Love is a many splendored thing, full of joy, silliness, and slapstick. Or at least that's true of romantic comedies, in which lovers might begin as side-eying friends, business rivals, or strangers destined to swoon. Yet there's much more to this genre mash-up than simply jokes and love. You might find jubilant musical numbers, kooky characters, bouncy banter, luxurious settings, and even a madcap murderer!
Whatever you're seeking from a rom-com, we've got you covered with a top-tier selection plucked from quirky to cute to cackle-inducing takes on happily ever after. And there's no need to swipe right! Just hit play.
Here are the best rom-coms now streaming on Max.
1. Shiva Baby
Worlds collide in this 2020 cringe comedy that's been widely hailed by critics. When a Jewish college student (Rachel Sennott) dutifully attends a shiva alongside her parents, she's prepared to field questions about her unimpressive job prospects and lack of a boyfriend. However, she's not ready for her secret sugar daddy (Danny Deferrari) to show up, much less with his beautiful blonde wife (Dianna Agron) and their rosy-cheeked baby.
Making matters even more fraught, her former flame is slinging her serious side-eye. Something has got to give. In her remarkable debut feature, writer/director Emma Seligman, who went on to make Bottoms, creates laughs and suspense with an electrifying tapestry of observational humor, social awkwardness, jolting humiliation, and sexual tension. You've heard of feel-good comedies? Well, this is a feel-anxious-as-hell comedy, dragging us through each embarrassment with our harried heroine. And yet, we can’t recommend the experience highly enough.* —Kristy Puchko, Film Deputy Editor
How to watch: Shiva Baby is now streaming on Max.
2. Legally Blonde
What can we possibly say about this truly perfect movie that hasn't already been said? Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and adapted for the screen by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith, Legally Blonde is bright, bubbly, and seriously smart — just like its main character, Elle Woods. Reese Witherspoon is iconic as the blonde bombshell who gets into Harvard Law School with the goal of wooing back her old boyfriend, only to learn that loving herself gives her much more satisfaction. Luke Wilson is a perfect supportive new flame, and Jennifer Coolidge is peak Jennifer Coolidge as Elle's BFF Paulette.
Endlessly quotable, inspiring a successful Broadway musical, and garnering multiple awards, Legally Blonde is both a smash hit and a honest-to-goodness cultural milestone.
How to watch: Legally Blonde is now streaming on Max.
3. Southside With You
Barack and Michelle Obama's love story becomes a patient and gorgeous romantic dramedy in Southside With You. With a tone and style reminiscent of Before Sunrise, Barack and Michelle meet in the morning and spend the course of the day getting to know each other, ultimately falling in love. They wander through a museum together, attend a community organizing meeting, and share a first kiss. It's both tender and evocative, with stars Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter embodying the roles of these highly recognizable icons with ease and grace. A triumph.
How to watch: Southside With You is now streaming on Max.
4. Singin' in the Rain
Easily one of the greatest movie musicals ever made, Singin' in the Rain tells the story of Hollywood's shift from silent films to talking pictures. Caught in this transition is leading man Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), whose leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has the most grating voice imaginable. With the help of his best friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) and aspiring actor Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), he plans to make a movie musical. What follows are some of the best musical numbers in history, with show-stopping choreography accompanying catchy tunes. The title number is an absolute joy, as are "Good Morning" and the comedic masterpiece "Make 'Em Laugh." But it’s the 13-minute "Broadway Melody" sequence in all its Technicolor glory that solidifies Singin' in the Rain as one of the all-time greats.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Singin' in the Rain is now streaming on Max.
5. Heartbreakers
The romantic crime comedy is a highly underutilized movie subgenre. The stakes are high, the laughs are big, and the twists come with a kiss. It's a winning combo, any way you slice it, and Heartbreakers is an archetypal triumph of the form.
Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt are Max and Page, a mother-daughter con artist team who have to complete one last grift together to pay a debt to the IRS. But when Page develops feelings for a man she's trying to con on the side (Jason Lee), their whole delicate web of lies is placed in jeopardy. Heartbreakers is a rom-com with an edge: It's funny, it's irreverent, and it's unpredictable.*
How to watch: Heartbreakers is now streaming on Max.
6. Just Like Heaven
From Mark Waters, the director of Mean Girls. comes a boy-meets-girl comedy with a Ghost Dad premise. In this romantic comedy, Reese Witherspoon stars as an E.R. doctor too fixated on work to consider her personal life — that is, until a car crash seems to have ended it. As a disembodied spirit, she haunts her old apartment as the unwelcome roommate of its handsome and bewildered new resident (Mark Ruffalo). At first, the two are a couple at odds, but despite their differences — and life status — they fall in love. Deeply sweet and silly with a side of supernatural slapstick, Just Like Heaven is a delight. And yes, despite its seemingly grim premise, it has a happy ending. — K.P.
How to watch: Just Like Heaven is now streaming on Max.
7. Knocked Up
A perfect synthesis of romantic comedy and bro humor, Knocked Up broke the mold for modern rom-coms when it debuted in 2007. It's raunchy, clever, and occasionally deeply unromantic — a welcome dose of reality in a field crowded with swooning, grand gestures, and musical numbers.
Written and directed by Judd Apatow, Knocked Up features Katherine Heigl as Alison, a dedicated entertainment reporter who doesn't have much time for a personal life. Celebrating a promotion, she has a one night stand with the deeply mediocre and incredibly underemployed Ben (Seth Rogen). Weeks later, she discovers she's pregnant and decides to not only raise the child, but to include Ben — her complete opposite — in the process.
How to watch: Knocked Up is now streaming on Max.
8. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is just as loud, energetic, and sweet as you remember.
The sleeper movie hit has 30-year-old Toula (Nia Vardalos) meeting the handsome Ian Miller (John Corbett) one day while waiting tables at her family's Chicago restaurant. The pair reconnects after Toula begins working for a travel agency, and it's not long before Ian puts a ring on her finger. Unfortunately for Toula, before the wedding can happen, Ian must get the approval of her giant, overbearing Greek family. — Brooke Bajgrowicz, Entertainment Fellow
How to watch: My Big Fat Greek Wedding is now streaming on Max.
9. Grease
If you don't know what Grease is, will you kindly remove yourself from the cave in which you've been living?! John Travolta is Danny Zuko, Rydell High School's best bad boy circa 1958. Olivia Newton-John is Sandy, a new student at Rydell and a little bit of a goody-two-shoes. These two couldn't have less in common — except, of course, the fling they shared the summer before Sandy knew she was going to attend Rydell High. Now in each other's orbits again, Danny and Sandy can't stop thinking about each other. And, oh baby, are they going to sing about it.
Energetic, technicolor, and infectious, Grease has been a modern classic since the 1970s for a reason. Who cares that half of its high school actors are visibly in their forties? It's fun!
How to watch: Grease is now streaming on Max.
10. Starstruck (Seasons 1-3)
Written and created by powerhouse New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo, Starstruck is a fresh new take on the classic question: "What if an A-list actor fell for a regular person?"
Matafeo is almost criminally charming as Jessie, a listless New Zealander living in London without much direction in her life. After a fun New Years' Eve hook-up, she realizes she just slept with one of the biggest action stars in the world, Tom Kapoor (Nikesh Patel). It's a delightful romantic comedy series with big laughs and a lot of heart. The cast here is oozing charm, and Matafeo's skillful writing never misses a beat.
How to watch: Starstruck Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Max.
11. The Prince and Me
Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Girl finds out boy is secretly the Crown Prince of Denmark, masquerading as a regular student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Julia Stiles is perfectly cast as Paige Morgan, a pre-med student who has to decide whether being in love with the heir to the Danish throne will keep her from accomplishing her goals. The Prince & Me is alluring fluff, an updated fairy tale comforting in its sweet, sweet predictability.
How to watch: The Prince and Me is now streaming on Max.
12. Trainwreck
The mid-2010s brought us ombre hair, planking, and #YOLO, but its most enduring cultural addition was a wave of movies about imperfect women. More female-led films at the box office meant there was finally enough space for leading ladies who didn't have to meet every standard to which we hold the modern women. Movie theaters were flooded with bad moms, anti-heroines, and the sloppiest drunks you've ever seen in your life. Enter Trainwreck, a hilarious and irreverent rom-com directed by Judd Apatow and starring Amy Schumer in a role that's basically her hot mess stand-up persona come to life.
Schumer and Bill Hader are surprisingly charming together, and John Cena and Lebron James both add an unexpected sparkle to a fun and cheeky romance.*
How to watch: Trainwreck is now streaming on Max.
13. Definitely, Maybe
A surprisingly heartfelt Ryan Reynolds stars as Will Hayes, a young dad in NYC attempting to explain to his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) why he and her mother are divorcing. She insists on knowing the full story, so he starts from the very beginning, changing the names so the identity of her mother is a mystery, How I Met Your Mother-style. As the story unfurls, and Will grows closer and drifts apart from characters played by Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, and Rachel Weisz, Maya begins to deduce which woman is her mother… and which woman is the love of her father's life.
Definitely, Maybe is an enchanting and unique love story that confidently breaks out of the rom-com formula. With a talented cast and a cheerful tone, it was a breath of fresh air in an oversaturated decade for romantic comedies.*
How to watch: Definitely, Maybe is now streaming on Max.
14. Date Night
Date Night kicks off with Steve Carell and Tina Fey as a bored married couple worried they're becoming simply roommates, not lovers. They go out for a date night to add a little spice to their lives, but when they are mistaken for members of a criminal organization, their night on the town becomes a night fleeing for their lives. That's a little more spice than they bargained for! Silly, exciting, and surprisingly heartfelt, Date Night is a fun and energetic romantic comedy adventure with a top-notch cast.
How to watch: Date Night is now streaming on Max.
15. Uptown Girls
Look, we're not going to pretend this movie doesn't have problems, but Brittany Murphy is enchanting as Molly Gunn, the free-spirited daughter of a deceased rock god who suddenly finds herself out of money and living in the real world for the first time in her life. She gets a job as the nanny for the dramatic and difficult 8-year-old Ray, played by a scene-stealing Dakota Fanning. The two misfits push and prod the other into healing each other's wounds. All the while, aspiring singer Neal (played by '00s hottie Jesse Spencer) is looking for a way into Molly's heart. Ignore the haters! Yes, it's fluffy. Yes, it's simple. But Uptown Girls is also a fun and cozy charm-fest.
How to watch: Uptown Girls is now streaming on Max.
Asterisks (*) indicate the entry has been modified from a previous Mashable list.
UPDATE: Feb. 8, 2024, 4:38 p.m. EST This post has been updated to reflect current streaming options.
Topics Streaming Watch Guides
