The romantic comedy is not the dominant box office genre that it once was, but every once in a while, we still get something that fits that mode. Materialists isn’t a rom-com, exactly, but it definitely alludes to a lot of the pillars of the genre.
Given the ways Materialists alludes to and plays with the formula of a romantic comedy, we found other movies that fit a similar mold that you can watch now. They might not be straightforward romantic comedies, but sometimes, that’s better.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
The Big Sick (2017)
The Big Sick plays out as a rom-com, at least at first. Kumail Nanjiani plays a version of himself before he was famous as he meets and falls in love with the woman who would become his wife. The two of them break up after she discovers that he’s going to have to go through an arranged marriage, and then she falls into a coma.
Because the breakup is so recent, he spends time with both her and her parents as they deal with the uncertainty of her future and of their relationship. It’s a remarkable, sad, deeply funny movie, and one that adheres closer to the beats of real life than it does to a Hollywood script.
You can watch The Big Sick on Amazon Prime Video.
High Fidelity (2000)
High Fidelity is a romantic comedy, to be sure, but one that uses the structure of a top-five list to go through every heartbreak its main character has ever experienced. The movie follows a music obsessive who translates everything into a list and who is much more of a narcissist than he realizes.
As he recounts his history of breakups, he comes to appreciate one relationship, in particular, but the movie is as much about his own self-improvement as it is about who he ends up with. It’s telling that the movie doesn’t end with a kiss but instead with our main character learning something about a person he’d almost completely dismissed.
You can watch High Fidelity on Hulu.
The Worst Person in the World (2021)
The Worst Person in the World is the artiest film on this list. It’s also the only one in another language. Like The Materialists, it’s all about a love triangle. The film focuses on a young woman living in Norway who can’t decide who she wants to be.
She takes up numerous careers, even as she finds herself flitting from one relationship to another. The movie’s title, though, might lead you to believe this woman is far worse than she is. She might be a little bit flaky, but thanks to a remarkable performance from Renate Reinsve, she certainly isn’t the worst person in the world.
You can watch The Worst Person in the World on Tubi.
Sabrina (1954)
One of the greatest love triangle movies, Sabrina follows the daughter of a chauffeur who catches the eye of two wealthy brothers. Although she initially forms a close relationship with the younger of the two brothers, she’s eventually drawn to the older and more serious man.
Featuring a trio of great performances from Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, and Audrey Hepburn, Sabrina is a charming comedy that, thanks to the expert direction of Billy Wilder, feels as carefully calibrated as any ever made.
You can watch Sabrina on Amazon Prime Video.
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Julia Roberts was already a bona fide movie star by the time My Best Friend’s Wedding hit theaters, but this remains the most interesting romantic comedy she ever made. Roberts herself plays a woman who slowly realizes she’s the villain after she learns that her lifelong best friend is getting married, and she realizes she’s in love with him.
As she heads to the wedding with the explicit goal of breaking up her friend’s marriage, she begins to realize that his fiancée is not the evil harpy she wanted her to be, and the best thing for her to do might be nothing at all. Deeply funny and just a little sad, My Best Friend’s Wedding has it all.
You can watch My Best Friend’s Wedding on Pluto TV.