The experts weigh in on why, in 2022, we love a rom-com more than ever.
By Shona Hendley, Harper’s Bazaar August 2022

IF YOU READ that this was the ‘year of the rom-com,’ you’d be forgiven for thinking that we’d hopped in a time machine and travelled back to the 90s.

But alongside the claw clip, bucket hats and denim overalls, all that fashionable from 30 years ago is cool again, including romantic comedies.

With films like The Lost City, Ticket to Paradise, Marry Me, Shotgun Wedding, Fire Island and even a modern remake of Father of the Bride, there is no shortage of rom-coms making it to the silver screen or to streaming platforms this year.

So, what’s behind this rise in popularity? It has a lot to do with the intrinsic feel-good nature of the genre at a time when audiences are needing it says writer and director Mark Poole.

“Especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, audience have been interested in ‘feel-good’ films.”

While we are still bingeing on true crime and horror — with the likes of Servant, All of Us Are Dead, The Girl from Plainville and The Staircase dominating downloads, the balance is offered and taken up with rom coms such as Bridgerton and Uncoupled proving just as popular by streaming audiences.

But as well as offering a welcome reprieve from the ongoing challenges associated with the pandemic, the uplifting mood and comedic factor generated from rom coms offer both a physical and psychological benefit to the audience says relationship therapist and director of Love Therapy Australia, Lauren Bradley.

“Viewing something positive and enjoyable can boost dopamine levels … Laughter sends a powerful message to our body and brain to relax, through lowering blood pressure, increasing endorphins and decreasing stress hormones.”

They also provide a sense of comfort.

 “Rom coms reassure an audience that the world remains the same, that the boy will always get the girl (or vice versa) and that a dream wedding is the solution to everyone’s problems. In an uncertain world, audiences seeking certainty can watch a rom com and know that the movie will end on a high note,” says Poole.

And this offers a sense of safety, stability and familiarity which can be comforting and reassuring, especially when our real life isn’t this way believes Bradley.

 “Feel-good shows take us back to a time when things were simple and positive, with clean, happy-ending plot lines, and rounded resolution, often exactly what’s missing in our real life.”

LAUGHTER sends a POWERFUL message to our BODY and brain to RELAX

Like pop superstar Kat (Jennifer Lopez) and school teacher Charlie (Owen Wilson) overcoming enormous differences in their careers and lifestyles to find their happy ending in Marry Me.

And while rom coms definitely offer their audience a reliable, happy ending, modern films and tv shows in this genre are also often heavily reliant on nostalgia and this, Associate Professor of Film Studies at the University of Sydney, Bruce Isaacs says can’t be underestimated.

“Nostalgia is one of the strongest impulses we’ve got, and modern rom coms are tapping into this.”

The return of rom com royalty, the actors who starred in 90s rom com blockbusters are just one way the genre is giving a big nod to this.https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ebv9_rNb5Ig

Because alongside the return of Sandra Bullock in The Lost City, JLo in Marry Me and Shotgun Wedding, is none other than Rom Com Queen, Julia Roberts who is starring with George Clooney in a Ticket to Paradise — hello 90s romantic comedy vibes! 

“For many people born in the 90s and 2000s echoing back to old favourites takes us back to childhood, which for the fortunate and privileged, was a time of ease and carefree freedom.

We may gravitate toward shows that draw from positive experiences and memories, seeking to replicate that feeling in our lives,” says Bradley.

And while nostalgia is in demand, Poole says that modern rom coms are also becoming more inclusive, another element that the audience is responding to.

NOSTALGIA is one of the strongest IMPULSES we’ve got

“There is an increased demand for movies with a number of strong females in the lead roles. Bridesmaids (2011) arguably began this trend which reflected the increasing power and status of women in the current political, business and domestic environment,” he says.

There are also more examples of rom coms representing different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and the class system, which had often been overlooked in earlier rom coms.

“More recent rom-coms often feature at least one lead character from a non-white background. A contemporary example is Netflix’s Wedding Season (2022), a rom-com set in the context of Indian families living in New York,” Poole says.

While the rom com of the 90s may have had its moment, the rom com of 2022 is definitely here and is firmly in the spotlight.