 90s romcoms (while you were sleeping is my fav) is that even tho the storylines werenʻt realistic, the way people looked, their homes, their clothes felt real, lived in. I hate how new and plastic and bright and impersonal the look of so many modern romcoms are. You real feel like everything is a set and they just bought their entire wardrobes from Target.
While You Were Sleeping is my favorite too! I've watched it so many times, even my family quotes it😆. I loved Lucy's old coat that she wears and how Jack even comments on it, and finds out it's because it was her dad's. You miss that sort of characterization and little details in many newer romances or rom coms. Or how real those circular, silly arguments around the table or in the hospital with all of the family members felt and reminded me of my own family get-togethers. Not a lot of romances or rom coms develop out those side characters as much anymore.
-Crash landing on you is the best imo. Swoony, funny, ridiculous and with some action. -Twenty five twenty one is a coming of age with strong romance. -Run on, Her private life, My Holo love are pretty good (All before are on netflix) Some classics I've yet to watch are Goblin or Mr Sunshine. People say these are the best.
I definitely agree with your prediction that we're gonna see more romcoms based on books. Romantasy is probably the most popular genre right now, but there are SO MANY romance books that are very popular that are so tonally similar to 90s/00s romcoms
A favorite recent romcom is Lisa Frankenstein! I think another way the genre can come back is if studios embrace unconventional storytelling and mashup genres a little! Horror is definitely another low to mid budget type of film, and it’s often profitable; I can think of like 5 this past summer that made the 2.5 rule!
Honestly the decline of quality Hollywood/Western romcoms made me feel deeper into the Eastern/Asian romcom world. Now I don't even get that invested because my standards for build-up, chemistry, and tension have increased since seeing how it can be done in other romantic foreign media.
Same. The romance in Kdramas are slowburn and well-developed. Hollywood movies just put two hot people together, make them kiss, and now they're in love lmao.
Even for anime, Your Name. became one of the biggest anime films of all time. And it was a teen romcom mixed with a melancholic arthouse romantic drama, a body-swap fantasy film, and a Roland Emmerich/Michael Bay-style disaster blockbuster.
K Drama has filled that gap, and done it well. From existential stuff like My Liberation Diary to Destined With You's relentless cuteness and chemistry, they have it all.
@@mimik222 YES!!! I think this one is stellar, and a new one will come out, too. Although, I think the dad did all his scenes in the shop with the same shirt in one day. LOL.
Although I do agree that kdramas are doing it well I think a big part in why people don't really want to watch them is because they're not movies, they're shows. And kdramas have a tendency to have a really slow burn that some people aren't used to or aren't looking for. Nothing against kdramas I think they're nice but it's just different
I loved While You Were Sleeping when I was a kid, especially because of the fact that it's set during Christmas (my favourite holiday), & i still watch it every December. Other rom coms that are some of my faves are My Big Fat Greek Wedding, & When Harry Met Sally.
One thing I notice too is how the industry does not give all black rom com movies as much of a chance and audiences aren't open to watching them either but I think I could help the genre
okay here is my obligatory defense of you’ve got mail: its not the nora ephron movie i watch when i want an earth shattering love story (that would be when harry met sally) but it is the one i watch when i could really use a hug. the relationship is not the main draw for me, it’s the fall and spring ambience, the upper west side and all those bookstore shots, it’s the gentleness with which the story is told. there’s something so bittersweet about it as well, because it captures a shifting (in technology, business, new york, attitudes towards love, etc) in the middle of that shift. i feel like the world is so different now but the one thing that is constant is change-anything that can give me hope to embrace that change is a welcome experience.
Perfectly put! I love this movie for the fall or l have a selection of rom coms l call my “sick movies” which are played on loop when l am sick because they give me comfort and a good laugh.
you’ve got mail is my fav romcom and i think it IS an earth shattering love story tbh 🥺🥺 even though it builds slowly, it really develops the characters and in kathleen and joe’s little moments you see them go from enemies to friends to lovers and i think it’s absolutely beautiful. makes my heart flutter every time i watch it unfold
Yes!! I’m not really the type to have “comfort movies,” but You’ve Got Mail comes the closest. Everything about it is just so soothingly cozy and beautiful.
Favorite romcoms: - 10 Things I Hate About You (Heath Ledger? Julia Stiles? David Krumholtz!?) - My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Bundt cakes still get a little giggle out of me) - Mama Mia (so much fun, Brosnan’s singing is perfect!) - Clueless
I’m not even big on romcoms (only really tuned in cause I love Mina’s breakdowns) but 10 things I hate about you never fails to give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. And it’s got that rewatchability factor as well. Love it so much
The Holiday (2006) is my favorite romcom and i don't see it talked about nearly enough. It follows two couples: Cameron Diaz x Jude Law and Kate Winslet x Jack Black. All of the main characters are incredibly charming. The design and score of the movie are both beautiful too.
Kinda unrelated but how come a guy like Jack Black is so normalized in romcoms but when we got Penelope Featherington people are so pressed about her being heavy
I didn't grow up with these films from the 90's, but I remember staying with my aunt when I was 16 for about 2 weeks over a summer holiday and she was a Rom-com junkie. I basically sat for a week with nothing to do but watch her DVD collection, it is genuinely one of my favourite memories of my childhood.
This video is literally soooo important I never noticed this but ur right our perception of what we see on social media has affected how hopeless and skeptical we became towards relationships and the other sex in general Which in result made it more difficult to be in genuine relationships with genuine people instead of try to mold ones out of our fears Great analysis and great video as usual Thank uu Mina ❤️
13 going on 30 will forever be my favorite rom-com, it just makes me so happy, I also love the older rom-com titled “It happened one night” it made me swoon
Omg thank you sm! I watched “It happened one night” very long time ago and I remember liking it. I wanted to watch it again, but couldn't remember the title. I'm so happy I didn't skip your comment :)
i can't believe you didn't mention set it up!!!! that's definitely one of the best romcoms that have come out recently. i think it executed the romcom genre very well in a time when no one wanted to make romcoms. it is adored by many and honestly feels like an oasis in a desert of recent mediocre romcoms, and the proof is that it is adored by so many (i know it's my personal comfort movie). i seriously urge any and every romcom fan to watch set it up immediately !!!
Omg YES! I hardly hear anyone talking about it which is such a shame considering how GOOD it is. Both leads and supporting cast are so genuine in their acting, which I think makes it feel so different to the "gotta wink at the camera cause we all know this is cringe, right? Right? We're in on the joke too!" UGH-ness of many contemporary rom-coms. Set It Up deserves all the praise, I'm so glad to have found your comment here!!
Yes!!! Excellent take!! I honestly love You've Got Mail a lot too just because it's based off of that one and has a good soundtrack but Jimmy has the most heart-melting voice and presence on screen I'm so glad to see someone else showing him some love!!
Thank you for mentioning "What's Up, Doc"!!! It is so underrated and no one ever talks about it. One of my all time favorite movies. It's about 4 very different people who have identical suitcases and they get mixed up, absolutely hilarious. One of the four is the man in the clip she showed, another is Barbra Streisand! Either this, Grease, or Princess Bride were played almost every day when I was growing up, and I still laugh every time. Highly recommend
I’ve been revisiting Pride and Prejudice recently, and the theme of companionate marriage is really strong. In a lot of ways, that’s the heart of When Harry Met Sally and even You’ve got Mail. The underlying core message is that these people will be great companions on their life journeys. The romance is less about the sexual chemistry and more focused on their companionship. Ellie Dashwood’s channel did a great video on the topic of companionate marriage that I recommend (“Did Elizabeth really love Mr. Darcy?”) I was a big fan of 2000’s “Keeping the Faith”, which was certainly based more on sexual chemistry that transforms into a deeper love. It was filmed where I grew up on the UWS, and I have deep nostalgia for it. There’s so much about evolving friendships, the meaning of our professions, and layered family dynamics. Might be time for a rewatch…
OH MY GOD. those are two of my favorite movies, and some of my favorite parts of them are the aesthetic. submarine in particular - yeah. i’ve always had a fondness for movies where the romance is a subplot. juno, amelie, studio ghibli’s whisper of the heart are some of my favorites that all have sweet romances on the side. those are also from the 90s and 2000s. but they’ve aged better than a lot of these romcoms (in terms of how they treat minorities). i would give so much to have a film like that again with holdovers/submarine aesthetic.
@@mishynaofficial more than nostalgia -- a movie with heart, with a story over AND with the romance element. modern "romcoms" are absolutely one-dimensional. also, when it comes to looks, modern productions of this trope seem to lack a care when it comes to the production design/cinematography
My favorite rom-com of these recent years is Palm Springs. It's a movie that manages to be earnest and optimistic in the face of true despair and nihilism as well as humorous and silly. It's a timeloop movie like Groundhog Day, but the two main characters are in the loop together. The narrative really leverages the premise to reflect both realistic relationships conflict (like the extremely familiar conflict where one person is fine with how things are versus the other wanting to build a future even if it's risky) as well as reconfiguring rom-com structural elements (like the loop happens on a wedding day and their hijinks deeply reflect the fun you're supposed to have dating). The premise also makes their characterizations realistic and empathetic rather than annoying or overdramatic. The movie doesn't end with their marriage and children, but on the other hand, it's probably the most emotionally intense commitment I've ever seen a movie couple make. It came out in 2020 and it's depiction of being trapped and bored while death becomes common and surreal might have actually been too real for its own good. Anyway, recommended. Also: I second The Shop Around the Corner recommendation.
I wanna hug you for talking about my 2 fav romcoms. Palm Springs is hilarious and amazingly insightful and emotional, and the shop around the corner despite being 85 years old is so charming, funny, and modern. TSATC IS TRULY the OG romcom along with it happened one night from 1934!! If anyone is reading this and hasn't watched TSATC or IHON because you think black and white movies are dry and dated: give them a chance!
my favourite romcom is actually a modern one - Set It Up (2018). i’m surprised that even with Glen Powell's current popularity not many people are talking about it!
My favourite rom com is 27 dresses, it feels so romantic with its comedy/ drama take and it really feels timeless with the the main character’s awkward, hopeless romantic view of love because so many girls through out time relate to the main character’s yearning for classic meaningful love. I feel like it wouldn’t do well in the generation we have today but I feel that it’s one of the most underrated 90s rom coms and many people should really go apreciate it because I think lots of people would love it.
@@cultivatepod I honestly don't know how people do it now, but I used to live in Montreal, where my company used to have an office like a decade ago. It was one of those infamously bad jobs where people would do the training then immediately quit, because after the training you don't get a wage but paid by the amount of work you do. I thought I would as well (I made less than minimum wage for about two months) but have stuck with it since then.
My favorite romcom is “10 Things I Hate About You”. It’s just so amazing!! Everything about the movie is amazing including the acting, the music, the romance, the comedy, etc. I just watched the movie “Drive Me Crazy” the other week for the first time and that movie was so freaking good. It’s a very underrated movie.
Wow, u just listed my 2 all time favourite teen-movies. Both those movies stood up the test of time and I rewatch them every now and then when I feel bad about life.
I found "Love at first sight" a gorgeous rom-com. It is also a book adaptation (i read the book years ago, it is probably more that 10 years old) so I was pretty excited to watch it and I couldn't love it more. I watch twice in the same week and i cried at the end. It is charming, funny, heartfelt, it's perfect!!! ❤ Awesome soundtrack too 🥰
@@txwtw For real. I randomly watched it for free here on TH-cam and thought it was so good. And was like "wait how had I never heard of this 90s rom com?!" 😂.
About people not seeing movies in theaters: I think it’s important to mention that the cost of going to the movies is just out of a lot of people’s reach now. It’s too expensive! My husband and I never go to traditional theaters, we always go to a discount one, so any movies that we see have already been out way beyond their traditional theater days. People MIGHT splurge to see something they know they’ll love, like from a known franchise or with a beloved actor/actress. But most everyone just can’t afford to go to the theater to see something they don’t even know they’ll like.
I just wanna add that some people don't even have a theater that they could go to! I have never been to one, it's not available where I live and the closest one to me is 8 hours drive away!! And there are rarely English films.
We make an effort to go as often as possible. I hate the thought of theaters dying off. But we thankfully have a very nice, cheap AMC theater nearby. I don’t get how it’s still in business either how cheap tickets are
I also think there’s a general sexist aversion to so-called “women’s media.” Romance movies and books are often not regarded with the same seriousness as media targeted to men.
I think What If with Danielle Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan is the last romcom I remember watching and thinking it was genuinely funny and genuinely romantic I don't ever get my hopes up for a romcom to actually feel romantic anymore. If i want a romance, I look at dramas
YES! No one ever talks about that movie but it’s one of my favorites. I liked that it wasn’t afraid to give both main characters real flaws, and while I wasn’t a fan of the best friends to lovers arc while Chantry had a bf, it felt realistically messy
It Happened One Night is such a banger. Pretty sure it won multiple Oscars and Clark Gable in it was so dreamy to 15 year old me (and me a decade later lol). Would highly recommend a watch, if you can overlook some of its ‘of its time’ markers 😅
I was trying to remember the title of this movie so I could watch it again. And here I found it mentioned a few times. Lucky me :) I didn't even know it's this popular
1st. I LOVE the editing. Seriously, some of the best I've seen on TH-cam. 2nd. My favorite Rom Com is without a doubt "Sleeping with Other People" with Jason Sudekis and Allison Brie. It does very much feel like "When Harry Met Sally". It's a true friends to lovers story that makes my heart melt. It's just a bit more updated and I like Jake a little more than I like Harry. I also really love "A Low Down Dirty Shame" with Keenan Ivory Wayans and Jada Pinkett. That one is very much an action movie and has a deeper storyline. But it's hilarious so I've decided that it counts.
The lack of worldbuilding is why modern romcoms are bad. The Idea of You/ To All the Boys captured that homey feeling of older romcoms while using modern tech.
I am very picky about the romcoms I like. I love "When Harry Met Sally," but never got into "Love Actually." I think current romcoms tend to be more like romantic DRAMAS, which play up more of the melodrama instead of giving off cozy, funny vibes. Colleen Hoover's novels/It Ends With Us? Glorified Lifetime Movies of the Week. And my personal favorite romcom is 10 Things I Hate About You, tho I also love Clueless.
I think Love Actually is really overrated. Though I love Emma Thompson's part. She was so good, especially when her character realised her husband is cheating. It broke my heart.
This is a great video essay! I appreciate not only all the thought that went into it, but the amount of films covered. Also, I appreciate that you mentioned The Shop Around the Corner, even though I actually prefer You've Got Mail (I feel confident that it has to do with the nostalgia of it as well as the sort of idea that your love will be there to pick you up and show you a different way to do things, as they both do though it isn't shown in the best way, I felt it communicates that.). I will wholeheartedly say that When Harry Met Sally is my favorite Rom-Com and almost definitely holds the title of most watched Rom-Com in my house!
You’ve Got Mail is essentially a reworking of Shop Around the Corner (1940) and idk I love both. I am a sucker for Christmas background settings in films where Christmas is not the movie but the plot is just during that time of year.
I think a lot of people have been making arguments about movie's change from sincerity to meta/self-aware/cynical/satirical/sarchastic interpretations. It's mostly big studios that reinforce this though, I think indie romances can be genuinely fantastic, though they're either leaning into awkwardly and painfully realistic or fantastical stuff. Anyone But You is a cash-in Netflix-quality product that got major box office thanks to excellent marketing by the stars themselves and people really always eating up rom-coms, even if not in theatres anymore, certainly in streaming services. Also since movies are no longer the foundational base of casual entertainment as they used to be the most popular past-time, the only really notable succesful truly popular romcoms are ones with some catchy gimmick or viral appeal.
You summed it up pretty well. The meta, self-aware humor was coll at first, but now it's become stale because it's taking audiences out of the story instead of immersing them into it. The escapism is gone.
I just want to say that your videos are very engaging. I usually watch TH-cam for background noise, but I always find myself coming to my phone to watch !
i’m so glad you gave The Shop Around the Corner a shout out at the end 🥰 Saw it for the first time a year or two ago and it quickly became one of my all time faves. 🥰 Also my favorites include When Harry Met Sally, 13 Going on 30, 10 Things I Hate About You and Moonstruck!
I can't get over the Before trilogy and how they portrayed different stages of love. There's something beautiful to me about two people talking and seeing them through passing years. You have Before sunrise - the meet cute, kind of naive, but sweet and fun, Before sunset - more mature and hopeful for love and at last (very underrated) Before midnight - which is basicly what happens after 'the happily ever after'... ugh just so good! If you haven't watched it yet, I truly recommend it P.s. but yeah, I also really love "when Harry met Sally" ❤😅
i feel like i always ask people about this movie and they have no idea what im talking about ahhahahah. its such a credit to the actors and script because i have never been so invested in hours of yapping like i was in these movies
They're really good movies but man the characters are awfuuuul. Not awfully written but they're really bad people. It's like an anti-romcom. How can we cram the most immature, delusional, selfish, shallow traits in two people and see how they destroy a marriage because it was based on nothing? Lol. It's depressing haha
@@PapillonBleuNoir ahhh i understand this take but I disagree! i mean, the third movie they're both pretty bad. but i think mostly, in the first film at least, i find them charming, charismatic, curious and aware of their own flaws, to the point that it could be a little grating, but they don't take themselves so seriously that it becomes an issue. they enjoy the flaws they notice in each other, and don't hold back from saying things that are a bit tricky or silly or pretentious. They just talk and express themselves without trying to be likeable. I love them! But I do see your point. Maybe it's subjective haha
I wish we had another big name like Nora Ephron to carry the romcom genre forward in the current era. Even if I don't love all of her films, her writing was bolstered by so much natural charm and believable characters that you could, like you said, still watch something of hers that you have valid issues with. I don't love Sleepless in Seattle, but the Deborah Kerr cry scene is so iconic. I don't love You've Got Mail, but my heart still aches when I think of Meg Ryan's imagine spot where she remembers dancing with her mother in their book shop. I just don't feel that connection with a lot of blah romcoms I've seen in recent years, and I think it is a weakness in the writing.
Love that you mentioned The Shop Around The Corner!! Anytime someone mentions ‘You’ve Got Mail’ I can’t help but mention how it’s based off of that movie.
Down with Love (2003) starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor is such a great homage to the bedroom comedies of the 60s. It's very clever and sexy and the costumes are to die for because its all set in the 60s too. Definitely due for a rewatch.
There is SO much content that can be used for rom com at this time.. diverse POC, people with disabilities, queer love, so much is still underrepresented! And ordinary people, I would love to see more ordinary people finding love.
Yes! Not only is representation in media better for moral reasons, but it also gives those stories a specificity that a lot of the repetitive and formulaic romcoms or recent memory lack
Especially ordinary people! You know how those random couples interviewed by humans of new york usually have cutesy love story on how they met or became close. We want those
@@kagitsuneI wish they'd let poor people make a movie from time to time, a lot of us would have way more interesting ideas! Being poor puts you in so many situation that are sad but also weird and hilarious. It seems like all the screenwriters nowadays are boring rich kids who happen to have the right connections
Princess bride, The shop around the corner, The African Queen, A room with a view, The Philadelphia Story, My man Godfrey, It happened one night, A night's tale, White Christmas, Emma (2020), Pride and Prejudice (1995), Libeled Lady, My Fair Lady. My favourite movie out of all the romatic movie genres has got to be Dogfight. It's so fucking sincere. My favourite romance series (out of all romance genres) is Heartstopper
A crazy thought... But take some elements from one of my favorite overall movie, Lilo and Stitch. Nami and David are so adorable together. 1) realistic struggle, Finding jobs and Nami getting custody of her younger sister 2) Nami and David had amazing chemistry 3) You can keep the crazy aliens or substitute them for crazy humans This would make a cute romantic Comedy I agree, Princess Bride is amazing.
17:01 you’ve got mail is based on a play. i watched it my second time with this knowledge and realised how well it suits the form of a play, with the more bittersweet tones and limited settings and characters, the narration device of the emails.
I'm so glad someone could put this to words! For the longest time I just had this sentiment of "they just don't make movies like they used to" but I couldn't particularly articulate why, but you did a great job explaining it!!
While I LOVE When Harry Met Sally, without a doubt the best romance films I've ever seen are Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight. Less com more rom, but amazingly written and the concept of following this couple at 5 year intervals per movie in the trilogy will remain the best idea everrrrr please watch them they deserve so much love!!!
I just rewatched the Before Trilogy again recently. Geez I love those films. Absolutely perfect in my opinion, especially the first one it’s incredibly romantic.
Some of my faves: - How to Steal a Million (1966) - I.Q. (1994) - 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) - The Holiday (2006) - Princess Diaries 2 (2004) - The Ugly Truth (2009) - What's Up, Doc? (1972)
To me it clearly has to do with the current economic and social circumstances. People can't move out of their parents' home (which helps a lot for a long-term relationship). People don't connect much, they (women, often) get stuck in 'situationships' with low commitment. Many young men don't even *want* a proper relationship, and if they do it's made very hard by their failure to hit adult milestones. You see this cynicism and jadedness in songs, i can't remember the last time i heard a good love song from the charts. It's all about securing a decent man and a good material situation (in this economy...), romcoms seem pretty futile and weightless in our era
I want a rom-com taking place in a ComicCon environment. A lot of relationships happens in those environments. Could be like a story that takes place within the span of a week, like Comic-Cons usually do.
Well, I never thought Crazy Rich Asians was that romantic (except the wedding scene that was romantic) or was meant to be but more about cultural and class differences within the same racial groups, female relationships, and sexism. The main relationships that make the film worth watching is Rachel/Peik Lin, Rachel/Astrid, Rachel/Her Mother and Rachel/Eleanor and the biggest conversations were about culture and class. Other than two scenes, the romance is not really at the front at all.
As an Asian, the movie just made me stressed because in real life it’s very common for Asian in laws to be complicated and mean..and there’s not always a happy ending.
I personally feel stressed watching it. I know the point of the movie has to do with standing strong and be together no matter how strong the struggle is. But i personally CAN'T for my life to be comfortable enough to be married into that kind of family. Sure i'd be filthy rich but all that money will definitely go to therapy
Tbh, in this sense I think it follows really well in the true Austen tradition - with the CRA book series having even more overt similarities. Like, everyone talks about how swooningly romantic the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie is, but that was deliberately, and pretty heavily, exaggerated and romanticised compared to the tone of the actual book (at least at one point in her life, Austen had some pretty choice critiques for aspects of capital-R Romanticism). All of Austen's books are a lot more focused on the world around the main couple, rather than seeking to tell a tight, contained narrative about their journey to falling in love. And obviously that's the same kind of vibe that Crazy Rich Asians goes for, it's asking you to understand and think about the social structures and conventional expectations that multiple characters have to navigate throughout the story, which means that the focus is much more expansive rather than concentrated on the development of a romance. And tbh I just find it funny that in the public consciousness, Austen novels are kinda held up as these ultimate bastions of romance, when the reality of them is that in a lot of ways, they're more in the Crazy Rich Asians vein of storytelling, and don't have a ton in common with our contemporary ideas of what a truly romance-oriented story 'should' look like.
No lie I watched that for the first time a few years ago, and Julia Robert’s acting in that movie was the first an only time I’ve been impressed with an acting performance.
Mina, you should put all of the movies you referenced in your videos in the caption. Then I don’t have to go back and find them all to put on my watchlist on Letterboxd lol. Really loved this video thank you queen
Great video as always! For me, my favorite rom-coms include: - 13 Going on 30 - When Harry Met Sally - Bed of Roses - Crazy Rich Asians - Some Kind of Wonderful
I couldn't pick just one romcom, so I picked five! 1. Bringing Up Baby: I love how this movie is just non-stop chaos! 2. The Lady Eve: The dialogue and the chemistry between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda make this film A+. 3. The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer: Cary Grant's timing is perfect in this, and it’s such a fun take on an odd story. 4. The Five-Year Engagement: I really like how this movie shows relationships realistically, mixing humor and heart. 5. Crazy, Stupid, Love: The cast is great, and the way the stories connect are perfect
"You've Got Mail" and "Shop Around the Corner" are both based on a play called Parfumerie, and it has yet another movie adaption between those two starring Judy Garland as 1949's "In the Good Old Summertime". There's a full blown Broadway musical version too called "She Loves Me" that is probably my favorite version of this story! It got a pro-shot that was streamed a few years back and it's so beautiful, with a stunning set that looks and opens like a jewelry box. My favorite movie romcom tbh is probably still "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Sorry to the "Love Actually" haters but Curtis' first romcom and the original "Bridget Jones" are probably always going to hold a special place in my heart.
My fav is probably The Holiday (2006) even though Cameron Diaz's character's hottest personality trait being that she isn't into foreplay makes me pause the movie every time and scream out loud "who wrote that line?!?!". The cottage and the blanket fort are just so cozy so I watch it at least once a year.
before sunrise is soooo good you have to check it out there's also like 2 more movies it's a trilogy it's very interesting. It follows these people throughout their lives
With the conversation about dwindling mid-budget films: the budget of film and series today are so insanely high, even though it doesn't always show in the quality of the production, that it's too demanding to expect these projects to profit. Which leads to a lot of shows getting canned after 1 season or being considered box office bombs when they actually preformed well but couldn't make back their 6-figure budget. So I think we will def see more mid-budget productions coming back in the near future.
Favourite romcom: My BIG Fat Greek Wedding! If you're looking for a more recent film I also recently rewatched and got a new appreciation for "Crazy, Stupid, Love."
I will *never* forget watching Crazy Stupid Love in the theater and the way the crowd gasped during the big reveal scene. It’s not a movie that holds up perfectly in the current age, but the main core of it is still a work of art to me.
What works super well with my big fat Greek wedding is that it wasn't just about the main couple but gave space/floor to the family as well and it made for a much richer experience.
I miss a good epic romance. Even today's Romantasy genre isn't giving what it should. (And no, I will never consider ACOTAR an example of good epic scope, deeply romantic Romantasy)
I remember watching the movie Just Like Heaven and Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon were so good. I was so invested in them ending up together. Same goes for Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock in While you were sleeping.
yeah, a lot of people say spoiling medias over 10 years old is ok because "you've definitely seen it by now" but something that goes below 1970 and is generally niche means people have likely not either found a way to watch or weren't aware of the thing, so its nice giving a spoiler alert just in case most viewers haven't seen it
Love your video, Mina! We seem to have a similar taste in Rom Coms :) I'd love to hear you speak more on why newer Rom Coms don't often seem to work at all! I really wanted to love "Anyone but You", "The Idea of You" and even that Nicole Kidman/Zac Efron flick but they just feel so hollow and flat, even though they all feature really good actors.
I just noticed there's an editing error around 13:33. Here are the correct movie dates:
- All About Eve (1950) (which is not a romcom; I think my editor meant to put The Lady Eve (1941) which actually follows screwball comedy conventions, though it sits outside of the trade paper-designated 'screwball era' of 1934-8). * TLDR: ignore this one.)
- The Apartment (1960)
- Send Me No Flowers (1964)
- The Seven Year Itch (1955)
- As Good as It Gets (1997)
*** To clarify, I've noticed some sources will designate *all* early romcoms as screwball comedies, while others treat the genres as more separate and co-existing. (They believe that "romantic comedies" existed tangentially with screwballs in the 1930s.) For example, film professor Wes D. Gehring (who I cited) actually makes the case in his book for It Happened One Night (1934) being a romcom and *not* a screwball com. I didn't want to get into the weeds of this discourse since I didn't want this video to be all about semantics, but it's all very interesting,.
Shailene Woodley was in The Spectacular Now with Miles Teller!! Idk if that qualifies but it gives rom com vibes to me
netflix had one called love at first sight that it was good!
You misused the word subsequently when you must have meant consequently.
Academy Award winner "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) is kind of known as the template screwball romance that all others sought to replicate
I'm not a big fan of Hallmark movies now a days but two of them have stuck with me for years. One that I can't seem to remember, I'll edit it here. And a romantic-comedy-cominghome type of movie there's also The Spirit of Christmas. It's so cute. No, I don't celebrate Christmas but something there on the writing, acting and execution is shows to us viewers that love can come from anywhere.
We might call older movies naive, cringe, patriarchal, campy, etc. But something there in the writing it shows to the viewer. Some of these values, dating rules and positive outlook can and should be put back in place in the modern era. I don't and I won't go out with a guy today. And end up in his bed or his parent's bedroom. I want a guy that enjoys dating, enjoying life, me enjoying him with his weaknesses and strengths. Once we both are ready, you know? Pop the question. Then we can be intimate. I really hope we can bring back -- not all bad aspects of the 1930s - 1950s -- but let us enjoy dating, meeting, hugging, cuddling without high expectations. That would be great!
There is nothing like the 90s and early 2000s romcoms . Something about them being simple , genuine, authentic and fun with exciting plots and characters that keeps you engaged, interested and emotional. Am afraid actors were more honest and actually enjoying their roles than nowadays.
Watch Red White & Royal Blue I felt I was transported back to 2012
Can attest to RW&RB being one of the best "contemporary rom-coms"!
This is so true. I watched My Bestfriend’s Wedding last time and it was so good. You can clearly see how the story progresses and it really feels genuine. Something that even in today’s generation will still relate to and somehow thinks that it is realistic in some way. Deep romantic talks and chemistry of characters. However, today’s romcom such as He’s All That and some is kind of off to me as they seem very unrealistic and too fictitious (although they are really a work of fiction) but the fact that no one is even like that in real life is sending me 😭 but again, there are some hidden romcom gems in today’s generation. Some Filipino romcoms in Netflix still has this romance capture that I bet everyone still relate too.
Sleepless In Seattle, 13 Going On 30, Blast From The Past, While You Were Sleeping & Ghost>>>>>>
Does anyone else imagine made up 90s/early 2000s romcoms in their head or is that just me
commenting this before I watch the video: On top of the valid points I’m sure Mina makes in this vid, I think a big thing that no one points out is the ultra clear camera quality of today’s movies. It feels extremely digital and yet too realistic at the same time. Back in the 90’s and 00’s rom coms had a charming grain and vibrant colors. It helps contribute to that fuzzy feeling and visually romanticizes the movie. It’s like how we look at film photos as more charming as opposed to phone pics, it feels authentic, in the moment, and romantic
youre so right i agree
Adding to this, I think the actors nowadays being so polished and chiseled also takes away from the charm of these movies. Obviously, movie stars like Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts are very beautiful people but they were still styled like normal people and didn't feel so glamorous. Nowadays, the characters look and are styled to look so polished, it just feels like we're watching glamorous celebrities that are playing a role whereas in the past, the characters felt more authentic and felt very much separate from the actors. If you think about it, it was somewhat rare for even the male romcom stars to be so absolutely chiseled with an 8 pack but now, even the most random side character has that look. It just feels inauthentic and hence it's difficult to be immersed in the film.
Yes, and I've also noticed that the sets themselves are big, modern minimalist houses or apartments that the average viewer couldn't possibly relate to and it ruins the cozy vibe- and tells nothing about the character except that maybe they're extremely rich- although wealth never factors into the plot
such a valid point omg
YES. I feel like cameras show us MORE than our eyes can see in real life. Its TOO crisp. I love the 90s quallty and experiement with making my own pics a little more unclear on purpose
My friend called The Devil Wears Prada a romcom and I was like ????? Did we watch the same movie????
This is how I felt when the Barbie movie had intially came out and google had labeled it as a romcom like did whoever put that intial label even watch the movie?
I gotta imagine it's people not knowing how to say 'chick flick' without sounding like that so defaulting to 'romcom' even when it's really not relevant? Because you can't just call it a comedy obviously, it's for women, gotta differentiate it somehow 🙄 (eyeroll not at all aimed at you to be clear, xD)
I would have called Devil Wears Prada a Dramady honestly
@@restlessellisexactly, that's what people do when they're trying not to be misogynistic while saying "that's a woman's movie", and the devil wears Prada has so much more to offer than romance, romance is the least relevant part of it. They did NOT watch the movie.
Was gonna write it in the comments LMAOOO
I think the fact that movies only hire the same 5 actors is a big reason romance movies don’t feel genuine, it doesn’t feel like real people falling in love anymore and maybe gives the viewer hope for themselves. Not to mention most movies/series now seems too “instagram” too polished, it’s perfectly lit, sleek white,no mess , no “lived in” houses
Here here 🙌🏽
Also the lack of chemistry between the actors is obvious. Actors having chemistry tests use to be common back then, but they stop doing that.
there it is
They’ve been doing it for decades. The reason being now is that they are not hiring good actors. They are more focused on inclusivity and making the stories anything about love and romance. I understand that the whole girl gets saved by the guy Trope is repetitive and can be played out but in reality that’s what most romcom are about and what people want to see and we don’t get that anymore because everything needs to be woke
Holloywood hiring the same actors is nothing new. Back in the 90s, the go-to rom com girlies were Sandra Bullock, Drew Barrymore, and Julia Roberts. They were just better actors and/or had better scripts to work with than today's rom coms.
I reeeeallly love the movie “Always Be My Maybe” that came out recently on netflix (amazing Asian American cast), and “About Time” (also on Netflix) which felt so sincere, sweet, and had the added bonus of being about time travel.
About Time is my favorite movie of all time
Another good one about time travel is Palm Springs. Think Groundhog Day if Rita had been pulled into the time loop with Phil.
@@cerrida82 Palm Springs is SO GOOD
About time is soooooo goooood!!!! I love that movie so much 😭😭
yessss always be my maybe is so good!!
i think part of why crazy rich asians worked was also that it wasn't about the initial liking each other and wanting to pursue a relationship stages. nick and rachel have been dating for 2 years and the movie is about them getting engaged. as an audience member it's just kind of refreshing to see a romcom that doesn't retread the same ground of getting to the first kiss again. not like they can't work today, but i think the romcom genre can also "save itself" by making more romcoms that don't focus on the beginning of a relationship and instead focus on an established relationship.
Sharp observation. I think seeing how much Nick and Rachel care about each other from the jump is what made them working through their external and internal struggles (class differences, traditional family values vs Americanized individual dreams, what it means to be Chinese 'enough,' etc) so interesting to watch. If their relationship was newer and more fragile, I don't think I would've been convinced that they'd get through all of that while still being in love. The strength of their love matches the height of the story's stakes -- both are very high! It's what made the movie hit home for me.
Oh for sure the route they chose to depict a relationship “on the rocks” or being tested was unique but also perfect for the type of cultural disparity story they wanted to explore. Portraying how new external factors can affect an established relationship instead of keeping it so insular makes the story super compelling and memorable.
Great observation! Even though I didn't like the movie or found it funny, but it really follows the formula
One of the best aspects of Nick and Rachel’s relationship was that they communicated. She didn’t hide her discomfort. She didn’t hide the bullying from his ex. She didn’t hide information from him. He hid his riches but not intentionally in a sense of meaning to deceive. He just doesn’t have the perspective of knowing how jarring being among the rich can be.
This. Exactly. I wanna see rom-com movies that established couple tackle along real life problems while being lighthearted and sweet about it.
A RAISE for the editor. The romcom collage IS romance.
Came here for this comment
I had literal CHILLS & also needed to comment this exact thing
@fashionpuppy423 omg so glad someone else felt this way I had to check the comments
does anyone know the song at that part?
the bgm was perfect!
It's almost like they don't want to show real struggles? Like love doesn't grow just because you're both hot and available. It's hard to get two people really together!!
That’s why romance is way better than romcom.
Exactly! There are plenty of romcoms where the male or female love interest might not even be all that attractive, the movie is far more concerned with chemistry and a relationship of substance than it is with sexual tension
I used to love romcoms and stuff with cheesy easy romqnce plots but now it feel kind of shallow to me. That's just my personal likes and disslikes but it feels like romcoms are humans telling themselves that if love has to be perfect or dramatic and if its neither then its not romantic enough for a romcom but romance has a lot of thinking, work and time out into it. But a lot of romcom seem to have dramatic plots and simple love. (Again that's not bad but its getting kinda old)
Well said😢
My list is very long but I'll name 10 of my favorite romcoms:
- Bridget Jones Diary
- My Best Friend's Wedding
- Easy A
- What If
- He's Just Not That Into You
- 13 Going On 30
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- Bridesmaids
- Under The Tuscan Sun
- Spanglish
I never hear anybody talk about What If! It’s so good 🥹
Here are some of my favorites that weren’t on your list:
27 dresses
Shes the man
Sydney white
The wedding singer
Ghost of girlfriends past
50 first dates
The proposal
Just my luck
Hitch
Failure to launch
Along came Polly
Never been kissed
The ugly truth
Shallow Hal
I could name so many more but I better stop there lol
I loved 10 things I hate about you
absolutely agree about what if! it's such a feel good movie, honestly my comfort movie, and i barely hear anyone talk about it
How to lose a guy in 10 days ❤
the graphics in this video were so cute and nostalgic, it had to be said. I appreciate the graphics in every video, thank you for putting effort into them, it really elevates the experience
So true!!
I recently went on a romcom spree and realized that the new romcoms lack the fuzzy-comfy feel that I love about the 90s and 00s films. Apart from maybe to all the boys (but only the first one) the movies are either boring or cynical - and always empty. I just feel like they lack true substance. Yes, romcoms were always silly little films meant to be seen as escapes and fantasies, but most of them still had some decent messages.
Watch Red White & Royal Blue I felt I was transported back to 2012 honestly!!
I really think a lot of what your feeling by “fuzzy” is nostalgia
I feel like some new movies fail to set the scene. A lot of successful romcoms are depicted in a (idealised of course) city or something and you could be transported there. I feel my patience for a film going when they bring in social media first before they establish the main characters home, street, car or something.
I think we just grew up unfortunately
@@lalaland7961 there are certainly some movies where that is the case (the proposal for example) but when I went on the spree I also watched a lot of romcoms from that time that I previously didn’t know about, like „two weeks notice“ or „no reservations“. Again, these are not cinematic masterpieces but they had this cozy romcom vibe about them, that I just miss in romcoms nowadays.
Also, one of the the things that I love about 90s romcoms (while you were sleeping is my fav) is that even tho the storylines werenʻt realistic, the way people looked, their homes, their clothes felt real, lived in. I hate how new and plastic and bright and impersonal the look of so many modern romcoms are. You real feel like everything is a set and they just bought their entire wardrobes from Target.
This is so true! I wish they would just do wardrobe from a thrift store
While you were sleeping is my fav too!
While You Were Sleeping is one of THE BEST!!
It’s the Nancy Myers’s effect- her movies are the cozy ones we remember, others imitated them and we remember the warmth of the sets.
While You Were Sleeping is my favorite too! I've watched it so many times, even my family quotes it😆. I loved Lucy's old coat that she wears and how Jack even comments on it, and finds out it's because it was her dad's. You miss that sort of characterization and little details in many newer romances or rom coms. Or how real those circular, silly arguments around the table or in the hospital with all of the family members felt and reminded me of my own family get-togethers. Not a lot of romances or rom coms develop out those side characters as much anymore.
I'm getting my romcom fix from kdramas. Hollywood can't seem to write a good, genuine script.
PS Please treat yourself to Crash landing on you
any recs?
-Crash landing on you is the best imo. Swoony, funny, ridiculous and with some action.
-Twenty five twenty one is a coming of age with strong romance.
-Run on, Her private life, My Holo love are pretty good
(All before are on netflix)
Some classics I've yet to watch are Goblin or Mr Sunshine. People say these are the best.
@@hiddenrainbow12love goblin and my holo love.
Same with j-dramas for me!
@@hiddenrainbow12 Omg yes! I really enjoyed My Holo Love. I also loved Extraordinary You, it always gets me crying 😭
I definitely agree with your prediction that we're gonna see more romcoms based on books. Romantasy is probably the most popular genre right now, but there are SO MANY romance books that are very popular that are so tonally similar to 90s/00s romcoms
A favorite recent romcom is Lisa Frankenstein! I think another way the genre can come back is if studios embrace unconventional storytelling and mashup genres a little!
Horror is definitely another low to mid budget type of film, and it’s often profitable; I can think of like 5 this past summer that made the 2.5 rule!
I agree, I loved this movie!!! So nostalgic yet refreshing 😂
same so good 🥺🖤🖤🖤
I loved Lisa Frankenstein!
Honestly the decline of quality Hollywood/Western romcoms made me feel deeper into the Eastern/Asian romcom world. Now I don't even get that invested because my standards for build-up, chemistry, and tension have increased since seeing how it can be done in other romantic foreign media.
Same
same lmao I get my romance fix with kdramas lol
Same. The romance in Kdramas are slowburn and well-developed. Hollywood movies just put two hot people together, make them kiss, and now they're in love lmao.
@@muskaan3711 reallll 😭 i always get pissed off when they kiss and have sex in the first 20 minutes of the movie lol
Even for anime, Your Name. became one of the biggest anime films of all time. And it was a teen romcom mixed with a melancholic arthouse romantic drama, a body-swap fantasy film, and a Roland Emmerich/Michael Bay-style disaster blockbuster.
K Drama has filled that gap, and done it well. From existential stuff like My Liberation Diary to Destined With You's relentless cuteness and chemistry, they have it all.
I love my liberation notes, it totally deserves more attention.
@@danielapena-ev4yb I'm halfway through. I savor that show, it's just so great.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is one of my favorite kdramas ever
@@mimik222 YES!!! I think this one is stellar, and a new one will come out, too. Although, I think the dad did all his scenes in the shop with the same shirt in one day. LOL.
Although I do agree that kdramas are doing it well I think a big part in why people don't really want to watch them is because they're not movies, they're shows. And kdramas have a tendency to have a really slow burn that some people aren't used to or aren't looking for. Nothing against kdramas I think they're nice but it's just different
To All The Boys is probably the best romcom in the last 10 years. That movie hits different 😭
I love that movie. For me it's the closest we get to the peak romcoms from the 90s and early 00s
Thanks to jenny han
So truee
Only the first one tho
Yesss!!! The visuals in particular captured the feel of the books perfectly.
While You Were Sleeping. I just want to live in that movie (I also grew up in Chicago in the nineties, so there's a huge nostalgia factor for me)
I loved While You Were Sleeping when I was a kid, especially because of the fact that it's set during Christmas (my favourite holiday), & i still watch it every December. Other rom coms that are some of my faves are My Big Fat Greek Wedding, & When Harry Met Sally.
One thing I notice too is how the industry does not give all black rom com movies as much of a chance and audiences aren't open to watching them either but I think I could help the genre
I miss black romcom like Waiting to Exhale and Soul Food,... There are many more, just can't remember the titles.
What about the one with Queen Latifah, common, Paula Patton?
okay here is my obligatory defense of you’ve got mail:
its not the nora ephron movie i watch when i want an earth shattering love story (that would be when harry met sally) but it is the one i watch when i could really use a hug. the relationship is not the main draw for me, it’s the fall and spring ambience, the upper west side and all those bookstore shots, it’s the gentleness with which the story is told. there’s something so bittersweet about it as well, because it captures a shifting (in technology, business, new york, attitudes towards love, etc) in the middle of that shift. i feel like the world is so different now but the one thing that is constant is change-anything that can give me hope to embrace that change is a welcome experience.
That was beautifully put!!!!
Perfectly put! I love this movie for the fall or l have a selection of rom coms l call my “sick movies” which are played on loop when l am sick because they give me comfort and a good laugh.
Thank you!!!!! I still LOVE You’ve Got Mail for this reason
you’ve got mail is my fav romcom and i think it IS an earth shattering love story tbh 🥺🥺 even though it builds slowly, it really develops the characters and in kathleen and joe’s little moments you see them go from enemies to friends to lovers and i think it’s absolutely beautiful. makes my heart flutter every time i watch it unfold
Yes!! I’m not really the type to have “comfort movies,” but You’ve Got Mail comes the closest. Everything about it is just so soothingly cozy and beautiful.
Favorite romcoms:
- 10 Things I Hate About You (Heath Ledger? Julia Stiles? David Krumholtz!?)
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Bundt cakes still get a little giggle out of me)
- Mama Mia (so much fun, Brosnan’s singing is perfect!)
- Clueless
I’m not even big on romcoms (only really tuned in cause I love Mina’s breakdowns) but 10 things I hate about you never fails to give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. And it’s got that rewatchability factor as well. Love it so much
true! 10 things i hate abt u made me sob
God, David Krumholtz was so hot in the 90s. Maybe not so much in 10 Things, but wow, he was cute.
'It's a cake! With a hole!' never gets old. My friend and I used to quote that one constantly.
The way I cannot say Bundt cake without sounding like mom 😂😂
The Holiday (2006) is my favorite romcom and i don't see it talked about nearly enough. It follows two couples: Cameron Diaz x Jude Law and Kate Winslet x Jack Black. All of the main characters are incredibly charming. The design and score of the movie are both beautiful too.
The Holiday holds such a special place in my heart! Every year my best friend and I meet up to watch it before Christmas
@@IBlameItOnMyYouth i watch it each year too! so heartwarming;)
omg YES i watch it literally at least twice a year 😭 the chemistry between both couples was just *chefs kiss*
Yeeess I love it, the way they casted the protagonists was so non-conventional for their usual roles, yet it worked beautifully
Kinda unrelated but how come a guy like Jack Black is so normalized in romcoms but when we got Penelope Featherington people are so pressed about her being heavy
I didn't grow up with these films from the 90's, but I remember staying with my aunt when I was 16 for about 2 weeks over a summer holiday and she was a Rom-com junkie. I basically sat for a week with nothing to do but watch her DVD collection, it is genuinely one of my favourite memories of my childhood.
This video is literally soooo important
I never noticed this but ur right our perception of what we see on social media has affected how hopeless and skeptical we became towards relationships and the other sex in general
Which in result made it more difficult to be in genuine relationships with genuine people instead of try to mold ones out of our fears
Great analysis and great video as usual
Thank uu Mina ❤️
13 going on 30 will forever be my favorite rom-com, it just makes me so happy, I also love the older rom-com titled “It happened one night” it made me swoon
I love 13 Going on 30!!
I love It Happened One Night! 😍🥕
Omg thank you sm! I watched “It happened one night” very long time ago and I remember liking it. I wanted to watch it again, but couldn't remember the title. I'm so happy I didn't skip your comment :)
i can't believe you didn't mention set it up!!!! that's definitely one of the best romcoms that have come out recently. i think it executed the romcom genre very well in a time when no one wanted to make romcoms. it is adored by many and honestly feels like an oasis in a desert of recent mediocre romcoms, and the proof is that it is adored by so many (i know it's my personal comfort movie). i seriously urge any and every romcom fan to watch set it up immediately !!!
It was surprising how good that movie was! They had great chemistry.
Omg YES! I hardly hear anyone talking about it which is such a shame considering how GOOD it is. Both leads and supporting cast are so genuine in their acting, which I think makes it feel so different to the "gotta wink at the camera cause we all know this is cringe, right? Right? We're in on the joke too!" UGH-ness of many contemporary rom-coms. Set It Up deserves all the praise, I'm so glad to have found your comment here!!
yes OMG one of my absolute favourites and so incredibly underrated
YESSSS
LOVE Set It Up!!!!
so surprised to see no one talking about How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days!! literally my favorite romcom of all time
Seriously THE best!!!!
Kate Hudson at her PEAK and Matthew before he became a "serious" actor
Some of the funniest scenes from that movie. Kate and Matthew had excellent chemistry
@@rafaelyaguaro2842 He was already known as a dramatic actor before then, He had done A Time to Kill, Frailty Contact..
I will never understand this 😂 it's just two psychotic people being unlikable for an hour and a half.
The shop around the corner is my favorite! So happy to hear it mentioned! (Jimmy is my number one celebrity crush lol)
Yes!!! Excellent take!! I honestly love You've Got Mail a lot too just because it's based off of that one and has a good soundtrack but Jimmy has the most heart-melting voice and presence on screen I'm so glad to see someone else showing him some love!!
Thank you for mentioning "What's Up, Doc"!!! It is so underrated and no one ever talks about it. One of my all time favorite movies. It's about 4 very different people who have identical suitcases and they get mixed up, absolutely hilarious. One of the four is the man in the clip she showed, another is Barbra Streisand! Either this, Grease, or Princess Bride were played almost every day when I was growing up, and I still laugh every time. Highly recommend
I swear no one knows about What's Up Doc! I named my cat Sylvia Louise (you know, with a hyphen) 😂
I’ve been revisiting Pride and Prejudice recently, and the theme of companionate marriage is really strong. In a lot of ways, that’s the heart of When Harry Met Sally and even You’ve got Mail. The underlying core message is that these people will be great companions on their life journeys. The romance is less about the sexual chemistry and more focused on their companionship. Ellie Dashwood’s channel did a great video on the topic of companionate marriage that I recommend (“Did Elizabeth really love Mr. Darcy?”) I was a big fan of 2000’s “Keeping the Faith”, which was certainly based more on sexual chemistry that transforms into a deeper love. It was filmed where I grew up on the UWS, and I have deep nostalgia for it. There’s so much about evolving friendships, the meaning of our professions, and layered family dynamics. Might be time for a rewatch…
Ooh I love this comment.
I love Elle Dashwoods channel!
Thiss
if we got a romcom with The Holdovers aesthetic and cinematic care and tenderness, or even one with Submarine aesthetic my God
this!!
OH MY GOD. those are two of my favorite movies, and some of my favorite parts of them are the aesthetic. submarine in particular - yeah.
i’ve always had a fondness for movies where the romance is a subplot. juno, amelie, studio ghibli’s whisper of the heart are some of my favorites that all have sweet romances on the side. those are also from the 90s and 2000s. but they’ve aged better than a lot of these romcoms (in terms of how they treat minorities). i would give so
much to have a film like that again with holdovers/submarine aesthetic.
@@evers33nI love Whisper of the Heart!!!
So basically nostalgia and historical pieces.
@@mishynaofficial more than nostalgia -- a movie with heart, with a story over AND with the romance element. modern "romcoms" are absolutely one-dimensional. also, when it comes to looks, modern productions of this trope seem to lack a care when it comes to the production design/cinematography
My favorite rom-com of these recent years is Palm Springs. It's a movie that manages to be earnest and optimistic in the face of true despair and nihilism as well as humorous and silly. It's a timeloop movie like Groundhog Day, but the two main characters are in the loop together. The narrative really leverages the premise to reflect both realistic relationships conflict (like the extremely familiar conflict where one person is fine with how things are versus the other wanting to build a future even if it's risky) as well as reconfiguring rom-com structural elements (like the loop happens on a wedding day and their hijinks deeply reflect the fun you're supposed to have dating). The premise also makes their characterizations realistic and empathetic rather than annoying or overdramatic. The movie doesn't end with their marriage and children, but on the other hand, it's probably the most emotionally intense commitment I've ever seen a movie couple make. It came out in 2020 and it's depiction of being trapped and bored while death becomes common and surreal might have actually been too real for its own good. Anyway, recommended. Also: I second The Shop Around the Corner recommendation.
Oh I love Palm Springs sm.
such a good movie
Palm Springs was amazing! Creative, earnest, and so much fun.
I wanna hug you for talking about my 2 fav romcoms. Palm Springs is hilarious and amazingly insightful and emotional, and the shop around the corner despite being 85 years old is so charming, funny, and modern. TSATC IS TRULY the OG romcom along with it happened one night from 1934!! If anyone is reading this and hasn't watched TSATC or IHON because you think black and white movies are dry and dated: give them a chance!
this analysis is it
Favorite rom com will forever be the wedding singer. I wanna grow old with you is timeless
Oh my goodness! Yes! I watch the Wedding Singer every year for Valentines Day. It's criminally underrated
Yesssssss! Younger audiences need to give it a shot
my favourite romcom is actually a modern one - Set It Up (2018). i’m surprised that even with Glen Powell's current popularity not many people are talking about it!
My favourite rom com is 27 dresses, it feels so romantic with its comedy/ drama take and it really feels timeless with the the main character’s awkward, hopeless romantic view of love because so many girls through out time relate to the main character’s yearning for classic meaningful love. I feel like it wouldn’t do well in the generation we have today but I feel that it’s one of the most underrated 90s rom coms and many people should really go apreciate it because I think lots of people would love it.
I love that movie sm it's so underrated.
OMG I LOVE THIS FILM SO MUCH, i get told its a really weak romcom but i think its one of the best out there! youre so spot on
I love “Something’s gotta give” and “Bewitched” lmao
27 dresses is from the late 2000s lol
same its my absolute favourite!!!
I'm a professional subtitler and had to watch Your Place or Mine three times for work. Watching you put it in the bin healed something deep within me.
This is way off topic, but how does one become a professional subtitler?
Lol I’m so curious about your job as well. I’d love to do that.
@@cultivatepod I honestly don't know how people do it now, but I used to live in Montreal, where my company used to have an office like a decade ago. It was one of those infamously bad jobs where people would do the training then immediately quit, because after the training you don't get a wage but paid by the amount of work you do. I thought I would as well (I made less than minimum wage for about two months) but have stuck with it since then.
My favorite romcom is “10 Things I Hate About You”. It’s just so amazing!! Everything about the movie is amazing including the acting, the music, the romance, the comedy, etc.
I just watched the movie “Drive Me Crazy” the other week for the first time and that movie was so freaking good. It’s a very underrated movie.
I love 10 Things so much!
Wow, u just listed my 2 all time favourite teen-movies. Both those movies stood up the test of time and I rewatch them every now and then when I feel bad about life.
Drive Me Crazy sounds fun, I’ll look into it :)
@@6hZCBpMy it has the best 90s bangers. Britney and BSB
Wow never knew that Britney spear song drive me crazy was the song for that movie 😅
I think i Will watch that
I found "Love at first sight" a gorgeous rom-com. It is also a book adaptation (i read the book years ago, it is probably more that 10 years old) so I was pretty excited to watch it and I couldn't love it more. I watch twice in the same week and i cried at the end. It is charming, funny, heartfelt, it's perfect!!! ❤
Awesome soundtrack too 🥰
My favourite romcoms so far are Enchanted and Blast From The Past. Blast From The Past is a severely underrated romcom.
Yes! Blast From the Past is so good! So funny and feel good with great actors ❤.
@@ukulele4thesoul ikr!! I wonder why it never got the recognition it deserved
@@txwtw For real. I randomly watched it for free here on TH-cam and thought it was so good. And was like "wait how had I never heard of this 90s rom com?!" 😂.
About people not seeing movies in theaters: I think it’s important to mention that the cost of going to the movies is just out of a lot of people’s reach now. It’s too expensive! My husband and I never go to traditional theaters, we always go to a discount one, so any movies that we see have already been out way beyond their traditional theater days. People MIGHT splurge to see something they know they’ll love, like from a known franchise or with a beloved actor/actress. But most everyone just can’t afford to go to the theater to see something they don’t even know they’ll like.
I just wanna add that some people don't even have a theater that they could go to!
I have never been to one, it's not available where I live and the closest one to me is 8 hours drive away!! And there are rarely English films.
We make an effort to go as often as possible. I hate the thought of theaters dying off. But we thankfully have a very nice, cheap AMC theater nearby. I don’t get how it’s still in business either how cheap tickets are
I also think there’s a general sexist aversion to so-called “women’s media.” Romance movies and books are often not regarded with the same seriousness as media targeted to men.
That's a western kind of problem. Feminine medias are pretty well and alive in east asia
Very true
@@aeoligarlic4024but are they considered “trashy” or just “good cinema”
I think What If with Danielle Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan is the last romcom I remember watching and thinking it was genuinely funny and genuinely romantic
I don't ever get my hopes up for a romcom to actually feel romantic anymore. If i want a romance, I look at dramas
It also had the worldbuilding of 90's romcoms that new movies seem to lack
Oh I loved that movie! ❤
YES! No one ever talks about that movie but it’s one of my favorites. I liked that it wasn’t afraid to give both main characters real flaws, and while I wasn’t a fan of the best friends to lovers arc while Chantry had a bf, it felt realistically messy
I loved that one! I also love "Man up" (2015) with Lake Bell and Simon Pegg, it was lovely and hilarious to me, I highly recommend it.
Yesss, I loved this movie. It was a really fun one, and it was nice to see Daniel doing something so different
It Happened One Night is such a banger. Pretty sure it won multiple Oscars and Clark Gable in it was so dreamy to 15 year old me (and me a decade later lol). Would highly recommend a watch, if you can overlook some of its ‘of its time’ markers 😅
I was trying to remember the title of this movie so I could watch it again. And here I found it mentioned a few times. Lucky me :) I didn't even know it's this popular
1st. I LOVE the editing. Seriously, some of the best I've seen on TH-cam.
2nd. My favorite Rom Com is without a doubt "Sleeping with Other People" with Jason Sudekis and Allison Brie. It does very much feel like "When Harry Met Sally". It's a true friends to lovers story that makes my heart melt. It's just a bit more updated and I like Jake a little more than I like Harry. I also really love "A Low Down Dirty Shame" with Keenan Ivory Wayans and Jada Pinkett. That one is very much an action movie and has a deeper storyline. But it's hilarious so I've decided that it counts.
The lack of worldbuilding is why modern romcoms are bad. The Idea of You/ To All the Boys captured that homey feeling of older romcoms while using modern tech.
A great rom-com from these past years that studios can take notes from: Set It Up. Thats the ACTUAL great Glen Powell rom-com dive.
exactlyyyy real glenheads knew he was a star then🙂↕️
YESSSS
yes, it was definitely better than the sydney sweeney one! too bad it gets lost in the netflix algo
Yes!!!! 💯
So true ❤
I am very picky about the romcoms I like. I love "When Harry Met Sally," but never got into "Love Actually." I think current romcoms tend to be more like romantic DRAMAS, which play up more of the melodrama instead of giving off cozy, funny vibes.
Colleen Hoover's novels/It Ends With Us? Glorified Lifetime Movies of the Week.
And my personal favorite romcom is 10 Things I Hate About You, tho I also love Clueless.
I love love actually and not all movies you named 😂😂😂
Someone gets my genre
I LOVE 10 Things I Hate About You 😁
I think Love Actually is really overrated. Though I love Emma Thompson's part. She was so good, especially when her character realised her husband is cheating. It broke my heart.
YES. Thank you! People are so obsessed with the drama genre these days.
This is a great video essay! I appreciate not only all the thought that went into it, but the amount of films covered. Also, I appreciate that you mentioned The Shop Around the Corner, even though I actually prefer You've Got Mail (I feel confident that it has to do with the nostalgia of it as well as the sort of idea that your love will be there to pick you up and show you a different way to do things, as they both do though it isn't shown in the best way, I felt it communicates that.). I will wholeheartedly say that When Harry Met Sally is my favorite Rom-Com and almost definitely holds the title of most watched Rom-Com in my house!
You’ve Got Mail is essentially a reworking of Shop Around the Corner (1940) and idk I love both. I am a sucker for Christmas background settings in films where Christmas is not the movie but the plot is just during that time of year.
I think a lot of people have been making arguments about movie's change from sincerity to meta/self-aware/cynical/satirical/sarchastic interpretations. It's mostly big studios that reinforce this though, I think indie romances can be genuinely fantastic, though they're either leaning into awkwardly and painfully realistic or fantastical stuff. Anyone But You is a cash-in Netflix-quality product that got major box office thanks to excellent marketing by the stars themselves and people really always eating up rom-coms, even if not in theatres anymore, certainly in streaming services. Also since movies are no longer the foundational base of casual entertainment as they used to be the most popular past-time, the only really notable succesful truly popular romcoms are ones with some catchy gimmick or viral appeal.
You summed it up pretty well. The meta, self-aware humor was coll at first, but now it's become stale because it's taking audiences out of the story instead of immersing them into it. The escapism is gone.
I want to recommend "Rye Lane" I think it's the best recent rom-com I've seen, so underrated!
I was just about to comment this but was scrolling to see if someone beat me to it! This movie had me giggling and kicking my feet!!
Great movie!!
THANK YOU I LOVE THAT MOVIE SO MUCH
LOVED Rye Lane! I think it's on Hulu or at least it was when I watched it
That's on my list to watch.
✨That's right, Armand, no one could ever accuse YOU of being a great lover.✨
I totally forgot this was a quote from the video for a second and got so confused as to why Interview With The Vampire was in the comments
I read this in Nathan Lane's voice in my head. Specifically his character in The Bird Cage. 😂
@jennypan4055 even if it wasnt a quote from interview with a vampire it's still very accurate
I just want to say that your videos are very engaging. I usually watch TH-cam for background noise, but I always find myself coming to my phone to watch !
i’m so glad you gave The Shop Around the Corner a shout out at the end 🥰 Saw it for the first time a year or two ago and it quickly became one of my all time faves. 🥰 Also my favorites include When Harry Met Sally, 13 Going on 30, 10 Things I Hate About You and Moonstruck!
I can't get over the Before trilogy and how they portrayed different stages of love. There's something beautiful to me about two people talking and seeing them through passing years.
You have Before sunrise - the meet cute, kind of naive, but sweet and fun, Before sunset - more mature and hopeful for love and at last (very underrated) Before midnight - which is basicly what happens after 'the happily ever after'... ugh just so good!
If you haven't watched it yet, I truly recommend it
P.s. but yeah, I also really love "when Harry met Sally" ❤😅
i feel like i always ask people about this movie and they have no idea what im talking about ahhahahah. its such a credit to the actors and script because i have never been so invested in hours of yapping like i was in these movies
I adoreeee these 3 movies, the dialogue is so good and the relationship feels so real. Before Sunset is one of my fave movies full stop
They're really good movies but man the characters are awfuuuul. Not awfully written but they're really bad people. It's like an anti-romcom. How can we cram the most immature, delusional, selfish, shallow traits in two people and see how they destroy a marriage because it was based on nothing? Lol. It's depressing haha
I am with you. The 2nd and 3rd part especially are so bitter ...
@@PapillonBleuNoir ahhh i understand this take but I disagree! i mean, the third movie they're both pretty bad. but i think mostly, in the first film at least, i find them charming, charismatic, curious and aware of their own flaws, to the point that it could be a little grating, but they don't take themselves so seriously that it becomes an issue. they enjoy the flaws they notice in each other, and don't hold back from saying things that are a bit tricky or silly or pretentious. They just talk and express themselves without trying to be likeable. I love them! But I do see your point. Maybe it's subjective haha
I wish we had another big name like Nora Ephron to carry the romcom genre forward in the current era. Even if I don't love all of her films, her writing was bolstered by so much natural charm and believable characters that you could, like you said, still watch something of hers that you have valid issues with. I don't love Sleepless in Seattle, but the Deborah Kerr cry scene is so iconic. I don't love You've Got Mail, but my heart still aches when I think of Meg Ryan's imagine spot where she remembers dancing with her mother in their book shop. I just don't feel that connection with a lot of blah romcoms I've seen in recent years, and I think it is a weakness in the writing.
I appreciate your Nora Ephron recognition even though not all her movies are to your taste. I LOVE her movies and they comfort me so. ❤
This is one of the best video essays I’ve seen in a while!! So well researched and explained. Also your personality is so infectiously fun!
Love that you mentioned The Shop Around The Corner!! Anytime someone mentions ‘You’ve Got Mail’ I can’t help but mention how it’s based off of that movie.
Down with Love (2003) starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor is such a great homage to the bedroom comedies of the 60s. It's very clever and sexy and the costumes are to die for because its all set in the 60s too. Definitely due for a rewatch.
LOVE that movie
@@gremlita Cheers! Baby, here's to love!
I've always had such a crush on McGregor, love this movie!! So good.
Yes! I really enjoyed this movie too 🤗
I love this film!
There is SO much content that can be used for rom com at this time.. diverse POC, people with disabilities, queer love, so much is still underrepresented! And ordinary people, I would love to see more ordinary people finding love.
Yesss, no more gallery owners and heiresses!
Yes! Not only is representation in media better for moral reasons, but it also gives those stories a specificity that a lot of the repetitive and formulaic romcoms or recent memory lack
Please god no, that will just make the problem worse
Especially ordinary people! You know how those random couples interviewed by humans of new york usually have cutesy love story on how they met or became close. We want those
@@kagitsuneI wish they'd let poor people make a movie from time to time, a lot of us would have way more interesting ideas! Being poor puts you in so many situation that are sad but also weird and hilarious. It seems like all the screenwriters nowadays are boring rich kids who happen to have the right connections
Princess bride, The shop around the corner, The African Queen, A room with a view, The Philadelphia Story, My man Godfrey, It happened one night, A night's tale, White Christmas, Emma (2020), Pride and Prejudice (1995), Libeled Lady, My Fair Lady. My favourite movie out of all the romatic movie genres has got to be Dogfight. It's so fucking sincere. My favourite romance series (out of all romance genres) is Heartstopper
this list is The One
Dogfight is so good ❤
A crazy thought... But take some elements from one of my favorite overall movie, Lilo and Stitch. Nami and David are so adorable together.
1) realistic struggle, Finding jobs and Nami getting custody of her younger sister
2) Nami and David had amazing chemistry
3) You can keep the crazy aliens or substitute them for crazy humans
This would make a cute romantic Comedy
I agree, Princess Bride is amazing.
17:01 you’ve got mail is based on a play. i watched it my second time with this knowledge and realised how well it suits the form of a play, with the more bittersweet tones and limited settings and characters, the narration device of the emails.
I'm so glad someone could put this to words! For the longest time I just had this sentiment of "they just don't make movies like they used to" but I couldn't particularly articulate why, but you did a great job explaining it!!
While I LOVE When Harry Met Sally, without a doubt the best romance films I've ever seen are Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight. Less com more rom, but amazingly written and the concept of following this couple at 5 year intervals per movie in the trilogy will remain the best idea everrrrr please watch them they deserve so much love!!!
Yes absolutely!
I just rewatched the Before Trilogy again recently.
Geez I love those films. Absolutely perfect in my opinion, especially the first one it’s incredibly romantic.
My favorite Romcom is "About Time".
SOO UNDERRATED
I would say its more of a drama but loveeeee this one, so touching yet subtle.
I do love that one
I’ve only ever watched it once because I cried so hard and for so long that I don’t think I can handle it all over again. 12/10, incredible movie.
Yes, it's my favorite movie! So heartwarming, charming, and rewatchable
Ooo love the note about cynicism not being sustainable, and rational optimism being the obvious successor! 💕Long live the romcom!💕
Sounds like the message of Everything Everywhere All at Once 😊
i LOVE Notting Hill!! and as a newish one About Time (more of a drama maybe?) made me so emotional.
Some of my faves:
- How to Steal a Million (1966)
- I.Q. (1994)
- 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
- The Holiday (2006)
- Princess Diaries 2 (2004)
- The Ugly Truth (2009)
- What's Up, Doc? (1972)
if you see this thanks for all of your research i live for it!!!!
To me it clearly has to do with the current economic and social circumstances. People can't move out of their parents' home (which helps a lot for a long-term relationship). People don't connect much, they (women, often) get stuck in 'situationships' with low commitment. Many young men don't even *want* a proper relationship, and if they do it's made very hard by their failure to hit adult milestones. You see this cynicism and jadedness in songs, i can't remember the last time i heard a good love song from the charts. It's all about securing a decent man and a good material situation (in this economy...), romcoms seem pretty futile and weightless in our era
Spot on
I want a rom-com taking place in a ComicCon environment. A lot of relationships happens in those environments. Could be like a story that takes place within the span of a week, like Comic-Cons usually do.
There is an American manga from back in the 2000's called Dramacon about that!
That legitimately is a great idea!
Cute idea!
There's at least 2 books like this that they could adapt.
YEP YEP YEP THIS!!!
My favorite RomCom is Breakfast at Tiffany's! 💙 It's not necessarily an exemplar of the genre, but it totally has all of the mainstays of it.
I LOVE THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER
Well, I never thought Crazy Rich Asians was that romantic (except the wedding scene that was romantic) or was meant to be but more about cultural and class differences within the same racial groups, female relationships, and sexism.
The main relationships that make the film worth watching is Rachel/Peik Lin, Rachel/Astrid, Rachel/Her Mother and Rachel/Eleanor and the biggest conversations were about culture and class. Other than two scenes, the romance is not really at the front at all.
I agree with this!!
As an Asian, the movie just made me stressed because in real life it’s very common for Asian in laws to be complicated and mean..and there’s not always a happy ending.
Agreed!
I personally feel stressed watching it. I know the point of the movie has to do with standing strong and be together no matter how strong the struggle is.
But i personally CAN'T for my life to be comfortable enough to be married into that kind of family. Sure i'd be filthy rich but all that money will definitely go to therapy
Tbh, in this sense I think it follows really well in the true Austen tradition - with the CRA book series having even more overt similarities. Like, everyone talks about how swooningly romantic the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie is, but that was deliberately, and pretty heavily, exaggerated and romanticised compared to the tone of the actual book (at least at one point in her life, Austen had some pretty choice critiques for aspects of capital-R Romanticism).
All of Austen's books are a lot more focused on the world around the main couple, rather than seeking to tell a tight, contained narrative about their journey to falling in love. And obviously that's the same kind of vibe that Crazy Rich Asians goes for, it's asking you to understand and think about the social structures and conventional expectations that multiple characters have to navigate throughout the story, which means that the focus is much more expansive rather than concentrated on the development of a romance.
And tbh I just find it funny that in the public consciousness, Austen novels are kinda held up as these ultimate bastions of romance, when the reality of them is that in a lot of ways, they're more in the Crazy Rich Asians vein of storytelling, and don't have a ton in common with our contemporary ideas of what a truly romance-oriented story 'should' look like.
My best friends wedding to me encompasses the perfection of a 90s romcom. The story, acting, fashion, and iconic soundtrack. We need more like that!!
Agree! I looooove that movie! Also the ending and moral is perfect and believable!
No lie I watched that for the first time a few years ago, and Julia Robert’s acting in that movie was the first an only time I’ve been impressed with an acting performance.
0:39 This never fails to make me cringe.
It is pretty great when a movie is like a movie and/or film though 😅
A true wordsmith
Mina, you should put all of the movies you referenced in your videos in the caption. Then I don’t have to go back and find them all to put on my watchlist on Letterboxd lol. Really loved this video thank you queen
'Clueless' is hands-down my fav romcom of all time, and is, incidentally, another book adaptation (Jane Austen's 'Emma').
Great video as always! For me, my favorite rom-coms include:
- 13 Going on 30
- When Harry Met Sally
- Bed of Roses
- Crazy Rich Asians
- Some Kind of Wonderful
I couldn't pick just one romcom, so I picked five!
1. Bringing Up Baby: I love how this movie is just non-stop chaos!
2. The Lady Eve: The dialogue and the chemistry between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda make this film A+.
3. The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer: Cary Grant's timing is perfect in this, and it’s such a fun take on an odd story.
4. The Five-Year Engagement: I really like how this movie shows relationships realistically, mixing humor and heart.
5. Crazy, Stupid, Love: The cast is great, and the way the stories connect are perfect
crazy stupid love is amazing and soooo funny
"You've Got Mail" and "Shop Around the Corner" are both based on a play called Parfumerie, and it has yet another movie adaption between those two starring Judy Garland as 1949's "In the Good Old Summertime". There's a full blown Broadway musical version too called "She Loves Me" that is probably my favorite version of this story! It got a pro-shot that was streamed a few years back and it's so beautiful, with a stunning set that looks and opens like a jewelry box.
My favorite movie romcom tbh is probably still "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Sorry to the "Love Actually" haters but Curtis' first romcom and the original "Bridget Jones" are probably always going to hold a special place in my heart.
My fav is probably The Holiday (2006) even though Cameron Diaz's character's hottest personality trait being that she isn't into foreplay makes me pause the movie every time and scream out loud "who wrote that line?!?!". The cottage and the blanket fort are just so cozy so I watch it at least once a year.
before sunrise is soooo good you have to check it out there's also like 2 more movies it's a trilogy it's very interesting. It follows these people throughout their lives
With the conversation about dwindling mid-budget films: the budget of film and series today are so insanely high, even though it doesn't always show in the quality of the production, that it's too demanding to expect these projects to profit. Which leads to a lot of shows getting canned after 1 season or being considered box office bombs when they actually preformed well but couldn't make back their 6-figure budget. So I think we will def see more mid-budget productions coming back in the near future.
Favourite romcom: My BIG Fat Greek Wedding! If you're looking for a more recent film I also recently rewatched and got a new appreciation for "Crazy, Stupid, Love."
I will *never* forget watching Crazy Stupid Love in the theater and the way the crowd gasped during the big reveal scene. It’s not a movie that holds up perfectly in the current age, but the main core of it is still a work of art to me.
What works super well with my big fat Greek wedding is that it wasn't just about the main couple but gave space/floor to the family as well and it made for a much richer experience.
Damn i always thought it was geek wedding lmao
I miss a good epic romance. Even today's Romantasy genre isn't giving what it should.
(And no, I will never consider ACOTAR an example of good epic scope, deeply romantic Romantasy)
ACOTAR is really good on paper they can never make it as epic in show even shatter me ans cruel prince they'll butcher it
I mean there is good romantasy. I would make a rec but the book is in German lol
What's the name??
@@rafaela00002 A Court Of Thorns And Roses (Sorry if you were asking about something else, I just assumed you meant ACOTAR)
@@PinkBubbleMartini i meant to ask ellealine4159 but couldn't tag them before, but thank you :)
Imagine Me & You is always a favorite for me. I know people keep saying they're tired of coming out stories but this one just hits different.
My favorites are basically any Jane Austen adaptation and 10 Things I Hate About You
I remember watching the movie Just Like Heaven and Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon were so good. I was so invested in them ending up together. Same goes for Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock in While you were sleeping.
Just Like Heaven is SOOOO underrated, so dang good 😭♥️ I also adore While You Were Sleeping!
Just Like Heaven is so underrated
Omg I love Just Like Heaven, I remember my parents randomly put it on once one afternoon and I ended up getting really invested
Oh love that one!!!
I really loved Lisa Frankenstein! I feel like it’s a good, campy rom-com. But I don’t see many people talking about it
Rom Coms and Period Dramas are my entertainment candy. I love putting them on and turning off my brain after a stressful day.
Dude this intro edit is soooooo gooooodddd. You outdid yourself on this one.
I loved the way you explained the “levelling out” of the emotional maturity of both characters
Always Be My Maybe is a modern classic and anyone with Netflix should watch it
Yes! Love that film. Great appearance by Keanu Reeves too, he was hilarious.
I absolutely adore this movie! I watch it multiple times a year.
yes!! i think it's so overlooked and i'm always telling people it's my favorite movie :')
Crazy Stupid Love or How to lose a guy in 10 days are my fave rom coms for sure!
Thanks Mina for all the work you do for these videos
Both of those are definitely top tier!
Giving a spoiler alert for a movie that came out in the 1930’s. Very demure, very mindful.
yeah, a lot of people say spoiling medias over 10 years old is ok because "you've definitely seen it by now" but something that goes below 1970 and is generally niche means people have likely not either found a way to watch or weren't aware of the thing, so its nice giving a spoiler alert just in case most viewers haven't seen it
Love your video, Mina! We seem to have a similar taste in Rom Coms :) I'd love to hear you speak more on why newer Rom Coms don't often seem to work at all! I really wanted to love "Anyone but You", "The Idea of You" and even that Nicole Kidman/Zac Efron flick but they just feel so hollow and flat, even though they all feature really good actors.
this is so well made. It's evident you put in tons of effort. Great job!