Fave RomComs and other encounters with love on the box

May 11, 2026

When Harry Met Sally 1989 - Meg Ryan & Billy Crystal.

RomComs were a category of movie popular from the late 1980s through to the early 2000s. The genre included films such as When Harry Met Sally (1989), Groundhog Day (1993), Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Love Actually (2003), Lost in Translation (2003) and The Notebook (2004). The term RomCom is perhaps misplaced as not all of the films were comedies, though they did have a connecting element, namely romance and the process of falling in love and dealing with the consequences.

Of course romance has been a feature of literature, cinema, television, the stage and elsewhere for a long, long, time. Movies such as Casablanca set a cinematic standard for the genre back in 1943, and while it was not a comedy - far from it - and the the couple did not end up together, living happily ever after; the viewing experience was nothing if not entertaining and perhaps even transformative, often engendering a significant emotional response and the shedding of tears by cinematic audiences. Made during World War II and a time of international conflict, it humanized the process of falling in love and of dealing with external factors which invariably impact upon that process, whether in times of war or peace. The intensity of the initial love affair between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman was not able to deny the deeply held feelings between the latter and her husband played by Paul Henreid. Both relationships were based on love, but of a varying kind.

Casablanca raised the question - often not asked - can a person be in love with more than one? The answer is, of course, yes. The RomComs of a later generation further addressed the question of whether love in the 1990s and early 2000s was any different than that of the 1940? Once again, the answer is an emphatic No!, though the circumstances have changed significantly.

At the end of the day the process of falling in love is inexplicable, a mystery, and something often beyond the control of the parties involved. How it evolves and end ups is anybody's guess, though a determination on the part of those suffering from love to ensure its survival is common. As such, the romance narrative is an eternal one, and the aforementioned RomComs, though of a specific time period, are in their own way eternal and popular in an age of streaming and social media. The present writer is evidence of that.

Notting Hill 1999 - Julia Roberts & Hugh Grant.

Having steered away from RomComs through much of his six decades, and specifically during their period of initial release, retirement in 2021 and the reality of "free time" gave rise to catching up on videos and film he had often heard about but had never had the time to watch, due to work, family commitments, and the prioritisation of personal interests. However, early in May 2026, whilst watching one of his fave YouTube channels, the topic of "Whatever happened to RomComs?" came up.

We need to talk about what happened to RomComs ....., Marina McBain, 10 May 2026, YouTube, duration: 30.19 minutes.

The discussion therein was intriguing. As a result, a decision was made to do a bit a research, pick up and available copies from the local Vinnies or second-hand store, and watch a few of the items mentioned. Luckily, this resulted in a viewing of all those mentioned above. Of course there were many others in the genre, both good and bad, known and unknown; but those items listed above had attained "classic" status and were a good mix for any study of the subject of RomComs.

This did not happen in a vacuum, for outside of the cinematic context, the writer had encountered numerous romcoms and related scenarios from across time in modern day streaming platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and Disney+. The South Korean Netflix series were especially relevant, even though half required reading English subtitles. Since the late 2000s that country had been producing high quality series - often 16 episodes running 1 hour each and thereby enabling a complex and interesting narrative to be reveals, outside of the hastiness of the Hollywood equivalent. Character development was key, varied, and not rushed; the acting was competent; the production quality high; and the script writing of a similar standard. The romcom equivalent often featured fantastical elements, unique aspects of South Korean culture, and emotional weight at their heart. Tears followed on occasion for viewers in watching.

Lost in Translation 2003 - Bill Murray & Scarlet Johansson.

Whilst most RomComs and romance movies deal with the trials and tribulations of young couples, not all following that path. Some mix and match elements around age (Lost in Translation 2003), race (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 1967), time period, social and economic status, and religion, to name a few.

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References

Elsesser, Kim, These 6 surprising office romance stats should be a wake-up call for organizations, Forbes, 14 February 2019.

....., 82% in workplace romance keep it secret, according to new survey, Forbes, 13 February 2023.

Lufkin, Bryan, The inevitability of the office romance, BBC, 2 March 2022.

Main, Kelly, Workplace relations statistics: Survey shows employees engage regularly in office relationships, Forbes, 30 April 2024.

Workplace love affairs, FaidiHR, 30 August 2024.

Zhang, Amy, Workplace romances: love contracts and non-fraternisation policies, INSIDEHR, 16 October 2023.

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Last updated: 14 May 2026

Michael Organ, Australia