The death of the rom-com
Isabelle Barber, Contributor
Romantic comedies were a staple of Hollywood in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Films like 10 Things I Hate About You and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days helped define the genre for audiences, combining romance, comedy and memorable characters.
Today, films like Set It Up and Anyone But You show that the genre is still alive, but differences in storytelling and distribution raise a question: has Hollywood lost the magic of the classic rom-com, or has the genre simply changed?
From high-school romances to workplace love stories, romantic comedies have long followed familiar patterns. Two people meet, misunderstandings complicate their relationship and a happy ending often brings them together.
However, the popularity of older films raises questions about what audiences remember about these stories and why Hollywood seems to struggle to recreate their success on the big screen.
A blast from the past
In the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, the familiar high-school romance is strengthened by the performances of Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger.
Film critic Roger Ebert examines the film’s appeal, offering insight into how the performances bring a familiar romantic-comedy trope to life.
“Sometimes it’s a mistake to have acting this charming; the characters become so engaging and spontaneous, we notice how they’re trapped in the plot,” wrote Ebert.
Meanwhile, the 2004 film 13 Going on 30 follows Jenna, a teenager who suddenly becomes an adult and discovers that the life she imagined is not necessarily what she wants. Both films connect romance with personal growth, giving their characters reasons to change beyond finding a partner.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, released in 2003, takes a different approach.
Kate Hudson plays a journalist trying to drive a man away for an assignment, while Matthew McConaughey plays an advertising executive trying to make her fall in love with him. Neither knows the other’s real intentions, creating the misunderstandings that drive the comedy.
The film relies on the leads’ chemistry to make an increasingly ridiculous situation entertaining, demonstrating how a familiar formula can still work when audiences become invested in the characters.
Where has the magic gone?
Modern romantic comedies continue to use these conventions, but their settings and distribution have changed.
In the 2018 film Set It Up, two overworked assistants attempt to set up their demanding bosses on a date, only to develop feelings for each other in the process.
Released on Netflix, the film offers a modern workplace romance centred on fast-paced dialogue and the pressures of professional life.
In The Guardian’s retrospective on the film, the movie is described as a modern classic of the genre, suggesting that streaming releases can still produce romantic comedies that resonate with audiences.
The question then may not be whether modern rom-coms can work, but why so many are no longer treated as major theatrical releases.
An article from Dazed suggests that studios’ focus on blockbusters and streaming platforms has changed the genre’s place in Hollywood. Romantic comedies have not necessarily disappeared, but many have shifted to streaming, where they may have a different relationship with audiences than films released widely in theatres.
The success of Anyone But You in 2023 further complicates the idea that audiences have lost interest in the genre.
Starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, the film is a second-chance romance that follows the two as they pretend to be a couple at a wedding in Australia. Despite a modest opening, it became a box-office hit, drawing attention to the possibility that theatrical romantic comedies still have an audience.
The Guardian suggests that Anyone But You’s box-office success challenges the idea that romantic comedies no longer attract theatrical audiences.
“The success of Anyone But You is a glimmer of resurgence for the humble romcom, a genre that, for the better part of a decade, has been largely relegated to streaming services,” wrote Shaad D’Souza for The Guardian.
What now?
Still, financial success does not automatically mean a film has recreated the appeal of an older classic.
Some audiences may just prefer the nostalgia and coming-of-age stories of earlier films, while others may connect with contemporary relationships and modern settings. The question of whether one era is better than another depends partly on what viewers want from a romantic comedy.
Romantic comedies have not disappeared, and their familiar conventions continue to attract audiences.
From the streaming success of Set It Up to the theatrical performance of Anyone But You, the genre continues to adapt.
Perhaps the real question is not whether Hollywood can bring back the rom-com, but whether it is willing to give new stories the time and theatrical space to become the classics audiences remember.
