Forget the boombox outside the window: today’s romantic comedies (rom-coms) are missing the magic. And honestly? The connection between the characters. Have you ever sat down to watch a Netflix rom-com and immediately found yourself questioning what happened to the charm of a love story? Me too.
Rom-coms have been a staple in Hollywood, evolving alongside society and our ever-changing ideas of love. They tend to reflect the era they’re made in—so how did we go from the comedic brilliance “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999) to the controversial “It Ends with Us” (2024)?
Golden age of rom-coms
By the late ‘90s, rom-coms were everywhere, and they were good. It’s impossible to have lived on this earth without hearing of “Titanic” (1997) or the classic “Romeo + Juliet” (1996) based on William Shakespeare’s original play from 1597.
The golden streak carried into the early 2000s. In 2002, rom-coms made $800 million dollars, almost eight times as much as 2022, at $100 million dollars. These rom-coms influenced the rise in feminism, showcasing career-driven women as many of their protagonists. Titles including “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (2004), “Legally Blonde” (2001) and “Notting Hill” (1999) showed women who can have both love and a career.
The swipe era’s lasting effects
In this digital age, romance has been majorly redefined to include snapping, direct messaging, texting and swiping as ways to connect with love interests. With dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, you can meet a person almost anywhere in the world by just swiping right. This wasn’t the case for old rom-coms. With the increased use of social media for dating, the idea of love now feels rushed. Stories don’t seem as organic, thus sacrificing the romantic and fantasy-like elements. Meeting through an app doesn’t exactly make for magical storytelling. This has influenced the perception of love, which in turn affected modern rom-coms by making them feel more fake, faster and boring.
“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), “Love Simon” (2018) and “La La Land” (2016) are some great films that have been made in the more recent era. Nevertheless, there were a lot of unsatisfactory movies due to controversies and the lack of originality. Connection with the audience is very important with movies, regardless of genre. “It Ends with Us” (2024) is a very controversial movie that romanticizes abuse. Another poorly produced movie was “Anyone But You” (2023), which was adapted from William Shakespeare’s play, “Much Ado About Nothing.” The movie was overall generic; the main leads didn’t have chemistry, the vibes were charmless and it was boring. It did not meet the standards set by “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999), which was also a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s plays “The Taming of the Shrew.” “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999) captured a witty dialogue and is uniquely adapted from Shakespeare’s play.
Bring back the chemistry
Don’t get me wrong, we don’t have to pretend every movie is based in the ‘90s or the 2000s for it to be a good rom-com. It just needs to feel real. Whatever happened to the slow burn, the tension and the unforgettable lines? We want characters who seem like they are in love, not ones who make the movie feel like an awkward first date. So, yes, we might live with swipes and screens, but we still want a well-written love story. Maybe with a boombox in hand.