5 Underrated Rom-Coms That Will Make Your Heart Melt
Most lists of the best romantic comedies repeat the same ten titles. You have seen them, your parents have seen them, and the algorithm keeps serving them. These five are the ones that slipped through: funny, warm, a little odd, and all easy to fall for.
1. Ruby Sparks (2012)
A struggling novelist writes a woman he dreams up, and then she turns up in his kitchen. Zoe Kazan wrote the script and stars alongside Paul Dano, and the directors are Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the pair behind Little Miss Sunshine.
Why it's underrated: it looks like a quirky fantasy and then turns into something sharper about what we expect from the people we love. People who go in expecting a sweet comedy get more than they bargained for.
Watch it if you like romance with a thought behind it.
2. Man Up (2015)
Nancy is a tired, single 34-year-old who gets mistaken for someone else's blind date on a train platform and decides to go along with it. Lake Bell and Simon Pegg have the kind of chemistry that makes the premise work.
Why it's underrated: it came and went quickly and is mostly discovered by accident on a streaming homepage. It is 88 minutes of good jokes and almost no filler.
Watch it if you want a classic rom-com with an actual sense of humour.
3. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
A magazine team investigates a man who has placed a classified ad looking for a partner to travel back in time with him. Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass lead, and Colin Trevorrow directed. The setup was inspired by a real joke classified ad.
Why it's underrated: it gets filed under sci-fi, but it is really a love story about two lonely people who are not sure whether to believe each other.
Watch it if you like your romance a bit left of centre.
4. Begin Again (2013)
John Carney, who made Once, directed this story of a songwriter, played by Keira Knightley, and a washed-up music producer, played by Mark Ruffalo, who record an album live across New York City. It is a romance about music as much as about people.
Why it's underrated: it sits between a rom-com and a music film, so it never quite belongs to either audience. The soundtrack is excellent.
Watch it if you want something gentle that stays with you after the credits.
5. Hasee Toh Phasee (2014)
Vinil Mathew's Hindi film follows an eccentric, impulsive woman and the man who is about to marry her sister. Parineeti Chopra and Sidharth Malhotra lead a story that is funnier and stranger than the trailer suggested.
Why it's underrated: it was released as a standard Bollywood romance and many viewers dismissed it. Since then it has picked up a following among people who gave it a second chance.
Watch it if you want a Hindi rom-com that does not follow the usual script.
Quick picks
- Date night: Man Up.
- Rainy evening: Begin Again.
- Something a little different: Ruby Sparks or Safety Not Guaranteed.
- Hindi film night: Hasee Toh Phasee.
Want more? Take our 60-second movie personality quiz or browse the full list of underrated movies.
Frequently asked questions
What are some good underrated rom-coms?
Ruby Sparks, Man Up, Safety Not Guaranteed, Begin Again and Hasee Toh Phasee are five well-loved but overlooked romantic comedies.
Is there an underrated Hindi rom-com on this list?
Yes. Hasee Toh Phasee (2014) stars Parineeti Chopra and Sidharth Malhotra and is a quirky, warm love story that many people skipped.
Which of these is best for a date night?
Man Up is light and funny from the first scene. Begin Again suits a quieter evening, especially if you like music.
Written by Hardik Kamboj.