The romantic comedy was once a cinema tentpole. The films defined A-list careers. They won Hollywood studios awards. And they made oodles of money. Then one day, rom-coms seemed a thing of the past. What happened to the genre? Is it dead, or just alive in another form? And what would it take to mount a comeback?

David Sims, Hannah Giorgis, and Sophie Gilbert discuss the state of the rom-com and review two new entrants to the genre that premiered this past Valentine’s Day Weekend: First, the glitzy Marry Me starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. Second, the indie-inflected I Want You Back starring Charlie Day and Jenny Slate.

The trio breaks down what they love about the genre, what works and what doesn’t in the new films, and how Hollywood can recapture the old magic. (Maybe cast male leads for chemistry over comedy?) They also share their favorite rom-coms from the golden age of the genre—the 1990s and early 2000s, of course—and why they love them despite their formulaic flaws. Romantic comedies are, after all, the only movies that meaningfully explore how regular people connect with each other. As Sophie succinctly explains: “It’s this or porn, people.”

Further reading:

Marry Me and the ​​Revenge of the Old-Fashioned Rom-Com (David Sims, The Atlantic)

Rom-Coms Were Corny and Retrograde. Why Do I Miss Them So Much? (Wesley Morris, The New York Times)

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