8 Romantic Comedies to Stream on Netflix This Weekend
The weekend has arrived, meaning it’s time to hit the town, stay out late partying, and cause as much trouble as possible. At least, that might be the case if you’re 22. For the rest of us, Friday’s arrival means we once again have an opportunity to take a break and relax, preferably at home on the couch with a significant other and a movie. And what better genre to cozy up with than a romantic comedy? For those looking to ring in October with something sweet and silly, here are our picks for 8 choice rom-coms currently available to stream on Netflix.
Legally Blonde
Reese Witherspoon has rarely been more appealing than as Elle Woods, a ditzy blonde who aims to win back her jerk boyfriend (Matthew Davis) by following him to Harvard, where she enrolls as a law student. While a sequel and Broadway show followed, the 2001 original is the only series entry worth your time.
Drinking Buddies
Director Joe Swanberg’s indie cinema can sometimes be, shall we say, a tad torturous. But this star-studded 2013 effort is a refreshingly breezy romantic comedy about two craft-brewery coworkers in Chicago (Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson) whose obvious attraction is complicated by the fact that they both have significant others (Ron Livingston and Anna Kendrick, respectively). It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s got laid-back charisma to spare.
13 Going on 30
Proving that Big’s premise works just fine as a romantic comedy, Gary Winick’s 2004 fantasy finds a 13-year-old girl suddenly transformed into her 30-year-old self (Jennifer Garner) — a time-warping situation that helps her find true love with her geeky childhood best friend (Mark Ruffalo).
Can’t Buy Me Love
Before he was McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey was a nerdy teen who pays a popular girl (Amanda Peterson) to pose as his girlfriend so he can join the cool crowd. Unsurprisingly, popularity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, though unexpected love nonetheless blossoms in this beloved 1987 romance.
Working Girl
Mike Nichols captures Manhattan’s corporate rat-race culture with wit and humor in this terrific 1988 rom-com about a secretary (Melanie Griffith) who uses the absence of her boss (Sigourney Weaver) to both woo a high-powered exec (Harrison Ford) and make a play for corporate supremacy. Sharp and sly in equal measure, it’s a modern genre standout and recipient of six Oscar nominations. (Go here to read more about how perfect Working Girl is.)
Before We Go
Chris Evans not only stars in, but also directs, this 2015 release about a street musician (Evans) who winds up spending a night in New York City with a woman (Alice Eve) in dire straits. While its scenario is more than a bit contrived (and blatantly modeled on Before Sunset), Evans and Eve’s chemistry helps carry the film over its bumpier patches.
Serendipity
With the holidays fast approaching, now’s a good time to revisit this 2001 Christmastime fantasy about two strangers (John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale) who share a magical night together, and then leave it up to fate to reunite them. Years later on the eve of their respective weddings, they attempt to find each other, leading to various contrivances that are helped immensely by Cusack and Beckinsale’s natural romantic rapport.
Leap Year
This largely ignored 2010 effort focuses on a woman (Amy Adams) who travels to Ireland to convince her boyfriend (Adam Scott) to get married, only to fall in with a handsome local hunk (Matthew Goode) who mocks her big-city ways. It’s arguably the hoariest set-up imaginable for a rom-com, and yet it stars the endlessly charming Adams, so, you know, it’s still eminently watchable.
