Rom-Com Recs

February is the perfect time to binge some great rom-coms; here are some new ones to try out based on your favorite classics.

by Annie McShane, Design and Copy Editor

As Valentine’s Day approaches, it is the perfect time to grab some popcorn and spend some time with the best movie genre: Romantic Comedies. With the perfect combination of love and laughter, a great rom-com is the perfect movie choice for everyone. The only problem: there are so many great rom-coms it’s nearly impossible to choose which one to watch. Thankfully, I am here as a self-proclaimed rom-com connoisseur to tell you which ones are worth the watch based on your favorite classic rom-com. 

If you are a fan of “10 Things I Hate About You,” you should watch “She’s The Man.” Beloved by many, “10 Things I Hate About You” tells the story of Patrick Verona attempting to charm Kat Stratford into dating him so that Cameron James can date her younger sister Bianca. What many people don’t know about this movie is that it is based on Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew,” which tells the story of Petruccio marrying Katherine so that Lucentio can court Bianca. Similarly,  “She’s The Man” is also a modern Shakespeare retelling. “She’s The Man” tells the story of Viola Hastings who is pretending to be her brother Sebastian at boarding school. Viola falls in love with her roommate Duke Orsino, who is in love with Olivia Lennox, who is in love with Sebastian, who is actually Viola. The movie’s inspiration Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” tells the story of Viola pretending to be a boy named Cesario and working for, as well as falling in love with the Duke Orsino. However, Orsino is in love with the Countess Olivia, and sends Cesario to court her for him, but Olivia falls in love with Cesario, who is actually Viola. Along with both movies being modern Shakespearean adaptations, they are both stories of teen love that provide a good laugh for anyone who watches. 

If you are a fan of “When Harry Met Sally,” you should watch“Love Rosie.” “When Harry Met Sally” tells the story of the relationship of Harry Burns and Sally Albright over a twelve year period. Starting off as enemies arguing about whether or not men and women can have a platonic relationship, they eventually become friends and attempt to maintain this relationship. If you love the “Will they? Won’t they?” of “When Harry Met Sally,” you will surely enjoy “Love Rosie.” “Love Rosie” is the story of best friends Alex and Rosie who each harbor secret feelings for the other. The movie follows the many miscommunications between the two over the course of the movie, much like the story of Harry and Sally. 

My third and final recommendation is for fans of “Love Actually” to watch the movie “Valentine’s Day.” For those of you who haven’t seen “Love Actually,” it tells nine intertwined love stories during Christmas time. In the same fashion, “Valentine’s Day” also tells nine different intertwined love stories, but instead of taking place at Christmas time, it happens on Valentine’s Day. With the holiday approaching, “Valentine’s Day” is the perfect watch for anyone who loves a multi-story rom-com.