Recently, I was talking to one of my friends, and I learned that she had never seen “Notting Hill.” That got me thinking about how many people haven’t seen some of the best rom-coms ever made, thus inspiring me to create, in no particular order, a Top Five list of must-see rom-coms. Grab some popcorn and your girlfriends and clear the next 24 hours of your life as you watch the greatest, and Taylor Swift-coded, romantic comedies ever made.
wild child
While Audrey Hepburn may be the queen of Hollywood, Emma Roberts is the face of the ultimate early 2000s “it-girl” movies. The sarcastic, witty, straight-forward icon, Poppy Moore, portrayed by Emma Roberts, gets shipped off to the same British boarding school her late mother went to after she finally pushes her luck as a party girl in Malibu. The spoiled and unkempt “wild child” enlists her new roommates to help her get kicked out of the boarding school, so she can go back home and continue living her life, all while going through adventures and meeting the headmistress’ son. The setting, plot, and main characters are all straight out of someone’s dream journal, and I’m absolutely here for it. “Wild Child” is an absolute must-watch.
Love Actually
Just like “Die Hard,” this movie is controversial as to whether it is a Christmas movie or not. Unlike “Die Hard,” though, “Love Actually” is two hours and nine minutes filled with eight very different love stories. From “Mamma Mia’s” Colin Firth to “Pride and Prejudice’s” Keira Knightley, to “Harry Potter’s” Alan Rickman, this film features several A-list celebrities that each drive their own plot to overall create a 5-star movie.
Princess Diaries 2
If you fear your roster is not good enough, you have to think outside of the box and look at all the people you don’t like. Open your eyes to enemies to lovers, and possibilities become limitless (I know how picky, especially us girls, can be). It’s no secret that the number of books that fly off the shelf has this plot, and I am here as your savior to introduce you to Mia and Nicholas: the inventors, executors and deliverers of enemies-to-lovers. A princess who wants to be queen but has to have a man to be on the throne. An unexpected outside heir to the throne. A battle of forced proximity in the castle, witty banter, and the ultimate aloof, sarcastic best friend. This movie has the perfect balance of repartee, feminism and love to make you swoon for the next decade.
Notting hill
Two words: Hugh Grant. You know I love a London boy, and the plot of this movie being about a cute British boy owning a bookstore and falling in love with a famous actress extremely far out of his league is perfect. The rag-tag group of friends he has mixed with the socio-economic difference between the love interests make for the best watch.
ever after
If your favorite Cinderella retelling is not “Ever After,” then I am going to assume you have lost your mind. “Ever After” is the ultimate Cinderella retelling ever made. Drew Barrymore represents the quintessential girlboss princess that Rachel Zegler, of the new Snow White, wants so badly to be. The movie revels in the selfless courage and kindness of Daniella and uses these as what they should be: strengths. They don’t make her love a weakness and instead embrace that her kindness is the reason she can be so passionate, ambitious and defiant of typical roles.