As far as movie genres are concerned, romantic comedies belong among the most popular of the bunch. The viewers simply love to watch love stories about people who fall for each other and stay together happily ever after. The more romantic and tear-inducing the movie is, the better.
However, not everybody shares this opinion. Some people still enjoy romantic comedies and like to celebrate Valentine's Day by watching them, but they're cynical romantics at heart and are looking for something a bit more realistic. Luckily, some great romantic comedies prove that not every single one has to be overly sweet.
6 Roman Holiday (1953)
Roman Holiday is one of the most iconic romantic comedies of all time. It helps that it takes place in the beautiful city of Rome, and also has a strong cast. Audrey Hepburn plays a young princess, Anna, who decides to explore the city for a while, free from her duties for a day or two. She meets the journalist Joe (Gregory Peck) who becomes Anna's guide, and the more time they spend together, the closer they become.
The only problem is that Anna is still a princess and her duties don't disappear. After all, every holiday has to end sooner or later. The bittersweet ending makes this classic movie perfect for cynical romantics because it isn't one hundred percent happy, as is so often common in the movies of this genre.
5 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Some romantic comedies have their heroes fall in love at the first sight, which, while sweet, is unrealistic. 10 Things I Hate About You turns this recipe around, and has its main characters hate each other instead. Julia Stiles stars as the cynical loner Kat who sees no point in dating, unlike her younger sister Bianca. That's when Heath Ledger's Patrick Verona enters the scene and things get a lot more complicated.
The movie has a strong cast, many funny scenes, and sympathetic main heroes. Both Kat and Patrick are relatable because neither of them is as perpetually happy as some characters from romantic comedies seem to be. That's why the Shakespeare adaptation is a good fit even for more cynical and older viewers. And, of course, seeing Heath Ledger belt out the song Can't Take My Eyes Off You when he's trying to win Kat over is a moment that went down in movie history. It will be especially surprising to all viewers who best know Ledger for his role as the Joker.
4 Something Borrowed (2011)
Even though it's not based on real events, Something Borrowed is disturbingly realistic in the sense that sometimes - a lot of times - people simply make awful decisions when it comes to love and choosing their partner. Ginnifer Goodwin stars as Rachel, a woman in love with her best friend's partner. Needless to say, that leads to a lot of complications as Rachel refuses to see common sense.
Luckily, she has her down-to-Earth good friend (John Krasinski) by her side. The only problem is that Rachel doesn't listen to his advice. The characters will sometimes drive the audience crazy when they constantly behave like bad people, but Something Borrowed is a catchy story nonetheless, and full of excellent actors.
3 La La Land (2016)
La La Land has it all. A talented cast with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling playing the main couple. An attractive setting since the heroes live in Los Angeles. And a compelling story about an actress and a musician who find their way to each other while they're working on their careers, but things don't work out as they planned. The movie was a hit at the Oscars, and what makes it different from a lot of other musicals is that it doesn't sugarcoat things.
Instead, La La Land shows that even true love sometimes isn't enough, and it can't overcome everything. The bittersweet ending of this movie means that cynical romantics will find it realistic, and therefore that much more enjoyable. And if they want to see Gosling and Stone play a couple in a story with a happier ending, they can always watch Crazy Stupid Love (2011) as well.
2 Isn't It Romantic (2019)
What better movie to watch if someone likes romantic comedies but is a cynic at heart than an actual parody of romantic comedies! Rebel Wilson stars as Natalie, a businesswoman in her 30s who lives in New York and no longer believes that fairytale-like romances exist. Until she hits her head and ends up living in a romantic comedy.
What makes this movie unique and hilarious is that Natalie knows the romantic comedy genre conventions well, and as such, she can predict what will happen next. Isn't It Romantic is an ideal watch for everybody who wants a clever take of the genre that doesn't take itself too seriously and offers something original.
1 Happiest Season (2020)
Even though the movie is called Happiest Season and takes place during Christmas, it's far from idyllic and overly happy. Kristen Stewart plays a young woman, Abby, who goes on to spend Christmas with her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis) at her parents' place. The only problem is that Harper hasn't yet come out to her parents, so she pretends that her girlfriend Abby is just a friend.
That leads to some bitter and awkward moments, and what's more, the main couple even breaks up for a moment. That will sit well with the more cynical viewers who know that nothing is perfect and that every relationship hits a rough spot sometimes. Luckily, the movie still has an optimistic ending, but it's nowhere as sweet as it could have been.