The 19 best romantic comedy movies on Hulu

If you’re looking to have a rom-com-a-thon, these 19 movies on Hulu are simply too good to pass up.

Date Night Long Shot Celeste and Jesse Forever
Tina Fey and Steve Carell in 'Date Night'; Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron in 'Long Shot'; Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg in 'Celeste and Jesse Forever'. Photo:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film/Kobal/Shutterstock; BFA/ Murray Close/ Lionsgate; Team Todd/Kobal/Shutterstock

Love is a wonderful, unpredictable thing. There are plenty of films that paint the road to happily ever after as a linear one, but we all know that's rarely how real life shakes out. Still, there's something extra special about a movie that can laugh at the awkwardness of dating and the chaos of relationships. Whether you're craving something raucous like The Proposal or something surprisingly sweet like Palm Springs, here are the 19 best rom-coms on Hulu.

01 of 19

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, Heath Ledger, Allison Janney, Julia Stiles
Heath Ledger, Allison Janney, and Julia Stiles in '10 Things I Hate About You'.

Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

The 20th century ended on a high — at least as far as rom coms are concerned. 10 Things I Hate About You is a film that EW’s critic describes as “the cheekiest 'literary' update yet — a post-riot grrrl gloss on The Taming of the Shrew.” Starring some of the hottest, young talent of the late-‘90s, 10 Things I Hate About You reimagines Shakespeare’s beloved play as a high school love story. Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls in love with Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), but learns she isn’t allowed to date until her older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), does. After Cameron manages to convince the high school bad boy (Heath Ledger) to woo Kat, Padua High School finds itself overrun with hormones and hijinks.

A classic rom com with a killer soundtrack, 10 Things I Hate About You is the only film to answer the question of what would happen if Shakespeare went to high school in Seattle. —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch 10 Things I Hate About You: Hulu

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Gil Junger

Cast: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik

02 of 19

Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)

Celeste and Jesse Forever
Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg in 'Celeste and Jesse Forever'. David Lanzenberg/Sony Pictures Classics/Everett

Ending a relationship is easier than falling out of love. In Celeste and Jesse Forever, the titular characters (Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg) are high-school sweethearts who have made the decision to divorce but haven't yet figured out how to move on. Celeste is a high-achieving career woman looking for something more, but when Jesse gets involved with another woman, she's left to sort through her complicated feelings and starts to second guess whether breaking up was the right move after all.

A rom-com that is less about escapism and aspirational love than it is about the hard slog of digging through and understanding intimate realities, Celeste and Jesse Forever is smart, funny, grounded, and energized by the couple's incredible chemistry. EW's critic praises the movie, writing, "It's been a while since a romantic comedy mustered this much charm by looking this much like life." —I.G.

Where to watch Celeste and Jesse Forever: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Lee Toland Krieger

Cast: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Chris MessinaAri Graynor, Eric Christian Olsen, Will McCormack, Elijah WoodEmma Roberts

03 of 19

Crush (2022)

CRUSH, Rowan Blanchard, 2022. ph: Brett Roedel / © Hulu /Courtesy Everett Collection
Rowan Blanchard in 'Crush'. Brett Roedel/Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection

Paige Evans' (Rowan Blanchard) only experience with love is her passion for art, but when she's forced to join the high school track team to evade suspension, she gets a lucky chance to hang out with her secret crush, Gabby (Love, Victor's Isabella Ferreira). But no matter how fast Paige runs toward the affection of Miller High's It Girl, her feelings for another teammate — Gabby's sister, AJ (Auli'i Cravalho) — swiftly catch up to her. With its charming storytelling and abundance of drama (both on and off screen), Crush is an LGBTQ+ rom-com that captures the beauty of queer joy and first love.—J.M.

Where to watch Crush: Hulu

Director: Sammi Cohen

Cast: Rowan Blanchard, Auli'i Cravalho, Isabella Ferreira, Tyler Alvarez, Teala Dunn, Michelle Buteau, Megan Mullally

04 of 19

Date Night (2010)

DATE NIGHT, from left: Tina Fey, Steve Carell, 2010
Tina Fey and Steve Carell in 'Date Night'.

Suzanne Tenner/Twentieth Century Fox/Courtesy Everett

A screwball comedy modernized to highlight the exhausted suburban parent, Date Night follows Claire and Phil Foster (Tina Fey and Steve Carell), a New Jersey couple who decide to break out of their mundane routine by enjoying a trendy dinner in the city — only to find themselves confused for another pair and embroiled in a corruption scandal. Pursued around New York City by cops and mobsters, the two rediscover their connection at gunpoint, but have their years of marriage prepared them enough to survive a night out on the town?

Carell and Fey — both operating at the height of their TV comedy careers — are perfectly matched and happy to elevate an already solid script with improvised ad libs. Also benefiting from a supporting cast of reliable comedy favorites, Date Night is the perfect film to watch on a date night, or any time you're craving a zany caper that travels from reality to absurdity and back again. —I.G.

Where to watch Date Night: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Shawn Levy

Cast: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Taraji P. Henson, Common, Mark Wahlberg

05 of 19

The Family Stone (2005)

The Family Stone
The cast of 'The Family Stone'. ZADE ROSENTHAL/20th Century Pictures

There’s no place like home during the holidays — unless you’re introducing your family to a new significant other. In the holiday dramedy The Family Stone, Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) brings his uptight girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) to his parents’ beautiful New England house to spend Christmas with his liberal, upper-class family. After struggling to win over Everett’s parents and adult siblings, Meredith invites her sister Julie (Claire Danes) to join her for moral support, and a game of romantic musical chairs ensues.

An ensemble comedy led by Diane Keaton, who shines as the matriarch tasked with difficult personal issues, The Family Stone is a funny, endearing, underrated holiday classic. EW’s critic writes, “It dramatizes the attractive traps of bohemian-bourgeois aspirations (and snobbism) and, with a light comedic touch, also holds its ground as an old-fashioned and even sweet story about love — and the swapping of perfectly wrapped presents.” —I.G.

Where to watch The Family Stone: Hulu

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Thomas Bezucha

Cast: Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Brian White, Elizabeth Reaser

06 of 19

Fire Island (2022)

Still of Fire Island featuring Bowen Yang and Joel Kim Booster
Bowen Yang and Joel Kim Booster in 'Fire Island'.

Jeong Park Searchlight Pictures/20th Century Studios

A group of queer besties looks forward to their trip to Fire Island every year, but when they discover it may be their last, they double down on their goal of a hardcore week of partying. Inspired by Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, Fire Island finds Noah (Joel Kim Booster, who also wrote the screenplay) committed to helping his friend Howie (Bowen Yang) get some action, but he quickly finds that playing matchmaker is a thankless task — especially under the seemingly judgmental eye of a new acquaintance (Conrad Ricamora in the Mr. Darcy-equivalent role).

EW's critic says it best: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a very small swimsuit must be in want of a rom-com to call his own; Fire Island sets the stage, messy and sweet, and lets its freak flag fly." —Angela Andaloro

Where to watch Fire Island: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Andrew Ahn

Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, Matt Rogers, Tomas Matos, Torian Miller, Nick Adams, Zane Phillips

07 of 19

Garden State (2004)

GARDEN STATE
Zach Braff in 'Garden State'. Everett Collection

Zach Braff's Garden State — the story of a struggling young actor's return home to New Jersey after the death of his mother — is not a perfect movie. Written by Braff during a period of depression and inspired by his own feelings of numbness, the film interrogates themes like mental illness, medication, growing up, and falling in love, sometimes nailing the sentiments and other times falling short. In spite of its deficits, however, the romantic comedy was a sleeper hit when it premiered in 2004, a reception attributable to the film's excellent soundtrack, objectively sick cast, and resonance with a young generation staring down the barrel of adulthood.

Starring Braff as Andy, the film's protagonist, and Natalie Portman as his eccentric and compulsively dishonest love interest, the film is often compared to The Graduate (1967), but remains a singular romantic comedy that demands an emotional reaction from its audience. —I.G.

Where to watch Garden State: Hulu

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Zach Braff

Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Jean Smart, Jackie Hoffman, Ann Dowd, Method Man, Jim Parsons

08 of 19

Happiest Season (2020)

Happiest Season
Aubrey Plaza and Kristen Stewart in 'Happiest Season'. Lacey Terrell/Hulu

Abby Holland (Kristen Stewart) and Harper Caldwell (Mackenzie Davis) are happy in their relationship nearly a year in. So happy, in fact, that Abby's ready to pop the question during their cozy holiday with Harper's family. She's in for a surprise, however, when she realizes her soon-to-be fiancé hasn't come out to her conservative parents. Now, Abby must navigate the delicate secrets of the Caldwell family if she wants to fight for the woman she loves.

Marking Hulu's first LGBTQ+ holiday rom-com, Happiest Season isn't perfect (much like familial relationships) but it gleams with a festive cheer that's enjoyable to stream all year round. —A.A.

Where to watch Happiest Season: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Clea DuVall

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza, Mary Holland, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Ana Gasteyer, Jake McDorman, Sarayu Blue

09 of 19

The Hating Game (2021)

THE HATING GAME, Lucy Hale, 2021. © Vertical Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection
Lucy Hale in 'The Hating Game'. Vertical Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

The two CEOs at this publishing company would be useless without their faithful assistants who happen to hate each other's guts. Lucy (Lucy Hale) believes in bringing great fashion and an even better attitude to the office, but much to her dismay, her co-worker Joshua (Austin Stowell) has an opposite approach. And their cutthroat competitiveness only intensifies when an enticing managing editor position opens up. Based on Sally Thorne's best-selling romance novel of the same name, The Hating Game may lean into the predictable enemies-to-lovers trope, but that doesn't make it any less charming. —A.A.

Where to watch The Hating Game: Hulu

Director: Peter Hutchings

Cast: Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Kathryn Boswell, Damon Daunno, Sakina Jaffrey, Corbin Bernsen

10 of 19

High Fidelity (2000)

HIGH FIDELITY, John Cusack, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Tim Robbins, 2000
(From left to right) John Cusack, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, and Tim Robbins in 'High Fidelity'.

Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

This one strikes a chord that echoes long after the credits roll. John Cusack delivers a tour de force performance as Rob Gordon, a thirtysomething lovelorn record store owner who has a knack for curating top five lists for every life event. His latest compilation involves his top five romantic misadventures, from middle school to adulthood.

Directed by Stephen Frears, this 2001 rom-com composes a dazzling mosaic of music, heartache, and introspection while also being jam-packed with witty dialogue and an unparalleled soundtrack. High Fidelity is not only a perfect time capsule for the '90s music landscape, but is also a timeless ode to one's search of self amidst life's ever-spinning turntable. —J.M.

Where to watch High Fidelity: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Stephen Frears

Cast: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Lisa Bonet, Sarah Gilbert, Chris Bauer, Lili Taylor, Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins, Joelle Carter, Chris Rehmann, Ben Carr

11 of 19

Juno (2007)

Juno (2007) Eliot Page
Elliot Page in 'Juno'. Doane Gregory/Fox Searchlight

In Diablo Cody's Oscar-winning screenplay, quirky and loquacious 16-year-old Juno MacGuff becomes the talk of small-town Minnesota when she finds herself pregnant by track runner (and orange Tic Tac lover) Paulie Bleeker. Juno's razor-sharp dialogue — delivered by dry humor virtuosos Elliot Page and Michael Cera — infuses the film with a cozy and blithe feel, while its poignant moments beautifully capture raw humanity on screen. And Jennifer Garner's stand-out performance as half of the seemingly perfect couple looking to adopt Juno's baby leaves no heart untouched. —J.M.

Where to watch Juno: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. SimmonsOlivia ThirlbyRainn Wilson

12 of 19

Just Friends (2005)

Amy Smart and Ryan Reynolds in 'Just Friends'
Amy Smart and Ryan Reynolds in 'Just Friends'.

Everett Collection

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing us that we’re exactly the same person we were in high school. In the romantic comedy Just Friends, Chris (Ryan Reynolds) returns to his New Jersey hometown from his successful life in Los Angeles, only to be confronted by the dormant, insecure version of his younger self.

Still in love with Jamie (Amy Smart), his high school crush who saw him only as a friend, Chris must find a way to move past their prior relationship and his own feelings of inadequacy if he is to form a romantic connection with her. One of Reynolds’ earliest leading roles, Just Friends is a prodigal son comedy full of manic pop stars, violent children, and enough love triangles to make Shakespeare proud. —I.G.

Where to watch Just Friends: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review

Director: Roger Kumble  

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Christopher Marquette, Chris Klein

13 of 19

Long Shot (2019)

LONG SHOT, from left: Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, 2019
Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron in 'Long Shot'.

Philippe Bosse/Lionsgate/courtesy Everett Collection

It’s a tale as old as time: An ambitious secretary of state (Charlize Theron) reconnects with the boy she used to babysit (Seth Rogen), who has grown up to be a political journalist. She’s running for president, he’s looking for a new job after getting fired for his incendiary, left-leaning writing. She hires him to punch up her speeches, and as the two travel the world on a diplomatic tour, their connection turns romantic.

A cross between Beauty and the Beast and Veep — with a little There’s Something About Mary thrown in for good measure — Long Shot is a romantic comedy with a political edge and serious chemistry between its two leads. With a script co-written by Dan Sterling (The Interview) and Liz Hannah (The Post), Long Shot is a perfect blend of political satire, romantic tropes, and rapid-fire raunch. —I.G.

Where to watch Long Shot: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Jonathan Levine

Cast: Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, O'Shea Jackson Jr.Andy SerkisJune Diane RaphaelBob OdenkirkAlexander Skarsgård

14 of 19

Palm Springs (2020)

Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg in 'Palm Springs'
Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg in 'Palm Springs'. Jessica Perez/Hulu

This sci-fi-meets-rom-com flick stars Andy Samberg as Nyles, who's on his way to celebrate his buddies Tala and Abe on their wedding day. The only problem? He's headed there again and again after getting stuck in a time loop in the desert, and things only get wilder when the maid of honor/sister of the bride, Sarah (Cristin Milioti), gets stuck there with him.

This unexpected take on the romance genre is chock full of nihilism and existential dread as the pair desperately seeks a return to normalcy, but it all works because of the excellent cast. EW's critic notably praises the two leads, as "Samberg nimbly walks the line between slacker cartoon and actual frustrated human… But it's Milioti who feels most like the revelation here; as great as she's been in brief turns on shows like Black Mirror and 30 Rock, she shines when given the chance to lead." —A.A.

Where to watch Palm Springs: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Max Barbakow

Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Camila Mendes, Tyler Hoechlin, Meredith Hagner, Peter Gallagher, Dale Dickey

15 of 19

The Princess Diaries (2001)

Princess Diaries 01
Anne Hathaway in 'The Princess Diaries'. Everett Collection

Serving as Anne Hathaway’s movie debut and breakthrough role, The Princess Diaries represents the classic rags to riches story — with a top-notch makeover to boot. Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway) is a nerdy teenager whose primary aspirations in life are to fly under the radar at school and get her best friend’s brother to like her back. But when her grandmother (a perfectly cast Julie Andrews) arrives in town and informs her that she’s actually the princess of a small European country called Genovia, Mia’s plans to remain invisible are thrown out the window.

Director Garry Marshall channels the same energy and charm he brought to Pretty Woman, but adds a young adult-appropriate filter. Also notable for featuring Sandra Oh in one of her funniest roles to date, The Princess Diaries is a nostalgic modern fairy tale for all ages. —I.G.

Where to watch The Princess Diaries: Hulu

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Garry Marshall

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Héctor Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, Robert Schwartzman, Julie Andrews, Sandra Oh

16 of 19

The Proposal (2009)

Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in 'The Proposal'
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in 'The Proposal'. Everett Collection

Where there's smoke, there's fire...and The Proposal certainly brings the heat. Aspiring editor Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) reluctantly serves as a personal assistant to dictatorial Margaret (Sandra Bullock), a Canadian executive editor-in-chief at a prominent New York City publishing house. When Margaret's U.S. visa application is denied — putting her at risk of deportation — she designs a plan to keep her life in the States by proposing a fake engagement to Andrew, promising him a promotion in return. The (un)happy couple then travels to Andrew's hometown in Sitka, Alaska, where Margaret meets her fake fiancé's family and learns a side to him she never expected.

Reynolds and Bullock's undeniable chemistry effortlessly leaps off the screen, while the supporting ensemble (Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, the one-and-only Betty White) adds an extra layer of warmth to this tale set in the Last Frontier. —J.M.

Watch The Proposal on Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Anne Fletcher

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Åkerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, Oscar Nuñez, Denis O'Hare, Michael Nouri

17 of 19

Rye Lane (2023)

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in 'Rye Lane'
David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in 'Rye Lane'. Everett Collection

Raine Allen-Miller's 2023 directorial debut refutes the notion that rom-coms have lost their sparkle, capturing the genre's trademark magic of grand gestures and love at first sight while injecting new life into it. When lovesick Dom (David Jonsson) cries in a gender-neutral bathroom stall, he's interrupted when an outgoing stranger named Yas (Vivian Oparah) overhears his faint sobs. The two embark on a day-long journey roaming the streets of South London's Rye Lane, bonding over their failed relationships and scheming chaos against their exes.

Similar to the story's dynamic pacing, Oparah and Jonsson radiate effervescence, as they seamlessly bounce off each other's energy while the mise-en-scène bursts with a kaleidoscope of experimental camerawork. —J.M.

Where to watch Rye Lane: Hulu

Director: Raine Allen-Miller

Cast: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah, Poppy Allen-Quarmby, Simon Manyonda, Karene Peter, Benjamin Sarpong-Broni, Malcolm Atabroh

18 of 19

Trainwreck (2015)

Amy Schumer and John Cena in Trainwreck 2015
Amy Schumer and John Cena in 'Trainwreck'.

Universal Pictures

"Monogamy isn't realistic!" — a doctrine drilled into Amy Townsend's (Amy Schumer) young mind by her father (Colin Quinn) becomes the guiding principle of her adult life, where she indulges in no-strings-attached flings and weekly partying. As a columnist at a men's magazine, her indifference to sports changes when she's assigned to profile a renowned orthopedic surgeon for athletes (Bill Hader), which sets off a push-and-pull romance that challenges her deeply ingrained aversion to commitment.

Infused with Schumer's trademark dry, self-deprecating humor and guided by Knocked Up director Judd Apatow, Trainwreck is a sleeper hit that will leave you dream-casting Hader as the male lead in 20 more rom-coms and humming Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" on an involuntary loop. —J.M.

Where to watch Trainwreck: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Judd Apatow

Cast: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, John CenaTilda SwintonLeBron James

19 of 19

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

The Worst Person in the World
Anders Danielsen Lie and Renate Reinsve in 'The Worst Person in the World'. Neon/Courtesy Everett Collection

A Norwegian romantic comedy that enraptured critics and festival viewers alike, The Worst Person in the World tells the story of Julie (Renate Reinsve) over four years of her life in Oslo as she struggles to make sense of her career, love life, and the gap between who she is and who she wants to be. A refreshing look at life during the painful transition between a person’s late-20s and early-30s when life’s stakes seem higher than ever, EW’s critic writes that The Worst Person in the World “vibrates with real life, a film so fresh and untethered to rom-com cliché it might actually reshape the idea of what movies like this can be.”

Reinsve is phenomenal in the role of Julie and it’s thanks to her performance, the film’s wistful and compassionate script, and Joachim Trier’s masterful direction that The Worst Person in the World is considered one of the best movies of 2021. —I.G.

Where to watch The Worst Person in the World: Hulu

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Joachim Trier 

Cast: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum

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