The Decline of Romcoms: Why the new ones Just Aren’t It

Photo Courtesy: Country Living Magazine

Romance. Comedy. Both. Neither?

Romcoms once dominated the box office, instilling unrealistic expectations of love, deluding people into thinking their partner would be akin to a young Hugh Grant, and making viewers think they would have meet-cutes at their local Waterstones.

But think of the romcoms you’ve watched recently. Personally, I’m perfectly happy without Addison Rae trying to give me a makeover, or some pseudo-Harry Styles coming knocking at my door.

The new age of cinema has brought about some wonderful films, handling delicate themes, creating meta-worlds, and redefining how we think. But this beloved genre has taken a huge hit and no longer checks off all the boxes it used to.

Despite following the same predictable formula, the 90s and 00s housed over a hundred classics like Notting Hill, 10 Things I Hate About You, and He’s The Man. But while modern romcoms like The Kissing Booth and Perfect Addiction are also formulaic, the unnecessary third-act breakups and easily avoidable misunderstandings are getting a little old. Not to mention everyone seems to be in a love triangle.

In addition, the old movies had such wonderfully three-dimensional characters. Although flawed, viewers were able to relate to the quirky girl (I’m looking at you, Bridget Jones) and the secretly sentimental jocks. In contrast, most of today’s characters aren’t fleshed out well, making them much harder for the audience to fall in love with. They tend to have just one defining trait, like Glen Powell’s “serenity song” in Anyone but You. I couldn’t tell you anything else about his character despite having watched the film a mere month ago. But I can wax eloquent about Mark Ruffalo in 13 Going on 30, and I haven’t seen it since I was 12.

Also, while social media is an integral part of our lives now, it’s destroying good ol’ pining. I want to see Ryan Gosling go to the bar where Emma Stone works just to catch a glimpse of her, not just watch as characters scroll through their crushes’ Instagrams. These films are starting to feel more like they’re going for #relatable than #romantic, and that’s just not cutting it. Younger generations find it superfluous, and it alienates the older ones.

Finally, we need to bring back palpable tension, fleeting looks, and forbidden touch. There’s just something so undeniably sensual about scenes with words left unspoken. Watching Mr Darcy help Elizabeth into her carriage and then flex his hand because he was so affected was a million times more enticing than Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher entering a no-strings relationship to kickstart the movie. Audiences crave those moments to feel like they are part of the characters’ romantic journey.

I’m not saying there aren’t any good romcoms anymore. Set It Up and Red, White & Royal Blue are personal favourites. They’re just no You’ve Got Mail. Maybe more like You’ve Got 23 Unopened Texts You’ll Never Reply To.