By Shauna Hyland
Following the release of the 2026 rom-com ‘Finding Emily’, the genre is on the rise again.
The romantic comedy is one of cinema’s most beloved genres, with many in the industry dipping into at least one in their time.
So, what are some of the best and most underrated rom-coms?
Finding Emily (2026)
‘Finding Emily’ stars Spike Fearn as Owen, on the hunt to find a girl named ‘Emily’, whom he got the wrong number for on a night out.
To find her, he teams up with another Emily (Angourie Rice), who is trying to carry out a psychology study.
The movie, directed by Alicia MacDonald, evolves into a messy campus-wide hunt for Emily when Owen sends an email looking for her to every single Emily at their school.
Eternity (2025)
A24’s 2025 rom-com ‘Eternity’, directed by David Freyne, explores the idea of love in the afterlife. What would you do if you were reunited with a young love you never got to fully explore after over 50 years?
Larry (Miles Teller) and Joan Cutler (Elizabeth Olsen) both sadly pass away within days of each other, and Larry had planned where they would spend their eternity.
The problem is that when they reunite, Joan’s young love, Luke (Callum Turner), who passed away at a very young age in the war, is also waiting for her.
Joan must decide which connection is stronger: her husband of over 50 years or the one she never got to explore.
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The Greatest Hits (2024)
This fantasy rom-com, directed by Ned Benson, is a perfect mix of laughs and tears. It follows Harriet (Lucy Boynton) trying to revive her late boyfriend Max (David Corenswet) through music.
When Harriet listens to a song, she is transported back to the moment she and Max shared with that song. She has to try to find the specific moment that Max’s fate was decided, and alter it.
The problem is, the present has other ideas for her. Harriet meets another man called David (Justin H. Min), who is interested in her and helps her.
Harriet has to decide whether she wants to live in the present or dwell on the past.
Past Lives (2023)
With Celine Song’s directorial debut, ‘Past Lives’ is a positively heartbreaking rom-com drama following two childhood friends who struggle to understand their connection and what it really means.
Nora (Greta Lee) was friends with Jung Hae-Sung (Teo Yoo) when they were in school, but Nora’s family emigrated from South Korea to Canada, with Nora later moving to the US for school.
She reconnects with Jung Hae-Sung on Facebook, and they pick up their friendship like it never ended, until one day, they decide it isn’t working.
Nora ends up marrying an American man named Arthur, and when Jung Hae-Sung comes to visit them, she’s faced with deciding what she truly wants.
Palm Springs (2020)
When two wedding guests have a chance encounter at a wedding, what could go wrong? These two wedding guests end up stuck in a time loop of the same wedding.
Directed by Max Barbakow, Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) have to live the same day over and over again.
It draws them together, but certain revelations that emerge threaten their budding romance.
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Ian Trinidad 
Tabitha Kongo