The 20 Best Romantic Comedy Movies on Hulu
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Love is a wonderful, unpredictable thing. There are plenty of films that paint the road to happily ever after as a linear one, but we all know that's rarely how real life shakes out. Still, there's something extra special about a movie that can laugh at the awkwardness of dating and the chaos of relationships. Whether you're craving something raucous like The Proposal or something surprisingly sweet like Palm Springs, here are the 20 best rom-coms on Hulu.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
The 20th century ended on a high — at least as far as rom coms are concerned. 10 Things I Hate About You is a film that EW’s critic describes as “the cheekiest 'literary' update yet — a post-riot grrrl gloss on The Taming of the Shrew.” Starring some of the hottest, young talent of the late-‘90s, 10 Things I Hate About You reimagines Shakespeare’s beloved play as a high school love story. Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls in love with Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), but learns she isn’t allowed to date until her older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), does. After Cameron manages to convince the high school bad boy (Heath Ledger) to woo Kat, Padua High School finds itself overrun with hormones and hijinks.
A classic rom com with a killer soundtrack, 10 Things I Hate About You is the only film to answer the question of what would happen if Shakespeare went to high school in Seattle. —Ilana Gordon
Where to watch 10 Things I Hate About You: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Gil Junger
Cast: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik
Days of Summer (2009)
While the movie's intro explicitly states that (500) Days of Summer is not a love story, it is a story of love lost and found. Five hundred days refers to the length of the relationship between Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) and Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), two young co-workers who begin dating but find their attitudes toward love and relationships to be incompatible.
Structured in a non-linear fashion and employing plenty of devices that poke fun at the nature of dating and how we remember relationships, (500) Days of Summer isn't a typical rom-com — although it does include one of the ultimate examples of the "manic pixie dream girl". A fun watch featuring some solid acting by the film's two leads, EW's critic calls it a "Gen-Y Annie Hall made by a new-style Wes Anderson who uses his cleverness for humanity instead of postmodern superiority." —I.G.
Where to watch (500) Days of Summer: Hulu
EW grade: A (read the review)
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler
Couples Retreat (2009)
Married couple Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) are on the brink of divorce, so they decide to give their marriage one last shot by jetting off to a couples therapy resort named Eden. To get the discounted Pelican Package, they rope in three other couples to join them. But what they think to be a leisurely, sun-soaked getaway ends up being a tightly scheduled ordeal filled with mandatory therapy sessions, yoga classes, lemon shark feedings, and other bizarre activities, with participation being the key to the group rate.
Couples Retreat is a hilarious and charming watch with what EW's critic calls "a pleasantly relaxed, episodic rhythm." It's miles from perfect, but fun doesn't need to be — especially when you have a seasoned ensemble that upstages any of its shortcomings. —James Mercadante
Where to watch Couples Retreat: Hulu
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Peter Billingsley
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love, Kristin Davis, Malin Åkerman, Kristen Bell, Jean Reno
Crush (2022)
Paige Evans' (Rowan Blanchard) only experience with love is her passion for art, but when she's forced to join the high school track team to evade suspension, she gets a lucky chance to hang out with her secret crush, Gabby (Love, Victor's Isabella Ferreira). But no matter how fast Paige runs toward the affection of Miller High's It Girl, her feelings for another teammate — Gabby's sister, AJ (Auli'i Cravalho) — swiftly catch up to her. With its charming storytelling and abundance of drama (both on and off screen), Crush is an LGBTQ+ rom-com that captures the beauty of queer joy and first love.—J.M.
Where to watch Crush: Hulu
Director: Sammi Cohen
Cast: Rowan Blanchard, Auli'i Cravalho, Isabella Ferreira, Tyler Alvarez, Teala Dunn, Michelle Buteau, Megan Mullally
The Family Stone (2005)
There’s no place like home during the holidays — unless you’re introducing your family to a new significant other. In the holiday dramedy The Family Stone, Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) brings his uptight girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) to his parents’ beautiful New England house to spend Christmas with his liberal, upper-class family. After struggling to win over Everett’s parents and adult siblings, Meredith invites her sister Julie (Claire Danes) to join her for moral support, and a game of romantic musical chairs ensues.
An ensemble comedy led by Diane Keaton, who shines as the matriarch tasked with difficult personal issues, The Family Stone is a funny, endearing, underrated holiday classic. EW’s critic writes, “It dramatizes the attractive traps of bohemian-bourgeois aspirations (and snobbism) and, with a light comedic touch, also holds its ground as an old-fashioned and even sweet story about love — and the swapping of perfectly wrapped presents.” —I.G.
Where to watch The Family Stone: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Cast: Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Brian White, Elizabeth Reaser
Fire Island (2022)
A group of queer besties looks forward to their trip to Fire Island every year, but when they discover it may be their last, they double down on their goal of a hardcore week of partying. Inspired by Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, Fire Island finds Noah (Joel Kim Booster, who also wrote the screenplay) committed to helping his friend Howie (Bowen Yang) get some action, but he quickly finds that playing matchmaker is a thankless task — especially under the seemingly judgmental eye of a new acquaintance (Conrad Ricamora in the Mr. Darcy-equivalent role).
EW's critic says it best: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a very small swimsuit must be in want of a rom-com to call his own; Fire Island sets the stage, messy and sweet, and lets its freak flag fly." —Angela Andaloro
Where to watch Fire Island: Hulu
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Andrew Ahn
Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, Matt Rogers, Tomas Matos, Torian Miller, Nick Adams, Zane Phillips
Garden State (2004)
Zach Braff's Garden State — the story of a struggling young actor's return home to New Jersey after the death of his mother — is not a perfect movie. Written by Braff during a period of depression and inspired by his own feelings of numbness, the film interrogates themes like mental illness, medication, growing up, and falling in love, sometimes nailing the sentiments and other times falling short. In spite of its deficits, however, the romantic comedy was a sleeper hit when it premiered in 2004, a reception attributable to the film's excellent soundtrack, objectively sick cast, and resonance with a young generation staring down the barrel of adulthood.
Starring Braff as Andy, the film's protagonist, and Natalie Portman as his eccentric and compulsively dishonest love interest, the film is often compared to The Graduate (1967), but remains a singular romantic comedy that demands an emotional reaction from its audience. —I.G.
Where to watch Garden State: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Zach Braff
Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Jean Smart, Jackie Hoffman, Ann Dowd, Method Man, Jim Parsons
Happiest Season (2020)
Abby Holland (Kristen Stewart) and Harper Caldwell (Mackenzie Davis) are happy in their relationship nearly a year in. So happy, in fact, that Abby's ready to pop the question during their cozy holiday with Harper's family. She's in for a surprise, however, when she realizes her soon-to-be fiancé hasn't come out to her conservative parents. Now, Abby must navigate the delicate secrets of the Caldwell family if she wants to fight for the woman she loves.
Marking Hulu's first LGBTQ+ holiday rom-com, Happiest Season isn't perfect (much like familial relationships) but it gleams with a festive cheer that's enjoyable to stream all year round. —A.A.
Where to watch Happiest Season: Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Clea DuVall
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza, Mary Holland, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Ana Gasteyer, Jake McDorman, Sarayu Blue
The Hating Game (2021)
The two CEOs at this publishing company would be useless without their faithful assistants — who happen to hate each other's guts. Lucy (Lucy Hale) believes in bringing great fashion and an even better attitude to the office, but much to her dismay, her co-worker Joshua (Austin Stowell) has an opposite approach. And their cutthroat competitiveness only intensifies when an enticing managing editor position opens up. Based on Sally Thorne's best-selling romance novel of the same name, The Hating Game may lean into the predictable enemies-to-lovers trope, but that doesn't make it any less charming. —A.A.
Where to watch The Hating Game: Hulu
Director: Peter Hutchings
Cast: Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Kathryn Boswell, Damon Daunno, Sakina Jaffrey, Corbin Bernsen
High Fidelity (2000)
This one strikes a chord that echoes long after the credits roll. John Cusack delivers a tour de force performance as Rob Gordon, a thirtysomething lovelorn record store owner who has a knack for curating top five lists for every life event. His latest compilation involves his top five romantic misadventures, from middle school to adulthood.
Directed by Stephen Frears, this 2001 rom-com composes a dazzling mosaic of music, heartache, and introspection while also being jam-packed with witty dialogue and an unparalleled soundtrack. High Fidelity is not only a perfect time capsule for the '90s music landscape, but is also a timeless ode to one's search of self amidst life's ever-spinning turntable. —J.M.
Where to watch High Fidelity: Hulu
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Lisa Bonet, Sarah Gilbert, Chris Bauer, Lili Taylor, Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins, Joelle Carter, Chris Rehmann, Ben Carr
Juno (2007)
In Diablo Cody's Oscar-winning screenplay, quirky and loquacious 16-year-old Juno MacGuff becomes the talk of small-town Minnesota when she finds herself pregnant by track runner (and orange Tic Tac lover) Paulie Bleeker. Juno's razor-sharp dialogue — delivered by dry humor virtuosos Elliot Page and Michael Cera — infuses the film with a cozy and blithe feel, while its poignant moments beautifully capture raw humanity on screen. And Jennifer Garner's stand-out performance as half of the seemingly perfect couple looking to adopt Juno's baby leaves no heart untouched. —J.M.
Where to watch Juno: Hulu
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, Rainn Wilson
Knocked Up (2007)
Based solely on the sheer number of films he wrote, directed, and produced during this period, it's reasonable to assume that Judd Apatow was responsible for at least 10 percent of the laughs enjoyed during the mid- to late-aughts. Released two years after the success of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up stars a who's who of comedy legends from the past, present, and future. The film follows Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl), an up-and-coming E! News reporter, and Ben Stone (Seth Rogen), a Canadian deadbeat she meets at a Los Angeles nightclub.
When a drunken hookup between the two results in an unexpected pregnancy, everyone from Ben's slacker friends to Alison's sister's family get involved as the couple decides to keep the baby and attempt to stay together. Never one to over-edit, Apatow's film runs long, but the jokes are worth it. —I.G.
Where to watch Knocked Up: Hulu
EW grade: A (read the review)
Director: Judd Apatow
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Martin Starr, Charlyne Yi, Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow
Love & Other Drugs (2010)
Five years after playing a married couple in the cowboy drama Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway reunite to play opposite each other in Love & Other Drugs. A romantic comedy that lets it all hang out — both physically and emotionally — the film follows a pharmaceutical sales representative (Gyllenhaal) who falls in love with a free spirit afflicted with an incurable disease (Hathaway). Based on Jamie Reidy's 2005 non-fiction book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, the film traffics in ideas about love, sex, sickness, health, medical ethics, and the brokenness of America’s healthcare system.
Generally known for his more dramatic roles, Gyllenhaal gets a chance to show off his comedic chops through his character, the ethically dubious ne’er-do-well Jamie, and his and Hathaway’s chemistry is more alive than it was in Brokeback Mountain. The film’s nudity and sex scenes are intimate and effective, but side effects include discomfort when watching with the whole family. —I.G.
Where to watch Love & Other Drugs: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Josh Gad, Gabriel Macht
Palm Springs (2020)
This sci-fi-meets-rom-com flick stars Andy Samberg as Nyles, who's on his way to celebrate his buddies Tala and Abe on their wedding day. The only problem? He's headed there again and again after getting stuck in a time loop in the desert, and things only get wilder when the maid of honor/sister of the bride, Sarah (Cristin Milioti), gets stuck there with him.
This unexpected take on the romance genre is chock full of nihilism and existential dread as the pair desperately seeks a return to normalcy, but it all works because of the excellent cast. EW's critic notably praises the two leads, as "Samberg nimbly walks the line between slacker cartoon and actual frustrated human… But it's Milioti who feels most like the revelation here; as great as she's been in brief turns on shows like Black Mirror and 30 Rock, she shines when given the chance to lead." —A.A.
Where to watch Palm Springs: Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Max Barbakow
Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Camila Mendes, Tyler Hoechlin, Meredith Hagner, Peter Gallagher, Dale Dickey
The Proposal (2009)
Where there's smoke, there's fire...and The Proposal certainly brings the heat. Aspiring editor Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) reluctantly serves as a personal assistant to dictatorial Margaret (Sandra Bullock), a Canadian executive editor-in-chief at a prominent New York City publishing house. When Margaret's U.S. visa application is denied — putting her at risk of deportation — she designs a plan to keep her life in the States by proposing a fake engagement to Andrew, promising him a promotion in return. The (un)happy couple then travels to Andrew's hometown in Sitka, Alaska, where Margaret meets her fake fiancé's family and learns a side to him she never expected.
Reynolds and Bullock's undeniable chemistry effortlessly leaps off the screen, while the supporting ensemble (Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, the one-and-only Betty White) adds an extra layer of warmth to this tale set in the Last Frontier. —J.M.
Watch The Proposal on Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Åkerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, Oscar Nuñez, Denis O'Hare, Michael Nouri
Rachel Getting Married (2008)
A family drama that feels more like eavesdropping on a reunion than watching a movie, Rachel Getting Married represents Anne Hathaway’s breakout dramatic role, and remains one of her best performances to date. Hathaway stars as Kym, a longtime addict who is temporarily released from rehab to attend her sister Rachel’s wedding in Connecticut. The celebration stands on a foundation of familial trauma, and Kym’s arrival is enough to exert pressure on the fault lines and trigger an emotional earthquake.
EW’s critic calls Hathaway’s performance a “revelation: She makes toxic narcissism mesmerizing, but she also gives Kym a desperate confessional ardor.” Hathaway has excellent scene partners in Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel) and Debra Winger (Abby, their mother), all of whom are playing open wounds, unable to heal from their family’s tragedy. One of the best movies of 2008, Rachel Getting Married still holds up almost two decades later. —I.G.
Where to watch Rachel Getting Married: Hulu
EW grade: A (read the review)
Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, Tunde Adebimpe, Debra Winger
Rye Lane (2023)
Raine Allen-Miller's 2023 directorial debut refutes the notion that rom-coms have lost their sparkle, capturing the genre's trademark magic of grand gestures and love at first sight while injecting new life into it. When lovesick Dom (David Jonsson) cries in a gender-neutral bathroom stall, he's interrupted when an outgoing stranger named Yas (Vivian Oparah) overhears his faint sobs. The two embark on a day-long journey roaming the streets of South London's Rye Lane, bonding over their failed relationships and scheming chaos against their exes.
Similar to the story's dynamic pacing, Oparah and Jonsson radiate effervescence, as they seamlessly bounce off each other's energy while the mise-en-scène bursts with a kaleidoscope of experimental camerawork. —J.M.
Where to watch Rye Lane: Hulu
Director: Raine Allen-Miller
Cast: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah, Poppy Allen-Quarmby, Simon Manyonda, Karene Peter, Benjamin Sarpong-Broni, Malcolm Atabroh
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)
Before husky-voiced Natasha Lyonne became a multihyphenate (actor, director, producer, crossword puzzle writer, comeback kid) she made a splash in this Tamara Jenkins coming-of-age classic. While not her debut (far from it, she had appeared as a series regular on Pee-wee's Playhouse and had a starring role in Everyone Says I Love You), Slums of Beverly Hills seems to capture her true essence as a motormouth with a rebellious streak who’s always slightly too smart for the room.
EW's critic notes the chemistry between Lyonne and her onscreen father (played by Alan Arkin), and congratulates Jenkins on her debut, writing that the film "has the kind of big heart, strong voice, vivid look, and original sense of humor many young artists...don’t find until they’re riper, and some never find at all." —Debby Wolfinsohn
Where to watch Slums of Beverly Hills: Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Tamara Jenkins
Cast: Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, Natasha Lyonne
Trainwreck (2015)
"Monogamy isn't realistic!" — a doctrine drilled into Amy Townsend's (Amy Schumer) young mind by her father (Colin Quinn) becomes the guiding principle of her adult life, where she indulges in no-strings-attached flings and weekly partying. As a columnist at a men's magazine, her indifference to sports changes when she's assigned to profile a renowned orthopedic surgeon for athletes (Bill Hader), which sets off a push-and-pull romance that challenges her deeply ingrained aversion to commitment.
Infused with Schumer's trademark dry, self-deprecating humor and guided by Knocked Up director Judd Apatow, Trainwreck is a sleeper hit that will leave you dream-casting Hader as the male lead in 20 more rom-coms and humming Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" on an involuntary loop. —J.M.
Where to watch Trainwreck: Hulu
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Judd Apatow
Cast: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, John Cena, Tilda Swinton, LeBron James
The Worst Person in the World (2021)
A Norwegian romantic comedy that enraptured critics and festival viewers alike, The Worst Person in the World tells the story of Julie (Renate Reinsve) over four years of her life in Oslo as she struggles to make sense of her career, love life, and the gap between who she is and who she wants to be. A refreshing look at life during the painful transition between a person’s late-20s and early-30s when life’s stakes seem higher than ever, EW’s critic writes that The Worst Person in the World “vibrates with real life, a film so fresh and untethered to rom-com cliché it might actually reshape the idea of what movies like this can be.”
Reinsve is phenomenal in the role of Julie and it’s thanks to her performance, the film’s wistful and compassionate script, and Joachim Trier’s masterful direction that The Worst Person in the World is considered one of the best movies of 2021. —I.G.
Where to watch The Worst Person in the World: Hulu
EW grade: A (read the review)
Director: Joachim Trier
Cast: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum
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