Five underrated rom-coms to stream on Netflix right now
With the spooky season finally over, the fall foliage is slowly succumbing to chilly dews, sparking a yearning for a Netflix watchlist that screams cosy and comforting.
The case with the onset of winter is that, probably, nothing feels more welcoming than a warm rom-com. So, to ensure you don’t skip out on the treasure trove hidden in the streaming library, we bring you five underrated rom-coms to stream on Netflix right now.
Whether you’re craving movies that are heartfelt, funny, or something that fits into your date night watch party, we have got you covered. All you need to do is dim the bulbs, light up the candles, and order a takeaway from the place you keep going back to.
And if you have all those sorted out, then all that remains is to kick back and unwind with the person who makes you feel right at home.
Five underrated rom-coms to watch on Netflix right now
The Incredible Jessica James (James C Strouse, 2017)
In the age of Tinder swipes, friends traditionally setting one up for a date to get over a harrowing heartbreak is a thing of the past. But The Incredible Jessica James reminds one why it never really goes out of style. We meet with the titular character when she’s practically at her worst, having split from her boyfriend, Damon, and still swept up in his dreams.
For a while, Jessica’s idea of moving on is simply tied to her plans to get Damon jealous. But when her friend sets her up on a blind date with a man called Boone, and not even her brutal honesty drives him away, they eventually come to a realisation that they have more in common than they initially thought, including stalking their respective exes on social media.
Someone Great (Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, 2019)
Not every romantic comedy ends in a union, and Someone Great is actually great proof. Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson for her directorial debut, the Netflix film revolves around a music journalist, Jenny, who has her dream come true and her heart broken all at once. Just after landing a job with Rolling Stone in San Francisco, she’s left devastated when her boyfriend of nine years, Nate, parts ways with her, calling an end to their relationship.
To take a break, she calls up her girlfriends to join her at a concert series, hoping to have one last crazy adventure before Jenny moves to San Francisco from New York. But the story isn’t just about her, as her girls have their own ups and downs ongoing in their respective relationships, all on a mission to find a different kind of closure.
Set It Up (Claire Scanlon, 2018)
There’s nothing we’d love more than the universe to work in our favour when it comes to matters related to Cupid. But then again, the busy work schedules get in the way like forks stuck in the staircase to heaven. Although the overworked protagonists of Set It Up, Harper Moore and Kirsten Stevens, are not entirely on the lookout to get swayed away, they do somehow think that a spark within their bosses’ lives could turn their tight routines around.
While they respectively travel the extra mile to ensure the bosses fall in love with each other, despite an engagement, a discovery ruins it all. But what are rom-coms without a love story? Thankfully, Set It Up has one hidden in plain sight, even when it feels all was for nought.
Always Be My Maybe (Nahnatchka Khan, 2019)
The spark of teenage love doesn’t tend to return later in life. But in Always Be My Maybe, Sasha Tan and Marcus Kim, despite their teenage fallout, see the sparks flying 16 years later when they accidentally stumble upon each other when they’re least expecting. Sure, the reunion isn’t straight out of a fairytale book.
If anything, it’s quite chaotic when they propose a double date that goes awry. Soon enough, their friction turns into butterflies. However, Sasha’s ambitiousness and the prospect of her returning to New York City leave Marcus on edge. But whether they work it out or let things fall apart is for you to find when you tune into Always Be My Maybe on Netflix.
Toscana (Mehdi Avaz, 2022)
Toscana is the first Netflix Danish original film, which, over time, has solidified its status in the rom-com genre. The Netflix movie revolves around a Danish chef, Theo, who arrives in Tuscany to let go of his past by selling off the property his father left him. Although he returns with a desire to leave the holdbacks for good, intending to get through the formalities as quickly as possible and be on his way, a local woman, Sofia, stands in his way, making him reconsider things he never gave a thought about.
Sofia changes Theo’s outlook on life and love, and the latter extends a helping hand to cater for her wedding. But unbeknownst to both, they get swept up in an unexpected romance, despite knowing the outcome cannot be black and white.