Rom-com renaissance

Just like all things of the 90s, the rom-com is making its comeback! 2023, dare I say, may even be the ‘year of the rom-com!’ Yes, you read that right and no you haven’t travelled back to the 90s. Though nothing could ever replace the cult classics the likes of You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, and Pretty Woman, this revival has been a long time coming.  

All that being said, it is slightly true that the rom-com never really left, with hits every now and again. This revival can be marked by the sheer number of movies coming out at rapid speed, though. Not only has there been an increase in the number, but there has also been an increase in the quality of these movies.   

If you’re a fan of the genre, a hopeless (or maybe like me a HOPEFUL) romantic, or just a lover of all things movies, this is an exciting time filled with many new wonderful romantic comedies. Just this week, Netflix released Your Place or Mine starring Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon – which I might add is amazing, nostalgic, and the perfect example of this comeback.  

Why did rom-coms seemingly disappear in the first place? In the 90s, the genre hit a peak, but around the 2000s-2010s it started to drastically fall – all the way to the point where there weren’t many romantic comedies being made at all. 

When the new millennium began, everything changed. Technology was innovated, and consequently, movies got bigger. 3D movies were all the rage and so were action movies, which were now able to have larger fight scenes than ever before. This can be seen especially in the Fast and Furious franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

Then after that ‘mini era’ came the time for adaptations. Books-to-movies became the go-to, which resulted in massive hits like Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Percy Jackson, and American Psycho. 

And then came the remakes and reboots: Why make something new when you can repeat the same thing and make even more money? This was seen in televison as well as movies. There was A Star is Born, IT, Annie, and Cheaper by the Dozen, and of course Disney’s current stint of transforming all their animated classics into live action retellings. 

Of course, the rom-com tried to hold on to all these changes with movies like Love, Simon, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Me Before You, and even 2022’s Father of the Bride. 

But adjusting to the trend didn’t do much for the genre; it still was out of touch with what audiences wanted. There were a couple of good ones before the rom-com renaissance began, namely Set it Up, The Lovebirds, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which did help revive the genre. But what really accounts for the welcomed return of this classic genre of movies?  

Well, once all the streaming service settled in, we started to see some more romantic comedies.  And though many platforms have been around for a while they have just now started to focus on the beloved rom-com.  

Social media has also played a vital role in the revival. People started sharing about their favorite rom-coms of the past and factions of the internet started to be formed. Creators like @JustMeJas on TikTok have single handedly helped channel this surge of demand. TikTok has also had many sounds from classic rom-coms go viral. But by far, the biggest contributor to their returns is books. 

Yes, books, I know it may be surprising but take a moment to reflect on all the popular books right now. Did you think about It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, or Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, or Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid? All four of which already have movie or television deals set up. People read books, recommend and review those books, allow said books to go viral, and then demand movie adaptations. It’s a perfect cycle which is only helped along by corners of the internet like BookTok or BookTube. 

Another big factor is simply millennials. They grew up in the 90s with all these famed rom-coms, the genre shaped who they became. So, they express that in every outlet imaginable. Hence the corners of the internet devoted to rom-coms. Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, and Taylor Jenkins Reid – all millennial authors. But this love for rom-coms is also expressed in music, which goes viral and reminds everyone of how the rom-com makes them feel. Just to name a few, Come Around by Peter McPoland, Golden Hour by JVKE and Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez.