The season of love is around the corner. Pre-game Valentine’s Day with these 16 funny films on HBO Max.

The 16 best romantic comedies to laugh and swoon over on HBO Max

The season of love is around the corner. Pre-game Valentine's Day with these 16 funny films on HBO Max.

By Ilana Gordon and Angela Andaloro

on January 15, 2026 11:59 a.m. ET

Judi Dench as Evelyn Greenslade in 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'; Billy Crystal as Harry Burns and Meg Ryan as Sally Albright in 'When Harry Met Sally'; Lena Dunham as Aura in 'Tiny Furniture'. Credit:

Ishika Mohan/Fox Searchlight; MGM; Joe Anderson/IFC

When the world feels like it’s falling apart, a romantic comedy can offer 90 minutes of stability. Constructed using familiar tropes and comforting formulas, the genre is like a narrative pacifier: built to soothe. The films on this list remind viewers that good things do happen in life. People fall in love and build lives together, even at the height of World War II or while navigating the depths of grief.

Love keeps the world spinning. So if you feel yourself spiraling out of control, turn on one of HBO Max’s 16 best rom-coms, breathe, and laugh for a bit.

Am I OK? (2022)

Dakota Johnson as Lucy in 'Am I OK?'.

A coming-out and coming-of-middle-age movie co-directed by comics and real-life spouses Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, *Am I Ok? *is the queer millennial movie you didn’t know you needed. Dakota Johnson stars as Lucy, a woman stuck in career and romantic limbo, who is forced out of her everyday mundanity by a new understanding of her sexuality and her best friend’s upcoming international move.

A comedy about love — both platonic and romantic — the movie was filmed during the pandemic and premiered at Sundance, but has since found a home on HBO Max, and a fan base amongst movie lovers who enjoy authentic comedies about late bloomers finding love and themselves. *—Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *Am I OK?*: HBO Max

**Directors: **Tig Notaro, Stephanie Allynne

**Cast: **Dakota Johnson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jermaine Fowler, Kiersey Clemons, Molly Gordon

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Judi Dench as Evelyn Greenslade in 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'. Ishika Mohan

Everything is more affordable in India, even retirement. In *The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel*, a group of British retirees uproot to South Asia to live in what they believe will be an exotic home for seniors. In typical romantic comedy fashion, the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel does not come as advertised, and the group is left to contend with their new culture and cohabitants.

*Best Exotic *is the rare comedy that explores love in life’s later years without making age the butt of the joke. And the ensemble cast, led by Judi Dench as a financially strapped widow, is filled with your favorite British movie stars. If a sweet rom-com in a vibrant setting is what you’re after, check into *The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel*. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel*: HBO Max

**Director: **John Madden

**Cast:** Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Dev Patel, Celia Imrie

Casablanca (1942)

Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund in 'Casablanca'. Everett Collection

Despite boasting some of the best quotes in all of cinematic history, *Casablanca* was just one of many films churned out by the studio system in the early years of World War II. But something about the movie's heart-wrenching love triangle, political and social relevance, and lush setting charmed viewers, propelling the project to an unexpected Best Picture win, and a permanent spot on almost every Best Of list.

Electricity rations were common at the time of the movie's release, but entirely unnecessary — the sexual currents pulsating between stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman had to have been strong enough to generate power for a small city, at the very least. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Casablanca*: HBO Max

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Michael Curtiz

**Cast: **Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

City Lights (1931)

Charlie Chaplin as the Tramp and Virginia Cherrill as the Blind Girl in 'City Lights'.

Courtesy Everett

HBO Max offers a number of Charlie Chaplin’s movies, features and shorts — the actor, director, and composer made 81 throughout the course of his career — but *City Lights *shines brighter than most. Released in 1931, a few years after “talkies” began overtaking theaters, Chaplin chose to limit *City Light’s *sound to its score. But even without dialogue, this romantic comedy creates an emotional vibe that an EW critic called a "consummate weeper."

Chaplin returns as the Little Tramp, his signature character, who falls in love with a young blind woman. When the woman mistakes him for a millionaire, the Tramp befriends an actual millionaire and hopes to use his money to pay for an operation that would restore the woman’s sight. The movie is a must-see for any comedy or cinema history enthusiast. —*I.G.*

Where to watch *City Lights*: HBO Max

**Director: **Charlie Chaplin

**Cast: **Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee, Harry Myers, Al Ernest Garcia

Dinner With Friends (2001)

Toni Collette as Beth, Dennis Quaid as Gabe, Greg Kinnear as Tom, and Andie MacDowell as Karen in 'Dinner With Friends'. Everett

HBO Max's cinematic adaptation of Donald Margulies' Pulitzer Prize-winning 1998 play, *Dinner With Friends *maintains the original's simple premise while mining deep for emotional and personal revelations. The story of two New England couples dealing with the fact that one of the pairs is divorcing, the film captures the unexpected moments of vulnerability and honesty that define long-term relationships — even ones that are falling apart.

Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell are perfectly cast as a pair of foodies who are more comfortable navigating what's on their dinner plates than what's going on in their friends' lives, and Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette toggle between insecurity and self-assurance as the couple whose marriage is broken up by an affair with a younger woman. Haute cuisine served over seven scenes, *Dinner With Friends *is the rare adaptation that remains faithful to the original while still finding new paths to tread. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Dinner With Friends*: HBO Max

**Director: **Norman Jewison

**Cast: **Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette

I Married a Witch (1942)

Frederic March as Wallace and Veronica Lake as Jennifer in 'I Married a Witch'.

Donaldson Collection/Getty

Fans of the ‘60s sitcom *Bewitched *might want to check out *I Married a Witch*, a romantic comedy whose lighthearted absurdism was likely intended to serve as a distraction from the violence happening overseas during the Second World War.

Veronica Lake stars as Jennifer, a witch who returns to Earth centuries after being burned at the stake, seeking revenge against the descendant of Jonathan Wooley, the Puritan who persecuted her. But her plans for retribution are rerouted after Jennifer meets Wallace Wooley, an aspiring politician, and falls in love with him. All of the Wooley men in the movie are portrayed by Fredric March, but it’s Lake’s wit and charisma that carry the film. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *I Married a Witch*: HBO Max

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **René Clair

**Cast: **Fredric March, Veronica Lake, Robert Benchley, Susan Hayward, Cecil Kellaway

It’s Complicated (2009)

Meryl Streep as Jane Adler and Steve Martin as Adam Schaffer in 'It's Complicated'.

Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal/Courtesy Everett

You can expect three things from a Nancy Meyers film: romance, comedy, and superior kitchens. The Meyers trifecta is on full display in *It’s Complicated*, a movie that EW’s critic at the time referred to as “middle-aged femme porn.” Meryl Streep stars as Jane Adler, a successful bakery owner whose amicable relationship with her ex-husband, Jake (Alec Baldwin), takes a detour back into the romantic after a decade apart.

A broad comedy distinguished by its excellent cast and focus on romanticizing the love and sex lives of middle-aged people,* It’s Complicated* keeps its story and message simple. And by doing so in such an aesthetic and well-executed style, it feels like a real treat. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *It's Complicated*: HBO Max

**Director: **Nancy Meyers

**Cast:** Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski, Lake Bell

The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2000)

Billie Whitelaw as Evelyn and Judi Dench as Elizabeth in 'The Last of the Blonde Bombshells'. HBO/Everett

A film with a sensibility that can only be described as singularly British, *The Last of the Blonde Bombshells *is a romantic comedy with some rhythm. Elizabeth (Judi Dench) spent World War II playing saxophone in a swing band called the Blonde Bombshells. After the death of her husband, Elizabeth reconnects with Patrick (Ian Holm) — the band's former drummer and only male member, who avoided conscription during the war by cross-dressing.

When the pair start dating, Elizabeth decides to get the band back together, but discovers the Bombshells have scattered with members in jail, suffering from alcoholism, and devoted to the Salvation Army. Witty and nostalgic, *The Last of the Blonde Bombshells *is another piece of evidence that blondes really do have more fun. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Last of the Blonde Bombshells*: HBO Max

**Director: **Gillies MacKinnon

**Cast: **Judi Dench, Ian Holm, Romola Garai, Olympia Dukakis

Let Them All Talk (2020)

Meryl Streep as Alice in 'Let Them All Talk'. HBO Max

Joan Didion once said "Writers are always selling someone out," and that is exactly what Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Hughes (Meryl Streep) is accused of doing. In *Let Them All Talk*, Alice boards the Queen Mary 2 on a transatlantic trip with the intention of writing her new book and spending time with two of her oldest friends (Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest). But as the voyage proceeds, Alice ends up battling with Roberta (Bergen) over how much of her original book was based on Roberta's life, and watching as her nephew Tyler (Lucas Hedges) falls for her literary agent, Karen (Gemma Chan).

Funny, wise, bitter, primarily improvised, and made in barely two weeks, EW's critic describes the film as "a chance to spend two hours watching Streep & Co. make the most of Deborah Eisenberg's deliciously salty script, while Soderbergh — who also serves as cinematographer — shoots it all in ruthless, radiant light." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Let Them All Talk*: HBO Max

**EW grade: **A–

**Director: **Steven Soderbergh

**Cast: **Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest, Gemma Chan, Lucas Hedges

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The Lobster (2015)

Jessica Barden as Nosebleed Woman and Colin Farrell as David in 'The Lobster'.

Everett Collection

An absurdist black comedy that satirizes our culture's discomfort around uncoupled people, *The Lobster* asks what would happen if singles were given 45 days to find a mate, or be transformed into the animal of their choice. After David's (Colin Farrell) wife leaves him, he is taken to a hotel and instructed to find someone compatible. But when an incident involving a potential life partner forces him to flee into the woods to live with the loners, David discovers that it doesn't matter where you are or who you're with — falling in love is never easy. *The Lobster* is one of the most original romantic comedies, and will live in your brain rent-free for weeks after watching. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Lobster*: HBO Max

**EW grade: **A

**Director: **Yorgos Lanthimos

**Cast:** Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

John Corbett as Ian Miller and Nia Vardalos as Toula Portokalos in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. Gold Circle Films

Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) embraces her role as the loyal yet overlooked member of her enormous clan until she decides to take control of her life at 30. While her parents tirelessly seek the perfect Greek man for her, Toula knows none of those suitors stand a chance against WASP English teacher Ian Miller (John Corbett), who's head over heels for her and is ready to take on the challenge of getting her family to approve their marriage. (He's really all that and a bottle of Windex!)

Adapted from Vardalos' one-woman show based on her real-life family, *My Big Fat Greek Wedding** *delves into the dynamics of growing up in an immigrant household deeply rooted in their culture, navigating a world that centers on conformity. —*Angela Andaloro*

Where to watch *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*: HBO Max

**Director:** Joel Zwick

**Cast:** Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides**

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Debbie Reynolds as Kathy Selden and Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood in 'Singin' in the Rain'. Everett Collection

Widely considered one of the best musicals ever captured on film, *Singin' in the Rain* has everything from music and dance to comedy and romance. Released 29 years after the entertainment industry premiered its first movie featuring sound-on-film, the story stars Gene Kelly as a celebrated silent film actor struggling to make the jump to the talkies, and Debbie Reynolds as an up-and-coming actress trying to break into the business.

The majority of the film's comedy and over-the-top dance numbers are provided by the charismatic Donald O'Connor, and Jean Hagen makes a delightful (and Oscar-nominated) turn as Lina, a silent movie star with a face for film and a Brooklyn accent strong enough to stop traffic. A beloved treasure and shining representative from Hollywood's Golden Era, *Singin' in the Rain* continues to endure and inspire. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Singin' in the Rain*: HBO Max

**Directors: **Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly

**Cast: **Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen

Tiny Furniture (2010)

Lena Dunham as Aura and Alex Karpovsky as Jed in 'Tiny Furniture'.

Lena Dunham made a name for herself as a filmmaker in 2010 with her debut indie, *Tiny Furniture*. Written, directed by, and starring Dunham — as well as her mother and younger sibling, Cyrus Grace Dunham — this rom-com is one of the first to investigate millennial post-grad life from the perspective of a real millennial.

A definite forerunner to *Girls*, the film covers similar thematic territory and includes a few familiar faces. Dunham demonstrates an early understanding of her point of view, and whether you enjoy her particular brand of self-aware entitlement or not, the film stands up to critical analysis. EW’s critic writes, “ It’s a tiny tale of inertia, and it’s also the grand triumph of a young artist with a mature trust in her own unique voice.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Tiny Furniture*: HBO Max

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Lena Dunham

**Cast: **Lena Dunham, Laurie Simmons, Cyrus Grace Dunham, David Call, Alex Karpovsky

We Live in Time (2024)

Andrew Garfield as Tobias and Florence Pugh as Almut in 'We Live in Time'.

Peter Mountain/StudioCanal

A romantic dramedy about love, aging, and what it truly means to live life to the fullest, *We Live in Time* is a film told across three different timelines. From the moment Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) first meet — she hits him with her car as he’s on his way to sign divorce papers — it’s clear this film is not interested in employing a traditional, linear, narrative structure.

The movie jumps between past, present, and future, and while the logic for why the story moves the way it does isn’t always clear, the characters, their relationship, and the chemistry between Pugh and Garfield is strong enough to ground the audience through the leaps. Director John Crowley tells EW that his film’s ambition is to “hopefully capture the sense of what it feels like to be on the inside of a relationship.” He pulls it off, and the result is charming. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *We Live in Time*: HBO Max

**Director: **John Crowley

**Cast: **Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh

Wedding Crashers (2005)

Rachel McAdams as Claire Cleary and Owen Wilson as John Beckwith in 'Wedding Crashers'. Everett Collection

A bromantic comedy with more depth than meets the eye, *Wedding Crashers* tells the story of John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn), two D.C. mediators with little faith in the sacred bonds of matrimony. What they do believe in, however, is the power of the wedding reception to act as an accelerant for picking up women, which is why these best friends have turned the act of crashing weddings into a seasonal sport. But after John meets Claire (Rachel McAdams) at her sister’s nuptials, he finds he’s willing to overlook traditional crashing etiquette to get closer. And while spending the weekend with Claire’s wealthy and powerful family at their Maryland compound, John and Jeremy are forced to reexamine their beliefs around love and marriage, and discover there might be more to life than crashing. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Wedding Crashers*: HBO Max.

**EW grade: **A–

**Director: **David Dobkin

**Cast:** Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Meg Ryan as Sally Albright and Billy Crystal as Harry Burns in 'When Harry Met Sally'. Columbia/Courtesy Everett Collection

There are many reasons why Nora Ephron movies are considered the gold standard of romantic comedies — and *When Harry Met Sally* is one of them. A classic tale of “will they or won’t they?” Rob Reiner's film follows Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as Harry Burns and Sally Albright, recent college grads who first meet on a road trip from Chicago to New York City. As the years pass, the two grow up and settle down separately in the Big Apple, where they continue to run into each other.

Ephron’s witty screenplay stands solidly on its own, but Reiner's direction takes it to the next level. *When Harry Met Sally* is one of his best films, and watching it is a beautiful way to honor his legacy. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *When Harry Met Sally*: HBO Max

**Director:** Rob Reiner

**Cast: **Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby

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