The Revival of the Rom-Com
By Maddie Hengerer
The romantic comedy genre has been beloved by audiences for ages. It has blissful, humorous, feel-good qualities that provide an escape from the complications of the real world. With the genre reaching its prime during the 1990s and early 2000s, the success of the rom-com has been on a rapid decline in more recent years, causing people to wonder if the genre has fallen for good.
The course English 231, “The Rom-Com”, co-taught last semester by Professor Bergren and Professor Wheatley, allowed students to view the rom-com genre in a different light. In this course, students read various novels and plays by authors ranging from Jane Austen to William Shakespeare, which were each paired with a modern-day rom-com film that modeled the plot of these texts. The comparison and analysis of these pieces allowed the genre to be portrayed as a complex, serious format of commenting on societal issues, rather than the light-hearted, mindless, feel-good genre it is typically known as. One of the primary questions students focused on in the course was whether or not the rom-com genre is considered to be dead due to its predictability and repetitive storylines. However, this recent rise in newly released rom-coms proves that the genre is far from dead and has returned slightly differently.
Over the past few years, the number of rom-coms released has had a large and sudden increase. Although there have been numerous successful films within the genre, none have gained such vast amounts of popularity as Anyone But You. This 2023 film, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, is an up-to-date adaptation of the well-known rom-com trope, enemies-to-lovers. The film follows a classic, yet predictable, rom-com plotline. It is centered around two characters who, after a first date gone wrong, reunite at a destination wedding in Australia months later. The protagonists initially despise each other, but as they go on a hysterical, dramatic journey while pretending to be in a fake relationship, they eventually drop the act, and grow to realize their true feelings for one another. Despite the fact that there have been endless other rom-coms that utilize this same trope, this film provides an updated, present-day perspective that the genre desperately needs.
This storyline is far from unfamiliar, as it has been depicted countless times under various circumstances within both film and literature. In fact, this film can arguably be considered a modern-day take on Shakespeare’s popular play Much Ado About Nothing, as the two share similar characters, themes, and storylines. There are subtle references to Shakespeare throughout the film; the most prominent of which being the names of the film’s protagonists, Ben and Bea, mirroring the play’s characters, Benedick and Beatrice. These discrete allusions to this literary work are an ode to the classic pieces that established the basis for the rom-com genre.
Anyone But You has incited a much-needed rom-com resurgence, and is even being labeled as the best rom-com in years. While critics may label this film as monotonous or predictable, average movie-goers are absolutely raving about it, as it has blown up on social media, and received excellent reviews from its audience. This particular film’s popularity proves that the rom-com genre has been revived, and a new era of the rom-com has been introduced. I highly recommend that you check out this movie, especially if it makes its way to the Cinestudio!
