Netflix: 10 Best Rom-Com To Stream On Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, making it the perfect time to curl up on the couch and indulge in a cheesy yet entertaining romantic comedy. While every platform has its fair share of rom-com offerings, Netflix is one of the only to have a distinct brand of Netflix Original rom-coms. And while they also have many of the classics, the Netflix Originals are sometimes leagues above the rest.
What makes Netflix Original rom-coms so special is that they’re often the most diverse. From BIPOC leads to rom-coms focused on LGBTQ+ relationships, Netflix is the destination for hilarious, entertaining, and inclusive romantic comedies. There are even a plethora of foreign language Original rom-coms that are worth the stream.
Released in 2019, Always Be My Maybe stars Ali Wong and Randall Park as two childhood best friends who have grown apart in adulthood. The two hooked up as teenagers, which puts a strain on their relationship. But after not seeing each other for 16 years, Sasha (Wong) is back in San Francisco and runs into Marcus (Park). The two begin to rebuild their friendship while trying hard to ignore the awkwardness and sexual chemistry from their hook-up all those years ago.
Always Be My Maybe features some great romantic gestures and is perfect for fans who love the “second chance love” and best friends to lovers” romantic comedy tropes.
One of the great things about Netflix is that it allows its viewers to browse content from international markets and watch characters from all over the world fall in love. Created in Mexico, Anonymously Yours centers on two teenagers who begin texting each other after one accidentally texts the wrong number. Little do Vale and Alex know that they actually do know each other in real life and dislike each other.
Anonymous Yours is fun, Gen Z version of the classic rom-com, You’ve Got Mail. The movie is in Spanish with both subbed and dubbed versions available, and its fun and heartwarming premise prove that love knows no bounds and spans countries and languages.
Nappily Ever After is a movie based on a novel of the same name by Trisha R. Thomas. The movie, which was released in 2018, centers on Violet (Sanaa Lathan), a woman whose worth has always been judged by her hair, thanks to her mother. After an accident messes up her hair, Violet begins to live her life without being weighed down by the expectations of others and even meets a barber (Ricky Whittle) who helps her on her journey of self-love.
The problem with Netflix having so many things to watch is that oftentimes, movies get lost in the shuffle. This is exactly the case with Nappily Ever After, which is why it deserves to be on everyone’s watch list this Valentine’s Day.
Resort To Love is another Netflix movie that didn't get the media attention it deserved. The movie stars Christina Milian as Erica, an aspiring pop star whose career is in crisis. Desperate for a gig, Erica takes a job performing at a wedding, but little does she know, the wedding is for her ex-fiance. While trying to keep her past a secret from the bride, Erica must confront her feelings for her ex once again.
This movie has a lot to offer fans of the rom-com genre. From drama and comedy to painfully awkward moments when Erica meets her ex-fiance for the first time, Resort to Love is sure to be an entertaining watch. It also features a majority BIPOC cast.
Single All The Way might be a Netflix Original Christmas rom-com, but who doesn't want to celebrate Christmas in February? The movie follows Peter (Michael Urie) as he convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to come home for the holidays with him after a bad breakup. While the plan is initially for Nick to pretend to be Peter's boyfriend, the plan quickly falls through as Nick finds someone else to date.
As if the Christmas backdrop and trope-y rom-com plot aren't enough to draw viewers in, the fact that it is Netflix's first LGBTQ+ Christmas movie definitely will.
Netflix has a ton of underrated movies, but one of the most under-the-radar Netflix rom-coms is the 2018 movie, Set It Up. It stars Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell as Harper and Charlie, two young assistants who work for terrible bosses. After a chance encounter leads to them complaining about their bosses, the two decide to set their bosses up together to hopefully get them off their own backs.
Set It Up is a bit of a double rom-com since it involves two equally great romances in both the two assistants and their bosses, making it perfect for rom-com fans of all ages.
The Half Of It has a bit more drama in it than traditional rom-coms but most people agree that it deserves the title, regardless. The teen rom-com centers on Ellie (Leah Lewis) who gets roped into helping Paul (Daniel Dierner) flirt and hopefully date Aster (Alexxis Lemire). Little does Paul know, though, that Ellie also has a crush on Aster.
This movie holds a special place in a lot of people's hearts because it's one of the only teen rom-coms to feature a lesbian couple. It also spends a lot of time showing just how great Ellie and Paul's friendship is, which becomes important towards the end.
Many might not know that The Kissing Booth is actually based on a novel of the same name. While the jury is still out on which movie is the best, it's always best to start with the first in the series and Valentine's Day is the perfect time to stream it.
The movie centers on Elle (Joey King), a teenager who begins to fall for her best friend's older, "bad boy" brother. As she and Noah (Jacob Elordi) begin a secretive relationship, her relationship with Lee (Joel Courtney) begins to suffer.
Originally destined for theatrical release, The Lovebirds was moved to Netflix in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it a Netflix movie. It follows Leilani (Issa Rae) and Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani), a couple on the brink of a break-up who accidentally witnesses a hit-and-run and get caught up in a murder mystery.
The Lovebirds is an absurd and hilarious rom-com, which isn't a surprise given Rae and Nanjiania's comedic talents. It almost feels more like an action movie than a rom-com, which makes it the perfect one to watch with rom-com skeptics.
By most accounts, To All The Boys I've Loved Before helped revitalize the teen rom-com genre when it dropped on Netflix in 2018. Based on the best-selling novel series of the same name, the movie follows Lara Jean (Lana Condor), a shy teenager whose life is turned upside down when her little sister mails out five love letters Lara secretly wrote to her various crushes. Lara agrees to pretend to date Peter (Noah Centineo), one recipient of a love letter so that he can get back at his jealous ex-girlfriend.
This is the perfect movie for fans of the teen rom-com genre and the "fake dating" trope. Not only does it tell a swoon-worthy love story, but it's also beautifully done in terms of its cinematography, production design, and soundtrack.