5 Romantic Comedies That Are Inexplicably Good

Allow me to take a moment to point out how absurd romantic comedies are as a genre. I don't care if I sound old and jaded and bitter. I know why the genre exists. It exists to give women some fleeting hope that some dickless fool will stand in the rain and monologue to her about how life is pointless without her. It is a genre specifically catered to lonely women, meant to make it so they can fill their sorry lives with a millimetre worth of hope that they might not die alone in their apartment some night while eating Cheetos and watching The Bachelorette. Cool. I can dig on that. And horror exists for sickos like me to live vicariously through. I get it, and it's all good. But just because the romantic comedies that come out are usually fluff and filler not worthy of wasting a second on, there are a handful of romantic comedies that are, GASP, actually good. Well written love stories that are often honest and funny, while also sending home some sweet message about how love can save you (excuse me while I go laugh to death at that line). It is with that thinking in mind that I present to you 5 romantic comedies that somehow don't suck on a huge bag of coal. Yes, believe it or not, good romantic comedies do exist. Groundhog Day Let me tell you, right now, that if you want your romantic movie to not suck, having Bill Murray on board can really help. While some may look at Groundhog Day as straight comedy, it clearly isn't. This one gets filed under romantic comedy because that is sort of what the whole plot builds to. I don't think I need to tell you all the story of Groundhog Day at this point, as almost everyone out there has seen this film, several times. But let us not forget that though Bill Murray's character, Phil, may take advantage of his "repeating day" at times, the end result is really just one guy trying to get it right, and I think a lot of people have trouble figuring that out. Yes, he may learn to dodge puddles, but he also figures out how to land the girl and make it the best day of his life. I started the list with this one because most people would watch it and not even realize until it is over that it was a rom-com. And that is how you do rom-com right. Or you can throw in some heavy S&M, like our next entry.... Secretary All that anyone with a vagina has been talking about for the last few weeks has been the Fifty Shades trailer. Well, fuck Fifty Shades. It is poorly written fan-fiction from a woman who wants to teach other women how to properly hate themselves and find themselves in abusive relationships. It's basically Penthouse letters for those who don't like good writing. But Secretary, now this is a film that gets romantic comedies right, and it gets S&M right, too. Do you realize how difficult a thing that must be to balance? I bet you don't. To take something that is taboo and get people to laugh at it and warm up to the very idea of it is daunting, but Secretary pulls it off with ease. Secretary is about a girl with a penchant for submissive behavior and self-harm who falls into the office (arms?) of a man who ends up being drawn to just how shy and out-of-place she seems. What unfolds next is a love story unlike any on-screen. Really. Plus, beneath the kink of it all is a very sweet love story. Some people will never know that because they won't ever give this film a shot (as spankings make them very uncomfortable). But I implore any woman or man who wants to go see Fifty Shades to see this film first and at least understand S&M on a more healthy level. Side-note: if you are a woman who is into signing a sexual contract that lets me have absolute control over you, we should hang out some time. I love self-loathers. Safety Not Guaranteed Okay, the first trick to get me to watch a romantic comedy is to put Aubrey Plaza in it. There is just something so shy and sheepish (yet also with a streak of "I could stab you at any time") about her that just grabs my attention. That is step one. Step two, make your film about a strange man who may or may not potentially know how to time travel. Bam. You have two steps in the right direction. Third, make your cast wounded. No one is without baggage, and I hate romantic comedies that try to tell you otherwise. We all have our issues. We are all fucked up in one way or another. Safety Not Guaranteed knows this, and it gives us a cast of characters who actually have, GASP, issues. It also is another film that earned its place on the list by being a hidden romantic comedy. You don't necessarily get that from the trailer or from the premise (which is based on a real ad, by the way). The long and short is, Aubrey Plaza plays a journalist who decides to answer an ad in the paper seeking someone for a time travel journey. She meets the man, and the two begin to discuss their plan. Over time, we see that they are more alike (and more fucked up) than we thought at first, and it is this fact that sort of brings them together. There is also a subplot about rekindling an old high school flame that is handled quite honestly, too. Oh, and that f*cking ending. So good. Easy A Okay, I know, the guy who seems to really like fucked up movies is talking about Easy A, a romantic comedy aimed at teens. Has he lost his damn mind? Is this the same Remy who made the infamous "Jesus Rape" comment on one of his articles (which I refuse to link to right now)? Yes, I liked Easy A. It reminded of movies like Ten Things I Hate About You and Can't Hardly Wait. Teenage love stories that somehow don't actually suck or talk down to their audience. I know you are shocked to see it here and trust me, I am shocked to be putting this film here. Easy A stars the loveable Emma Stone as Olive, a virgin who decides to help one of her friends lose his gay reputation by pretending to sleep with him (so the bullying eases up). This then starts a series of events that puts her on the road to floozy territory in other people's eyes. Despite that premise, there is a real sweetness to this film as Olive only ends up with the reputation because she was trying to help others. There is also a subplot about a teacher banging a student, so it is not all G-rated bullshit. There's also another subplot about Olive and the mascot she likes. It's a long story, but they drive off on a fucking lawnmower into the sunset together. It's good shit in a genre that is usually filled with just shit. True Romance Got you! Just went you thought I went soft with my last entry here I have a movie where a guy's dick gets shot off. BAM, Remy's back, bitches. True Romance, in every way, is my kind of romantic comedy/love story. Okay, so the comedy part may wax and wane a bit (as the film is VERY dark), but when Gary Oldman plays a white pimp with dreadlocks, one cannot deny that there is some subtle and sick comedy in here. We could also cite the Sicilian speech from the movie, but we probably shouldn't. Also, the lead in the movie gets visited by Elvis when he needs a pep talk, and Elvis is played by Val Kilmer. There, comedy justified. True Romance is a movie about two star crossed lovers who end up with a briefcase full of drugs and decided to just say fuck it and go on the lamb, even though they know they are being hunted. Think of a semi-different take on Bonnie and Clyde and you kind of have an idea of what to expect. What I like about this film is that there are many elements of the "tragic love story." Honestly, a more fitting title you have never heard. Yes, there may be beat downs and racism and pimps and sex and death, but guess what? That pretty much sums up love, don't you think? It should also be said that Quentin Tarantino writing this, and Brad Pitt's stoner cameo cement it as one of better films with "Romance" in the title.