If there's one thing the last year or so in movies has taught us, it's this: the romantic comedy [1] is back in full force. The big-screen staple of the '90s went through some growing pains in the early '00s, but over the last year, the genre has come back [2] for a new generation. One of the biggest forces leading the way has been Netflix: the streaming platform has churned out everything from so-bad-it's-good [3] viral movies like A Christmas Prince to acclaimed smash hits (looking at you, To All the Boys I've Loved Before [4]). This year looks like it's going to be a great one for rom-coms on Netflix again: check out the platform's latest crop of original romantic comedies [5], from the excellent to the truly corny.
The Breaker Upperers
A pair of best friends run a business together: for a fee, they'll figure out a way to break up any relationship. When one of them starts to doubt they're actually doing the right thing, everything starts to unravel.
Watch it now. [6]
The Perfect Date
Costarring Noah Centineo [7], king of Netflix rom-coms, the new movie [8] focuses on a guy who tries to raise money for college by advertising himself as a "plus-one" for hire. Of course, he meets the girl of his dreams just as his business starts to really pick up.
Watch it now. [9]
Someone Great
When a music journalist gets her dream job in San Francisco, her longtime boyfriend breaks up with her. To heal her broken heart, she and her two best friends hit the town in New York City for one last girls' night out.
Watch it now. [10]
The Last Summer
Riverdale [11] star KJ Apa leads a young cast that includes Maia Mitchell, Jacob Latimore, Halston Sage, and Sosie Bacon (13 Reasons Why [12]) in this coming-of-age movie that has some very obvious romantic-comedy elements. Based on the trailer [13], we're already in.
Release date: May 3
Always Be My Maybe
Starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, this rom-com out later this year tells the story of two childhood friends who have a falling-out and don't speak for 15 years. As adults, they find themselves in vastly different socioeconomic situations and run into each other — and the sparks still fly.
Release date: TBD 2019
Tall Girl
You may not know the name Ava Michelle, but the vertically gifted dancer is taking on the title role in Tall Girl. The comedy centers on the tallest girl in high school who finds her match with a Swedish exchange student (Luke Eisner). Steve Zahn, Angela Kinsey, and Sabrina Carpenter are all costarring.
Release date: TBD 2019