The beauty of romance and of falling in love, paired with laughter and relatable, real characters. There is a method to the magic of romantic-comedy films, or ‘rom-coms.’ Audiences have been flocking to the movie theaters for decades when the newest movie is dropped. Our hearts have been stolen by rom-coms longer than we can measure, but we are finding ourselves scrolling back in time to rewatch our favorite films. There has been a death, I fear–the slow death of the classic rom-com film.
When we think about rom-coms, our minds usually land on the fan favorites of the 1990s and early 2000s. Films such as When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, and 10 Things I Hate About You. These movies were so iconic that we continuously see them celebrated through high rewatch numbers and being added to today’s streaming services. Something remains similar among all of these films–they are a perfect combination of gentle humor and a genuine, well-thought-out love story. Without these elements entangled together, we lose either the romance or the comedy aspect, meaning we do not have ourselves a rom-com.
Movie fans, especially those with a niche for a good rom-com, have noticed the decline in production of quality films of this genre. Though there have been some hits that have come our way, like Anyone But You, most modern rom-coms find themselves sinking fairly quickly. Films like Love, Wedding, Repeat, About Fate, and The Valet attempted to bring back the rom-com feeling we yearn for, but did not meet the mark at the box office or with the audience.
A quality rom-com can be difficult to achieve, especially in a society that has switched its movie-based focus to major blockbuster films. Studios used to prioritize the production of rom-coms, but have lost interest and changed their budget to other genres. Therefore, when a rom-com is made, it does not have the same budget or attention as it once did. Many of these newer films will make it to the theaters, but when numbers fail, they are quickly moved to streaming platforms, where they are often overlooked by the audience.
There has also been an overall shift in the production of rom-coms as the world continues to move into a digital age and the internet takes over. Films introduce these modern aspects into their production, which many movie fans argue take away from the true magic of a rom-com. Furthermore, audiences argue that modern rom-coms are overly predictable and repeat past plotlines instead of introducing a brand new story. Audiences are noticing these patterns, tanking the reviews and numbers for modern rom-coms.
Though our screens may never be graced with the same magic earlier rom-coms gave us, we can always look back on these iconic films and never allow them to fade away. Or, we can at least try to give these new films a chance, and maybe we can see the slow rise of rom-coms once again.
