“ Pretty In Pink”, “Clueless”, “Love Actually”… countless romantic comedies-affectionately called “Rom-Coms”- have “warmed” the hearts of many and shaped their views on love for decades. As time has progressed and new rom-coms are being released left and right, audiences are beginning to wonder if rom-coms are starting to go downhill.

  For some individuals, it depends on the timeframe where their favorite movies were made. Kyla Vitkovsky (’24) frequently watches rom-coms, preferring films made in the 1980s. 

   “Rom-coms now only copy the iconic ones of the past. They have no originality anymore. Rom-coms have definitely gone downhill because the creativity and artistic freedom have gone down in Hollywood,” Vitkovsky said.

   Original rom-coms like “Some Kind of Wonderful”, “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, and “Sixteen Candles” are considered the “classics” of the rom-com genre, and it is rarely possible to “beat the original” as some may say. However, recent romantic comedies like “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “My Life With the Walter Boys” have audiences enthralled, anticipating the release of the next seasons. 

   Alicia Laping (’24) enjoys watching a good rom-com in her free time, especially ones that employ the widely-known “enemies to lovers” cliché.

    “I don’t think rom-coms are going downhill at all, it draws in today’s teenagers because it’s more relatable,” Laping said.

     With the infusion of current technologies and trends into recent shows, rom-coms can better relate to their Gen-Z audience. Many of these influences came from social media, and shows often add a quick reference or two about trending subjects.

   Some students perceive this in a more negative light. Autumn Arnone (’25) enjoys rom-coms from the 2000s, like “The Proposal.”

    “I think they [romantic comedies] were funnier back then because the humor was a little more timeless. The modern versions make references to pop culture that won’t be relevant in a few years,” Arnone said.

   Both perspectives offer valid reasons for their opinions. In the next few decades, only time will tell if audiences will be watching the true “classics”, or the modern adaptations that may fail to mirror their originality.