With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the mood is ripe for the return of the Romantic Comedy (rom-com, for short). Yet reviews for recent offerings like Marry Me starring JLo and Owen Wilson, or the Ashton Kutcher–Reese Witherspoon vehicle Your Place Or Mine have been middling at best and scathing at worst. Going purely by scores on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems almost safe to assume that this generation’s rom-coms are not hitting the mark with audiences in the same way their predecessors of the 1990s and early 2000s did.

The 90s and early 2000s gave us unforgettable classics like When Harry Met Sally, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which made us swoon, laugh, and even shed some tears. The rom-com even established careers for actors like Julia Roberts, whose most iconic performances include Pretty Woman, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and of course, Notting Hill.

Once the reigning champion of the box office, successes in the rom-com genre today are few and far between. What could be behind their declining popularity? In this blog, we delve into some possible reasons.

1. The changing landscape

By the 2010s, rom-coms had taken a backseat to flashier, big-budget films as studios began to cater to audiences’ growing appetite for visual extravagance. This explains the seemingly never-ending release of Marvel projects and movies. As entertainment and culture writer Scott Meslow observes, “We’re now in an era where audiences expect spectacle in the theatrical experience.” Moreover, the rise of streaming platforms has transformed the way audiences consume content. Binge-watching has become the new norm, with younger viewers preferring serialised narratives over the traditional hour-and-a-half movie format. Platforms like Netflix have capitalised on this trend with teen romance dramas like Never Have I Ever and XO, Kitty.

2. Where is the love?

Another contributing factor to the rom-com’s decline is the genre’s shift towards emphasising comedy over romance. Modern rom-coms often make the mistake of trying to cram in as many comedic set-pieces and gimmicky one-liners as possible, consequently overshadowing the emotional core of a good romance. This leaves audiences yearning for the depth and earnestness that have made its predecessors so beloved. Whatever happened to, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her”?

3. The need for unique perspectives

Audiences today also crave fresh and unique perspectives that deviate from the tired and formulaic plots that have dominated the genre for decades. Amidst the outcry of the “#OscarsSoWhite” movement, it is no wonder that Crazy Rich Asians is the only rom-com to have made the 20 top-grossing movies from 2010 to date, proving a dire need for more diversity and representation in Hollywood.

RISE OF THE K-DRAMA

While it is clear that the West is seeing a drought in the genre, the rom-com is having its own moment in Asian productions, with movies like Till We Meet Again, Dear Ex, and This Is Not What I Expected garnering widely positive reviews and praise from viewers. The enduring popularity of K-dramas, like Crash Landing on You and Descendants of the Sun, also reinforces the idea that Asians simply know how to capture the essence of a compelling romance.

It is all in the slow-burn approach, a hallmark of the K-drama, which takes its time to develop the connection between the two main protagonists, emphasising the small heart-fluttering moments (e.g., hand holding and longing gazes) over the cliched grand sweeping gestures often found in Western rom-coms.

So, what can the decline of rom-coms teach us storytellers?
  1. Embrace the streaming revolution: The preference for binge-watching indicates a shift in audience behaviour. Storytellers and content creators should consider adapting their narratives to fit the long-form episodic format favoured by viewers, providing a more sustained and enjoyable experience.
  2. Less is more: Cramming too many elements into a 90-minute rom-com can ruin the viewing experience. This genre thrives when the romance is unobscured and takes centre stage, focusing on the connection between characters and the emotional journey they undertake.
  3. The importance of representation: To breathe new life into the genre, storytelling must embrace diverse perspectives. By sharing stories from underrepresented communities, new and refreshing narratives can emerge, resonating with audiences hungry for authentic and inclusive content.

 

What’s Next?

The beauty of the rom-com is the nuanced dance between relatability of our everyday experiences, and the story of love that we long for. This is not far different from creating compelling stories that grip the audience and keep them hooked on your content.

Learn to craft and deliver impactful stories that captivate through our “Storytelling for Advertising”and “Speak with Impact” workshops!

Keen to find out more?

Email us at offshootsacademy@tuber.sg and we’ll be in touch.

Text by: Mary Francesca Lantican | Illustration by: Angela Macasinag