The demise of the Romantic Comedy genre

Romantic Comedies, as simply defined by google, are ‘films that deal with love in a light humorous way’. Distinguished by their cheesy one liners, relatable humour, and occasional emotional plot twists, a rom-com perfectly encapsulates the chaotic yet rapturous experience of being in love, an experience many individuals may identify with themselves. In fact, the relatability of romcoms is what has helped establish it as one of the most universally loved genres; there’s a sense of comfort and self identification in the genre, one that simply cannot be replicated by the likes of sci-fi or action movies, which tend to have somewhat more imaginative storylines.

However, with that being said,the romantic comedies of today have yet to attain the success and praise of their classic counterparts of the 90s and 2000’s, such as Notting Hill, Bridget Jones, Pretty Woman, and so on. Is there perhaps a reason limiting the genre from achieving the success it usually generates? What is the formula missing for the modern rom-com?

I’d argue the primary issue regarding the success of modern rom coms is a lack of authenticity. I’d consider streaming site Netflix as a repeat offender of this matter; due to the production and popularity of Netflix originals, an endless amount of brand new rom-coms are being pumped out onto the site every other day .On one hand, it’s exciting to have a wider range of selection, and be able to watch the newly released films, which may just be the refresh needed after watching ‘Love Actually’ for five consecutive christmases.

However, the abundance of romantic comedies that Netflix creates may be causing an over exposure to the genre. Whether it be due to similar storylines or repetitive dialogue, Netflix rom-coms can start to gradually feel too copy-paste, and slightly lacklustre.  As a result, audiences tend to lose interest in newer released rom-coms, and return to the classics, which still,even after decades, possess a magic that most movies of the genre today just cannot seem to replicate.