Among the most underrated romantic comedies ever made is Comet (2014), starring Emmy Rossum and Justin Long. Those performers got their start around the same time as one another, with Long debuting in Galaxy Quest (1999) and Rossum in Songcatcher (2000) at the turn of the century. The former film is far more famous. But Songcatcher saw great success upon release, as well. In the following year, Long starred in a horror stint called Jeepers Creepers (2001), and it was off to superstardom from there.
Meanwhile, Rossum appeared in Mystic River (2003) by Clint Eastwood, then traversed a similar trajectory. She followed up with another supporting role in The Day After Tomorrow (2004), along with the first co-starring role of her career in The Phantom of the Opera (2004). But more recent fans of Rossum’s may be familiar with her versatile career thanks to her leading role as Fiona Gallagher in the hit television series Shameless. She’s obviously had a great career in film, too — but between the two, that’s Justin’s medium of choice.
Arguably the greatest horror actor to ever live, Long has appeared in numerous high-quality stints such as Drag Me to Hell (2009) and Barbarian (2022). But throughout the years, he’s also established a tremendous name for himself in the realm of romantic comedies. He first provided a supporting effort in The Break-Up (2006) before appearing amid the ensemble cast of He’s Just Not That Into You (2009). Then, he and Drew Barrymore co-starred in Going the Distance (2010).
Those are all underrated in their own rights, with Long also writing (with his brother Christian alongside Keir O’Donnell) another romantic comedy called A Case of You (2013). He provided a co-starring effort alongside Evan Rachel Wood, and they both performed well in an overall overlooked outing. The following year is when Long, Rossum, and writer-director Sam Esmail created the most undervalued rom com of the century: Comet. But of course, several other romantic comedies have flown under the radar throughout the years.
Other Great Rom Coms You May Have Missed
Before the film at hand, Emmy also appeared in a rather underrated romantic comedy. While Passionada (2002) isn’t the best film you’ll read about, it did go surprisingly far beneath the public radar upon release, and its name value remains the same today. Another twenty-first century romantic comedy from that period is called Two Can Play at That Game (2001), written and directed by Mark Brown. It also boasts rather unappreciable relevance in a modern landscape despite holding up well today.
With regard to Justin Long: nearly all of his romantic comedies are underrated, primarily The Break-Up and Going the Distance. However, the movies on the same level as Comet come in the following years, like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012). Co-starring Stave Carell and Keira Knightley, it features one of the more intriguing premises from any romantic comedy you’re ever likely to see, as it’s set amid the onset of an apocalypse. It’s highly underrated, much like Drinking Buddies (2013) from the following year.
Written and directed by Joe Swanberg, it follows Olivia Wilde’s protagonist Kate as she and her boyfriend Chris (played by Ron Livingston) are joined by another couple — Luke (Jake Johnston) and Jill (Anna Kendrick) — on a weekend getaway. Despite garnering widespread acclaim from critics, Drinking Buddies came up remarkably short at the worldwide box office. And frankly, it still doesn’t get the love it deserves.
There are plenty other overlooked rom coms worth writing home about, even from this era. There’s Enough Said (2013) with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini, for example, along with They Came Together (2014) featuring Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, and Sleeping With Other People (2015) starring Jason Sudeikis and Allison Brie. But throughout all those undervalued stints, one rom com stands out as perhaps the most underrated.
Why Comet Stands Out
Written and directed by Sam Esmail, it follows Dell (played by Long) who meets Kimberly (that’d be Rossum’s character) at a gathering for a meteor shower. The leads perform brilliantly, no doubt there. But in the end, Comet stands out for its masterful tactics of behind-the-scenes filmmaking. Just take a loot at the work of cinematographer Eric Koretz, for instance. A carefully crafted color palette and notable art direction facilitate some of the most prominent shot value you’re likely to read about today.
The visuals of Comet remain a highlight of the film until its last, stunning scene. But another name worth noting would be composer Daniel Hart, who’s written the scores for numerous titles of great critical acclaim — films like Light of My Life (2019) and The Green Knight (2021), for example. He put tremendous work into Comet, which goes down among the more underrated movies of his career. The same can be said for everyone involved, like film editor Franklin Peterson.
Regarding the magic art: Peterson implements some well-timed tactics of continuity transitioning, and he fits each shot from Koretz perfectly into the final film. He achieved greatness in the editing room, like his other crew members in their respective spots. And, speaking of: none of this has even touched on the efforts of the auteur, Sam Esmail. French for author, auteurs write the scripts to (most of) the films they direct. That’s the case with Comet, resulting in a specific vision seen into brilliant fruition.
His script boasts well-written dialogue and a unique adherence to structure, and it features an underlying focus on character development the whole way through. And as a director, Esmail also led his actors to absolute greatness, with Comet going down as one of the greatest films from Justin Long and Emmy Rossum both. It’s just a shame it never got more love from critics upon release. Here’s hoping audiences catch on soon.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
