The Resurgence of Romantic Comedies

The 90s and 2000s are enjoying a renaissance in entertainment, fashion and make-up trends. Perhaps, for millennials and older generations, it’s fuelled by nostalgia for simpler times before the explosion of social media and information overload. However, this revival is not limited to folks older than 30. It's Gen Z too, even if some of them think they’re inventing it all instead of merely recycling old trends from tall socks, à la Lady Diana to baggy jeans.

More surprising is the continued presence of TV shows from the 90s and early 2000s like Friends (aired from 1993-2003) and Gilmore Girls (aired from 2000-2007) on the lists of the most-popular shows on OTT platforms. In an age when so much fresh content is uploaded online every day, what explains this harking back? Is it to unwind from the ‘currentness’ of things—where there is a social pressure to stay updated on all the latest trends? Or is it nostalgia for a time when being earnest wasn’t ‘cringe’? Ask around, while most people watch the latest shows and movies, their idea of ‘comfort TV’ is a show from at least 15 years ago.

For all you know, even the all-but-dead genre of romantic comedy might stage a comeback. Some of you might shudder at the thought but I enjoy a good romantic comedy because it can be charming, albeit unrealistic and a tad predictable. But most movies are unrealistic. Take Top Gun, for instance. Both the original and the sequel were unrealistic but I enjoyed them. It’s fun to watch something that’s not gunning for awards but also isn’t yet another retelling of some superhero’s origin story from the Marvel or DC Universe.

I understand that with genres like superhero films, dystopia, sci-fi and period dramas being the current favourites with movie studios, the romantic comedy is up against a lot of competition. Yet, there is something soothing about a story that isn’t embarrassed by itself and doesn’t hide behind irony and forced self-deprecation. Just as long as it isn’t hobbled by triteness and unrelatable characters because that’s what ruins most of these films.

Unrealistic is often confused with unrelatable. If you’d forgive me for stating the painfully obvious—those are two different things. The film, Wall-E was unrealistic in the sense that the idea of a lonely robot cleaning up an abandoned planet isn’t strictly realistic. I know I haven’t seen that happen in my life. Have you? Yet, the character of Wall-E with his big, round eyes and rusted, clunky body was intensely relatable and tugged at heartstrings across the world.

Most of us want to watch all kinds of movies as long as they engage us. And nothing engages people more than people. That’s what separates fiction from non-fiction.

The challenge for romantic comedies, per se, is how to make a fairly predictable plot feel fresh and engaging. I don’t think anyone is surprised to find that the actors on the movie poster are the ones who fall in love with each other. Not much of a spoiler, that one! The charm of these stories lies in an inviting premise as well as the chemistry between the characters.

The onus of said chemistry lies not just on the actors but also, the writers. Often, the characterisation, plot and dialogue are so meagre, I just can’t be bothered with the fates of the protagonists. And then, there are films like You’ve got Mail that had one critic writing,

“Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan should win a Nobel Prize for Chemistry!”

I can’t say I disagree since their characters were so charming, bringing out the best in each other over email even as they battled it out in business, which acted as a substantial conflict.

All in all, I miss the times when one could walk into a movie theatre and watch a film like He’s just not that into you, The Holiday, Clueless, Notting Hill or my personal favourite, You’ve got Mail. Surely, I’m not alone.

I predict that romantic comedies and feel-good films like We Bought a Zoo, The Intern and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel are about to make a comeback although they might be slightly different from their 90s-2000s avatar. Something tells me that people are exhausted with bad news on every front – politics, economy, jobs, climate, you name it. I don’t blame them for wanting to unwind with a happy story.

Last year’s big sleeper hit, Anyone but You could well be considered a herald of the upcoming trend. The Glenn Powell-Sydney Sweeney starrer wasn’t exactly a cinematic masterpiece and yet it raked in more than $200 million globally. Based on Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado about Nothing, it works around the familiar tropes of enemies to lovers. Not exactly new territory, but then what’s new under the sun? Familiarity isn’t always a bad thing. Especially when you can watch it in a pair of sweatpants, fluffy socks with a glass of wine. Oh, and some popcorn!