The best rom coms index

Classics such as Bridget Jones’s Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and When Harry Met Sally have all become titles we love to watch again and again. Something that’s now even easier thanks to the TV and broadband deals on offer.

There’s so much choice of what to watch these days, it’s hard to settle on one programme, let alone one streaming service. We’ve looked at all of them to help you decide which one is best for your viewing habits, as well as your bank balance. 

Get ready to start bingeing. There’s a world of film and TV packages waiting.

Films from this genre have the perfect mix of funny and feel-good, making them ideal for a date night, a cosy night in, or just an indulgent binge on a rainy day. 

Here, we’ve looked at which ones are the best, according to their IMDb score, reviews, number of searches and more. 

Because love, actually, is all around.

May contain spoilers.

The best rom coms index

What makes a rom com good? Is it the storyline? Is it the obvious on-screen chemistry? We’ve decided to use Uswitch analysis of online film ratings from IMDb and positive review sentiment to determine the best romantic comedies. 

1. Crazy, Stupid Love

“A very surprising Rom-com, and one of Steve Carrell's best ever performances.” - IMDb

It’s official - Crazy, Stupid Love lands the top spot for the best rom com ever made according to the analysis. The 2011 film stars a whole host of rom com mainstays, including Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon. The plot follows Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) as he tries to recover from discovering his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore) has cheated on him and asked for a divorce. 

He responds to this by going to a bar and being taught to flirt with women by Jacob (Ryan Gosling). It’s probably not the best way to heal a broken relationship, but it does lead to a lot of fun, plenty of awkward encounters, and all the wit and charm you’d expect from a film with such a stellar cast. 

It has a rating of 7.4 on IMDb, which puts it down in 26th place, however 72% positive romance reviews, and 70% positive comedy reviews help propel it to top spot. 

It’s not that crazy at all, when you think about it. 

2. 500 Days of Summer

The music. The art. The miscommunication. The broken heart. It all comes together to make 500 Days of Summer a real film of its time, showcasing Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gorden Levitt off as two hopeless romantics who both want, and expect, slightly different things from love. 

Were you truly a hipster in the 2000s if you didn’t know every word of this film? Did you ever really know sadness if you hadn’t loved and lost to a soundtrack of Regina Spektor and The Smiths?

500 Days has a rating of 7.6 on IMDb, and while it only has 42% positive ratings for comedy, when it comes to romance it scores highly at 82.74%. Its most popular reaction on social media is a sad face, proving it really is a rom com with added emotion. 

3. 50 First Dates

In 2004, we were told the story of Lucy (Drew Barrymore), who falls in love with Henry (Adam Sandler), just to forget all about him the very next day. We learn that Lucy has a rare form of memory loss that means she’s unable to retain new memories, leaving Henry with the unfortunate task of making her fall in love with him again and again. 50 times, in fact. 

It’s a heartwarming tale of love and commitment, and although it only scores 6.8 on IMDb, 71% positive comedy reviews and 68.9% positive romance reviews boost its position. 

4. Love Actually

“Unashamedly sentimental, but a very well-done film!” - IMDb

It feels wrong to talk about Love Actually when it’s not Christmas, but we’re going to do it. Written and directed by Richard Curtis, this is the only British rom com to make our top 10. But it had to, really, didn’t it? There’s just so much love in this film, actually, from Colin’s trip to find American girls, through to Natalie falling in love with the greatest Prime Minister the country has ever seen, Hugh Grant. 

It tells the story of romance, of lust, of love lost and of hearts breaking, then attempting to reheal. It really is an emotional rollercoaster, and if you don’t tear up just a little bit when Emma Thompson opens the Joni Mitchell CD, then we can’t be friends. 

Love Actually scores 7.6 on IMDb, and picks up ratings of 82% for romance and 49.5% for comedy. Is it too soon for a mince pie?

5. When Harry Met Sally

Now for a less modern rom com. When Harry Met Sally was released in 1989, and asks a question that might seem a little dated now - Can men and women ever just be friends? Sally first meets Harry after graduating from the University of Chicago, and over the course of 12 years they grow as friends, fight, fall out, fall into bed together and ultimately, fall in love. 

The story explores the intricate relationships that can grow between two people, and continues to stand out as a film that needs to be seen. 

IMDb readers give it a score of 7.6. It has 75% positive reviews for romance, and 59% for comedy. Most people feel sad when watching this film, but after over a decade of turbulent feelings, it might be the only emotion we have left.

6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

‘Inventive, hilarious, touching rom-com.” - IMDb

The second film set in Hawaii on our list (after 50 First Dates), Forgetting Sarah Marshall pits Jason Segal against Russel Brand in the battle for Kristen Bell’s heart. And oh boy, does it take us on a journey to discover the winner. There’s crime, there’s music, there’s Paul Rudd doing a weird… accent? And to top it all off, there’s potentially the greatest puppet show ever performed within another movie. This film deserves watching for A Taste for Love alone!

IMDb gives it a rating of 7.1. While it falls a little flat on romance with a score of 56%, it more than makes up for it with comedy. At 88.7%, it’s one of our highest scorers for laughter. 

7. Hitch

Is there anything Will Smith can’t do? Comedian, rapper, father, actor, and in Hitch at least, matchmaker extraordinaire, Will plays the role of Alex ‘Hitch’ Hitchens, a professional date doctor who helps men find women and form long-term relationships. It’s all going swimmingly for Alex, until he has to follow his own heart when Sara (Eva Mendes) turns up. 

IMDb doesn’t really fall for Hitch’s charms, giving it a score of only 6.6. However, romance reviews are pretty favourable at 72.5%, while comedy fans rate it even higher at 79%. 

8. Wedding Crashers

This film is definitely more com than rom. When you have a movie starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, you already know what kind of film you’re going to get. The plot of Wedding Crashers revolves around two divorce mediators crashing weddings to meet and sleep with women. There’s nothing deeper than that behind it. Would the film go down well today? Probably not. Did it prove a huge hit back in 2005? Absolutely. The film made $288.5 million dollars worldwide.

IMDb hasn’t been so kind, giving it a score of 6.9. Romance reviews aren’t positive either, way down at 50% positive. However, when it comes to comedy, people can’t get enough. Positive reviews are as high as 89.7%, showing that comedy talent can shine no matter what the setting. 

9. Annie Hall

The oldest film in our list is Annie Hall, the 1977 rom com starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. This film isn’t only one of the best rom coms ever made, it’s also highly considered one of the best films ever made, picking up a number of prestigious awards along the way. 

It was different to a lot of films of its time, adding extra complexity to what had previously been quite slapstick comedy films. It remains Woody Allen’s best received ever movie, and while his reputation may have grown tarnished recently, the film stands the test of time. 

Its IMDb score of 8 is higher than any others in our top 10, but with scores of 63% for romance and 64% for comedy, it doesn’t achieve similar heights in other areas. 

10. Friends with Benefits

Completing our top 10 is Justin Timberlake’s best ever film. There, we said it. Friends with Benefits was released in 2011, and is a classic will they/won’t they romp that sees Justin and Mila Kunis constantly deny their feelings for each other. Love is on the table for the whole 109 minutes, but neither character knows quite how to grasp it. 

Winning the award for the best looking main characters, its IMDb score of 6.5 is potentially based on the fact we just described the plot in 62 words. It scores 64% positive reviews for both romance and comedy, though, making it the most even rom com film of the lot. 

The 10 most searched for rom coms

Just because a film is technically good, it doesn’t mean we necessarily want to watch it. That’s what our most searched-for results reveal. Sometimes, people just want a bit of cheese. 

1. Mamma Mia! - 1.83m annual searches

It’s sunny, it’s on a Greek island, and it’s based entirely around an ABBA song. What’s not to love? Mamma Mia! had people singing and dancing in their seats the second it hit the screens, and has gone on to spawn a sequel, and a third film that’s still in the works. It was based on the smash-hit theatre musical of the same name, which actually encourages you to sing along. As if you’d need it.

2. Pretty Woman - 1.5m annual searches

“Troubling… but I did like it.” - IMDb

One’s a down-on-her-luck female escort. The other’s a wealthy businessman. It shouldn’t work as a romantic relationship, but it just does! Over the course of several ‘professional encounters’, Richard Gere learns he just can’t help but love Julia Roberts, so much so that nine years later they reunite in The Runaway Bride. 

Are they two different films or both part of the same cinematic universe? You decide. 

3. Pitch Perfect - 1.5m annual searches

The most a-cappella-mazing rom com in our list, Pitch Perfect hit our screens in 2012, and went on to produce two sequels and a huge surge in musical instrumentation. We imagine. Based around rival a-cappella groups trying to win The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, we follow the Barden Bellas as they attempt to overcome a vomit-inducing defeat at last year’s finals.  

Try not to sing while watching it. It’s impossible. 

4. Grease - 1.5m annual searches 

Grease is the word (is the word, is the word). The 1977 film still gets people singing along now, as we watch Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson try to overcome the trials and tri

bulations of high school life to make their love work. 

It’s so catchy we can easily ignore the clear age discrepancies of the cast (John Travolta was 23 during filming).

5. Clueless - 1.22m annual searches

“Well made and well acted but the characters were annoying.” - IMDb

Loosely based on the plot of Jane Austen’s Emma, a popular, wealthy high school student befriends someone sorely in need of a makeover, and introduces her to a wardrobe of dreams. Ok, romance is not the main takeaway from Clueless, but it plays enough of a part for us to mention it. Any excuse. 

6. Crazy Rich Asians - 1m annual searches

If you fancy watching very rich people enjoying very rich lives, this is the film for you. Crazy Rich Asians sums up the plot in the title, and shows us Rachel Chu as she heads to Singapore to discover her husband-to-be is part of one of the nation’s wealthiest families. 

The family don’t accept Rachel at first, but she wins them over with charm, determination and, the greatest weapon of all, true love. 

7. Friends with Benefits - 1m annual searches

The only film to feature in both of our top 10s is Friends with Benefits. Does that make the ultimate best ever rom coms? That’s up to you. What we can say is this film is very watchable, doesn’t require a great deal of brain power to follow, and is packed full of beautiful people. There are worse ways to spend a couple of hours. 

8. Coming to America - 1m annual searches 

Coming to America follows Akeem Joffer, the crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, as he heads to America to try and find true love. Despite the obvious issues with that as a plot, a sequel was made as recently as 2021, subtly named Coming 2 America. 

9. 10 Things I Hate About You - 823,000 annual searches

“A bit generic and predictable at times, but the charming young cast makes it work.” - IMDb

Fans of a certain genre of film will remember the late Heath Ledger for his role as The Joker. Fans of other films will remember him for 10 Things I Hate About You. The film is a modernisation of William Shakespeare's comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, and shows us Patrick (Heath) attempting to win the heart of Kat (Julia Stiles) in return for payment from someone who wants to date her sister. 

10. Legally Blonde - 823,000 annual searches

“I’m Elle Woods and this is Bruiser Woods and we’re both Gemini vegetarians.” One of the most quotable films ever made, Legally Blonde is a film about beating the odds, resilience and fighting an unfair system. It’s also a huge amount of fun, and contains the cutest sidekick of any of the films we’ve looked at. 

Love conquers all

We looked at the way all of our films made people feel. Based on reactions on social media, we can see that three films made people feel angry, seven made people feel happy, and 29 made people feel sad. But by far and away the most common reaction was one of pure, mushy love, with 52 films earning that response. 

Is there a nicer feeling than cuddling up on the sofa and watching something that makes us laugh and cry at the same time? Throw in some popcorn and it sounds pretty perfect to us.  

Why do rom coms keep us coming back?

Nick Baker TV Expert at Uswitch comments: “Rom coms are light-hearted, easy entertainment that doesn’t require our full focus, making them ideal for our multi-screen lives. Whether you’re watching them on a date, with a group of friends or curled up on your own, there’s no better genre of movie to make you feel all loved up.

“Using online review sites can be helpful when deciding what to watch. This is no different when deciding which romantic comedies to put on, it helps to know which are the audiences favourites.

“With the growing choice of content available to us, Ustream is our onsite tool that can help rom com lovers find out what platforms are needed to watch their favourite romantic films and TV shows, plus it could save you money!”