10 Best Rom-Coms Of 2023

The rom-com has been making a comeback over the past few years, and the best rom-coms of 2023 prove that the genre is here to stay. Up-and-coming filmmakers have been pushing the boundaries of what a rom-com can be by paying tribute to the traditional tropes that make the genre great while also introducing new ideas. Part of what makes a romantic comedy fresh and engaging is the dedication to showing the personal growth of the protagonists, not just the romantic entanglements.

Romantic comedies have often been chalked up to being only for women or being contrived additions to the film world. However, this has never been the case. Rom-coms teach lessons about love, friendship, and life, and have been extremely influential in popular culture. Due to this influence, films of the genre must keep in mind that even though the subject matter might be on the light side, they have a responsibility to their audience.

10 The Other Zoey (2023)

Directed by: SARA ZANDIEH

The Other Zoey attempts to challenge all the conventions of rom-coms and draw attention to the formulas that easily predict the outcome of these movies. The main character, Zoey (Josephine Langford), is staunchly anti-romance and believes that the most practical way to find love is through careful calculation. Throughout the film, she turns her nose up at anything resembling love. However, through a case of mistaken identity, she ends up falling for someone anyway.

The Other Zoey doesn’t develop new themes or break the formula, it just has a protagonist that’s constantly pointing them out. Even though Zoey has a cynical perspective, the film doesn’t, and her outlook is used to juxtapose the more cheesy elements of the film. Ultimately, nothing that happens in the film is surprising, but the ending of The Other Zoey is heartwarming, and it’s still a fun addition to the genre.

9 Your Place Or Mine (2023)

Directed by: ALINE BROSH MCKENNA

Polar-opposite best friends Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher) swap houses for a week in Your Place Or Mine, and come face to face with their hidden feelings in the other’s absence. The premise is fun, and it’s enjoyable to see a middle-aged couple with children and responsibilities enjoy themselves while searching for love. Unfortunately, the root problem with the film is the lack of chemistry between the two leads. Both are excellent actors, but a sense of romantic longing is not present between them. Despite that, Your Place or Mine is still worth watching for the independent adventures the pair go on.

8 Red, White, and Royal Blue (2023)

Directed by: MATTHEW LOPEZ

Based on the enormously popular novel of the same name by Casey McQuiston, Red, White, and Royal Blue had a lot of pressure riding on the success of the movie. The plot follows the forbidden love story between the U.S. President’s son and the Prince of England. High jinks and globe-trotting travel ensue, and their love eventually gains acceptance and can flourish in the public eye.

The film hits all the right beats from the book, and the two leads capture the awkward tension of first love very well. What could have been improved about the film was the production value. After the popularity of the book, it would have been appropriate to dedicate more time and energy to creating the world of the film.

7 Happiness For Beginners (2023)

Directed by: VICKY WIGHT

Happiness For Beginners is set on the Appalachian Trail and combines themes of survival and budding new romance. This captures the shift in the protagonist Helen’s (Ellie Kemper) life. Recently divorced, and looking for a fresh start, it just so happens that one of the other survivalists is Jake (Luke Grimes), a friend of Helen’s brother whom she knows reasonably well.

At first, they clash and let jealousy get in the way, but soon they can admit their feelings for one another. The unexpected setting of the film is refreshing, and the surprisingly serious reservations about the two leads give the movie an added layer of depth. The many filming locations of Happiness For Beginners add to the feeling of a fully formed world. Though not revolutionary, Happiness For Beginners is a feel-good film that’s easy to watch.

6 Somebody I Used To Know (2023)

Directed by: DAVE FRANCO

Director Dave Franco teamed up with his wife Alison Brie, who co-wrote and starred in Somebody I Used To Know. The best part of the film is that while it gives every character the happy ending they deserve, it’s not the most obvious ending. Ally (Brie) is left in an uncertain position after she finds out her ex-boyfriend is getting married. However, it’s not him that she develops a new bond with, but his fiancée, Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons).

In growing to like and building a friendship with Cassidy, Ally is reminded of the things she used to like about herself and the person she wants to be. Somebody I Used To Know doesn’t deliver any romantic kiss-in-the-rain moments, but it does show a woman falling back in love with herself. The only drawback of the film is that it might become too serious at times, and doesn’t let itself explore the comedy of the more dramatic moments.

5 Ghosted (2023)

Directed by: DEXTER FLETCHER

Ana de Armas and Chris Evans make good on the chemistry they showcased in Knives Out and provide ample romantic tension in Ghosted. In a fun twist on the spy genre, Armas is the one involved in international espionage, and it’s the unlikely Evans who is dragged along for the ride. While this role reversal works well and the movie has no problem making Armas look strong and capable, one of her biggest character flaws is that she is too committed to her job.

This feels like an old-fashioned critique and filmmakers should have moved past this type of relationship conflict. Fortunately, the film does not make her pick between Evans and being a spy. Ghosted blends the rom-com and spy genres well, and has some well-choreographed action scenes, but it’s unlikely that the film will be remembered as a landmark film.

4 What’s Love Got To Do With It? (2023)

Directed by: SHEKHAR KAPUR

What’s Love Got To Do With It? explores different cultural relationships towards love and marriage through the eyes of Zoe (Lily James) and Kaz (Shazad Latif). Zoe is filming Kaz’s experience with an arranged marriage and follows him to Pakistan for the wedding. The two friends learn what the other thinks and feels about love, and start to realize that they may be in love themselves.

The film follows the basic format of most rom-coms, but does its best to show both sides of the cultural divide with empathy and make a case that there are plenty of ways love can work. The film’s decision to include a critique of Zoe’s film centering on an experience that wasn’t her own was a strong choice. It indicated the film could have introduced other more serious themes but What’s Love Got To Do With It? opted to stay joyful for the sake of the story.

3 Love In Taipei (2023)

Directed By: ARVIN CHEN

Based on the novel Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen, Love In Taipei stars Ashley Liao as Ever Wong, a young woman who travels to Taipei on a cultural and educational exchange trip. There she meets new friends, learns more about her Taiwanese culture, and gets caught in a love triangle. Despite her feelings for the two boys she meets, Ever is always her own person and her ultimate goal is to find out what will make her the most happy and fulfilled.

She uses the exchange opportunity to explore her passion for dance and to discover who she is outside of her parents. The romantic elements still provide tension and drama, but the audience feels most connected to Ever’s journey of discovery. This focus on Ever’s independence and self-actualization is a great example of what rom-coms are evolving into for the modern era.

2 No Hard Feelings (2023)

Directed by: GENE STUPNITSKY

Jennifer Lawrence makes an amazing return to form in No Hard Feelings, where she proves she has always been as strong a comedic actress as she has a dramatic one. She’s joined by newcomer Andrew Barth Feldman, who plays an awkward teen boy whose parents pay Lawrence to go out with him. His parents want him to be more social when he leaves for college, and Lawrence needs the money.

No Hard Feelings updates the American sex comedy well, taking into consideration how important it is to show positive consent on film, while also finding the humor and awkwardness in intimacy. Similar to other successful recent rom-coms, Lawrence and Feldman end up friends by the end of the film, and the story’s theme focuses on personal growth more than undeniable romance. While it’s not the best of the year, it comes very close.

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1 Rye Lane (2023)

Directed by: RAINE ALEEN-MILLER

The British rom-com, Rye Lane, follows Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson) after they happen to meet in the wake of two recent breakups. Similar to other rom-coms that take place primarily in the space of a day, Yas and Dom go on an odyssey across London as they learn more about each other and develop romantic feelings. Rye Lane showcases how to give a fresh twist on a familiar formula and make it exciting for the audience.

The two leads are undeniably likable, and it’s easy to root for them to end up together. Additionally, the dialogue is really where the film shines, giving the lead pair witty banter and hilarious comments about life as a young adult that make the film funny and relatable. Rye Lane makes it easy to pronounce it the best rom-com of the year and paves the way for films in the same vein in the years to come.