We’re fully in Christmas movie season, which has some intersection with the best romantic comedies on Netflix right now, but not as much as you might think. Netflix has quietly become a bit of a hub for holiday movies, but they’re closer to the Hallmark Channel variety than, say, Love Actually. Nonetheless, if you’re in the mood for a rom-com, Netflix has plenty of options!
We scour the collection every month, and this December, we present a special holiday edition highlighted by two new holiday-themed Netflix original rom-coms. These are the best romantic comedies on Netflix right now.
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We’ve also curated posts highlighting the best rom-coms on Amazon Prime Video and the best rom-coms on Hulu, just in case Netflix doesn’t have what you’re looking for. If you need more choices, check out our guide for the best new movies to stream this week and the best movies on Netflix.
Recently added to Netflix
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Our Little Secret2024 -
Hot Frosty2024
Our Little Secret (2024)
42%
99m
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Drama
Stars
Lindsay Lohan, Ian Harding, Kristin Chenoweth
Directed by
Stephen Herek
Watch on Netflix
Lindsay Lohan is back in the saddle and starring in Netflix rom-coms! Avery (Lohan) and Logan (Ian Harding) were once an item, but things fizzled out in their relationship.
When Avery and Logan show up at Christmas and discover that their new significant others are siblings, they decide to play it cool and pretend they don’t know each other. Keeping their romantic history secret, however, proves difficult as each is more resentful about the breakup than they previously realized.
Hot Frosty (2024)
52%
90m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan, Craig Robinson
Directed by
Jerry Ciccoritti
Watch on Netflix
Leave it to Netflix to cook up one of the most ridiculous holiday movie concepts we’ve seen to date. In Hot Frosty, Lacey Chabert plays Kathy, a widow feeling lonely during her second Christmas season without her departed husband. Thanks to a magical scarf, Kathy brings a snowman to life and, lo and behold, he’s really hot!
The snowman (Dustin Milligan) is predictably naïve about the real world and leans on Kathy to teach him how to be a real man. Fortunately, Kathy is perfectly willing and able to mold him into the perfect husband, learning how to love again before the snowman melts away.
Maid in Manhattan (2002)
45%
105m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson
Directed by
Wayne Wang
Watch on Netflix
Perhaps the greatest indicator that Jennifer Lopez was the biggest movie star in the world for a brief period in the early aughts is that she got Ralph Fiennes to do a romantic comedy. In Maid in Manhattan, Lopez plays Marisa Ventura, a struggling single mom who works as a maid at a high-end Manhattan hotel.
When hotel guest and senatorial candidate Christopher Marshall (Fiennes) mistakes Marisa for a wealthy socialite, the two spend a magical evening together. As you might expect, a meet-cute leads to a dramatic reveal. Marisa and Christopher must decide if they can overcome their extraordinary differences to find their happily ever after.
Meet Me Next Christmas (2024)
105m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Christina Milian, Devale Ellis, Kofi Siriboe
Directed by
Rusty Cundieff
Watch on Netflix
Christina Milian stars in Meet Me Next Christmas, a family-friendly Netflix original rom-com. Milian plays Layla, a young woman in pursuit of a fairytale romance. Desperate to get her hands on the town’s hottest ticket — the sold-out Pentatonix Christmas Eve Concert — Layla joins forces with the help of a handsome ticket concierge (Devale Ellis). What starts as a search for tickets, however, soon evolves into a bit of Christmas romantic magic as Layla and her handsome new beau find their way to the show.
Lonely Planet (2024)
94m
Genre
Romance, Drama
Stars
Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth, Diana Silvers
Directed by
Susannah Grant
Watch on Netflix
Laura Dern (Big Little Lies, Jurassic Park) and Liam Hemsworth star in this Netflix original rom-com as an intergenerational pair who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. When a reclusive novelist (Dern) arrives at a prestigious writer’s retreat in Morocco, she hopes the remote setting will help her shake writer’s block. When she befriends a young man (Hemsworth), she soon gets far more than she bargained for in the form of inspiration and a life-altering affair.
Anyone But You (2023)
52%
103m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Mia Artemis
Directed by
Will Gluck
Watch on Netflix
Two of the biggest young stars in Hollywood team up in this rom-com about the seemingly perfect couple who actually kind of hate each other. Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Twisters star Glen Powell) have a fiery first date, but that initial attraction quickly turns to icy friction. Unfortunately, when they find themselves at the same destination wedding in Australia, single and under the microscope, they decide to behave like rational adults and pretend to be dating. What starts as a ruse turns into something more, but will Bea and Ben realize their attraction to each other is real before it’s too late?
Wedding Season (2022)
57%
99m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Pallavi Sharda, Suraj Sharma, Arianna Afsar
Directed by
Tom Dey
Watch on Netflix
This Netflix original went a little under the radar, but it’s an entertaining watch for anyone who has dealt with the issue of parental pressure to get married. Asha (Pallavi Sharda) and Ravi (Suraj Sharma) are under constant pressure from their parents to find spouses, so during a summer full of weddings, they decide to pretend to be in item. As these things tend to go, however, they soon find themselves falling for one another for real.
Hit Man (2024)
82%
116m
Genre
Crime, Comedy, Romance
Stars
Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio
Directed by
Richard Linklater
Watch on Netflix
Slightly grittier than the average romantic comedy, Richard Linklater’s Hit Man is at its heart a rom-com. Based on the life of Gary Johnson, a fake hit man employed by the New Orleans Police Department to catch people looking to arrange murders, Hit Man is about what happens when a fake hit man catches feelings. Glen Powell stars as Gary, a guy who really leans into his role until he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman who wants to hire someone to kill her abusive husband. When Gary is overcome by her beauty and genuine understanding and sympathy, he intentionally blows the sting, beginning a chain of events that he can’t slow down.
The Sweetest Thing (2002)
32%
84m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Thomas Jane
Directed by
Roger Kumble
Watch on Netflix
A great example of the early 2000s super-ensemble rom-coms, The Sweetest Thing is positively loaded with stars, even if it’s a little light on story. Christina’s (Cameron Diaz) love life is stuck in neutral until she meets her perfect match at a club on a girl’s night out. When she discovers Peter (Thomas Jane) has left town, it takes the encouragement (and companionship) of her friends to go and chase him down before he can get away. A loaded supporting cast includes Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Jason Bateman, and Parker Posey.
Easy A (2010)
72%
93m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes
Directed by
Will Gluck
Watch on Netflix
Although it’s not your traditional rom-com, there is some romance involved, which allows us to gently bend the rules to get the terrific Easy A on this list. Emma Stone (Poor Things) stars in this modern adaptation of The Scarlet Letter as Olive, a typical below-the-radar high school student whose reputation is destroyed overnight due to a terrible rumor. Rather than suffer the ignominy, Olive embraces it, riding the lies and scandal of the rumor mill to the top of the social pyramid with the help of her parents and longtime crush, Woodchuck Todd (Penn Badgley).
Plus One (2019)
65%
98m
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Drama
Stars
Maya Erskine, Jack Quaid, Beck Bennett
Directed by
Jeff Chan, Andrew Rhymer
Watch on Netflix
When that annoying late 20-something year comes along when seemingly everyone they know is getting married, long-time single friends Alice (Mr. and Mrs. Smith star Maya Erskine) and Ben (Jack Quaid) decide to be each other’s plus ones to soften the blow of nosy friends and family members asking about their love lives. But while they expect the arrangement to remain a platonic one, they soon find the inklings of a romantic connection as they spend more time together.
No Hard Feelings (2023)
59%
104m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti
Directed by
Gene Stupnitsky
Watch on Netflix
No Hard Feelings is perhaps a little light on the romance, but it is heavy on the comedy, so it makes this list. After her car is impounded, Uber driver Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) is desperate to find a car to get back to work and make up the property taxes on her Montauk home before she loses that, too. Lo and behold, an opportunity arises as rich parents offer a car to a woman to “date” their awkward, sheltered 18-year-old son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), to help him escape his shell before college. Maddie, however, is 32, unhinged, and dealing with more emotional baggage than Percy. She struggles to seal the deal and suppress what slowly blossoms into a very real friendship.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)
37%
94m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Elena Kampouris
Directed by
Kirk Jones
Watch on Netflix
Fourteen years after the smash-hit original, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 brings Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (Sex and the City‘s John Corbett) back to another Portokalos family wedding. This time, however, there’s trouble in paradise as Toula and Ian are dealing with their troubled teenage daughter and a marriage that is beginning to strain.
Your Place or Mine (2023)
49%
109m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Reese Witherspoon, Ashton Kutcher, Jesse Williams
Directed by
Aline Brosh McKenna
Watch on Netflix
Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher team up in this Netflix Original rom-com! Debbie (Witherspoon) and Peter (Kutcher) are best friends, but complete opposites — living diametrically opposed lives in LA and New York, respectively. But when they decide to swap houses and lives for a week, they find that each is lacking something that the other provides, coming to the realization that there’s more to their relationship than just friendship.
The Kissing Booth (2018)
5.9/10
105m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi
Directed by
Vince Marcello
Watch on Netflix
A list of the best romantic comedies would never be complete without at least one teen rom-com on the list, and The Kissing Booth is a good fit. Joey King stars as Elle, a teenager who finds herself in a pickle when she begins a romance with her best friend’s popular, bad boy older brother, played by Priscilla’s Jacob Elordi. Spawning two sequels, it’s a heavily clichéd story, but that’s precisely what makes The Kissing Booth the perfectly predictable movie to watch when you’re in the mood, provided you go into it with the right expectations.
Long Story Short (2021)
6.5/10
90m
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars
Rafe Spall, Zahra Newman, Ronny Chieng
Directed by
Josh Lawson
Watch on Netflix
Long Story Short hails from Australia, and it tells the story of Teddy (Rafe Spall), a man who wakes up after his wedding to discover that time is moving at a rapid pace: A year has already passed, and every minute, another year goes by. Confused and shocked, he discovers that time isn’t moving as fast for anyone else he interacts with. While Teddy and his best friend concoct a plan to ensure he has a “perfect day” to try and break the curse, Teddy learns of growing troubles in his marriage down the road that make this difficult to accomplish. Long Story Short is predictable and repetitive, but the clever premise and moral lessons about focusing on what matters make for a fun watch.
To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
65%
6.3/10
115m
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Drama
Stars
Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish
Directed by
Michael Fimognari
Watch on Netflix
The third and final entry in Netflix’s hit To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy is a bit more grown-up than the first two. It makes sense, considering the characters are growing up, about to leave high school, and making the first truly major decisions of their lives. Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is back from a family trip to Korea that has inspired her to think a bit more broadly about her future. That means making college plans — with or without beau Peter (Noah Centineo).
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
72%
6.5/10
83m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, Noël Wells
Directed by
Jim Strouse
Watch on Netflix
The Daily Show veteran Jessica Williams has a star-making turn as the title character in The Incredible Jessica James. Fresh off of a breakup with her boyfriend, Damon (Lakeith Stanfield), Jessica unexpectedly hits it off with a recently divorced man named Boone (Chris O’Dowd). The pair bond over stalking their exes via social media, and they decide to make some changes in their lives for their mutual benefit. However, Damon still lingers on Jessica’s mind, and Boone’s ex isn’t as out of the picture as Jessica is led to believe.
The Perfect Date (2019)
Noah Centineo is certainly making his name as Netflix’s go-to romantic foil in To All the Boys I’ve Ever Loved and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser. But Centineo takes the leading role in The Perfect Date as Brooks Rattigan, a high school student who is desperate to get into Yale. With the help of his friends, Murph (Odiseas Georgiadis) and Celia Lieberman (Laura Marano), Brooks launches an app that lets him hire himself out as the perfect plus-one to any female companion. He also pursues Celia’s rich cousin, Shelby Pace (Camila Mendes), while crossing some moral lines that ultimately force him to question who he is becoming.
I Am Not an Easy Man (2018)
We would not be surprised if there is an eventual English language remake of the French comedy, I Am Not an Easy Man. In the meantime, this is an ideal example of why subtitles were invented. Vincent Elbaz stars in the film as Damien, an unapologetic womanizer. However, a head injury lands Damien in a world that he barely recognizes. In this apparent alternate universe, women have all of the power, and Damien is routinely mocked and sexually harassed by the opposite sex. The lone bright spot is a novelist named Alexandra (Marie-Sophie Ferdane), because she and Damien may be kindred spirits.
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
71%
5.6/10
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse, Emmanuelle Chriqui
Watch on Netflix
The Knight Before Christmas is basically a Hallmark Channel movie that was just made for Netflix instead. So, it’s a standard time-travel romantic flick that just happens to take place around Christmas. But there’s something charming about this earnest flick that doesn’t even really try to get all of the historical facts right. In the distant past, a young knight named Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse) goes on a quest that ultimately leaves him stranded in the far future. That would be the present for us. It’s almost love at first sight for Brooke Winters (Vanessa Hudgens) when she accidentally smacks Sir Cole with her car. While Brooke initially believes that Cole lost his memory, she finds herself drawn to his genuine warmth and his good old-fashioned chivalry.
The Half of It (2020)
74%
6.9/10
104m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire
Directed by
Alice Wu
Watch on Netflix
The Half of It takes a bit of inspiration from Cyrano de Bergerac and makes the formula its own. In this case, Leah Lewis (Ellie Chu) plays the Cyrano role, as she reluctantly agrees to help Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) pursue the girl of his dreams, Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire). The problem is that Aster is already the girl of Leah’s dreams. But to make ends meet, Leah agrees to coach Paul so he can get closer to Aster. Of course, Paul and Leah get close as well. But the film never loses sight of who Leah really wants to be with, or what she wants out of life. Leah can’t get everything she desires, but she does have a transformative experience that allows her to grow and become the person she was always meant to be.
The Lovebirds (2021)
59%
6.1/10
87m
Genre
Comedy, Action, Romance
Stars
Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Paul Sparks
Directed by
Michael Showalter
Watch on Netflix
Getting decent reviews since it was released in late May, this film stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani as a couple on the brink of breakup. After they witness a murder, they decide to go on the run to avoid being blamed for something they didn’t do. Forced to stay together under such unexpected circumstances, they begin to reconnect in new ways. The two stars are lauded for their performances and chemistry. As a follow-up to The Big Sick, which got rave reviews, this isn’t director Michael Showalter’s best project (he did, after all, co-create the Wet Hot American Summer franchise). But it’s a worthy watch for a fresh and modern take on the typical rom-com.
Someone Great (2019)
63%
6.2/10
92m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise
Directed by
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Watch on Netflix
Someone Great isn’t a typical romantic comedy, and that’s one of the reasons the film’s primary romance ends early. On the verge of a cross-country move, Jenny Young (Gina Rodriguez) is blindsided when her longtime boyfriend, Nate Davis (Lakeith Stanfield) breaks up with her. Distraught, Jenny turns to her best gal pals, Blair Helms (Brittany Snow) and Erin Kennedy (DeWanda Wise); both of whom have troubled romantic entanglements of their own. To complicate matters, Jenny can’t seem to escape Nate’s shadow. Jenny has to determine if she even wants Nate back. But it’s the friendship between the three women that really turns this film into an uplifting story.
Set It Up (2018)
Sometimes, even characters in romantic comedies know the rules of engagement. In Set It Up, assistants Harper Moore (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie Young (Top Gun: Maverick‘s Glen Powell) realize that their respective bosses, Kirsten Stevens (Lucy Liu) and Rick Otis (Taye Diggs) need a little love in their lives. However, arranging a romance between Kirsten and Rick is easier said than done. Meanwhile, Harper and Charlie’s relationships start to hit the skids just as they slowly realize they might be right for each other too. It’s a sweet story, and one of the best Netflix original romances.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
64%
6.8/10
101m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito
Directed by
Nahnatchka Khan
Watch on Netflix
Comedian Ali Wong (Beef) both wrote and stars in this 2019 film as Sasha, a woman who reunites with Marcus (Fresh Off The Boat‘s Randall Park), a childhood friend and one-time fling, when she returns to her hometown of San Francisco. There’s a clear chemistry between them but Sasha has a demanding career and the timing is always off, especially when Marcus discovers Sasha’s new celebrity love interest: Keanu Reeves (yes, he’s in the movie!) Will they finally realize they’re meant for one another? The film has been almost universally liked, and praised for its ability to layer typical rom-com tropes with “smart social commentary.”
Ali's Wedding (2017)
64%
6.9/10
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Osamah Sami, Don Hany, Helana Sawires
Watch on Netflix
This Australian film from 2017 is one of the, if not the first, Muslim rom-coms. The story follows Ali, a musically inclined young Muslim man struggling with his desire to be with one woman when he has been promised to another by his family. The film touches upon universal ideas about relationships that anyone can relate to despite the very specific and cultural setting.
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