The Best Rom-Coms on Amazon Prime Video (July 2021)
Seattle, we have a problem. Somebody needs to pay a visit to Amazon’s corporate headquarters in Washington state and let them know about Prime Video’s rom-com conundrum. Amazon Prime Video has the equivalent of a metric ton of romantic comedies. The problem is that very few of these films can legitimately be called “great rom-coms.” We tend to favor quality over quantity, but the mediocre flicks far outnumber the standout romantic comedies on Prime Video. Fortunately, we’ve already poured through the available choices and picked the peak movies from the past and present. These are the best rom-coms that you can stream on Amazon Prime Video right now.
Amazon Prime Video isn’t short on titles, but it may not have what you’re looking for. Fortunately, we’ve also rounded up the best romantic comedies on Netflix and the best romantic comedies on Hulu.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Sometimes, the classics are still the best. In this 85-year-old film, William Powell stars as the title character in My Man Godfrey. He’s a “forgotten man,” which is just a “polite” way of saying homeless and destitute. When a socialite, Cornelia Bullock (Gail Patrick), tries to bring Godfrey home to win a scavenger contest, he rebuffs her. Instead, Godfrey discovers that he has an affinity with Cornelia’s sister, Irene Bullock (Carole Lombard). Irene hires Godfrey to be the new family butler, and he quickly takes to the role. However, the growing attraction between Godfrey and Irene is threatened by a vengeful and jealous Cornelia.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Stars: William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady, Gail Patrick, Jean Dixon
Director: Gregory Lacava
Rating: N/A
Runtime: 93 minutes
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
Frances McDormand headlines Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day as Guinevere Pettigrew, a woman down on her luck in London during the late ‘30s. Out of desperation, Guinevere steals an assignment to work for actress Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). The job isn’t what Guinevere expected, as she finds herself helping Delysia balance her romantic entanglements with three different men. But her burgeoning friendship with Delysia helps bring out a new side of Guinevere that allows her to finally enjoy her life. Additionally, Guinevere sees the possibility of a romance for herself when she shares an attraction with fashion designer Joe Blomfield (Ciarán Hinds).
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Stars: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Frances McDormand, Ciarán Hinds, Shirley Henderson
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 92 minutes
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)
Mark (Kyle Allen), a teenager with big dreams, is stuck in a ceaseless time loop. Reliving the same day over and over, he seeks to help others by anticipating their next move and stepping in to assist. When Mark meets Margaret (Kathryn Newton), a teenage girl who also happens to be stuck in a loop of her own, the two form an instant connection and begin discussing the when and how of breaking their loops. But in letting go of their endless cycles, will they also be letting go of each other? Based on a short story from the film’s screenwriter, Lev Grossman, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is a heartwarming and original film led by two charismatic performances from Newton and Allen.
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Stars: Kathryn Newton, Kyle Allen, Josh Hamilton
Director: Ian Samuels
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 99 minutes
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
The Fortune Cookie is not the most famous pairing of cinema legends Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. However, there are a lot of laughs when “Whiplash Willie” Gingrich (Matthau) comes up with an insurance scam for his friend, Henry Hinkle (Lemmon). Poor Henry was accidentally hit by a football player, Luther “Boom Boom” Jackson (Ron Rich). The only reason that Henry goes along with the scam is that he wants to win back the affections of his ex-wife, Sandy (Judi West). But to maintain the illusion of his injuries, Henry is forbidden from engaging in any physical activities with her.
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Stars: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ron Rich, Judi West, Cliff Osmond
Director: Billy Wilder
Rating: N/R
Runtime: 125 minutes
Goin’ South (1978)
Jack Nicholson directed and starred in Goin’ South, an offbeat Western that mixes in comedy and romance. Nicholson plays Henry Lloyd Moon, an outlaw who is facing execution. A local ordinance states that any criminal not convicted of murder can regain his freedom if he marries a respectable woman who is willing to vouch for him. Julia Tate (Mary Steenburgen) takes that bet, much to the anger of her would-be suitor, Deputy Towfield (Christopher Lloyd). Henry and Julia eventually form an uneasy partnership, even as their feelings for each other start to evolve. Be sure to keep an eye out for John Belushi as Deputy Hector. This is a largely forgotten film that deserves to be rediscovered.
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Mary Steenburgen, John Belushi, Christopher Lloyd
Director: Jack Nicholson
Rating: PG
Runtime: 105 minutes
Funny Face (1957)
If you’re looking for a window into the distant past, Funny Face is a brilliant example of a rom-com musical from one of Hollywood’s golden eras. Fred Astaire stars as Dick Avery, a fashion photographer who wants to find a new model who combines brains and beauty. Dick soon discovers Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn), an unassuming book shop assistant who doesn’t have any desire to be a model. Regardless, Dick and Jo have undeniable chemistry together, even though their collaboration places several roadblocks in the way of their potential relationship.
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson, Michel Auclair, Robert Flemyng
Director: Stanley Donen
Rating: N/A
Runtime: 103 minutes
Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)
Many people make a very big, very public deal about their journey to run a marathon. This movie is a realistic depiction of what really happens when those people set off on that journey. Jillian Bell stars as an overweight woman who sets out to train for and run the New York marathon, believing that by getting in shape, she will change her life for the better. However, she finds that the changes that come are negative as well as positive. Brittany realizes that many of her issues are related to who she is inside rather than how she looks on the outside. It strikes a nice balance between drama and comedy and reminds the audience that you can’t move forward in life if you can’t first learn to love yourself.
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Stars: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock
Director: Paul Downs Colaizzo
Rating: R
Runtime: 103 minutes
What If (2013)
Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan shine in this easy-to-watch, feel-good love story. When Wallace (Radcliffe), a man with a long string of bad relationships, strikes up an instant friendship with Chantry (Kazan), he, unfortunately, discovers that she happens to live with her longtime boyfriend. Rather than fall in love, they try to figure out what it means to be best friends with your soulmate. Being friends is often harder than being lovers, and this fun film dares to ask, “What if they are just meant to be friends?”
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Adam Driver, Megan Park
Director: Michael Dowse
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 102 minutes
The Big Sick (2017)
The Oscar-nominated film The Big Sick is based on the real-life courtship of Kumail Nanjiani and his writing partner and wife, Emily Gordon. Nanjiani, a Pakistani-born comedian from a traditional family, falls in love with grad student Emily but struggles to deal with the familial culture clash. When Emily falls sick with a mysterious illness, he starts to have a change of heart, though. Ultimately, The Big Sick is a beautiful, lighthearted exploration of loving someone — or falling in love with someone — even during low times.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
Director: Michael Showalter
Rating: R
Runtime: 120 minutes
This Beautiful Fantastic (2017)
This contemporary fairy tale is set against the backdrop of a beautiful garden in London and centers on the unlikely friendship between a reclusive, dreamy young woman and a cranky widower. Bella (Jessica Brown Findlay) dreams of writing children’s books, but when she’s facing eviction over her neglected, overwhelming garden, she has to enlist the help of her grumpy, loveless next-door neighbor (Tom Wilkinson). Together, they restore the garden to its glory and discover a powerful connection.
Rotten Tomatoes: 61%
Stars: Jessica Brown Findlay, Tom Wilkinson, Andrew Scott
Director: Simon Aboud
Rating: PG
Runtime: 92 minutes
His Girl Friday (1940)
His Girl Friday ushered a new idea into Hollywood: A screwball comedy that’s also a romantic comedy. Cary Grant stars as a veteran newspaper editor who learns that his star reporter ex-wife, Hildy (Rosalind Russell), is engaged to a new man. He becomes intent on winning her back, convincing Hildy to go with him to track down one last story before she gets married. Naturally, they rekindle their love on the trail of a new mystery and rediscover the chemistry that made them click before.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell
Director: Howard Hawks
Rating: PG
Runtime: 92 minutes
Life Itself (2018)
Life Itself is one of those movies that the critics hate but audiences adore. It’s melodramatic, but it’s sweet and it has a sense of humor. From This Is Us director and writer Dan Fogelman, Life Itself discusses the perils and rewards of everyday life, telling a multigenerational saga that spans continents. Beginning with a young New York couple, the story follows them through their marriage and the birth of their first child, creating unexpected twists and turns that reverberate across continents and through lifetimes. Life Itself features an outstanding cast including Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Cooke, and Annette Bening.
Rotten Tomatoes: 14%
Stars: Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas
Director: Dan Fogelman
Rating: R
Runtime: 117 minutes
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Alfred Hitchcock’s romantic caper isn’t a comedy so much, but it is dripping with the kind of Old Hollywood glamour and charm that fans of romantic comedy will adore. Plus, it features Cary Grant and Grace Kelly at the peak of their charisma. Grant plays John “The Cat” Robie, a retired jewel thief who gets roped back into the game when a string of robberies in the French Riviera are pinned on him. As he tries to clear his name, he unwittingly gets tangled up with a young socialite (Grace Kelly) as they venture through France to catch the real criminal.
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Stars: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: PG
Runtime: 106 minutes
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