The entertainment industry has significantly evolved over the few years – as it should – with newer genres, themes, and even greater storylines. But no matter how many new categories are added to the list, sometimes all you want to watch is light-hearted and low-key relatable.
Enter the rom-com film genre. While it's enjoyable to watch horror and science-fiction movies but sometimes, you’d rather watch something humorous, romantic, and just feel-good.
The Hollywood Reporter | Believe it or not, rom-coms were not liked the way they are now, except for the evergreen classics
The Downfall of Love and Laughter
According to Paul Dergarabedian, a Box Office Expert at Comscore, rom-coms were big in the 90s when movies came out starring the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kate Hudson. However, the hype didn’t last long since the rom-com fever began to wear off pretty quickly. This soon became a red flag and caused enough controversy for all upcoming actors to keep rom-com scripts at arm’s length.
Because of the immediate lack of interest, rom-com movies became a no-go zone. And, the ones that did go for them had to spend more effort marketing their film than what it took acting. In an interview with Refinery29, Reese Witherspoon talked about her 2017 movie "Home Again" and described it as a “modern comedy with a little romance” – which translates to rom-com.
Heyuguys | It’s okay, Reese - we’ve all been there.
Times Are Changing
Though rom-coms had become the least favorite child of the bunch, it looks like the genre is redeeming itself in the form of TV series. With shows like "Love Life" starring Anna Kendrick and "High Fidelity" starring Zoe Kravitz, rom-coms are ready to enter the competitor’s ring once again.
The interesting thing about these shows is that they are almost the TV show versions of the original movies, just returning with whole new looks to them. You might think, "So what? If only some people enjoy watching rom-coms, it is no big deal." Maybe not, but their revival is surely surprising as streaming services have managed to bring back rom-com TV shows and movies.
Netflix claimed the throne with their To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie series, alongside Emma Robert’s Holidate and The Kissing Booth movie series. These movies have revived the rom-com genre that was once dreaded.
Cosmopolitan | This one's for all the rom-coms we’ve loved
Could it be that the pandemic created this longing for laughter and romance, or that people are just tired of hating on rom-coms? Whatever the reason might be, one thing is for sure – rom-coms are here to stay.