Romancemovies are back and better than ever in 2024, and the best projects of the year come from a variety of up-and-coming directors, as well as veterans of the genre. Whileromance is sometimes pigeonholed for having formulaic plots and predictable endings,this is a reductive take and disregards the many genre-bending romance films that have only become more popular in recent years. However, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in watching a good old-fashioned rom-com, formulaic or not. A mix of arthouse, blockbuster, and up-and-coming films round out the year’s new movies.
In recent years,romance movies have been looking at a more diverse range of relationships and have started shining a light on voices that had been overlookedfor much of movie history. New filmmakers have been using their platforms to share their individual stories as well as universal ones that any audience member can relate to. When making a romance movie, filmmakers must remember the importance not only of the story but of the atmosphere and tone. These elements are just as vital in creating a romantic ambiance.
The Fall Guy
Cast
The Fall Guy is an action thriller from Bullet Train and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch. Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman who is forced to find a missing movie star, investigate a conspiracy, and repair his relationship with the love of his life. The film was written by Drew Pearce and inspired by the 1980s TV series of the same name.
Rom-coms can sometimes be unfairly linked to only a female audience, but certain examples transcend those stereotypes by incorporating other elements into the story. Such is the case withThe Fall Guy, which is not only one of the best rom-coms of the year but also one of the best action movies. Based on the 1980s TV series of the same name,The Fall Guystars Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stuntman who reluctantly goes back into the moviemaking world to help his ex-girlfriend, Jody (Emily Blunt), save her directorial debut by finding a missing actor.
The movie is a love letter to stunt performers in the movie business, butthe love story between the characters is surprisingly as effective as all of the set pieces. Colt’s attempts to make up for the relationship he messed up and Jody’s weariness about going down the same road offer a fun dynamic between the two. Gosling and Blunt share wonderful chemistry together, and after a solid box-office run aided by strong word-of-mouth,The Fall Guyis breaking streaming recordsas one of the most crowd-pleasing movies of the year.
Love Lies Bleeding
Love Lies Bleeding is an action crime film from A24. Directed by Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding centers on a gym employee, played by Kristen Stewart, and a bisexual bodybuilder (Katy O’Brian) as they discover how difficult the world of competitive bodybuilding is. The film also stars Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris.
It is always captivating to see movies that are able to blend a genuinely engaging romance story with violence. It is a balance that it pulled off well in the striking crime movieLove Lies Bleeding. Kristen Stewart stars as Lou, a gym owner in a small town who is drawn to a bodybuilder named Jackie (Katy O’Brian) who is passing through town on the way to a competition in Las Vegas. The two quickly ignite a passionate affair only for violent reactions to put their newfound romance in jeopardy.
Similar to movies likeTrue Romance,the violence adds to the intensity of the romance on screen, making for an enthralling journey for these two characters whose draw to each other is somewhere between charming and dangerous. The movie has an underlying threat that things could explode into bloody chaos at any moment. It makes for a stunning new feature from up-and-coming filmmaker Rose Glass, as well as a beautiful display from Stewart and O’Brian.
Drive-Away Dolls
From director Ethan Coen comes Drive-Away Dolls, a comedic road-show-styled film that stars two best friends that head out on a road trip that goes hilariously awry. Following Jamie’s recent break-up and her friend Marian’s inflexibility hitting its peak, the two decide to hit the road to Florida - until they accidentally run into a group of bumbling criminals.
While the friends-to-lovers rom-com trope is a staple of the genre, it is quite unexpected that Oscar-winning filmmaker Ethan Coen developed his own take on the story.Drive-Away Dollsmarks the first solo directorial effort Ethan has done without his brother Joel Coen, but it feels very much like aCoen Brothers movie. The movie follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), two best friends who embark on a road trip only to discover that there is something valuable in the trunk of their rental car that makes them a target.
The crime-comedy aspect of the movie makes for some of the biggest laughs, with the movie in a similar tone to the Coens’The Big LebowskiandBurn After Reading, rather than the likes ofNo Country for Old Men. However,there is also some surprising sweetness to the story with the burgeoning romance between Jamie and Marian. It begins as a genuine friendship with Jamie trying to help Marian come out of her shell, but they begin to realize a stronger connection than either of them had anticipated.
Fly Me to the Moon
A musician and an astronaut form an unexpected romance as she prepares for a lunar mission. Their relationship faces challenges due to the distance and personal issues, leading to a journey of love and self-discovery.
Period rom-coms are rare, butFly Me to the Moonhas fun with its 1960s setting while also tying its romance story into one of the biggest world events of the era. Channing Tatum stars in the movie as Cole Davis, a launch director at NASA working on the seemingly impossible and highly dangerous task of getting American astronauts to the moon. As the support for the NASA space program begins to falter, marketing genius Kelly Jones (Scarlet Johansson) is brought in to help sell the mission to the American people and the politicians.
Fly Me to the Moontells a charming and highly entertaining story of the space race, but the romance between the two high-profile stars will likely be a big draw for many audiences.Tatum and Johansson share wonderful chemistry with the cliche dynamic of two opposite personalities being forced to work together to find ways to feel fresh, especially when they find the necessities of their respective jobs in conflict with one another.
The Greatest Hits
Harriet (Lucy Boynton) finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time - literally. While she relives the past through romantic memories of her former boyfriend (David Corenswet), her time-traveling collides with a burgeoning new love interest in the present (Justin H. Min). As she takes her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, she wonders - even if she could change the past, should she?q
There are a lot of romance movies that attempt to incorporate fantasy elements into their story of love. While it can be difficult to pull off,Greatest Hitsfinds a way to make it fantastical but also relatable. The movie stars Lucy Boynton as Harriet, a young woman who is mourning the death of her boyfriend Max (David Corenswet) when she discovers that listening to certain songs can literally transport her back to key moments with him.
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The premise helps to set up a few intriguing elements of this story. There is the theme of music serving as a gateway to memories, with audiences being able to think about certain songs that seem to bring them back to a place in time. However, it also tells the difficult story of how Harriet is dealing with revisiting a romance that has no future, only memories.The conflict between being back with Max and the need to move on makes for a heartbreaking and complex love story.
Mother of the Bride
Lana’s daughter Emma returns from abroad and drops a bombshell: she’s getting married. In Thailand. In a month! Things only get worse when Lana learns that the man who captured Emma’s heart is the son of the man who broke hers years ago.
Brooke Shields' best movies and TV showsare all part of her long and well-known career, andMother of the Brideallowed her to return to the rom-com genre.Mother of the Brideis a fun film that delves into the topic of finding love later in lifeand reconnecting with an old flame. This rediscovery happens to Shields' character, Lana, in the unexpected setting of her daughter’s wedding. It turns out that Lana’s daughter, Emma (Miranda Cosgrove), is marrying the son of Lana’s ex, Will (Benjamin Bratt).
Of course, it doesn’t take long for Will and Lana to reconnect and start feeling the sparks that brought them together many years ago.Mother of the Bridedoesn’t break boundaries in its storytelling, but it’s a classic rom-comthat hits all the right beats and provides a satisfying ending. It’s obvious that the actors are having fun throughout the film, encouraging the audience to kick back and enjoy the beautiful setting and hilarious miscommunications of the narrative.
This is Me… Now: A Love Story
This is Me… Now: A Love Story, a musical drama film that explores a journey of self-love through the eyes of writer and performer Jennifer Lopez. Following the release of her album of the same name, Lopez takes a grandiose, dramatized look at her journey on screen to explore where she came from and where she is now.
Jennifer Lopez’s conceptual love story to herself and her career,This is Me… Now: A Love Story, made a splash and circulated the internet when the first trailer was dropped.An ambitious project that dramatizes a fantastical version of Lopez’s life, the movie also revolves around the star’s real-life relationship with Ben Affleckand her other romantic relationships in the past few decades. The high-intensity choreography and musical numbers received praise from critics, and though the story’s throughline is loose, this isn’t the most important part of the movie.
When watchingThis is Me… Now: A Love Story, it’s important for the audience to sit back and suspend their disbelief to enjoy the full scope of the project.The film never intended to fall into the familiar narrative boxes that most blockbusters capitulate to,and this can be polarizing. However, once viewers let go of their expectations, the story is moving and demonstrates how much work Lopez put into it. By the end, she had created a cohesive product, visually and thematically, and this was no easy feat.
Five Blind Dates
Five Blind Dates is a romantic comedy movie directed by Shawn Seet and released on Amazon Prime Video in 2024. A young woman named Lia returns home for her sister’s engagement party, where, during a family lunch, she meets a fortune teller. Her future is laid bare when the teller informs her that one of the men she’ll meet during her following five dates will be her soulmate, leading her family to set her up with potential suitors.
This new Australian rom-com stars Shuang Hu as Lia, a young woman who’s told that the person she’ll spend the rest of her life with will be one of the next five people she goes on a date with. It’s a charming premise that evolves into a heart-warming movie full of every pitfall and trope of dating the audience can think of. Hu anchors the film well, boldly harrowing the best and worst dates anyone has ever gone on. However,by the end of the movie, her laborious search for love might just pay off.
Part of the reason that Lia feels so much pressure to find her one true love is because her younger sister is getting married, and she doesn’t want to let down her family’s high expectations. Her desire to be a good daughter, combined with her failing business venture, pushes Lia to try things she never expected and put herself out there. However,in a romantic twist, the person that she’s been waiting for might be someone she already knows.
Upgraded
Upgraded is a romantic comedy film by director Carlson Young. Camila Mendes stars as Ana, a young artist brought to London during her internship along with her handsome and wealthy boss, William.
Camila Mendes' Ana has a chance encounter on a flight after being upgraded to first-class and meets the man of her dreams, William (Archie Renaux) inUpgraded.Though the movie has been described as a modernCinderellatale, it makes strides to show that Ana isn’t a helpless damsel in distressand has a full life and career outside her relationship with William. However, that doesn’t stopUpgradedfrom including plenty of swoon-worthy moments between the couple and putting Mendes in dresses worthy of a princess.
Upgradedmight see the central couple get together in the end, but it has many other positive messages throughout the story. One of the main themes is honesty, shown when Ana pretends to be the rich director of an auction house. William is impressed by this, but he cares more about her as a person than any high-profile job.Instead of being rewarded for her deception, Ana ends up finding success when she decides to own up to her liesand show people the real her.
Turtles All The Way Down
It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying… trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis, her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope.
Of all themovies and TV shows based on John Green’s books,Turtles All The Way Downis one of the best. Green’s stories are almost always about the harrowing experience of living through adolescence and how it’s an impossible period for every young person, made more challenging by people’s struggles.Aza (Isabela Merced) is the protagonist of the film who must navigate her growing feelings of maturity and confusionwhile dealing with her obsessive-compulsive disorder.
One of Aza’s biggest worries is her ability to build romantic relationships like other people her age. This comes into play when Davis (Felix Mallard) enters the picture, and Aza attempts to express her feelings for him. However, the most important person in her life is Daisy (Cree), Aza’s best friend and support system as she engages with the world.Turtles All The Way Downis an honest and empathetic look at how romance unfolds when people are struggling with their mental healthand reminds the viewer that young people’s first forays into love aren’t always successful, but they’re important.
