The metaphorical birthplace of Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and tubs of ice cream eaten sadly on the sofa, the romantic comedy has survived cliche, shifting cultural mores and Kate Hudson and remains one of the most important and emotionally essential film genres in existence. And that’s despite almost all of them being exactly the same. But we love them anyway, regardless of whether they’re secretly awful or genuinely brilliant.
To compile the genre’s 34 best, it was important to maintain a strict criteria: a romantic comedy must build to a final rush of feeling and close on a kiss; the central romance must be the primary hook for the entire film, and the usual rules of good filmmaking don’t necessarily need to apply when it comes to films designed to make you feel giddy inside. Because, truthfully, we’re just a bunch of lovesick romantics, standing in front of a television set, asking to watch beautiful people fall in love. Did your favourite make the list?
