15 Best Rom Coms on Netflix, Ranked — Perfect for a Cozy Night In
Is there anything better than curling up on the couch with a glass of wine, some popcorn and enjoy a couple of rom-coms on Netflix? We think not! Romantic comedies are our favorite form of cinematic escapism — when the world feels chaotic, it helps to kick back with charming storylines and charismatic stars.
While there are plenty of classic rom-coms we love (check out some of our favorite '80s rom-coms here!), we also enjoy diving into the latest offerings in the genre. Streaming services have helped to revive the rom-com (despite in recent years, critics have speculated that these movies were a dying breed) and Netflix has a particularly stacked selection. In fact, there are so many rom-coms on Netflix that it's hard to know which one to watch first! Here's a ranking of our 15 favorites, from Christmas movies to '00s classics to musicals, to help you out — because watching two people fall in love with hilarious antics never gets old.
15. The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
If you're a fan of Hallmark movies, you’ll love The Knight Before Christmas. The movie is one of those time-travel rom-coms on Netflix that just so happens to take place around the holidays — but is fun to watch any time of year! Centuries ago, there was a young charming knight named Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse) who went on a quest that ultimately left him stranded in the future.
In the present day, urbanite Brooke Winters (Vanessa Hudgens) encounters Sir Cole when she almost mows him down with her car — eek! But of course, the knight and urbanite are drawn to each other in a good ole’ fashioned way, and their timeline-crossed romance is irresistible.
Click through to watch The Knight Before Christmas now.
(For more Christmas movies, check out the Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2023 lineup!)
14. The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Jessica Williams, a veteran of The Daily Show, stars as the title character in this quirky rom-com. Fresh off a break-up with her boyfriend, Damon (LaKeith Stanfield), Jessica, a free-spirited playwright, unexpectedly hits it off with a recently divorced man named Boone (Chris O’Dowd). The two bond over stalking their exes on social media, but decide to make beneficial changes in their lives. However, Damon is still on Jessica’s mind and Boone’s ex isn’t as out of the picture as Jessica is led to believe.
Click through to watch watch The Incredible Jessica James now.
13. Love Actually (2003)
A 2000s classic, Love Actually is one of our favorite rom-coms on Netflix and is made up of eight individual vignettes about love and romance taking place over the five weeks before Christmas. As the film goes on, the stories play out and they all slowly begin to cross into one another as eight couples realize just how complicated relationships really are.
With a stellar ensemble cast including Emma Thompson, the late Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Colin Firth and Bill Nighy, the movie shows the beauty, laughter and heartache of all the varied connections that make up our lives. While it's often watched during the holidays, we think Love Actually is perfect for any time of year.
Click through to watch Love Actually now.
12. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook may seem to be an odd choice for a good rom-com, but the chemistry between Jennifer Lawrence (in an Oscar-winning performance) and Bradley Cooper gives it a place on our list. The film tells the story of Pat (Cooper), a man who loses everything after spending eight months in a state mental institution for a violent outburst due to an undiagnosed bipolar condition. He moves back in with his parents (Robert DeNiro and Jackie Weaver), determined to win back his wife and rebuild his life.
Pat enlists the help of Tiffany (Lawrence), a young widow, to attempt to mend his marriage and her demand is he help her compete in a ballroom dance competition. The two become closer and Pat, his dad and Tiffany examine their relationships with each other.
Click through to watch Silver Linings Playbook now.
11. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga offers a different take on a rom-com, courtesy of Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. The good-humored stars play a pair of besties who want to make their Iceland hometown to make a mark in the international Eurovision song contest. While striving for fame, the couple’s complicated will-they-or-won’t-they relationship threatens to undo them. As a bonus, the songs are they create are genuinely catchy!
Click through to watch Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga now.
10. Your Place or Mine (2023)
One of many opposites-attract rom-coms on Netflix, Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher play Debbie and Peter, best friends who had a one-night stand 20 years ago. In the present day, Debbie is in LA while Peter is in New York City, and the two end up swapping houses for a week. In doing so, Debbie and Peter come to realize their true feelings for one another. Given their history, will they actually let their relationship go deeper than just friendship? You'll have to watch to find out!
Click through to watch Your Place or Mine now.
(See more of our favorite Reese Witherspoon movies and TV shows on our sister site!)
9. Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Jane Austen's classic 19th -century novel Pride and Prejudice may well be one of the very first rom-coms. This swoon-worthy adaptation stars Keira Knightley as the feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew McFadyen as Mr. Darcy, the aloof yet highly desired bachelor who captures her heart. The movie captures the romance with lush countryside settings and stunning chemistry between the two leads. It is one of our favorite rom-coms of all time, and we're thrilled it's still on Netflix
Click through to watch Pride and Prejudice now.
(Love period dramas? Check out our ranking of the best period dramas on Netflix.)
8. The Kissing Booth (2018)
This teenage rom-com is just the thing when you're craving a dose of nostalgia. Joey King stars as Elle, a late-blooming teenager who finds herself in a hard spot when she begins a romance with her best friend’s popular bad-boy brother, Noah (Jacob Elordi), putting her lifelong friendship with Noah’s younger brother in peril. The feel-good film was so popular it spawned two sequels!
Click through to watch The Kissing Booth (and its sequels, The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3) now.
7. Always Be My Maybe (2019)
In this rom-com, Sasha (Ali Wong) reunites with Marcus (Randall Park), a childhood friend and one-time fling after returning to her hometown of San Francisco to open her own restaurant. After not seeing each other for 15 years, sparks soon start to fly.
However, their timing has always been a bit off, and Marcus discovers Sasha’s new boyfriend is none other than Keanu Reeves (his cameo appearance alone is worth the price of admission!). Will Sasha and Marcus — a charming and funny couple — eventually come to recognize that they are meant for each other? You'll be delighted to follow them on their winding road to romance.
Click through to watch Always Be My Maybe now.
6. Long Story Short (2021)
Have you ever seen an Australian rom-com? Long Story Short proves that the Aussies have mastered the genre. The movie tells the story of Teddy (Rafe Spall), a man who wakes up after his wedding to discover that time is moving at a very fast pace. A year has passed and every minute, another year goes by.
Teddy soon discovers that he's the only person in this curious situation, and he and his best friend devise a plan to ensure a perfect day, so that he may break his curse. As Teddy faces growing troubles in his marriage, the plan becomes trickier than ever. If you like films that offer up some moral lessons on what really matters in life, Long Story Short is one of those rom-coms on Netflix to definitely watch.
Click through to watch Long Story Short now.
5. The Lovebirds (2020)
The Lovebirds is a romcom with a crime-movie twist. The titular lovebirds, played by the hilarious Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, are four years into their disintegrating relationship. The couple fights over everything from dinner plans to watching The Amazing Race. But their relationship problems pale in comparison to the insanity they face when they witness a murder and decide to go on the run to avoid being blamed for something they didn’t do.
The stakes get even higher when the charismatic would-be exes collide with a criminal organization in the midst of their breakup and are forced to stay together under completely unanticipated circumstances — you'll have to watch to see if their relationship can survive!
Click through to watch The Lovebirds now.
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
The simultaneously sweet and raunchy Forgetting Sarah Marshall is one of the most iconic rom-coms on Netflix and of the aughts. After a five-year relationship, starlet Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) dumps her ordinary musician boyfriend, Peter (Jason Segel), for a rock star, leaving his life in shambles.
Devastated, Peter takes a trip to Hawaii to escape his problems and move forward with his life, but wouldn't you know it, Sarah and her new beau just so happen to be at the same resort. Peter hangs his head in despair until he meets Rachel (Mila Kunis) who might help move Peter’s life in a happier direction. Eventually Sarah's new relationship ends, and Peter realizes that he has become much happier with Rachel, yet that relationship is doomed as well. Can you guess the rest?
Click through to watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall now.
3. Friends with Benefits (2011)
Mila Kunis comes back with another great rom-com, this time co-starring Justin Timblerlake. When headhunter Jamie (Kunis) recruits art director Dylan (Timberlake) to New York City, they quickly strike up a real friendship. But despite the warnings of past Hollywood rom-coms, they naively believe they can have no-strings-attached sex. Spoiler alert: the intimacy only complicates their relationship and genuine feelings arise.
Click through to watch Friends with Benefits now.
2. La La Land (2016)
La La Land is a modern classic. This stylish musical centers on a pianist (Ryan Gosling) and an actress (Emma Stone) trying to make it in Los Angeles. Stone is relegated to serving lattes to celebrities in between auditions while Gosling scrapes by playing cocktail parties and smoky dives. The two meet in Griffith Park by chance and fall fast and hard for one another. Their artistic aspirations lead to success and ultimately threaten to pull them apart. You just might find yourself shedding a tear or two by the end.
Click through to watch La La Land now.
1. To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
Popular enough to warrant two sequels, this sweet coming-of-age rom-com confection follows shy high school junior Lara Jean Covey (Lana Candor), who writes letters to boys she feels passionate about, only to then lock them away in her closet. One night Lara falls asleep on the couch while her little sister, Kitty (Anna Cathcart), sneaks into her room and finds the secret letters.
Soon enough, Lara is confronted by her former crush, Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), who received the letter she had written to him. Lara Jean is left in an awkward situation, and then finds herself fake-dating Peter — which leads to very real feelings for them both. This rom-com perfectly captures all the turbulent emotions of the teen years, and as a bonus, Lara Jean's dad is played by the eternally hunky John Corbett.
Click through to watch To All the Boys I've Loved Before (and its sequels, To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All The Boys: Always and Forever) now.
Click through for more romantic movie recommendations!
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