Limelight

50 best romantic comedies of all time

We all know how it goes. Girl meets boy or boy meets girl (or girl meets girl or boy meets boy). Sometimes it’s at a high school or at work. Sometimes, the girl already has a boy; sometimes the boy and girl have been friends for so long it’s impossible to imagine anything between the two. In some instances, the boys disguise themselves as women and the girl really can’t imagine herself being in a relationship with either of them. Whatever the setup, a good romantic comedy is one that captures you wholly while you watch it and leaves you thinking about the meaning of love for hours after it’s over.

Rom-coms reached peak popularity in the ’90s; as their success declined in the late 2000s and early 2010s, cultural critics and fans alike wondered if the genre was well and truly dead. Some blamed sexist tropes in the genre or studios becoming too focused on cranking out the next superhero flick. However, films from the late 2010s and 2020s like “To All the Boys: Always and Forever,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” and “The Half of It” prove that the romantic comedy will always have staying power. Now more than ever, romantic comedies are also expanding their reach to include more than just cisgender, heterosexual, and white stories. In a romantic comedy (past, present, or future), the pursuit of love is a guarantee and we generally know how it ends, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy getting there. Everyone loves—and deserves—a happily ever after.

Stacker looked at all movies with at least 10,000 user votes on IMDb that were categorized as both “romance” and “comedy” and ranked the top 50 according to IMDb user ratings, with ties broken by votes. From classics like “Some Like It Hot” to modern spins such as “About Time,” we’re confident this is a list you will be able to draw from, no matter the state of your love life.

To you, from Stacker, with love.

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New Line Cinema

#50. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

– Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Metascore: 78
– Runtime: 95 minutes

“Punch-Drunk Love” didn’t perform as well as expected at the box office, despite the pedigree of director Paul Thomas Anderson and star Adam Sandler, but its reputation has only grown since its stunted release. This story of a lonely man whose burgeoning romance is complicated by fits of rage and a cry for help made in the wrong direction nabbed Sandler his first Golden Globe nomination.

Touchstone Pictures

#49. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

– Director: Gil Junger
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Metascore: 70
– Runtime: 97 minutes

A modernization of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” “10 Things I Hate About You” is the type of film you can watch over and over again. It stars Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, both of whom perfectly capture the archetypes laid out for them. Funny, warm, and just edgy enough to remain interesting, it’s a movie for any day.

IFC Films

#48. Frances Ha (2012)

– Director: Noah Baumbach
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 82
– Runtime: 86 minutes

A must-see for anyone who’s a fan of strong female protagonists, “Frances Ha” holds a rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Greta Gerwig stars as a young dancer who travels around America trying to figure out her finances and passions.

Limelight

#47. Palm Springs (2020)

– Director: Max Barbakow
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 83
– Runtime: 90 minutes

Two people meeting and falling in love at a wedding isn’t unusual. What is unusual is having that happen over and over again because of a time loop. Who doesn’t love a fun, “Groundhog Day”-esque adventure? Stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti’s truly unique love story is one that will draw you in.

Touchstone Pictures

#46. High Fidelity (2000)

– Director: Stephen Frears
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 79
– Runtime: 113 minutes

Rob Gordon (John Cusack) sells vinyl records and loses a piece of himself when his long-term girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle) walks out of his life. As Rob reflects on the rocky past of his love escapades, he realizes that he’s coming into a new phase of his life—adulthood.

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Fox Searchlight

#45. Garden State (2004)

– Director: Zach Braff
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 67
– Runtime: 102 minutes

If you love characters that are, in some moments, completely objectionable, “Garden State” is the romantic comedy for you. Zach Braff stars as a young man who returns home after the death of his mother and finds that both past demons and new love await him. It’s also considered by some to be a cult classic, and was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival.

Paramount Pictures

#44. Up in the Air (2009)

– Director: Jason Reitman
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 83
– Runtime: 109 minutes

Ryan (George Clooney) takes his younger and innovative colleague (Anna Kendrick) on a work trip to prove that his method of firing people is still valid. Along the way, he begins a casual fling with another business traveler (Vera Farmiga) and his burgeoning feelings for her changes how he perceives others. The film won Best Screenplay at the 2010 Golden Globes and was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture.

DreamWorks SKG

#43. The Terminal (2004)

– Director: Steven Spielberg
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 55
– Runtime: 128 minutes

“The Terminal” almost didn’t make this list because it doesn’t fit the ideal mold of romantic comedy, but in the end, any movie with Tom Hanks and a good story was good enough. It follows a man who becomes trapped in New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport when he is at once deported from the United States and yet unable to leave because of a military coup in his native country.

Warner Bros. Pictures

#42. Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

– Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 68
– Runtime: 118 minutes

This may be one of the most thoroughly enjoyable films released in the 21st century. It follows a few different storylines, all of which feature characters earnestly seeking love, acceptance, and some unexpected twists along the way. The humor of Steve Carell transforms “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” from just “fun” to laugh-out-loud funny.

Paramount Pictures

#41. White Christmas (1954)

– Director: Michael Curtiz
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 56
– Runtime: 120 minutes

“White Christmas” may be a holiday favorite, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it any time of the year. This Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye vehicle also features the timeless voice of Rosemary Clooney and the better-than-Astaire dancing of Vera-Ellen. It’s got two romances for the price of one and features some of the most enduring music in movie history.

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Memfis Film

#40. Show Me Love (1998)

– Director: Lukas Moodysson
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 73
– Runtime: 89 minutes

Two small town Swedish girls—one popular and the other morose—go from being friends to quietly falling in love while dealing with typical teen problems. The film’s original title, “F***ing Åmål,” caused a controversy in the town it’s based on and politicians fought to have the name changed.

Fox 2000 Pictures

#39. Love, Simon (2018)

– Director: Greg Berlanti
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 72
– Runtime: 110 minutes

Teenage Simon falls in love with a mysterious stranger on the internet. He tries to navigate this budding romance while also figuring out how to come out to his family and friends. It is the first film from a major Hollywood studio to center on a gay teen romance.

Amazon Studios

#38. The Big Sick (2017)

– Director: Michael Showalter
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 86
– Runtime: 120 minutes

A film that got a quiet start at the Sundance Film Festival and worked its way up to theatrical release, “The Big Sick” has been generally lauded by critics. It was also one of the highest-grossing independent films of 2017, at $56 million. Star Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon together earned an Oscar nomination for co-writing the screenplay based on the couple’s real-life romance.

Universal Pictures

#37. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

– Director: Edgar Wright
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 69
– Runtime: 112 minutes

Rock band guitarist (and ladies’ man) Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) falls for Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). However, things get hilariously dangerous when her army of ex-boyfriends are determined to take him out of the picture.

MGM

#36. Victor/Victoria (1982)

– Director: Blake Edwards
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 84
– Runtime: 134 minutes

Robert Preston and Julie Andrews star in this 1930s-set musical romance. She’s a British soprano who can’t find work in Paris nightclubs. He becomes her manager and bills her as a male performer who presents as female. They try to keep their secret under wraps while catching the eyes of many people around them.

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Paramount Pictures

#35. Play It Again, Sam (1972)

– Director: Herbert Ross
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 77
– Runtime: 85 minutes

Allan (Woody Allen) is a depressed film critic, obsessed with the film “Casablanca,” whose wife just left him. He stumbles and fumbles with his anxious personality through the dating world while harboring a flame for a married friend. The visage of Humphrey Bogart begins to appear to him and help steer him right.

Paramount Home Video

#34. Sabrina (1954)

– Director: Billy Wilder
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 72
– Runtime: 113 minutes

Although Harrison Ford starred in the 1995 remake of “Sabrina,” we have to give the candle to the 1954 original. With a cast including Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, and Humphrey Bogart, this classic romance features some of Hepburn’s finest moments, but behind the scenes it seems things were less than congenial.

Paramount Pictures

#33. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

– Director: Blake Edwards
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 76
– Runtime: 115 minutes

Audrey Hepburn’s most memorable role is one that has withstood the test of time. The iconic image of Hepburn as Holly Golightly—standing outside Tiffany’s, coffee in hand as the New York morning dawns—alone inspired a book, while the novel this story of a Manhattan socialite and struggling writer is based on is considered an American classic.

Universal Pictures

#32. Love Actually (2003)

– Director: Richard Curtis
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 55
– Runtime: 135 minutes

One of the holiday season’s most featured romantic comedies, “Love Actually” has a bit of everything: British accents; Christmas decor; love unrestricted by age, shape, or size; and Bill Nighy. Everyone should see this film, which won a BAFTA Award for Nighy’s performance.

Columbia Pictures

#31. The Awful Truth (1937)

– Director: Leo McCarey
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 90 minutes

Cary Grant and Irene Dunne portray a married couple who suspect infidelity on both ends. Jerry and Lucy’s jealousy leads to a divorce; however, the grass isn’t quite so green on the dating side. Much of the dialogue is improv, and the film won Leo McCarey a Best Director Oscar.

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Paramount Pictures

#30. The Lady Eve (1941)

– Director: Preston Sturges
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 94 minutes

Jean (Barbara Stanwyck) is a con woman who eyes Charles (Henry Fonda), a wealthy target. Things between them go awry, but Jean will not give up. She pushes her way back into his life, disguised as a highbrow woman named Lady Eve.

Wüste Film

#29. In July (2000)

– Director: Fatih Akin
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 71
– Runtime: 99 minutes

A teacher (Moritz Bleibtreu) picks up a hitchhiker while on his way to meet a woman he thinks he’s in love with. As expected, they develop feelings for each other along the way, bringing out the best in each other.

Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica

#28. The Postman (1994)

– Directors: Michael Radford, Massimo Troisi
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 81
– Runtime: 108 minutes

Italian actor and filmmaker Massimo Troisi plays the titular postman who falls in love with poetry after befriending the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Troisi—who died of a heart attack before the film’s release—received two posthumous Academy Award nominations (Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay) for the film, which also won the Oscar for Best Original Score. 

Republic Pictures

#27. The Quiet Man (1952)

– Director: John Ford
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 85
– Runtime: 129 minutes

If you love the Irish countryside—or anything about Ireland, really—this is a must-see. John Wayne stars as an Irish-born American boxer who retires to Ireland to explore his familial ties. There he meets and falls for a local girl (Maureen O’Hara) whose brother doesn’t take kindly to Yankee intervention.

Orion Pictures Corporation

#26. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

– Director: Woody Allen
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 75
– Runtime: 82 minutes

One of many Woody Allen films to make this list, “The Purple Rose of Cairo” is a classic Allen mix of fantasy, love, and humor. A character (Jeff Daniels) literally walks off the screen in a 1930s movie house and into the life of a waitress (Mia Farrow). Will he stay in the real world or will the world of fiction pull him back in?

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Warner Bros. Pictures

#25. Flipped (2010)

– Director: Rob Reiner
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 45
– Runtime: 90 minutes

A box-office flop and critically panned, “Flipped” makes the list because of its positive audience reception. The story follows a young boy and girl who meet in second grade and work to find love over the next six years.

Columbia Pictures

#24. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

– Director: Rob Reiner
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 76
– Runtime: 95 minutes

If romantic comedies about best friends falling in love is your cup of tea, “When Harry Met Sally…” redefines the meaning of friend zone on both sides of the equation—and how to get out of it. If nothing else, this film will forever be remembered for one particular diner scene.

TriStar Pictures

#23. As Good as It Gets (1997)

– Director: James L. Brooks
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 67
– Runtime: 139 minutes

A sometimes dark romantic comedy about a lonely waitress and a, um, difficult writer, the accolades alone can speak to the talent pool it draws upon: Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson both won Oscars for their starring roles, making “As Good as It Gets” truly as good as movies can get.

Sony Pictures Classics

#22. Midnight in Paris (2011)

– Director: Woody Allen
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 81
– Runtime: 94 minutes

Fun fact: “Midnight in Paris” is Woody Allen’s highest-grossing film at $151 million worldwide. A screenwriter (Owen Wilson) finds himself in Paris with his fiancee when the unthinkable happens; at midnight, he finds himself able to travel back to the 1920s. This is the movie for anyone who likes their romantic comedy mixed with a bit of fantasy.

Fox Searchlight Pictures

#21. 500 Days of Summer (2009)

– Director: Marc Webb
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 76
– Runtime: 95 minutes

“500 Days of Summer” is one of the most bittersweet films on this list. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) and falls in love. She doesn’t. If you’re in the mood for something a little witty and a little sad, this is going to give you the perfect balance of feel-good/awful.

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The Weinstein Company

#20. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

– Director: David O. Russell
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 81
– Runtime: 122 minutes

“Silver Linings Playbook” features Bradley Cooper as a man with bipolar disorder who engages in a dance partnership with a young woman with depression and no filter (Jennifer Lawrence) to win back his wife. Although it was feared she was too young for the role, Lawrence ended up winning an Academy Award for her performance.

Ang Lee Productions

#19. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

– Director: Ang Lee
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 79
– Runtime: 124 minutes

This film follows three Asian sisters who live with their retired master chef father. He prepares elaborate Sunday meals that they all partake in, a centering force in their lives in the midst of the highs and lows of romance. “Eat Drink Man Woman” scored a nomination at the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Translux

#18. About Time (2013)

– Director: Richard Curtis
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 55
– Runtime: 123 minutes

A man (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers that he can time travel and uses it to woo Mary (Rachel McAdams), an insecure woman who captures his heart. But all the time-traveling tricks in the world cannot stop the woes of life that happen to those he loves and cares for the most.

Oslo Pictures

#17. The Worst Person in the World (2021)

– Director: Joachim Trier
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 90
– Runtime: 128 minutes

Julie (Renate Reinsve), a medical student in Oslo, navigates a complex relationship with an older man and a new flame. She goes through a series of personal challenges while experiencing a unique, and at times painful, love story. The film earned Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best International Film.

MGM

#16. The Philadelphia Story (1940)

– Director: George Cukor
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 112 minutes

After a series of flops and categorization as “box office poison” (an infamous phrase assigned to many actresses in the 1940s who were convenient to blame for a given film’s lack of audience), Katharine Hepburn was so certain of this film’s success she forwent a salary to take a percentage of its profits. Her confidence paid off—“The Philadelphia Story” grossed more than $3 million at the box office and is a much-loved addition to this list. Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart co-star as her former husband and potential new lover, respectively.

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Paramount Pictures

#15. Harold and Maude (1971)

– Director: Hal Ashby
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 62
– Runtime: 91 minutes

A crowd favorite with sometimes dark humor, “Harold and Maude” toys with macabre themes as it follows Harold Chasen (Bud Cort) through his existential crisis and obsession with death. Harold finds a kindred spirit in 79-year-old Maude (Ruth Gordon), who helps him stage faked murders and shares his passion for attending strangers’ funerals.

United Artists

#14. Manhattan (1979)

– Director: Woody Allen
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 83
– Runtime: 96 minutes

This is one of the film’s Woody Allen is most closely associated with. Allen stars as a TV writer who falls in love with his best friend’s mistress. Frequent co-star Diane Keaton plays the love interest, and Meryl Streep is also along for the ride as Allen’s lesbian ex-wife.

The Weinstein Company

#13. The Artist (2011)

– Director: Michel Hazanavicius
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 89
– Runtime: 100 minutes

A nod to silent movie romance lore, “The Artist” won five Oscars including Best Picture. This blatantly romantic story of a silent film star (Jean Dujardin) and unknown dancer (Bérénice Bejo) resonated with audiences in a year dominated by the release of films focused on pirates, spies, and aliens.

Jet Tone Production

#12. Chungking Express (1994)

– Director: Wong Kar-Wai
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 78
– Runtime: 102 minutes

This film is actually two romances in one. A pair of police officers follow different romantic paths, one falling for a woman who is actually a criminal, and the other mourning the loss of his girlfriend before having his spirits lifted by a woman working at a snack bar.

Paramount Pictures

#11. Roman Holiday (1953)

– Director: William Wyler
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 78
– Runtime: 118 minutes

Audrey Hepburn won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as a young princess who slips the control of her bodyguards and meets and falls for a newsman (Gregory Peck) in Rome. Blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo actually wrote the script, though he was never credited for it—even when it won the Oscar.

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United Artists

#10. Annie Hall (1977)

– Director: Woody Allen
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 92
– Runtime: 93 minutes

Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” is known for its obsessive, endearing protagonist: Alvy Singer (played by Allen), unable to fathom why his love (Diane Keaton) left him. This is the movie that beat “Star Wars” for the Best Picture Oscar.

MGM

#9. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

– Director: Ernst Lubitsch
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 99 minutes

Two co-workers (Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan) at a Budapest gift shop vehemently hate each other. Little do they know that they are each other’s pen pal and have fallen in love through letters. This film served as the inspiration for the ’90s rom-com “You’ve Got Mail,” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

Charles Chaplin Productions

#8. The Circus (1928)

– Director: Charles Chaplin
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 90
– Runtime: 72 minutes

Charlie Chaplin portrays a man who hilariously runs from the cops in front of a circus crowd and nabs a gig. He falls for a fellow performer but her eyes are set elsewhere. This silent film was produced and released during a difficult period in Chaplin’s personal life, and the production itself weathered several setbacks including a fire at the studio.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

#7. It Happened One Night (1934)

– Director: Frank Capra
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 105 minutes

“It Happened One Night” is a classic that was the first movie to win the “Big Five” Academy Awards—Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay. Ironically, Claudette Colbert was initially dissatisfied with this story of a reporter (Clark Gable) whose chasing of a runaway heiress leaves them stranded and forced to stick together to make it from Florida to New York.

Columbia Pictures

#6. Groundhog Day (1993)

– Director: Harold Ramis
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 72
– Runtime: 101 minutes

Now a Bill Murray favorite, when “Groundhog Day” was released in 1993 it was a comparatively modest hit. Being trapped in the same day for the rest of your life may certainly sound nightmarish—but being able to do everything over again until it’s perfect can be a dream come true. Maybe that’s part of the reason “Groundhog Day” remains captivating to this day.

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United Artists

#5. Some Like It Hot (1959)

– Director: Billy Wilder
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 121 minutes

Another classic, “Some Like It Hot” stands out for keeping the core elements of a romantic comedy while playing with what were, at the time, very progressive ideas. Dressing Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag and sticking Marilyn Monroe in the middle—what’s not to like?

United Artists

#4. The Apartment (1960)

– Director: Billy Wilder
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 125 minutes

One of the last black-and-white romantic comedies to find success before Hollywood’s foray into Technicolor, this story of an insurance clerk (Jack Lemmon) who offers his pad to fellow employees as a sop to climbing the corporate ladder only to have a romance of his own cause a stir was a hit with audiences and critics alike.

MGM

#3. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

– Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Metascore: 99
– Runtime: 103 minutes

Although only a modest success at the time of its release, any romantic comedy list that didn’t include this film today would be incomplete. A silent film star (Gene Kelly) falls for a chorus girl (Debbie Reynolds) amidst the film industry’s transition to talkies.

Miramax Films

#2. Amélie (2001)

– Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Metascore: 69
– Runtime: 122 minutes

Recently adapted into a Broadway musical, “Amélie” follows a fanciful girl (Audrey Tautou) around Paris as she attempts to return a box of memorabilia to a man she’s never met. Along the way, she inspires romance in the unlikeliest of places, including for herself.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

#1. City Lights (1931)

– Director: Charles Chaplin
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Metascore: 99
– Runtime: 87 minutes

Hailed by some as the original romantic comedy, Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights” is considered one of his greatest works and one of the greatest films of all time. It may not be the romantic comedy genre we’re familiar with today, but there is no doubt Chaplin is at his finest in this touching, hilarious love story of a tramp who falls in love with a blind flower girl.

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