There's nothing like a feature-length chance to fall in love. And there's no better time to see it than right now.
Whether you're preparing a cozy evening for two, having a long-distance hang with friends, or embarking on a private, solo cry over love lost/love won/the state of the planet/etc., romantic comedies are one of our greatest resources for emotional catharsis. Roll into the romance and humor of it all with abandon (and our help). Mashable has combed through every rom-com on Hulu — no add-ons needed — to assess the best of the best for your streaming buck.
Here are the 10 best romantic comedies now on Hulu.
1. Palm Springs
In one of the best movies of 2020, Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti play nihilistic wedding guests who become stuck in a time loop à la Groundhog Day. Stupidly funny and surprisingly sweet, this sci-fi nightmare-meets-rom-com explores a been-there-done-that premise with a fresh approach and two leads you'll fall for instantly. (Fair warning: If you're in the middle of an existential crisis, maybe hold off on this one. Palm Springs isn't your average meet-cute.) — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Palm Springs is streaming (opens in a new tab)on Hulu(opens in a new tab).(opens in a new tab)
2. Brown Sugar
Forget enemies to lovers, can you handle traveling the rocky road from friends to lovers? Rick Famuyiwa's 2002 rom-com follows a pair of childhood friends on their journey to grown-up lust and commitment. Their story begins on a street corner, where listening to hip hop spurred big career dreams for a boy and girl. Years later, Dre (Taye Diggs) is a successful record exec, while Syd (Sanaa Lathan) is a powerful magazine editor. But despite their natural chemistry, other could-be loves keep getting in the way. Can they get "the best of both worlds...the buddy and the booty?"(opens in a new tab) Interweaving a passion for music with desire for each other, Brown Sugar lays down a sweet and smooth story you can't help but fall for. Nicole Ari Parker, Boris Kodjoe, and Queen Latifah co-star. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: Brown Sugar is streaming on Hulu.(opens in a new tab)
3. Fire Island
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice gets a modern makeover with Fire Island. Joel Kim Booster reimagines the rom-com of manners as a gay love story set in the eponymous vacation spot. There, a chosen family of gay men and their lesbian den mother (Margaret Cho) revel with sunshine, champagne, and karaoke. But an unexpected buzzkill arrives in the form of a pretentious and posh lawyer (Conrad Ricamora), who seems to sneer at the group's idea of a good time. Despite an awkward introduction, the lawyer and the group's main character (Booster) kick off a promising romance. But can it be more than a summer fling? — K.P.
How to watch: Fire Island is streaming on Hulu.(opens in a new tab)
4. The Proposal
Want a crackling tale of will-they-won't-they? Then say yes to this romantic comedy, which pairs Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. She's a hard-nosed Big City business woman; he's her harried assistant on the brink of breakdown. Think The Devil Wears Prada, but the boss lady needs a Green Card, and so the power dynamic shifts when the assistant takes her as his faux fiancée to his hometown in Alaska. There, she'll have to play nice, even when faced with his eccentric grandmother (Betty White). Director Anne Fletcher fuses the sharp wit of her stars to an unapologetic silliness and vibrant warmth, making a movie of enemies to lovers an absolute hoot. — K.P.
How to watch: The Proposal is streaming on Hulu.(opens in a new tab)
5. Crush
The most refreshing thing about Hulu’s latest queer rom-com is that all the characters are super queer. This isn’t a coming-out story about the one queer girl at her high school or the shy lesbian who’s secretly crushing on the cool, unattainable straight girl — relatable, yes, but we’ve done it. Crush follows a playful (if predictable) love triangle in which very-out Paige (Rowan Blanchard) desperately tries to lock down her longtime crush Gabriella (Isabella Ferreira), the popular girl (guess what, she’s queer!), while drumming up a sweet connection with Gabi’s twin sister (Auli'i Cravalho), an introverted bi skater-girl type. The flirting is a little elementary at times, but the short-and-sweet Crush excels at showing young queer people being themselves and getting a sappy love story to call their own. — Oliver Whitney, Freelance Contributor *
How to watch: Crush (opens in a new tab)is streaming on Hulu.(opens in a new tab)
6. Ever After: A Cinderella Story
Rom-com meets fairy tale fun in this 1998 jewel. A bubbly Drew Barrymore headlines this re-imagination of Cinderella, playing a spirited country girl in Renaissance-era France who is determined to find her own path to happily ever after. If her evil stepmother (a smirking Angelica Huston) has any say about it, her stepsisters will have all the world's advantages before the cinder girl gets a scrap of tenderness or fancy dress. But there's more to catching the eye of the handsome prince (Dougray Scott) than gowns and glass slippers. Hard stares, swordplay, a glamorous costume party, and a true love's kiss all dazzle in this one. — K.P.
How to watch: Ever After is streaming on Hulu.(opens in a new tab)
7. I'm Your Man
Want an edge of sci-fi to your romance? Then you've got to watch this 2021 gem(opens in a new tab), which was German's entry for the Best International Feature Oscar. Maren Eggert stars as a scientist tasked with testing out a robot companion to see how convincingly human it might be. Tom (Dan Stevens) is handsome, attentive, and loves to dance. He's designed to say the right thing and anticipate every need. The idea is seductive, but this deeply rational (and a bit cynical) woman isn't so eager to fall for a robo-boy toy whose beating heart is an aim-to-please algorithm. Can real love bloom between (wo)man and machine? And what would that even mean!? Find out with I'm Your Man. — K.P.
How to watch: I'm Your Man is streaming on Hulu.(opens in a new tab)
8. Rye Lane
Among the most winsome movies of Sundance 2023 is this South London-set romantic comedy. Directed by Raine Allen Miller, Rye Lane stars David Jonsson (Industry) and Vivian Oparah (Class) as heartbroken twenty-somethings who fatefully cross paths and might just tumble into new love. A humbling beginning with a bathroom meet-not-so-cute(opens in a new tab) swiftly spins into a happenstance first date full of fun, banter, surprises, and a wee bit of breaking and entering. (Hey, breakups get messy.)
Painted in saturated colors, paced like a dance party, and brought to life by a kinetic ensemble cast, Rye Lane is a pure pleasure to watch. But it's Jonsson and Oparah, with their killer comedic timing and off-the-charts chemistry, that make this movie soar.* — K.P.
How to watch: Rye Lane is now streaming on Hulu. (opens in a new tab)
9. Babyteeth
Without question, Babyteeth is the most dramatic title on this list — but it's also one of the more thought-provoking. In this shockingly funny tearjerker, a teenage cancer patient (Eliza Scanlen) begins dating a troubled drug dealer (Toby Wallace), of whom her parents (Essie Davis, Ben Mendelsohn) disapprove. A brutal reflection on what truly matters during the little time we have with the ones we love, Babyteeth isn't an easy watch. But you'll be better for it. —A.F.
How to watch: Babyteeth is streaming on Hulu.(opens in a new tab)
10. The Boy Downstairs
Girls actor Zosia Mamet gets the starring role she deserves in this tremendously heartfelt story of loss from writer-director Sophie Brooks. When struggling writer Diana (Mamet) unexpectedly finds herself neighbors with an old boyfriend (Matthew Shear), she confronts what made her let him go in the first place and whether the heartbreak was worth it. But in a fun way! —A.F.
How to watch: The Boy Downstairs is streaming on Hulu.(opens in a new tab)
UPDATE: Mar. 31, 2023, 11:28 a.m. EDT This post has been updated to reflect the current selection available on Hulu.
