Offering laughs and love in equal measure, romantic comedy cinema is a uniquely endearing and enjoyable genre. When it is good, it is cheerful and triumphant. When it is great, it is often nothing short of a life-affirming testament to the value of heartfelt human connection and the passionate pull of falling in love. The best examples of the genre from the past 100 years highlight this heartwarming heft in a fashion that is as glorious as it is enduring.
Such is the excellence of the genre across the past century that beloved masterpieces likeNotting Hill,Roman Holiday, andHarold and Maudehave not made the cut.The ten films that remain are truly the pinnacle of rom-com cinemaover the last century, ranging from the sensational screwball comedies of the ‘30s and ‘40s that are essential viewing for all Old Hollywood lovers, right through to mindful and sweeping modern masterpieces that demand to be seen.
10’Annie Hall' (1977)
Directed by Woody Allen
While he is a controversial figure, few filmmakers have defined American romantic-comedy cinema quite likeWoody Allen, with 1977’s genre classicAnnie Hallstanding as his definitive masterpiece. It encapsulates Allen at his daring and endeavoring best, blending elements of surrealist fantasy, quiet emotional drama, and romantic hilarity. It follows comedian Alvy Singer’s (Allen) reflection on his life, namely his relationship with aspiring nightclub singer Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) and their romance’s abrupt end.
There is a certain self-indulgence to Allen’s work that can be at once personal and pretentious.Annie Hallfinds itsbalance between revelatory revisionism and artful filmmaking with tight precision. Adventurous and awe-inspiring,Annie Halldoesn’t shy away from poignancy and melancholy, but it boasts plenty of hysterical moments as well, making for a rom-com of uncommon impact thathas endured as a true, essential American classicfor almost 50 years.
Annie Hall
9’The Big Sick' (2017)
Directed by Michael Showalter
As exceptional as it is underrated,The Big Sickbrings a grounded emotional heft to the whimsy of stylized celluloid romance to bethe best display of the rom-com in recent years. It starsKumail Nanjianias a struggling comedian getting by as an Uber driver whose complex and undefined relationship with graduate student Emily (Zoe Kazan) discovers new depth when she is put in a medically induced coma due to a devastating infection. As he visits Emily in the hospital, he begins to bond with her parents, whom he was initially reluctant to meet.
The Big Sickis comical in a manner that is modern and meditative, while still featuring a romantic core that is defined by its sweetness and nuanced depth, and even explores several other interesting relationships with sincerity, heart, and humor. Bolstered by a litany of delicate, note-perfect performances and amature examination of cultural clashes in modern romance,The Big Sickis a refreshing and rewarding rom-com that proves that, even after a century of cinema,there is still new ground for the genre to explore.
The Big Sick
8’The Shop Around the Corner' (1940)
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Effortlessly endearing, enjoyably snappy, and rife with that delightful, warm-hearted brand of comforting predictability that underscored so many of the greatest rom-coms of Hollywood’s golden era,The Shop Around the Cornerembodiesthe cozy cuteness of the genre at its spellbinding best. The ever-magnificentJames Stewartstars as Alfred, the top salesman at a leather goods store who finds himself constantly butting heads with his new coworker, the hard-headed and defiant Klara (Margaret Sullivan). Little do the feuding coworkers know that they are actually each other’s anonymous pen pals that they have each become completely enchanted by.
Beautifully written bySamson Raphaelsonand handled withdeft, tender care byErnst Lubitsch,The Shop Around the Corneris an uplifting gem of romantic-comedy cinema that knows exactly how to make its characters’ angst resonate, when to make key revelations, and how to build the love story suspense.Its charm is irresistible, its comedy sharp and snappy, and its story a winning combination of precise, intelligent plot progression and heartfelt humanity. The fact that it is brought to life by such a delightful cast is just the cherry on top.
The Shop Around the Corner
7’When Harry Met Sally…' (1989)
Directed by Rob Reiner
The late ’80s and into the ’90s were a golden era for rom-com, with many beloved classics of the genre being released. None have proven to be as enduring nor as excellent asWhen Harry Met Sally…. It follows the tumultuous relationship between university graduatesHarry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan), whose initial friendship quickly cascades into heated animosity following an argument. Through a series of reunions over the years, however, they begin to reconsider their feelings for one another as their respective relationships continuously flicker and fade.
Bolstered by its two phenomenal stars,Rob Reiner’s stirring yet sensitive direction, andNora Ephron’s piercingly smart and savvy screenplay,When Harry Met Sally…adheres to the set rom-com formula, but imbues it witha modern, refreshing, effervescent brilliancethat has established it as a true classic of the genre. The film flaunts a certain awareness of everyday truths, a lived-in acceptance of notions of sex and human connection that miraculously manages to have anendearing, heartfelt core despite its distinct cynical edge.
When Harry Met Sally
6’Modern Times' (1936)
Directed by Charlie Chaplin
Marking the final silent film ofCharlie Chaplin’s career, and released well after the advent of the “talkies” had come to dominate the cinematic landscape,Modern Timesis a glorious final stand from the defining icon of silent cinema that flaunts all the majesty and mastery of the craft. Laced with notions of class and inequality in a rapidly changing world,it follows Chaplin’s bumbling Trampas he forms a bond with a young homeless woman, forged through their shared sense of injustice suffered in the mechanical world that strives to stamp out their adventurous exuberance at every turn.
More than just a tale of romance rife with laughs and gags,Modern Timesisa championing of childlike wonder and friendship as a form of rebellionagainst a hardening world of industry and profits. The union between the Little Tramp and The Gamin (Paulette Goddard) is not only wholesome, happy, and pure, but it is presented as a necessary kindness amid times of turmoil and change. As such,Modern Timesis a slapstick masterpiece that holds dear the belief that love is the most important thing in the world, a notion that goes a long way to cementing the film among the greatest romantic comedies—and the greatest silent pictures—of all time.
Modern Times
5’The Philadelphia Story' (1940)
Directed by George Cukor
It is easy to wax lyrical about the distinct tone and style of the rom-coms of yesteryear. One could go on about their sharpness, suspense, star power, and splendor without end. To adequately exemplify the brilliance ofThe Philadelphia Story, however, it may be necessary to simply say:Katharine Hepburn.Cary Grant. James Stewart. Love triangle. It is a delicious marriage of performers and premise, with the film following the love-struck trio through marriage proposals and high society with an arresting fervor that completely transfixes audiences in its confidence and class.
The film focuses on a Philadelphia socialite as she finds herself torn between her galivanting, yacht designer ex-husband and a prying tabloid reporter, both of whom have stampeded into her life on the eve of her wedding with the wealthy George Kittredge (John Howard). Wonderfully written, gorgeously directed, and featuring perhapsthe greatest cast of stars rom-com cinema has ever seen,The Philadelphia Storyrepresents the genre at its most lavish and alluring, producing a timeless gem ofelegance, prestige, and the petty problems of privilegethat still provide laughs aplenty today.
The Philadelphia Story
4’His Girl Friday' (1940)
Directed by Howard Hawks
From one Cary Grant-led 1940 masterpieceto another,His Girl Fridayis the defining title of screwball comedy and, by extension, Old Hollywood romantic comedy. Rapid-fire and razor-sharp, it transpires as newspaper editor Walter Burns (Grant) endeavors to go to any lengths necessary to prevent his ace reporter—and ex-wife—from marrying and leaving town forever. His conniving ploy to appeal to her obsessive passion for chasing a story sees him promise her an exclusive interview with a death row inmate, one whose escape from prison only makes Hildy’s (Rosalind Russell) scoop all the more compelling.
Cynicism and corruption run rampant, and the frenetic pacing of the overlapping dialogue imbuesHis Girl Fridaywith an irresistible zest that is just as compelling today as it was way back in 1940. Able to run as both a savagely funny indictment of newspaper ethics and adeliciously, hilariously wicked dose of tumultuous and toxic romance,His Girl Fridaysoars off the back of its performative brilliance, screenwriting mastery, andHoward Hawks’ keen directorial instincts to be screwball cinema’s unrivaled masterpiece and a delightfully different example of rom-com rambunctiousness that still feels refreshed and relevant.
His Girl Friday
3’Amélie' (2001)
Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
A gorgeous, heartwarming gem of international cinema that also stands as the greatest rom-com of the 21st century thus far,Amélieis a charming tale of humanity and community that dazzles off the back ofAudrey Tautou’s enchanting lead performance. She stars asthe titular Amélie, an introverted waitress in Pariswho begins anonymously influencing the lives of those around her. While she is able to conjure romance between reserved lovers and dispel little moments of poetic justice, she struggles to bring her love for the quirky Nico (Mathieu Kassovitz) to fruition.
It is a beautiful, warm hug of a movie, acomforting and life-affirming ode to the warmth and love of humanity. With its vibrant use of color, its whimsical story of profound decency, and its absorbing aura of purity and playfulness,Améliemerrily teeters on the cusp of surrealist fantasy, occupying an idyllic vision of the world where good deeds earn rewards. Its immersive majesty and its romantic power haven’t aged one bit in the 24 years since its release, makingAméliean entrancing gem of romantic comedy cinema.
2’The Apartment' (1960)
Directed by Billy Wilder
From film noir masterpieces likeDouble Indemnityto courtroom classics likeWitness for the Prosecution, there is hardly a genre thatBilly Wildertackled and didn’t excel in. It should come as no surprise, then, that his foray into romantic comedy makes for not only a defining gem of the genre, but one of the most acclaimed and beloved films of all time.The Apartmentfollows insurance clerk C. C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), who climbs the corporate ladder of his company by begrudgingly lending his conveniently-located apartment to his superiors for their extramarital trysts. The arrangement grows complicated when he falls in love with elevator girl Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), who is herself involved with the company head, Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray).
A chameleonic master of tone, Wilder imbues the film with a compassion and tenderness that endears its two tragic characters to the viewers, not only through moments of romantic yearning and comedy chemistry butthrough some darker, dramatic truths, as well. The result is not onlya perfectly calibrated romantic comedybut a surprisingly bold one as well, especially for its time. Timelessly brilliant, and with its best scenes enduring as truly iconic moments of Hollywood cinema,The Apartmentisas divine as it is daring.
The Apartment
1’City Lights' (1931)
In addition to his slapstick excellence, Chaplin’s ability to entwine humor and heart to conjure characters and stories that completely enchant viewers is perhaps the greatest testament to his filmmaking genius. No film in his body of work highlights these strengths quite likeCity Lights. The silent rom-com sees the Little Tramp striving to raise money to pay for a surgery for the blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill)he has fallen in love with. While he works a series of odd jobs to earn cash, he also befriends an erratic, alcoholic millionaire who can only remember their friendship when intoxicated.
Both its comedy and its cutting poignancytranscend language barriers and cultural differenceswith an artful beauty that, even almost 100 years on from its release, beams off the screen with a profound power. Buoyed by a flawless and tearfully wonderful conclusion that is not soon forgotten,City Lightsisa truly divine marriage of romance and comedy, a heartfelt and hysterical ode to the brilliance of the silent era that proves what so many modern films have tragically forgotten: thatlove and laughter will always speak louder than mere wordsever could.
