Update Consent

Best Romantic Comedies of 2018

Sorry, but These Are the Best Romantic Comedies of 2018

Nov 5 2018

Have we gotten too cynical for romantic comedies? We'd like to think we haven't, though there's no doubt that what we demand from romantic comedies has changed over the years. Hollywood still has a long way to go when it comes to diverse representation, but 2018 made some great strides in the most surprising of places: rom-coms. From queer romances to all-Asian casts, here are the five movies this year that reignited our love for the mushy, fun, feel-good quality of romantic comedies.

Image Source: Everett Collection

1. To All the Boys I've Loved Before

This Netflix original is based on the first book in Jenny Han's bestselling series, which follows the story of Lara Jean Covey (played by Lana Condor), a high-schooler whose secret love letters to former crushes accidentally get circulated to those boys. Not only does this teen movie refreshingly feature an Asian-American girl as the protagonist, but it also gifted us with our new Netflix crush, Noah Centineo, whose character pretends to be Lara Jean's boyfriend until (spoiler alert!) real feelings develop between the two. The best part: since the book series is a trilogy, we potentially have two sequels coming our way!

Image Source: Everett Collection

2. Set It Up

In a nod to classic romantic comedies, this Netflix original is about two demanding workaholics (played by Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) who unwittingly bring together their overworked assistants (Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell) as they attempt to play matchmaker with their bosses. Deutch's and Powell's performances are so fun and flirty that they have even been compared to that of rom-com legends Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, and they might even convince you that the two stars are dating IRL (though, unfortunately, they're not). Lucky for us, Set It Up is getting a sequel, so we'll get to see even more matchmaking and flirty fun as the story that single-handedly restored our faith in romantic comedies continues.

Image Source: Everett Collection

3. Crazy Rich Asians

Based on Kevin Kwan's hilarious and international bestselling trilogy, this movie tell the story of a New Yorker (played by Constance Wu) who agrees to spend the Summer in Singapore with her boyfriend (played by Henry Golding) and his family, only to learn that the man she hopes to marry is filthy-, lavishly, crazy-rich — and also the most eligible bachelor in the country. As if it wasn't enough that this film is insanely fun and a true original, Crazy Rich Asians has also provided Hollywood with some desperately needed Asian representation. Even between all of the old money, new money, intergenerational conflict, and ruthless social climbing, there's still plenty of romance (and also plenty of fodder for a sequel!).

Image Source: Everett Collection

4. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

In a follow-up to the Broadway sensation turned 2008 musical rom-com, Mamma Mia!, this film serves as both a sequel and a prequel to the original, flashing back to Donna's life before she was a mom (and before she met all of her potential suitors). Even with 10 years of anticipation, this film did not disappoint. As well as reacquainting fans with old faces, we were introduced to their younger equivalents, and all of the ABBA hits left out of the original got to make their film debut. Few movies are as pure fun and incredibly sweet as this one, so let's just say we wouldn't be opposed to a third instalment of Donna and Sophie's story.

Image Source: Everett Collection

5. Love, Simon

Based on Becky Albertalli's much-praised Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, this feel-good rom-com stars Everything, Everything's Nick Robinson as Simon, a closeted 17-year-old who falls in love with a classmate who calls himself Blue via online correspondence — except he doesn't know his classmate's identity. This John Hughes-esque movie marks the first time that a major studio focussed on a gay teen romance, giving hope to see a whole lot more LGBTQ+ representation in Hollywood. It also helps that the soundtrack for this movie is actually unreal.

Image Source: Everett Collection

Want More?

POPSUGAR Would Like To Send You Push Notifications.