10 Unconventional Rom-Coms That Changed Up The Genre

Summary

  • Rom-coms can be repetitive, but unique movies like “Love Wedding Repeat” shake things up with alternate versions and chaotic situations.
  • The best rom-coms engage viewers to root for love. Unconventional films like “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” blend action, comedy, and romance.
  • “Punch-Drunk Love” broke away from traditional rom-coms with a socially anxious protagonist, showcasing deep themes of love and vulnerability.



Of all movie genres, rom-coms can often be accused of repeating themselves, but occasionally, unconventional and unique movies come along that shake things up. While the well-worn story beats of two people coming together only to face some unsurmountable challenge to their love have been done time and time again, other movies found interesting ways to play with this premise and bring something new to the table. This could be through non-linear story structure, fascinating sci-fi premises, or just clever writing that breaks from previously established conventions.

The best rom-coms ever hold a special place in viewers’ hearts as they found humanity at the heart of their stories and made audiences actively root for true love to prevail in the end. Unconventional rom-coms sometimes go down a different route, but the goal to engage and entertain viewers has always remained. Watching a rom-com can often be the most enjoyable way to unwind and enjoy a relaxing evening, and those looking for something more unique than the average love story should be sure to check out these releases.



10 Love Wedding Repeat (2020)

Shakes things up with alternative versions of the same day

There’s nothing unconventional about weddings and rom-coms, although director Dean Craig’s Netflix film Love Wedding Repeat managed to pull off something unique using this well-worn setting. With an enjoyable ensemble cast packed with talented British actors, Love Wedding Repeat delivered outrageous farce as it showcased different versions of the same wedding day, where slight seating alterations led to disastrous results. With bubbling romances and jealous ex-lovers, the wedding party was a hotbed for every type of hilarious misfortune as guests were poisoned, some were locked away, and one even fell from the balcony.


Love Wedding Repeat was a remake of the French film Plan de Table and received mixed reviews as the performances were praised while the premise was criticized as tedious. However, this is the perfect Netflix movie for an evening at home, as it was hilarious to watch small misunderstandings lead to complete mayhem amid what was supposed to be the perfect day. While Love Wedding Repeat could have been truly great with a better script, it still enjoyably shook up the conventions of the average rom-com to create something new.

9 Ruby Sparks (2012)

Shakes things up as a writer’s character comes to life

Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan in Ruby Sparks


Ruby Sparks started with a premise that was as conventional as a rom-com could be with a love-lost singleton pining for romance, although this quickly changed as its unique narrative began to unveil itself. Paul Dano played the successful author Calvin Weir-Fields, who, after dreaming of a woman, started to write about her and named her Ruby Sparks. Before long, Calvin became infatuated with this fictional creation, and after writing that she had fallen in love with him, he was stunned to discover Ruby standing in his kitchen.

This moment of manifested magic was everything Calvin could have ever dreamed of, but the wish-fulfillment concept soon turned dark as the author realized he could change aspects of Ruby by continuing to write about her. The sinister influence that Calvin held over Ruby’s very nature made Ruby Sparks a thought-provoking rom-com that addressed themes of creativity, controlling behavior, insecurity, and male fragility. As a character study packed with charm and wit, Ruby Sparks was one of the most interesting and intelligent rom-coms of the 2010s.


8 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

Shakes things up as the hero must battle his love interest’s exes

The cult favorite Scott Pilgrim vs. the World bombed at the box office when it was first released but has since gained a passionate and devoted audience due to its unconventional charm. As the story of a slacker musician named Scott who must battle the seven evil exes of his new girlfriend Ramona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim took influence from action, comics, superhero movies, and even video games to form its unique aesthetic. As a perfect adaptation of the graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim’s visual style and humor made it stand out in the rom-com genre.


Scott Pilgrim was unconventional in the way that it adapted the graphic novel style of its original source material without losing any of its innate charming essence. As a truly inventive film, and with keen attention to detail from director Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim not only felt like it was trying something new in the rom-com genre but was also consistently funny and engaging throughout. It’s no surprise that Scott Pilgrim has remained popular in the years since its release, even gaining an anime adaptation with the main cast returning in 2023 titled Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

7 Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Shakes things up with a quiet, socially anxious protagonist


Punch-Drunk Love stood not only as one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s most underrated movies but also as the launchpad for Adam Sandler to pursue more dramatic and unconventional film roles. In one of Sandler’s greatest performances, he starred as Barry Egan, an entrepreneur with social anxiety who fell in love with his sister’s co-worker. Although Punch-Drunk Love underperformed the box office, its reputation has only grown in the years since its release, as this odd, tender, and touching look at love was filled with mesmerizing hidden depth.

While Anderson made a name for himself making grand, flashy movies like Boogie Nights and Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love traded all this for a slow-paced but swift rom-com that runs at just 95 minutes. Instead of Anderson’s usual soundtracks of 1970s and 1980s classics, he utilized Shelley Duvall’s ethereal rendition of “He Needs Me” from Popeye throughout the film to great effect. There was something truly spellbinding about Punch-Drunk Love, which made it a fantastic rom-com that’s unlike anything else.


6 Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Shakes things up by focusing on the challenges of a breakup

Often, rom-coms present their protagonists as clean slates without any messy baggage weighing them down throughout the film. However, Forgetting Sarah Marshall did not go down this route and made Peter Bretter’s (Jason Segal) heartache the entire premise for the movie, as it began with his girlfriend of five years hilariously splitting up with him while he stood devastated and naked. Hoping to overcome his broken heart, Peter took a vacation to Hawaii, only to discover that his ex and her new rock star boyfriend were staying at the same resort.


Forgetting Sarah Marshall was a clever rom-com that was made even better by strong performances from not just Segal but also Kristen Bell, Russell Brand, Mila Kunis, and Jonah Hill. With just the right mix of heartfelt vulnerability and raunchy humor, Forgetting Sarah Marshall was one of the best Judd Apatow-produced comedies of the 2000s. As a film that addressed the complexity of relationships and themes of heartache, recovery, and self-discovery, Forgetting Sarah Marshall had much more to offer than the average rom-com.

5 Groundhog Day (1993)

Shakes things up with a time-loop narrative


It’s truly hard to underestimate the ripple effect that Groundhog Day has had on the rom-com genre, as its time-loop concept has been utilized continually in subsequent releases like Palm Springs or the Netflix series Russain Doll. While time-loop stories had long been seen in sci-fi prior to Groundhog Day, this Bill Murray film proved that blending that concept with romance stories was a recipe for success. As the cynical weatherman Phil Connors was forced to relive the same day endlessly, it was through repetition he was able to discover the true meaning of life and love.

While Bill Murray had previously been known for playing more wacky, off-the-wall characters, his performance in Groundhog Day showcased a more nuanced side to him that was further explored in films like Lost in Translation. Groundhog Day not only had a major effect on the rom-com genre, but it’s also become imbued into popular culture as the film’s title has been shorthand for monotonous, unpleasant, and repetitive situations. Groundhog Day was a true rom-com classic, as its hilarious story was packed with fascinating existential and philosophical ideas.


4 About Time (2013)

Shakes things up with a man who can change his past to improve his future

Writer and director Richard Curtis has been involved in some of the greatest British rom-coms ever made, as films like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love, Actually have become beloved classics. About Time was Curtis’ time travel rom-com where Tim Lake’s (Domhnall Gleeson) life was changed forever when he learned he was part of a family whose men could travel back in time to change the past. As Tim’s unconventional love story with Mary (Rachel McAdams) was explored, the devastating implications of messing with time’s natural order came to the forefront.


About Time was the best time travel romance movie as it explored destiny, love, and the need to accept life’s pain and grievances in a complex and unabashedly sentimental story. As the extraordinary story of an ordinary man’s life, About Time captured the fragility of tampering with romance in a way that felt both funny and heartwarming. With plenty of twists throughout, About Time kept viewers guessing right to the end as its unique and non-linear narrative unfolded.

3 (500) Days of Summer (2009)

Shakes things up as its ending was clear from the title


(500) Days of Summer was an unconventional rom-com that utilized a non-linear narrative to jump between the various days of Tom Hansen’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer Finn’s (Zooey Deschanel) relationship. This unique concept meant that audiences knew from the beginning that their relationship would come to an end, and as Tom told the audience about it retrospectively, he was able to present just his side of the story. While this led the audience to sympathize with Tom, the unique nature of the story meant that, by its conclusion, it left viewers questioning his perception of the relationship.

As a challenging and unique movie, (500) Days of Summer was one of those rare original rom-coms that truly added something new to the genre. While Gordon-Levitt played a likable protagonist, it also showed how, despite having good intentions, it’s easy to project romantic fantasies on others or have relationship expectations that are not always fair. As a thought-provoking and insightful rom-com, (500) Days of Summer dealt not just with the excitement of falling in love but also the messy and seemingly inconsequential moments that make a relationship.


2 Annie Hall (1977)

Shakes things up by breaking away from traditional rom-com structures

Woody Allen’s Annie Hall controversially beat Star Wars when it received Best Picture at the Academy Awards, ushering in an entirely new style of rom-com. Before this, rom-coms followed a rigid structure, but Allen threw all of that out the window with his philosophical introspection, breaking of the fourth wall, and a realistic showcase of the ups and downs of a modern relationship. With this, the influence of Annie Hall can be felt in practically every rom-com made today.


Annie Hall was unique in that instead of starring a charismatic leading man, it was led by an unconventional and neurotic protagonist played by Allen. Annie Hall depicted the more absurd and irrational aspects of romance and felt like a breath of fresh air, showcasing love and sexuality in a way never before seen on screen. As a contemplative look at the disparity between mental projections and reality, Annie Hall felt like the very first psychoanalytical rom-com.

1 Her (2013)

Shakes things up by reflecting the potential melding of artificial intelligence and romance

Her (2013)

Her (2013)

In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.

Release Date
January 10, 2014

Runtime
126 Mins


More so than any other modern rom-com, Spike Jonze’s Her reflected the future as it depicted a man named Theodore Twombly’s (Joaquin Phoenix) relationship with an artificial virtual assistant named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson.) This may have felt like an interesting thought experiment around the potential of AI when Her was released in 2013, but in the years since, this idea has increasingly become more believable. As AI has improved and become more commonplace in everyday life, the emotional attachment Theodore felt for Samantha seems like it will inevitably become a part of modern romance.

Her was not just a unique and intelligent rom-com but also one of the best sci-fi films of the 21st century, as it took its technology-based concept and showcased the vulnerable humanity behind its use. Phoenix gave a powerful performance as a lonely man who reflected the isolating nature of trying to find love amid the hectic lifestyle expectations and challenges of modernity. Johansson’s performance should also be praised, as she ironically brought heartfelt humanity to her robotic role with just her voice alone.


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