Rom-coms are a guilty pleasure for many. Often they are associated with weak storylines, bad characters and helpless cash grabs. While this can be true a lot of times, some manage to rise above those tired tropes and become genuinely good movies that people can sit back, relax and enjoy. Here are the top five rom-com films. 

 “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is a classic for many reasons. The comedy in this movie is honestly gut-busting hilarious and helps the romance between the leads elevate into something it wouldn’t be otherwise. The cast definitely helps, too — Nia Vardalos and her co-star Michael Constantine are the soul of this movie and make this one worthwhile. If you need a feel-good movie to get your spirits up after a bad day, then “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” would be a good one to watch. 

“When Harry Met Sally”

This rom-com borders on the more emotional side of the spectrum here. While there are some funny moments, the strength of this film lies in its ability to create a solid emotional emphasis. 

There are some genuinely heartfelt and touching moments throughout the film. A special shoutout goes to Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan for their incredible acting as Harry and Sally, respectively, a push-and-pull that felt like two people in genuine love and not just actors reading lines. 

“Love Actually”

“Love Actually” has an incredibly funny and well-written script. Witty jokes seem to be a constant with this movie and manage to hit a good portion of the time. Casting Bill Nighy as Billy Jack ends up with funnier deliveries than expected and honestly carries a big slice of this movie. But the main strengths of this film are its above-average acting and real romantic chemistry. 

“Crazy Stupid Love”

“Crazy Stupid Love” is definitely not for people who just want to watch a bubbly rom-com on a get back out in the dating scene after his recent separation and enlists the help of playboy Jacob to get him back out there. This setup has all the makings of a standard romantic-comedy, Friday night. The film instead decides to follow a middle-aged man who is left broken, unlike the bright-eyed protagonists of your usual rom-com, but reveals a film that deeply contemplates ideas of romance and true love. Steve Carell gives a great performance as  Cal and other standout performances include Ryan Gosling as Jacob. Overall you can count on this one giving you the feels

“Four Weddings And A Funeral”

Unlike most rom-coms, which focus on the romantic hijinks of two people, this film opts to focus on more than one romantic escapade. Being as multifaceted as it is, the film handles its pacing well by giving everyone an equal amount of screen time. Usually, in these kinds of films people are left behind and forgotten about. The characters in this movie stand out compared to other films. The script makes a real effort to flesh out their relationships to each other. The writers even manage to include a member of the LGBTQA+ community when there was very little representation. In this film, the love lives of strangers actually feel realistic and also enjoyable to watch.