Lost that loving feeling? Whether you and your S.O. want to cuddle up in front of the television, you and your friend group are looking for some laughs, or if you’re single and just want to feel some type of way, putting on some romantic comedies is the best way to get yourself in the Valentine’s mood.
Get out the popcorn and check out the Keeta team’s favorite romcoms.
About Time (2013)
A story about a family where the men have a shared gift of time-travel, About Time offers a slightly different perspective to the boy-tries-to-get-girl formula—because it adds the fumbling charm of boy failing, going back in time, and fixing his mistakes. But it’s after they do get together that About Time really starts to shine. It looks into family, regrets and gratitude, and is sweet, funny and heartbreaking all at once. Plus, Bill Nighy’s pitch-perfect acting as the dad takes it to a whole other level. —Shari Quimbo-Ybañez, Editor-in-Chief
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
The movie follows the hopeless romantic, Tom, through 500 days of falling head-over-heels in love with the titular Summer to the relationship’s abrupt end. Playing through his memories and playing up the quirky what-the-hell-are-we-doing-but-it-doesn’t-matter-because-I’m-with-yous, the story gives the viewer all the all-too-relatable feels of all the highs of romance and goes hard on the what-the-hell-happened-desperately-grasping-for-answers-to-where-did-all-go-wrong lows. It ultimately presents an alternative happily ever after in the lessons of loving more in letting go and loving one’s self, too. —Michael Karlo Lim, Editor-at-large
The Apartment (1960)
The 1960 film “The Apartment” is the epitome of romantic-comedy. Sometimes older movies can feel dated, but this one is a timeless classic. Not only does it feature likable leads with phenomenal performances, the dialogue is excellent— the witty humor and quotable zingers you’ll find in this film made me giggle every other line. On the romance side, it is sweet, tender and heartwarming. The film tackles sensitive subjects, but it doesn’t drag down the story— rather, it is played whimsically and adds a lot of soul and depth into it. I would even say this is one of the truly greatest ever made, movie-wise. —Geraldine Sy, Art Director
Crazy, Stupid Love (2011)
It’s a fun movie, perfect for when you’re hanging out with friends. Light-hearted, funny, well-written, and OMG, I love the casting on this. It’s all in the title; great build-up until the climax where you can really agree that this movie really is crazy and stupid. Really good comedic timings as well. A lot to learn from as well in terms of dealing with relationships, and it’s a good learning arc as well starting from taking better care of yourself to the deeper improvements we can do to be better lovers. It opens your mind for sure, in an easy, light, and fun way. —Kong de Guzman, Technical Director
Love and Other Drugs (2010)
When Harry Met Sally (1989) walked, so movies like No Strings Attached (2011) could run. Before the latter movie, Love and Other Drugs was your run-of-the-mill friends with benefits movie with an attractive A-list celebrity couple. You get double the eye candy with Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway as the leads, but you also see a heart-warming story of love against all odds. Much of casual relationships stem from attachment and abandonment issues— or in Maggie’s case, Parkinson’s disease. Despite this, she has a free spirit that is admirable. Jamie, then, devotes his life to Maggie’s treatment. The movie navigates the world of modern dating and emphasizes that love is, indeed, always worth the risk. —Janna Yuvallos, Editorial Assistant
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
While thinking of a film to pick as my favorite romcom, I wasn’t exactly stumped, but there were so many that popped into my head in an instant that I felt I couldn’t possibly choose one. America’s Sweethearts, Runaway Bride, Notting Hill— and then I realized Julia Roberts starred in all of these. But when we’re talking Julia Roberts romcoms, there’s only one that takes the wedding cake.
My Best Friend’s Wedding is one of those movies that my mom absolutely loved, and I think she had passed that on down to all her children, too. We all can still quote this 25-year-old movie by heart unsettlingly well, probably because it’s still something we rewatch regularly. Julia Roberts is hilarious as Jules, Rupert Everett steals the show every time he comes onscreen as George, and the then-relatively unknown Cameron Diaz is adorable and likable as the oblivious and naive Kimmy.
One of the things that stood out about the movie to me as a child is (uh, spoiler?) that we don’t get the typical romance film’s happy ending. The girl doesn’t get the guy— if she had, I doubt this movie would hold up the way it does today.
While this romantic comedy is more comedy than romance, it’s still a fun and entertaining love story that remains my number one romcom. —Bernice Quimbo, Editorial Assistant
Looking for more film recs? Check out the team’s favorite horror films and holiday flicks on Keeta.
