Summary

• Rom-coms from the past decade are successful because they follow the tropes and traditions of the 1990s, which were considered the golden age of the genre.
• There is a demand for compelling rom-coms with a nostalgic feel, but the 21st century has focused more on big budget blockbusters, leaving a gap for mid-budget movies with smaller stars.
• Successful rom-coms adapt to modern audiences while still staying true to the spirit of the genre's heyday, using storytelling techniques, atmosphere, and subverting expectations with modern twists.

For the past decade there has been an uptick in the number of successful rom-coms coming out, and part of that is due to how well they follow the tropes and traditions of the 1990s. The ‘90s were one of the best decades for rom-coms, and are thought of as the golden age of the genre. These films are the closest modern Hollywood has gotten to the spirit of the rom-com’s heyday in storytelling techniques, atmosphere, and subverting expectations with modern twists.

The rom-com thrives on having a predictable ending, but taking the audience on an unexpected journey to get there. So far, the 21st century has been known for its dedication to big budget blockbusters, and has turned away from mid-budget movies with smaller stars, which is a hallmark of the rom-com. This is unfortunate because there is an enormous appetite for compelling rom-coms with a nostalgic feel. As the rom-com makes its return, films should look to the past to forge their path to the genre's future.

10 Emma. (2020)

Directed By: AUTUMN DE WILDE

A common theme among '90s rom-coms was adapting works of Shakespeare or classic literature for a modern audience. Many of these films are set in contemporary times. While Emma. is a more traditional period piece based on Jane Austen's novel of the same name, it still uses similar techniques to make the old story ring true for 21st-century viewers. The film captures Emma's (Anya Taylor-Joy) youth and penchant for mischief extremely well, which was a hallmark of the '90s.

Emma. centers the voice of a young woman who refuses to be boxed in by societal expectations, but is not always the kindest to those around her. Women shedding the molds that society created for them was a huge theme in the '90s, as third-wave feminism was emerging. However, the films were not without their romantic confessions. When Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn) declares his love for Emma, it solidifies the film as equal parts swoon-worthy and nostalgic.

9 Happiest Season (2020)

Directed By: CLEA DUVALL

A great part about rom-coms from the past decade is that they include far better queer representation than ever before. Happiest Season is an excellent example of using the traditions that make the genre great while including updated stories that keep them relevant. The story is set at Christmastime and Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) must sneak around to try and hide their relationship, as Harper has not been entirely truthful to Abby or her family.

This occurs while the couple must go through the motions of Christmas parties and activities. Using a big, tension-filled event as the focal point of the film is a classic device, and the fact that Harper makes a public declaration of love hearkens back to the grand gestures that the '90s were famous for. Additionally, as with some of the more questionable rom-coms from the turn of the century, it's not certain that Harper and Abby being together is the healthiest for either of them.

8 Crush (2022)

Directed By: SAMMI COHEN

Crush takes all the iconic high school tropes and uses them to its advantage in this queer coming-of-age film with an enemies-to-lovers romance at the center. Paige (Rowan Blanchard) is torn between two sisters, AJ (Auli'i Cravalho) and Gabriela (Isabella Ferreira), and the day-to-day dramas of going to high school and being a teenager. Part of what has made '90s rom-coms like 10 Things I Hate About You and Clueless so iconic were the way they accurately represented the feeling of what it's like to be a teenager, while incorporating heightened elements that make the film entertaining.

Similarly, Crush is more interested in being true to the internal experience of adolescence and less with telling a story that would happen in real-life. Fantasy is one of the most important aspects of rom-coms and Crush knows how to blur the line between fantasy and reality from Paige's perspective. Like the best '90s teen movies, Crush has parents, teachers, and kids being funny, inappropriate, and emotionally true.

7 Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Directed By: DAVID O. RUSSELL

With Silver Linings Playbook, it isn't so much the story that speaks to its connection to the '90s, but the look and feel of the film. Part of this is because the movie was shot on film instead of digital, giving it an inherently nostalgic feel. Jennifer Lawerence and Bradley Cooper have excellent chemistry as the film's leads, which is a vital element for the success of a movie that hinges on the nature of their relationship.

Though the tone of the film can get dark, the atmosphere is rich and inviting, drawing the viewer in and making the space seem safe. Watching Silver Linings Playbook elicits the same feeling as ing a time gone by. The ending of Silver Linings Playbook is a reminder that while the film deals with serious topics, it's a rom-com at its heart, and a kiss in the snow is just as good as a kiss in the rain. Many '90s rom-coms also used difficult subjects to juxtapose the blossoming of love.

6 Sleeping With Other People (2015)

Directed By: LESLYE HEADLAND

Being a young adult feeling lost and living in New York City isn't a genre convention exclusive to the '90s, but the decade did perfect it in many ways. Sleeping With Other People puts a contemporary twist on the well-worn territory by introducing Jake (Jason Sudeikis) and Lainey (Alison Brie), two people who refuse to fall in love. Though the way people get dates in the 2010s is different, the struggles are still the same.

Commitment issues are the biggest hurdle in Jake and Lainey's friends-to-lovers story, which is reminiscent of the frequent '90s theme of trying to get a guy to commit. Sleeping With Other People spans many years and follows the intersecting journeys of the two leads as they grow up and realize their feelings for each other. The slow-burn and long-term aspects of the movies draw comparisons to films like Four Weddings and a Funeral.

5 Set It Up (2018)

Directed By: CLAIRE SCANLON

Netflix's Set It Up uses New York as its backdrop and incorporates it as a character like many '90s rom-coms did. Though this is now seen as a trope, it's an effective tool for providing a setting full of mishaps and tension. The first and second lead couples of the film are equally compelling, but Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch have a dynamic that is reminiscent of classic duos like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts with pretty much anyone. Using workplace drama as the framing device to get the pair together, the film knows how to use this chemistry to the best of its ability.

4 Obvious Child (2014)

Directed By: GILLIAN ROBESPIERRE

Starring Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy, Obvious Child provides a realistic and well-paced narrative about a woman who decides to have an abortion after a one-night stand. The film treats the subject with empathy, but also a normal response to a situation that two people aren't ready for yet. This attempt to normalize a frequently debated issue, and humanize the experience of it, is something that the '90s laid the groundwork for. Outside the narrative itself, Obvious Child's aesthetic is a homey and nostalgic one that softens the edges of the serious material.

3 Much Ado About Nothing (2012)

Directed By: JOSS WHEDON

1993 had its own adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, and by 2014 enough time had ed to release a remake that updated the classic story. Based on the play by Shakespeare, 2014's Much Ado About Nothing remains just as relevant when placed in a contemporary setting, and just as romantic. Though the film is closer in style to '90s Shakespeare adaptations like Romeo + Juliet and 10 Things I Hate About You, it hits all the beats its predecessor did. Shooting the film in black and white was also a fun way to root it in reality, and make a strong aesthetic choice.

2 Love, Rosie (2014)

Directed By: CHRISTIAN DITTER

Love, Rosie is practically epic in scale, considering how much time es and how much life is lived by the main characters. Sam Claflin and Lily Collins star in this friends-to-lovers rom-com that nearly ends on a bittersweet note. It's clear from the beginning that the couple is meant to be together, but fate and other relationships get in the way for many years. Only at the very end can they overcome their fears and finally declare their love. The warm cinematography coupled with the road-not-taken narrative makes the audience relate the story to the past and the feelings of childhood while taking on adult themes.

1 Always Be My Maybe (2019)

Directed By: NAHNATCHKA KHAN

There are many amazing romantic gestures in Always Be My Maybe, and a rom-com is nothing without a grand gesture of love. The film centers on familial traditions of cooking and the complex connection Sasha (Ali Wong) has with San Franciso, the place where she grew up. Sasha and Marcus (Randall Park) were childhood friends, but have grown apart and hardly know each other anymore, but it doesn't take long for the two to reconnect.

Always Be My Maybe feels like the '90s in that the two leads seem like they come from different worlds, but they really share the same love and values. Films like Notting Hill and Pretty Woman present this type of narrative, but Always Be My Maybe updates it beautifully. It adds depth and complexity to the questions of fame and belonging that the '90s began to interact with.