We're suckers for a good ol' romantic comedy! Join Wonderwall.com as we take a look at some of the plethora of stellar rom-coms currently on Netflix, starting with the perfect summer flick — "The Kissing Booth 3" — which hits the streaming service on Aug. 11, 2021. The third installment in the teen rom-com trilogy follows Elle (Joey King) as she plans to have the best summer of her life before going off to college. During this time, she struggles to navigate what the future will hold for her friendship with Lee (Joel Courtney) and relationship with Noah (Jacob Elordi). Keep reading for more rom-coms you should add to your Netflix watchlist, including the first two "The Kissing Booth" flicks…
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Friendship pacts — they're a complicated thing, especially when you break them. "The Kissing Booth" charts the forbidden romance between Elle Evans and her best friend's older brother, Noah Flynn, after the two unknowingly lock lips at a carnival kissing booth. All is well until Elle's best friend finds out about the two of them! The film stars former real-life couple Joey King and Jacob Elordi, who met and started dating while shooting the 2018 movie (and later split in real life). A sequel was released in 2020…
Just when we thought things were going smoothly between Elle and Noah, their relationship got complicated when he went off to college at Harvard. In 2020's "The Kissing Booth 2," Elle and Noah's love is put to the test — especially after Elle develops a friendship with Marco, the new kid in school, who ends up playing a crucial role in her senior year. With their emotional connection suffering due to their long-distance relationship, Elle begins to contemplate whether Noah is truly the guy for her.
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If you haven't seen this film, where have you been?! "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" hit Netflix in 2018 and was met with instant — and we mean, instant — praise. The film, which is based on the book series by Jenny Han, tells the story of teenager Lara Jean Covey, a romantic novel aficionado and writer of love letters. When her letters mysteriously get mailed to the boys they're addressed to — including her older sister's ex-boyfriend — Lara devises a plan to mitigate the fallout: She enters a fake relationship with another letter recipient and former crush, Peter Kavinsky. The film stars Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, and if you're anything like us, you became obsessed with these two immediately upon watching it. Then came a sequel…
In 2020, Netflix released the sequel "To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" starring Lana Condor, Noah Centineo and Jordan Fisher. It picks up where the first film left off. Just as Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky settle into their relationship, drama ensues after she discovers that she and John Ambrose McClaren — one of the other guys to whom she wrote a letter professing her puppy love as a kid — is back and volunteering at the same retirement home. Watch to see what happens as she questions if she's with the right guy or not.
The third and final installment in the "To All The Boys" franchise, "To All The Boys: Always and Forever," which hit the streamer in 2021, follows Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky as they return to steal our hearts once more. This time, the couple — who initially intend to go to college together — are faced with the harsh reality that perhaps their dreams and paths don't necessarily align as much as they want them to.
The 2018 film "Set It Up" follows the shenanigans of two underpaid assistants in New York City — played by Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell — who plot to romantically set up their terribly demanding bosses in an effort to make their own lives less stressful. But it turns out that's not the only match they make.
Friends with benefits… a totally non-complicated situation, right? Wrong. 2011's "No Strings Attached" stars Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher as two single people and longtime friends in Los Angeles who agree to level up in their relationship — by adding physical intimacy to the mix. Despite trying to keep things friendly and casual, their growing feelings for one another only get in the way.
What we appreciate about 2020's "The Half of It" is the way in which it shows audiences the beauty of a teenaged same-sex love story. The coming-of-age dramedy, which was written and directed by Alice Wu, follows Ellie Chu, an Asian American teen who agrees to write love letters for jock Paul Munsky to help him get the girl of his dreams, Aster Flores. The only problem? Ellie also has feelings for Aster! As Ellie begins to develop meaningful relationships with both Paul and Aster, she begins to wonder how much longer she can maintain the ruse.
"The Edge of Seventeen" is a 2016 coming-of-age film about Nadine Franklin (played by Hailee Steinfeld) and her tumultuous relationships with her family and friends. When her best friend begins to date her older brother, Nadine finds herself feeling more dejected than ever before. The film, written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, does an exceptional job depicting the complexities of being a teenager and the unexpected ways you can derive happiness.
Next up? "Holidate," starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey. Emma plays Sloane, a beautiful single and independent woman who's tired of her family's repeated efforts to set her up with men they know when she just wants to be left alone. Luke plays Jackson, a gorgeous Aussie golf pro who's tired of women who want to get super-serious faster than he does. After a chance encounter at a Chicago mall following two separate but miserable Christmas experiences, they make a pact to be each other's "holidate" — first for New Year's Eve, then for the upcoming year's worth of holidays, no strings attached. Things work out great — until they catch feelings.
Everything about this film is a hit! Starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, 2019's "Always Be My Maybe" tells the story of two childhood friends who reconnect 15 years later after having had a major falling out. While their paths have led them in disparate directions, it doesn't take long for these old pals to realize the obvious — that their feelings for each other are stronger than ever.
"Someone Great," which stars Gina Rodriguez, tells the story of Jenny Young — a recently dumped music journalist who enlists the help of her two best friends (played by Brittany Snow and DeWanda Wise) to have the wildest, most memorable last night in New York City before she moves to San Francisco. The 2019 film, which is intercut with flashbacks of Jenna and her ex-boyfriend Nate (played by Lakeith Stanfield), is a refreshing rom-com that both laments the end of a relationship and celebrates the power of independence.
I t's not every day that you find out you have the ability to travel through time! When Tim Lake finds out from his father that the men in his family have the peculiar gift of time travel, he uses it as an opportunity to cunningly find love. He succeeds in doing so, but when he comes to realize that time travel isn't the solution for ordinary life, he begins to panic. 2013's "About Time," which stars Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams, is an entertaining, refreshing take on a traditional rom-com. Also, it's a Richard Curtis film, so you know it'll be worthwhile!
Another time-traveling rom-com! Starring Adam Devine and Alexandra Daddario, 2018's "When We First Met" chronicles a man's time-bending pursuit of the girl of his dreams. After spending a magical, romantic night with Avery Martin only to be put in the friendzone, Noah Ashby does everything in his power to win her over — even if it means repeatedly reliving that same fateful night!
In 2018's "Alex Strangelove," high schooler Alex Truelove plans on losing his virginity to his girlfriend, but after meeting handsome and openly gay Elliott, he begins to question his own sexuality. The movie starring Daniel Doheny and Antonio Marziale is an awkwardly endearing coming-of-age film that highlights the complexities of identity and emphasizes the importance of self and sexual acceptance.
Meeting and falling for a handsome man in college is something many dream about… but finding out he's also royalty? Well, that's an added bonus — or so it seems! 2004's "The Prince & Me" stars Julia Stiles as a pre-med university student who's swept off her feet by a prince (Luke Mably) posing as a student. After finding out that her beau is heir to the throne of Denmark, she begins to realize how disparate their lives are — and questions whether their romance is destined to last forever.
Ahh, the internet's boyfriend is back at it again! The 2018 movie "The Perfect Date" tells the story of resourceful high school student Brooks Rattigan (played by Noah Centineo), who creates an app that offers his services as "the perfect date" for any required occasion. His first date is with Celia Lieberman (played by Laura Marano) — his classmate's cousin who's in dire need of his services. While on his date with Celia, Brooks meets the beautiful and popular Shelby (played by Camila Mendes) and soon makes it his goal to become the object of her affection. Except as bonds deepen and feelings develop, Brooks' seemingly foolproof plan to make money for college begins to unravel as quickly as it began.
2019's "Falling Inn Love" stars Christina Milian and Adam Demos and tells the story of two strangers who fall for one another in the most peculiar of circumstances. What starts off as a 50-50 partnership turns into a full-fledged romance between a San Francisco-based designer who wins a fixer upper inn in a contest and the New Zealand-based restoration expert she enlists to help her renovate it.
"The Incredible Jessica James" is a 2017 film that tells the story of New York City playwright Jessica, who struggles to move on from a recent breakup. When she's set up on a blind date with a man named Boone, the pair quickly realize they're more similar than not — they're both grieving the end of relationships. The movie, which stars Jessica Williams and Chris O'Dowd, quirkily explores the unlikely bond between two individuals who work through their grief together.
2010's "She's Out of My League" starring Jay Baruchel follows Kirk, a 20-something working a monotonous airport job who's surprised when a beautiful, career-fulfilled woman named Molly (Alice Eve) falls for him. In an effort to keep the relationship alive, Kirk tries relentlessly to find ways to keep Molly interested, despite believing she's too good for him.