The slow fade of romantic comedy
People often say, “Nostalgia will be the death of me,” but when it comes to romantic comedies, it might just be the reason this genre still survives. From angsty rain confessions to meet-cutes at cosy bookstores, romantic comedies have emerged as classics that feel like a blanket of warmth. Be it Andie’s chaotic mission to drive Ben away from her in “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days” or Kat’s emotional poem recital for Patrick in “Ten Things I Hate About You”, these stories mixed humour with romance in a way that gave birth to the golden age of rom-coms, the era of the 80s, 90s, and early 00s.
The aforementioned era has produced movies that transported viewers to a realm of electrifying chemistry between the leads, soothing cinematography, and theatrical releases that almost feel like a luxury in modern romcoms. The reason why movies like “Love Actually”, “The Holiday”, and “When Harry Met Sally” are considered classics is that they let emotional sincerity win over cynicism while keeping the clichés. We keep circling back to the classics, where dating apps were nonexistent, because they act like a window to a life that we can only dream of. Fabiha Anber (Senior, SLS), a fellow romantic comedy lover, remarked, “The saying ‘old is gold’ definitely applies to romantic comedies because I always find myself searching for the classics.”
So, why is the hype around romcoms flickering? The main reason lies in the shift of their releases on streaming platforms like Netflix. Although the target audience has grown as a result, viewers frequently criticise modern films for having dull lighting, short running times, and similar patterns to book-to-movie adaptations. Although modern romantic comedies like “Anyone But You” and “People We Meet on Vacation” are becoming more popular on streaming sites, they seldom impress viewers.
However, some handpicked romantic movies of this generation can live up to the older ones. Fan favourites like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I Have Loved Before” have proved that cliché airport proposals and successful book adaptations can still win over people’s hearts, even if nostalgia tries to pull us back to the comfort of classics.
