Why Are Older Rom-Coms So Much Better?

As I scroll through Netflix, I cannot help noticing the myriad of new romantic comedies. Every time I see them, I inevitably roll my eyes. This is not out of snobbery, but rather because I have given movies of this kind multiple chances and been burned way too many times. For some reason, the most recent romantic comedies are just not as appealing, and I find myself resorting to late ‘90s and early 2000s ones, which are always a safe bet. This prompts me to wonder what it is about old romantic comedies that is missing in new ones. As the opposite of a movie expert, I have come up with three possible explanations for this. 

The first factor that makes me appreciate contemporary romantic comedies less is the marketing surrounding them. An example is the movie He’s All That, starring Addison Rae. When watching the film, it feels impossible for me to be absorbed in it. This is because Rae’s entire brand is built on her personality (and her TikTok dances, of course), rather than on her acting abilities. Rae ends up outshining her character. Many might end up watching the movie not because they are interested in its plot, or in the directors’ creative choices, but because Rae is in it. Of course, some could contradict me by stating that the situation was not necessarily different for spectators of older rom-coms. For many, the fact that Julia Roberts was starring in Notting Hill might have been enough of a reason to watch it. While this is true, it is also the case that Julia Roberts’ identity is inextricably linked to her acting. The reason why many were motivated by Roberts to watch Notting Hill is probably because they thought of her as a good actress and would therefore make the movie better. Such motivation to see the film is linked to its quality. This is different from watching He’s All That simply because Rae is famous. 

When I mention bad marketing choices, I am not referring solely to the ineffective casting of actors, but also to counterproductive advertising strategies. A glaring example is Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. The speculations of an affair between the two actors, which were motivated by the stars’ (in my opinion, intentional) ambiguous behaviours in interviews, distracted from the plotline. Everyone I knew was more interested in the alleged relationship going on behind the scenes than the one in the film itself.

Another explanation for the superiority of old rom-coms can be found in the time in which they were made. When I watch a romantic comedy, I expect it to be repetitive. I know that it is going to consist of a meet-cute, a budding relationship, a complication, and an inevitable resolution at the very end. However, this repetitiveness is harmless in the movies of the ‘90s and early 2000s because it is contrasted by a distinctive whimsiness. This whimsical nature is motivated, I believe, by the fact that social media did not exist at the time or was not prevalent. The meet-cutes described were therefore all unique, and so were the atmospheres in which they took place. The uniformity in plotlines was softened by the beautiful distinctiveness of their contexts and by the original situations in which the characters met. The homologation created by social media and the ease it has created in encountering one another has made it difficult to create a movie that is simultaneously appealing and relatable to the modern viewer. 

While marketing and uniqueness are elements which can be considered when trying to understand why contemporary rom-coms are less appealing, I would be a hypocrite if I did not admit that nostalgia plays a vital role in the appreciation of old movies. We probably gravitate towards older movies because they shed light on the prettier facets of a past that we cannot get back. They are like rose-coloured glasses through which we can look back at our childhood with yearning while ignoring its darker sides. Therefore, our nostalgia might be part of the reason why new rom-coms do not hit the same.

Illustration by Lauren McAndrew