We all need some rom coms to trick our significant others into watching! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the romantic movies that don’t follow the old-school rom-com formula.
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00:00 "I said stay, so you stayed. I can't even make a call, he stayed."
00:03 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks
00:08 for the romantic movies that don't follow the old school rom-com formula.
00:13 "So afraid you're about to say something awful."
00:15 "Don't be pessimistic. It's not your style."
00:18 Number 10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
00:23 Many people's number one complaint about rom-coms is that a lot of them
00:27 just aren't that funny. This movie does not have that problem.
00:31 "And if I see Van Helsing, I swear to the Lord I will slay you."
00:35 Producer Judd Apatow and director Nicholas Stoller are well-versed in comedy,
00:41 and they know how to get plenty of laughs out of awkward situations.
00:44 With a cast full of talented comedic actors,
00:47 this story about moving on from a bad breakup puts the hilarity front and center.
00:51 "Well, this is awkward."
00:56 "This is awkward."
00:58 Although Peter's budding romance with Rachel is an important element,
01:02 the movie avoids getting sappy and instead keeps the jokes coming.
01:06 No wonder it was a hit with critics and audiences alike.
01:09 "That's interesting, man. You know what else is interesting? Me on the moon."
01:12 "I just want to talk to you about something. Can you stop?"
01:16 Number 9. Set It Up.
01:19 This Netflix comedy proves that you can follow all the standard rom-com tropes
01:23 and still make a genuinely funny and entertaining movie.
01:26 "You like expensive stuff and let a 23-year-old walk all over you, and yet you're tolerable."
01:35 Charlie and Harper are both assistants to demanding workaholic bosses.
01:39 When they meet one evening by chance,
01:41 they realize that they could each get more time away from work
01:44 if their employers started dating each other.
01:46 "We need a meet-cute. Like, every great romance has a meet-cute."
01:51 The two devise a plan to set up their bosses,
01:53 and of course, plenty of hijinks and shenanigans follow.
01:57 This is a rom-com, so you already know that Charlie and Harper
02:00 are also going to fall for each other along the way.
02:03 "This is the best meal I've ever had."
02:05 "In my entire life."
02:10 Since both characters are genuinely likable and have great chemistry,
02:15 you'll actually find yourself rooting for the romance.
02:18 Number 8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
02:21 "I apply my personality at a paste."
02:23 "Oh, I doubt that very much."
02:25 "Well, you don't know me, so... you don't know, do you?"
02:31 After a painful breakup, have you ever wished you could just forget about your ex?
02:35 Joel and Clementine decide to do exactly that,
02:38 undergoing a neurological procedure that erases all memories of each other from their brains.
02:43 "The first thing we need you to do, Mr. Barish, is to go home and collect
02:49 everything you own that has some association with Clementine."
02:52 Joel is forced to relive those memories as they disappear,
02:56 and along the way, he rediscovers what drew him to Clem in the first place.
03:00 Like most of Charlie Kaufman's movies, this one is a smart, complex dive into human nature,
03:05 and the idea that nothing, including romance, is ever as simple as it looks from the outside.
03:10 "He's gonna be gone soon."
03:12 "I know."
03:15 "What do we do?"
03:18 "Enjoy it."
03:23 Number 7. Harold and Maud
03:25 Big age gaps are pretty common in on-screen romances,
03:29 but usually the male partner is the older one.
03:31 This movie flips that trope on its head and runs with it.
03:34 "Oh, Harold. You make me feel like a schoolgirl."
03:41 Harold is young, depressed, and can't stop thinking about death,
03:45 while Maud is nearly 80 and determined to get the most out of life.
03:48 After they meet at a stranger's funeral,
03:50 Harold finds himself irresistibly drawn to Maud's uninhibited personality and sense of humor.
03:56 The absolutely deadpan comedy combined with some truly poignant moments
04:11 make this movie a bit of an emotional roller coaster.
04:14 Harold's family reacts to his relationship with Maud about how you'd expect.
04:18 "And although normally I have nothing against marriage,
04:20 I don't think this is quite, uh, normal."
04:25 But the ultimate lesson of this film is never let other people dictate
04:29 how you should live your life.
04:30 Number 6. Bros
04:32 In some ways, this is a pretty typical rom-com.
04:35 The two leads meet, and at first it seems like they couldn't be more different.
04:39 "What is this?"
04:41 "Old school Mariah. How do you not know this?"
04:44 "I'm more of a country guy, you know, like Garth Brooks."
04:48 "Garth Brooks?"
04:50 But as they get to know each other,
04:51 they discover that they actually have a lot in common, and they start to fall in love.
04:56 However, Bros isn't just a rom-com with a gay couple swapped out for the usual straight couple.
05:01 It's a serious look at the unique struggles that people in LGBTQ+ relationships face,
05:06 and the difficulty of dealing with internalized homophobia.
05:09 "I'd rather be a cliche than be miserable."
05:12 "Well, my 15-year-old brain in 1995, that is all I thought about."
05:16 It's also totally hilarious.
05:19 Bros takes the old-fashioned Hollywood formula
05:22 and uses it to tell a story about romance in the 21st century.
05:26 "I just really love you."
05:27 "I love you too."
05:30 "You like love, bro?"
05:32 "Oh yeah."
05:33 Number 5. Amelie
05:37 "Elle est amoureuse."
05:38 This whimsical French film straddles the line between romance and fantasy,
05:51 and does both brilliantly.
05:53 The introverted Amelie likes to do good deeds for other people behind the scenes,
05:57 but she's too shy to pursue a relationship for herself.
06:00 "Où qu'il soit, elle va retrouver la piste du propriétaire de la boîte au souvenir
06:04 et lui restituer son trésor.
06:05 Si ça le touche, c'est décidé.
06:09 Elle commence à se mêler de la vie des autres."
06:10 Instead, she retreats into her vivid imagination,
06:14 devising complicated schemes to interact with her love interest
06:17 without actually talking to him.
06:19 Featuring gorgeous cinematography, a beautiful score,
06:22 and a delightful cast of quirky characters,
06:25 Amelie is a true feel-good movie and a celebration of all the simple joys in life.
06:30 "Alors, allez-y, non t'inchière."
06:35 Number 4. As Good As It Gets
06:40 Melvin is a terrible person.
06:42 He's rude, demanding, and hilariously insulting to everyone,
06:46 and only a waitress named Carol can put up with his behavior.
06:49 "Not that you're ugly, is that what you're saying?"
06:52 "Easy, easy, pal, I can take the compliment.
06:54 But my knees start knocking when you turn on the charm.
06:57 Full blast."
06:58 However, an unusual set of circumstances forces him
07:01 to start opening up to those around him.
07:03 He first bonds with his neighbor's dog,
07:05 then with the neighbor himself.
07:07 Finally, romance begins to blossom between Melvin and Carol,
07:10 though to call it a rocky relationship would be an understatement.
07:13 "I'm not going to sleep with you.
07:15 I will never sleep with you, never, ever.
07:18 Not ever."
07:21 This movie is unquestionably one of the funniest on our list,
07:24 with Jack Nicholson at his comedic best.
07:27 Melvin is totally unfiltered,
07:29 and nearly every line out of his mouth makes us laugh out loud.
07:33 "I mean, I'm drowning here, and you're describing the water.
07:36 Well, picking on me won't help.
07:38 Well, if that's true, I'm really in trouble."
07:43 Number Three.
07:44 The Lobster.
07:45 "What's worse?
07:46 To die of cold and hunger in the woods?
07:49 To become an animal that will be killed and eaten by some bigger animal?
07:52 Or to have a nosebleed from time to time?"
07:54 The premise of this movie is simple.
07:56 Single people have 45 days to find a relationship,
07:59 or they'll be transformed into the animal of their choice.
08:02 Of course, most of the characters spend more time trying to game the system
08:06 than they do actually looking for love.
08:08 "I think I saw a woman with a limp."
08:10 "It's just a sprained ankle.
08:11 She'll be walking normally again in a few days."
08:15 "That's a shame."
08:16 Featuring plenty of director Yorgos Lanthimos's trademark absurdist humor,
08:20 The Lobster is as much satire and social commentary as it is rom-com.
08:25 The most ridiculous situations are played totally seriously,
08:29 and the actor's deadpan delivery of every line makes for a brilliant black comedy.
08:34 "You need to choose a companion that is a similar type of animal to you.
08:37 A wolf and a penguin could never live together.
08:40 Nor could a camel and a hippopotamus.
08:42 That would be absurd."
08:44 Number Two.
08:46 Groundhog Day.
08:47 It's such a beloved classic that a lot of people don't even think of it as a rom-com.
08:51 Although it's definitely a comedy with a romance at its center,
08:54 Groundhog Day tosses every rom-com trope out the window.
08:58 "I like to see a man of advancing years throwing caution to the wind.
09:01 It's inspiring in a way."
09:03 "My years are not advancing as fast as you might think."
09:07 There's no meet cute, no love triangle,
09:09 just a weatherman stuck in a time loop until he can improve himself enough to win over Andy McDowell.
09:15 Obviously it's all-time great comedian Bill Murray who makes this movie work.
09:19 "Hey, an assassin!
09:21 I'll protect you, your majesty.
09:24 I shall die for you.
09:25 You shall not take her!
09:27 Find cover, my lady!"
09:28 When Phil discovers that his actions have no lasting consequences,
09:31 he does what most of us would do in that situation.
09:34 He goes a little crazy.
09:35 His non-stop antics combined with the heartwarming message at the movie's core
09:39 are the reason this one is so universally loved.
09:42 "I think he's the kindest, sweetest, prettiest person I've ever met in my life."
09:48 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:53 Gross point blank.
09:54 Even hired hitmen deserve a chance at love.
09:56 "It's Martin."
09:57 "I know who you are.
09:59 You're not dead."
10:02 "Hi."
10:04 "Hi. Shake my hand."
10:06 "How are ya?"
10:07 High fidelity.
10:08 There's a reason John Cusack is one of the great rom-com kings.
10:12 "Top five things I miss about Laura.
10:13 One, sense of humor.
10:15 Very dry, but it can also be warm and forgiving.
10:18 She's got one of the best all-time laughs in the history of all-time laughs.
10:21 She laughs with her entire body."
10:23 Young adult.
10:24 This movie leans hard into the awkward and painful parts of romance.
10:28 "I like a decor.
10:29 Is it shabby chic?"
10:32 "Pier one?"
10:34 "A little bit goodwill.
10:36 Buddy and I used to go thrifting all the time.
10:39 Remember that?"
10:40 The Philadelphia Story.
10:42 A star-studded screwball comedy that's one of the original classics of the genre.
10:46 "Sometimes for your own sake, Red, I think you should have stuck to me longer."
10:49 "I thought it was for life, but the nice judge gave me a full pardon."
10:52 "Ah, that's the old redhead.
10:54 No bitterness, no recrimination.
10:56 Just a good swift left of the jaw."
10:57 The Apartment.
10:59 This best picture winner is just as funny now as the day it was released.
11:03 "What did you do to your hair?"
11:04 "It was making me nervous, so I chopped it off.
11:06 Big mistake, huh?"
11:08 "No, I sort of like it."
11:09 "You've got a lulu."
11:11 "Huh? Yeah, better not get too close."
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11:27 Number 1.
11:30 When Harry Met Sally.
11:31 "Well, I guess we're not gonna be friends then."
11:33 "Guess not."
11:33 "That's too bad.
11:35 You were the only person that I knew in New York."
11:38 If this movie doesn't make you appreciate rom-coms, nothing will.
11:42 When Harry Met Sally follows the two leads through a series of meetups over the course of 12 years.
11:47 Initially, they don't actually like each other much,
11:50 but eventually they bond over shared heartbreaks and life troubles.
11:53 This might sound like the old enemies to lovers cliche,
11:56 but the relationship in this movie is much more grounded in reality.
12:00 "It might be months before we're actually able to enjoy going out with someone new."
12:03 "Yeah."
12:05 "And maybe longer, before we're actually able to go to bed with someone new."
12:09 "Oh, I went to bed with him."
12:10 Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal are both so charming and effortlessly funny,
12:14 they're guaranteed to win you over.
12:16 It also features what might be the most iconic line in rom-com history,
12:21 delivered by director Rob Reiner's mom.
12:23 "I'll have what she's having."
12:26 Which rom-com made you believe in love?
12:29 Let us know in the comments.
12:31 "And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve.
12:35 I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody,
12:39 you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
12:42 Do you agree with our picks?
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12:50 [Music]