Hulu has an extensive library that includes action movies, indie films, dramas, horror flicks, and many more exciting genres of films. There are plenty of great movies to watch on Hulu. If you’re in the mood for romantic comedy movies, then Hulu has plenty of options to remind you how charming, sometimes cheesy, and fun romantic comedies are to watch.
For this list, I’ve chosen romantic comedy movies that offer various spectrums of romantic love, that can include the good, the bad, the messy, and the ones that are going to warm your heart and make you believe in film love. Most of the films on this list are more recent romantic comedies, but there are a few from the '80s and '90s. Let’s talk about Hulu's romantic comedy movies.
Never Been Kissed (1999)
In Never Been Kissed, Drew Barrymore plays Josie Geller, a 25-year-old romantically inexperienced Chicago Sun-Times copy editor who goes undercover as a high school student for a story on today’s youth. With the help of her once-cool older brother, Rob (David Arquette), she’s able to experience high school from the perspective of a popular student.
Never Been Kissed is one of my personal favorite romantic comedy movies, and in my opinion, one of the best Drew Barrymore movies. She’s very charming, relatable to former high school nerds, and has a very inappropriate but sweet romantic love interest with her teacher, played by Michael Vartan.
Stream Never Been Kissed on Hulu.
Love, Simon (2018)
Love, Simon is a romantic comedy about a teenage boy who goes to great lengths to hide from his friends and family that he’s gay. However, along the way, he finds love with another student in his high school who is also trying to hide his sexuality. Love, Simon stars Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, and Keiynan Lonsdale.
Love, Simon is one of the few mainstream teen LGBTQ+ romantic comedies and it’s a great LGBTQ romantic comedy because of how the film manages to capture just the uncertainty and anxiety of youth, especially when it comes to defining and understanding one's sexuality. It also shows the sweet, scary, and beautiful side of first love.
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Sam (Molly Ringwald) is turning 16, but there are so many things going on in her family, including her sister’s upcoming wedding, that her special day becomes a lot less special. However, through a series of fortunate incidents, she might just grab the attention of her crush. Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Schoeffling also star in Sixteen Candles.
This John Hughes classic is part teen dream fantasy, part slapstick, and part relatable teen drama. Sixteen Candles is a film teen girls and boys of all generations can relate to, and also it gives the young and old hope that the cute person they’re crushing on might be crushing on them as well.
Stream Sixteen Candles on Hulu.
The Holiday (2006)
The Holiday follows Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) as they switch homes to get a much-needed vacation from their problems and lives. The Holiday also stars Jude Law and Jack Black.
Nancy Meyers is someone that romantic comedy movie fans can trust to give us a compelling love story that strays a bit from the convention. The Holiday is one of her best films. It gives us two equally charming love stories that showcase Jack Black in one of his best performances. The Holiday is definitely one of the best Jack Black movies and the entire cast gives some of their most charismatic performances.
500 Days Of Summer (2009)
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel), who seems like the perfect girl for him. However, his fantasy girl doesn’t quite meet the reality of her. 500 Days of Summer depicts the rollercoaster someone may go on when they fall in love, especially when they fall in love with an idea more than a person.
Many consider 500 Days of Summer one of the best romantic comedies of all-time because it pulls back the veil and shows that love can become toxic when you hold someone to unrealistic standards, and see them more as what you want them to be than who they are. It also offers a refreshing take on the romantic comedy movie.
Stream 500 Days of Summer on Hulu.
Palm Springs (2020)
Palm Springs stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as two wedding guests trying to figure out how to survive a time loop. While testing the limits of their situation, they get to know each other and start to fall in love. Palm Springs was a huge hit for Hulu and was one of the best romantic comedies of 2020.
Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti play two complex but still very likable characters who were not only navigating their time loop situation but also their own personal struggles as humans with complicated lives. Palm Springs also has the added bonus of just being a surprisingly really good movie.
The Princess Bride (1987)
The Princess Bride follows Westley (Cary Elwes) as he goes on a quest to save his true love, Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright). The Princess Bride also stars Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, and Mandy Patinkin.
The Princess Bride made the term “as you wish,” incredibly sexy. It is also one of the few romantic comedy movies that fans can agree is genuinely extremely funny. It takes the concept of a fairy tale romance and breathes new life into it in an over-the-top fun way.
Stream The Princess Bride on Hulu.
Happiest Season (2020)
Happiest Season is a romantic comedy about a woman who accompanies her girlfriend to spend the holiday season with her and her family. The problem is that her girlfriend’s family doesn’t know that they’re dating and that her girlfriend is a lesbian. Happiest Season stars Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Dan Levy, and Aubrey Plaza.
Happiest Season is another hugely successful movie for Hulu. It’s also one of the first mainstream LGBTQ+ holiday movies. It tells an interesting story of the struggles to come out to your family, and to just be comfortable enough to be your true self and to love who you want to love.
Stream Happiest Season on Hulu.
Spontaneous (2020)
Spontaneous is a comedy about Mara (Katherine Langford), a teenage girl who attends a high school where the students start to randomly explode. This confusing and tragic phenomenon unites some of the students, including Mara and Dylan (Charlie Plummer).
Spontaneous isn’t necessarily a straightforward romantic comedy but the romance between Mara and Dylan is one of the key elements of the movie. I remember when I first saw the trailer for Spontaneous, I had no intention of watching it because it seemed incredibly bleak and not a situation that could be made funny. Luckily, one day, I said “I guess I’ll just watch it,” and it was the right decision. Spontaneous offers an insightful look at the fragility of being a mortal and how you have to embrace life to the fullest because you never know when it will end. Spontaneous definitely tackles a bleak topic, but it somehow does it in a hopeful way.
Plus One (2019)
Plus One follows college friends Alice (Maya Erskine) and Ben (Jack Quaid) as they decide to be each other’s plus ones at various weddings. Everyone in their friend group is reaching a certain age and there are a lot of weddings to attend. Alice and Ben are two of the few single people left.
You aren’t sure whether Plus One is going to be a movie about two friends who help each other find love or fall in love with each other. After about ten minutes, you know which movie you want it to become. Quaid and Erskine are extremely likable in this movie, and have an unconventional romantic comedy dynamic, which adds to Plus One’s charm. This is one of those romantic comedy movies that surprised me with how much I enjoyed it.
Love Sarah (2020)
Love Sarah is a dramedy about three generations of women who come together to support Sarah, the best friend, mother, and child of the three women. It stars Shelley Conn, Shannon Tarbet, and Celia Imrie. The film is mainly about the three women, but two of the three find themselves in romantic entanglements.
Love Sarah’s two main romantic stories are cute and interesting, but the core of this movie is these three women working together to make a bakery a success. It also deals with the multi-cultural aspect and beauty of London. Love Sarah feels like your favorite warm pastry, delightful, satisfying, sweet, and comforting.
Breaking Fast (2020)
Breaking Fast is a romantic dramedy about a gay Muslim man who recently broke up with his closeted boyfriend. During Ramadan, he meets a new man and must navigate being true to his faith and exploring a possible new relationship. Breaking Fast’s cast includes Haaz Sleiman, Michael Cassidy, and Amin El Gamal.
Breaking Fast is another really delightful romantic comedy that also has a lot of interesting points about faith, religion, conflicting views, perspective, and showing a varied look at being gay and Muslim. The film also has two really compelling leads and the build up to the first kiss is A+ romantic comedy movie writing.
The films on this list are not only some of the best romantic comedy movies, but some of the best movies on Hulu. These movies are great to watch during the seasons of love or just any time you want that warm fuzzy feeling that romantic comedies give you.
