how to do a rom-com

The five key elements that make a rom-com perfect.
Timestamps:
0:00 A Slippery Genre
2:24 Believable Chemistry
3:50 A Compelling Meet-Cute
5:46 The Best Friend
7:43 Soundtrack/Opening Song
9:17 The Declaration of Love
10:20 The Greatest Rom-Com Ever
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ATTRIBUTIONS:
This video contains copyrighted material from the feature films/TV shows listed below. I believe all content used falls under the remits of Fair Use (see below), but if any content owners would like to dispute this I will not hesitate to remove said content. It is not my intent in any way to infringe on their content ownership.
Contact: [e-mail]
Movies:
Sleepless in Seattle
Serendipity
Pretty Woman
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Bros
Four Weddings and a Funeral
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
Notting Hill
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Always Be My Maybe
Bridget Jones’ Diary
9 Weeks Notice
While You Were Sleeping
Love and Basketball
Hitch
Bridesmaids
The Devil Wears Prada
Love Actually
The Big Sick
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
The Notebook
Marry Me
Say Anything
The Wedding Planner
Set It Up
Along Came Polly (Sandy Lyle)
Crazy Stupid Love
My Best Friend’s Wedding
Pretty in Pink
You’ve Got Mail
500 Days of Summer
10 Things I Hate About You
Crazy Rich Asians
The Holiday
Brown Sugar
Knocked Up
Romeo + Juliet
Romance Movies
Rom Coms
Romantic Comedies
________________________________________________________________________
FAIR USE DISCLAIMER:
As the original material is transformative in nature, uses no more of the original than necessary, and has no negative effect on the market for the original work, the copyright material has been used in accordance with the Fair Use Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act (1976):
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.
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This video constitutes "Fair Dealing" and does not violate Australian copyright law. As outlined by the Australian Copyright Act of 1968, Division 3 Section 41: "A fair dealing with a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work, does not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the work if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of that work or of another work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the work is made." The video is transformative in nature, uses no more of the original than necessary and has no negative effect on the market for the original work.

[@SceneItReviews]

so what's YOURRR favourite rom-com??? and whyyy

[@singleminthugger]

Kissing booth

[@zasherakhan6957]

nothing hill don't know why but i love it

[@henryjohn2218]

nick & norah infinte playlist -staring micheal cera & kat dennings

[@beebuzz959]

Admission with Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, and Lily Tomlin is so good and underrated! I totally love it! I also love Overboard, but the original with Kurt and Goldie (totally adorable!), and City Lights, by Chaplin. Also, It Happened One Night is still great! It still makes me cry and happy at the same time. Oh, and Sherlock Junior, by Buster Keaton. I would also categorize Wall-E as a romcom because I find it follows the genre, but my understanding of a romcom is different than yours is: Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. It's that simple, and it doesn't have to be a boy, it's just genred that way. But whether I'm right or wrong, the 5 pointers you gave seem they'd really take it to the next level, ensuring it will be that much better!

[@Laura-te1xy]

my best friend's wedding or while you were sleeping!! both have such fun and endearing characters and amazing chemistry between the leads.

[@GabrielaGonzalez-ic2ow]

The 90s and 00s were the golden age for this genre

[@Vbb98]

Nah 50s,40s is much better

[@francesfilms9976]

Thanks for giving “To all the boys I loved before” its flowers!!!! It is honestly so cute, a perfect time capsule/comfort watch!

[@elijahstark3663]

And the sequel wouldve been goated if it followed the book

[@lostinthecosmos6095]

THIS!!!!!!! I was so happy to see it it’s my number 1 YA romance movie!! Total classic!! :-)

[@1987Onslaught]

I love When Harry Met Sally because it adapted the same story beats into something a little different. It is also a nostalgic movie because my wife and I watched it so often while dating. I recently watched Crazy Rich Asians and I liked how it also adapted the tropes. The couple are already in love and the fight/breakup scene was with the mother not the love interest

[@A-G-A-G]

Carrie Fischer in when Harry met sally is the greatest best friend character in a rom com

[@RobinClower]

You're right, you're right, I know you're right....

[@elainaswanson4364]

You've got Mail has my favorite everything of all of these, but their meet-cute is legendary because you see that they clearly have A LOT of chemistry before they find out who each other is, so you always know both because of the emails and that scene that their beef really always has more to do with their businesses.

[@WaterCarrier07]

The manipulation element in the modern day isn’t as romantic now tho 😬

[@vickystrudwick3939]

ohhh I LOVE Notting Hill, and Rhys Ifans is brilliant in it - that "which tshirt will I wear" scene still makes me laugh out loud hahaha

[@kucken64]

I mean When Harry Met Sally is like obviously the GOAT and basically created this template, I do have a soft spot for About Time, which has all these elements in it but just in the first half of the film. I guess I like it because it does a bit more with the genre. And Friends With Benefits is my favourite bad rom com. How to date your film? Include a flash mob sequence.

[@alyzu4755]

Nora Ephron was the queen of the one-liners and quips. One of the best things about "Notting Hill" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" is the supporting cast. Even the small roles had some of the best British actors in them. (For example, Henry Goodman as the desk clerk at the Ritz in "Notting Hill".)

[@zucchinigreen]

Four Weddings and a Funeral had Duckface as a term before duckface became a thing lol

[@melviness4769]

Bro you deserve way more subs, your quality of editing and writing deserves at least a million subs.

[@sumrandumguy7177]

Can’t believe you don’t have more views. Very well made videos

[@alexiamcculloch1322]

My two favorite rom-coms are You've Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping. I still get the fluttery feelings when they finally come together in the end.

[@SuryanshiAgrawal]

I love recent rom coms such as crazy stupid love and set it up. Set it up is honestly just so cute and it has all the elements of a good rom com

[@pumpkinhead6760]

Yess, finally some appreciation for set it up

[@tannerjones1230]

I died laughing at the end of this when I came to the realization SHREK IS THE BEST ROM COM OF ALL TIME

[@charmedblondie4]

Return to Me is probably my favorite romcom and it ticks all these boxes in fun ways. It's a concept that definitely could easily go south but the performances are so good, it's just a warm, heartfelt experience.

[@alyssatate122]

I love rom coms so much . My favourite has to be when Harry met sally but I also love love Rosie , about time and more recently the broken hearts gallery .

[@alyssatate122]

And crazy stupid love

[@yoshim616]

I’m a big fan of what I consider to be the Nora Ephron trifecta of When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. All great movies. I also love While You Were Sleeping.

[@dead_ones]

I love your style and format so much. I’m addicted! Keep up the great work!

[@Truffle_Pup]

That Ronan Keating song, When you say nothing at all, is riddled with emotion of a place in time. It reminds me of the movie of course, but also my dad after my parents split. He would play it over and over. I wouldn't ever play it myself now, far too heavy, but it was a nice bitter sweet memory to be reminded of it. Great vid lad.

[@Doodles2468]

10 things i hate about you - no other words... BEST ROM COM EVER

[@graciend]

i really loved anyone but you including unwritten throughout it made me think about it so much more

[@spriggansiedeutsch6817]

This video is so well done! You hit all the good points. My favorite rom com is ‘The Wedding Singer.’ When I would stay home sick from school in the 90s, I watched that movie every time. Adam Sandler is an unconventional romantic male lead, and it sort of set the tone for future rom coms that having a quirky, not drop-dead-gorgeous male lead works. “Julia Gulia,” still makes me laugh. 😂

[@jenna_gia]

I grew up in the 00s on a steady diet of romcoms but only watched Notting Hill for the first time a few months ago and I think about it all the time still, was such a sweet, cosy, entertaining movie that encapsulated everything I love about the genre. You included a lot of my favorites but I also really love My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Maid in Manhattan (which was my childhood fav).

[@liv97497]

This was such a fun video! I honestly don't think anything will ever top When Harry met Sally for me, but there are some recent good ones! I would add, though, that a key element is NOT thinking rom-coms are stupid. I've seen so many movies either promising to be a rom-com but better or straight up a comedic romance that isn't a rom-com but they often end up boring and charmless. When done right, all these tropes can still be so delightful to watch!

[@gabrielserrano8151]

man, im loving your content

[@mbanerjee5889]

I'd also like to add to a criteria: memorable quotes. If I say "Big mistake. Big. Huge." or "I wanted it to be you." you know what movies I am talking about. I don't think Jerry McGuire counts as a rom-com, but it is full of quotable lines. I think just based on that, you can't beat "You complete me."

[@silentblackhole]

Totally agree. Awesome to hear a fellow aussie on youtube doing their thing. great video!

[@spectre.c]

okay went and watched cha cha real smooth cuz of this video and you were SO right. i think it may be one of my favourite movies ever

[@nataliakoodziej2582]

What a great video! i honestly can't wait for a new rise of romcoms, because this is such a wonderful genre and the lack of such movies nowadays speaks VOLUMES about the current rather bleak and hopeless cultural climate. The best ''modern'' romcoms are definitely Crazy Rich Asians, Love, Rose and To All The Boys I Loved Before, but I do think my absolute all-time favorite has to go to My Best Friend's Wedding. It has the chemistry, the music, the reliability AND it subverts the genre in the most genius way. This movie hasn't aged a freaking day, I love it.

[@conniep46]

you have amazing taste in romcoms! ❤

[@vvclife]

Thank you!!!! This was amazing!!! I am a huge Romcom fan!!

[@raiorai2]

Hell yeah, I love romance and comedy. I've seen so many bad romcoms that only recently I've found an appreciation for the formula and the good movies (there are very much there!)

[@hollygeorge4688]

You have excellent taste! Notting Hill is actually my favourite movie of all time! ❤

[@LiamRuggiero]

As a grown heterosexual man, rom-coms are my guilty pleasure but at the same time I'm not ashamed of knowing every single line of Notting Hill

[@vicciberry3041]

Sleepless in Seattle my favourite. Great videos! Thank you. Ps: Harry Potter 19 hours stint. Well done.

[@jackierosas9593]

Some of my faves : It Happened One Night His Girl Friday, Harold and Maude, Strictly Ballroom, and 13 Going on 30. It Happened One Night established the film rom-com and deserves everything and more. Shakespearean comedies like Much Ado About Nothing are also amazing. I honestly want to see a video about the historical legacy of the romcom, it's sounds so interesting to me.

[@arissaiglinski482]

Hope floats is still one of my favorite soundtracks of all time ❤️

[@dochasbeo5468]

Great video well Planned out loved ittt

[@aaliyahdesilva6468]

Confessions of a Shopaholic, 27 Dresses, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, and To All The Boys I've Loved Before (i'm a sucker at fake dating tropes) has to be my top romcoms!! 🥹 Really love your commentary. Kudos! 🥂

[@DanielRios-vy4ct]

Notting Hill is 100% the best rom com ever and also my favorite everything about that movie is perfect

[@chasingautumns]

ONCE and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind! I haven't watched either in ages, tho - don't remember if they meet all your criteria, but they are two of my favorites.

[@mayaayaya]

You didn’t list it but Palm Springs is in the video and I was happy to see it, I don’t know anyone who’s watched it besides people I forced to lol. I loved it.

[@natalyamartirosyan]

Loveeeed it! I would also suggest watching “Celeste and Jesse forever” which also has Andy Samberg. It is such an underrated movie. I’m not sure if it qualifies as a romcom, but to me it is.

[@aineraine3986]

My favourite romcom is 'What If?'. It's so underrated

[@MsOdd86]

I 100% agree with your rules on what makes a Rom Com. The Notebook is def a romantic drama not a comedy.

[@man2.071]

Cant believe silvers lining playbook isnt in this at all!

[@jonathansendker7871]

Yes! Yes! Some love for Notting Hill!

[@PruneauYT]

Having grown up watching so many of them, I was so happy when I saw how Billy Eichner wanted to follow suit in the classic Nora Ephron genre, with Bros. There is a need for those movies without a blasé cynical story. I love Moonstruck, Four Weddings and a Funeral, andy Best Friend's Wedding. Would you consider Groundhog Day a rom-com?

[@SceneItReviews]

Yeah Bros was good fun! Sad it got smacked at the box office :( And interesting question....first thought is yes, as Phil spends the whole movie trying to win over Rita...but then the whole conceit relies on Phil learning to love himself...and most of the comedy comes from the time travel.... I'm still going to rule a yes though, as the romance is the main thread throughout the film.

[@beebuzz959]

I'm not the person you're asking, but I enjoy all of those movies! However, I would consider them all romcoms except for My Best friend's Wedding, but that's just because I learned romcoms follow a more specific pattern: "Boy" meets girl, "boy" loses girl, and "boy" wins girl back. And Best Friend's is the only one of those that doesn't do that, though it's still a comedy and has romance in it, she (the "he" in the pattern) doesn't win him back. But all the others follow that. And no, it doesn't have to be a boy, it's just that's how the main character is referred to in the definition.

[@beebuzz959]

Also, that doesn't mean I'm right. But for what my two cents are worth, I'd absolutely classify Groundhog as a romcom.

[@mariakitaeva708]

great video! i love romcoms, but i cant pick the favorite one, those of 90-2000s were the best though

[@alyssatate122]

I read once that a film can be defined as a rom com if you can’t take out all the romantic plot lines and still have a film

[@SceneItReviews]

Love this

[@beebuzz959]

That doesn't make it a comedy though, but a romance.

[@Marjanne0031]

'About Time' is my all-time favourite

[@tillykate5702]

my favourite trope ever is when the best friends of the two love interests are perfect for eachother and eventually fall in love too (when harry met sally, ten things i hate about you etc.)

[@joogs4462]

you give me faith in humanity

[@lsebs4878]

Best rom com of all time is when Harry met sally, after that sleepless in Seattle, crazy stupid love, pretty woman, and then nothing hill

[@Schneeeulenwetter]

to the Jennifer Lopez one. a friend of a friend was actually at a rally (all teenager, early 20 something) and the police came and used tear gas, and a guy run towards the girls and carried her away, to save her from the tear gas, so the Jlo/Matthew thing is believable, bc I know something similar happened to someone my friend knows

[@anamarierae]

when harry met sally will always be my all time favorite

[@PersonShot]

Sleepless in Seattle sucks so much. Great video tho :)

[@soniashapiro4827]

I heard that there were several scenes in Notting Hill that were filmed but cut from the film (length concerns). Do you know if they're available anywhere?

[@sarahgrace3488]

I like your overall assessment of what makes a "rom-com" a rom-com. I think the only additional must I would have is that there MUST be a happy ending, or at least a "happy for now" ending. I feel like it's a must for romance as a whole, but especially the rom-com - if it doesn't, I'll consider it romantic, but not a romance. I think American and British rom-coms were at an absolute peak in the 90's-00's for sure - I go back to them a lot. I've also found Korean, Thai, Japanese and Chinese dramas and films - as well as Bollywood films, filling the void more recently - especially Korean dramas, as the production value is normally very high. They can range from a little over the top but sweet (like Business Proposal, King The Land, Touch Your Heart, Healer, Dali & Cocky Prince, Her Private Life, Kieta Hatsukoi, and Bad Buddy), to more slice of life (One Spring Night, Call It Love, Tell Me That You Love Me, and Summer Strike). A lot of my favourite films, I would call more "romantic" than "romances", having romance in them, but as an extension of a theme that doesn't necessarily centre the romance, like Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, 3 Idiots, The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things, The Handmaiden, and Everything Everywhere At Once. Some of my earlier romantic favourites were Definitely Maybe, Mamma Mia, and Pride & Prejudice, which I feel like set the tone a lot for my tastes later on. I have hope for the future of rom-coms, especially internationally - but for the U.S. and Britain too. I've been seeing a lot of audience demand (as well as a lot of actors being willing), and I've been seeing a good number of successful rom-com books being picked up for potential adaptations recently (like Book Lovers by Emily Henry, which I very much enjoyed), and I hope this means that more original films - perhaps more dramas, too, will be made like they used to be, especially as well with the recent writer's strike deals. I have a feeling there's a lot to look forward to just yet.

[@setphaser]

Have you seen the first always be my maybe 2016 (phillipines)? It’s also a rom com, and though rough at first, totally won me over, but Notting Hill is absolutely the best rom com, I’m ashamed of how much I love that gilm

[@kachinasmith199]

You’ve Got Mail

[@galaxystar8232]

Im a sucker for notting hill but 10 things i hate about you is a comedic masterpiece

[@belendudino9855]

Best RomCom for me is "The Wedding Date"

[@hayleigh6989]

My favourite has to be 50 First Dates or The Wedding Singer. I'd say they're both very goofy and ridiculous, and I found Adam Sandler & Drew Berrymore's chemistry to be fantastic.

[@SaieshanDadi]

50 First dates is one of the best rom coms in my opinion, all the better that it's based on fact

[@A-G-A-G]

Bit weird in context but Licorice pizza has a great meet cute

[@nadiezhda96]

I wish Imagine Me & You was on this list. It fits all the criteria, truly a good quality romcom but it never became a hit, perhaps because it’s about two women. Amazing video!

[@mbanerjee5889]

1. When Harry Met Sally 2. Bridget Jones's Diary 3. Hitch

[@l.w.i7478]

I’ve always thought it’s much more difficult to make a really good romcom - and one which is internationally successful - because drama/ horror f.ex. are universally understood, but what is considered humorous and witty also depends a lot on your country and cultural background. Plus: puns and wordplay are not easily translated into another language, so only being able to watch a dubbed version might rob the viewer of some vital laughs….

[@vforv9402]

One of my favourite movies is about time, but it doesn’t really feel just like a Rom Com. It is much more in my opinion. So my crown goes to…… Crazy, stupid love

[@metropunklitan]

UNDERRATED

[@SceneItReviews]

yooo what's your fave romcom juno?

[@metropunklitan]

@@SceneItReviews but im a cheerleader, saving face maybe carol

[@zodia7015]

notting hill was literally the correct answer

[@darioscomicschool1111]

RomCom #HughGrant Your Channel is a Blessing!

[@LavenderLydia]

Question: are Disney movies rom-coms? Based on your definition. I'm talking Little Mermaid, Tangled, The Princess and The Frog, etc

[@cleoarbel]

Devil Wears Prada was a rom-com just Andy was in love with Miranda

[@kayleeholt0712]

Serinditity is so cute.

[@bisexualmajima]

I really love As Good As It Gets, the "you make me want to be a better man" scene is one of the greatest romcom confessions of all time imo, his speech is a little neurotic, long-winded and wrapped up in Nicholson's character's unconventional behaviours and that's _why_ it's so perfect. Seeing this crabby asshole trying so hard and coming out with that wonderfully pure perfectly imperfect statement (even if he ruins it pretty soon after lol) was extremely romantic. Give me that over hot people being hot together in romcoms any day. It's also admittedly quite a bit relatable if you're neurodivergent and can never quite get it out right like other people can when it comes to expressing yourself to partners.

[@angiecontreras9324]

PSH in along came polly lol i will never forget

[@misstiffi]

So you mean like. Shrek.

[@Student-ds3id]

is this the graphic design guy????? sounds JUST like him.

[@stinkyfeet24.8]

you should see watching the detectives

[@andrewhines2565]

Crazy stupid love is the best rom com of all time

[@partlyironic]

OK I have questions about your commentary at 4:30 about Matthew and JLo and how they're meeting doesn't work for you - the "bumping into one another" trope is used a lot, sure, but it's used very successfully many times over! is it used too much for you? is it the option up into the saving of the heroine's life that you don't like, or is it the specific way it was used in that scene?

[@Sakina-rv7qk]

You didn’t ask me but I’d say it’s the specific way it’s used in that scene; it just doesn’t feel real. That the reason a woman’s stuck in the middle of the street is because of her shoe and than an attractive man being there to tackle her.

[@MythicGirl2210]

Romcoms aren't my first pick, but my favorite would HAVE to be Venom 2 😂😂. The whole movie revolved around their relationship, (and you can forget about that villain nonsense, that whole thing was a hot mess! 🤣)

[@alanmckenna5608]

Judy Greer erasure in the best friend character section. Unforgivable.

[@HannaHsOverInvested]

notting hill is great

[@elzbthcho]

the best romcom is when harry met sally

[@ultraccheese]

ah yes notting hill the romcom of all time i think

[@owenkeller2748]

The real way to build a romcom is to start with a title.

[@gingerkitty1425]

Why didn't you put up music and lyrics in any of your montages

[@tingewik]

Yes definitely Notting Hill. I love Spike! And misquoting all the best bits.....

[@importnumpyasnp6539]

Why aren't any Woody Allen movies listed here?

[@SceneItReviews]

No particular reason - ended up sourcing footage from like 45 movies, I’m sure lots of directors were omitted. Is Allen your fave?

[@juturburg]

notting hill def is the best romcom

[@ren9897]

wait what was the name of the rom com he called the best?

[@SceneItReviews]

It's 'Notting Hill (1999)' by Roger Michell :)

[@vlogily8043]

Umm feel like you broke your own rules by bringing Love Actually into this.

[@PriyanshuKumar-nb6mc]

10 things i hate about you all time favourite

[@bruce3242]

Love bridesmaids!

[@redwillow79schippers94]

I'm not a rom-com gal. I'm a horror gal. But there are a few exceptions. A romantic comedy has to be really really really good for me to like it. The few I actually like are Pretty Woman, The Wedding Singer, Tootsie, 50 First Dates, Pretty in Pink, Some kind of Wonderful, and.....that's about it. I might be forgetting a handful but yup...not that many good ones for me. But that's just my taste in movies. I'd much rather watch a beheading. Yes, I am weird

[@oritigra]

to call Andie MacDowell a lookalike to Julia Roberts was quite rude and unnecessary

[@SceneItReviews]

rude to who?

[@koira1]

Leaving las vegas aint a comedy!!!🤬🤬

[@ejtattersall156]

Romance these days is "problematic"