When I think about my favorite rom-coms, my mind naturally goes to early 2000 meet-cutes like How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, box-office hits like Crazy Rich Asians, or any film with a sweaty, dramatic confession of love in an airport (thank you Justin Timberlake for raising all of our standards with your very meta airport flash mob). But there are dozens of other movies that have all the themes a good rom-com should have, yet somehow fly completely under the radar. The ones that always make me scream at my TV, “how is this one not more popular?!”
With streaming nowadays, it’s easy for some of these hidden gems to get swept into algorithm limbo. So, we’re bringing those lost loves to light. The movies that still nail their comedic tension, casting, and refreshingly modern happily ever afters, but don’t get the praise they deserve. They might not receive buzz the way Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey do, but in our opinion, they totally should. From indie gems to hidden 2000s favorites, here is our list of the most underrated rom-coms you should definitely flirt with on a Friday night.
1. Plus One
Starring Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine, this gem quietly launched on streaming back in 2019 with no huge studio promotions, but has everything a great rom-com should: a stupendously hilarious undertone, surprisingly sweet moments, and relatable storytelling. Plus One follows two longtime friends, Ben and Alice, who agree to be each other’s plus ones for every summer wedding they are invited to. This one perfectly hits that wedding season realism.
2. Straight Up
Full of sharp wit and playful themes on love, this is the kind of film that just gets it. It’s emotionally grounded and reaches its audience by raising those hard-to-reach questions about love and labels we might not know how to answer just yet. This one did receive great critical praise upon its release, but still flew completely under my radar with its smaller marketing push. The story follows Todd, an obsessive-compulsive gay twenty-something who fears dying alone, as he meets and gets to know Rory, a whip-smart struggling actress with her own set of issues. He might be gay, she might not care, but the two are intellectual soulmates.
3. Fools Rush In
When it comes to those late ’90s, early 2000 hits, Fools Rush In often gets missed, but when I saw it for the first time last year, it became an instant favorite. Starring Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry, this rom-com centers around a big-city real estate developer who learns his one-night stand from three months ago is pregnant. The two decide to get married, but their families and warring cultural traditions quickly complicate their plans. It feels ahead of its time in its storytelling, and has a heartfelt tone that is self-aware and full of Perry’s signature wit.
4. The Photograph
After a famed photographer dies, her estranged daughter, Mae, is full of questions. But when Mae stumbles upon an old photograph of her mother, she finds herself delving into her early life, exposing hidden secrets and leading her to an unexpected romance with a journalist. The Photograph isn’t your typical rom-com; it centers a slow-burn romance and conversations around relationship vulnerability that we don’t often see. It’s not flashy, but that’s what makes it such an underrated gem in my book.
5. Sleeping With Other People
Love is messy, and Sleeping With Other People embraces the best and worst parts of it. Starring Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis, this story follows two very messy people who reconnect years after a college hookup, attempting a platonic friendship that starts to lead to attraction. Despite the strong chemistry from this star-studded duo and satisfying emotional payoff, this rom-com didn’t strike cultural chords as much as it should have. Touching on very real conversations around sex addiction and self-sabotage, it still manages to be utterly hilarious, flirty, and warm-hearted.
6. The Lost City
The Lost City is one of those rom-com movies that got lots of box-office buzz, but somehow still feels slightly underrated. At a glance, it looks like the kind of movie that might under-deliver with its seemingly exaggerated action sequences and A-list clickbait, but it delivers so much more. It reminds me just how fun rom-coms can be when they get to go big like this, and this one doesn’t miss. Starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, this campy treasure hunt follows writer Loretta and her cover model, Alan, who must work together to find a lost city’s treasure before it’s gone forever.
7. Something From Tiffany’s
Nothing screams rom-com like a holiday-themed meet-cute. Following two strangers who meet at just the right (or wrong?) time after their gifts are mixed up at Tiffany’s. It embraces all the warm and fuzzy feelings of your favorite Hallmark classic, with just enough modern charm to spice things up. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but I fall for its ability to make me love love every time. Perfect for audiences who adore Set It Up, Zoey Deutch’s performance will make you swoon.
8. Down With Love
This rom-com has aged extremely well, given its clever writing, feminist tone, witty remarks, and dazzling stars. Following Renée Zellweger as a no-nonsense feminist author and Ewan McGregor as the smug journalist out to prove her remarks on love wrong, this movie is full of outstanding twists, retro fashion, and unexpected romances sure to please any rom-com lover. It feels like a bold throwback to Doris Day and Rock Hudson’s Pillow Talk, and shares similar DNA with How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days.
9. The Half Of It
This one is so criminally underrated. The story follows Ellie Chu, an introverted high schooler, who accepts an offer from a school jock to write a love letter for a girl they secretly both want. This film did receive lots of film festival love, but fell quiet when it came to mainstream buzz; perhaps because it doesn’t portray itself as something typical rom-com lovers might expect to see at first glance. But for those who have not seen it, you must. It is about “love” love, yes, but it also explores the kinds of love we can often find in friendships and self-acceptance, too.
10. Rye Lane
Rye Lane is one of the freshest rom-coms in years. Revamping your typical meet-cute with fast-paced dialogue, complex characters, and outstanding visuals, this British story is rooted in the best places. With electric performances by Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson, this story follows two young twenty-somethings going through bad break-ups who connect on one fateful day in South London. This is the kind of watch that you discover later in your queue and wonder why nobody told you about it sooner.
11. What If
Borrowing the classic rom-com question we love from films like Friends With Benefits—”can they just be friends?”—this film delivers a surprisingly refreshing and sincere take. Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan’s offbeat chemistry is more grounded than forceful, and the plot is certainly charming. The story follows a med-school dropout with seemingly no hope for love, who forms an instant connection with a woman who might be ‘the one.’ Only problem? She currently has a boyfriend.
12. Love at First Sight
Love at First Sight isn’t trying to reinvent the genre, but I will admit this modern rom-com does well in its subtle attempts. With just enough modern rebranding, Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy’s meet-cute feels refreshing, the dialogue feels whimsical, and the film as a whole carries a quiet elegance about it. The story follows two strangers who connect on a flight to London, only to be separated after landing. A reunion feels impossible—unless, of course, fate somehow intervenes.
Madigan Will, Assistant Editor
As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Madigan writes and edits content for every topic under the digital media sun. As the oldest of four siblings, she enjoys utilizing her big sister persona to connect and inspire readers—helping them discover new ways to maximize their everyday.
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