2009's 500 Days of Summer showed that a love story doesn't need to have a happy ending to be considered a good movie. In fact, it doesn't even need to be told in a chronological order to be interesting and understandable to the audience.
But contrary to popular belief, Marc Webb's hit romantic comedy-drama isn't the only groundbreaking rom-com lovers of the genre can watch. Though true rom-coms aren't as popular nowadays as they used to be, romance is still in fashion, so the genre gets regularly reimagined and reinvented in different ways.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
The movie's director, Paul Thomas Anderson, is known for his ability to depict realistic, flawed characters who are dealing with loneliness and want to find redemption. His characters aren't perfect, and that's exactly the case with his award-winning black comedy-drama romance Punch-Drunk Love.
The story follows an entrepreneur with social anxiety (played by Adam Sandler in one of his rare dramatic roles) who falls in love with his sister's co-worker (played by Emily Watson).
Frances Ha (2012)
Most recently, Noah Baumbach was on everyone's mind after his drama Marriage Story premiered on Netflix, but the first work that got him a lot of praise was 2012's Frances Ha starring Greta Gerwig in the title role (who has now turned to directing).
The story follows Frances Halladay, a 27-year-old struggling dancer who lives in New York City. Frances isn't someone put together, but by the end of the movie, it's clear that the point isn't in being able to control everything - it's okay to be a little lost.
Love Actually (2003)
Christmas-themed romantic comedies are a staple by this point and many people enjoy them, but after some time, such stories can become repetitive. This isn't the case with 2003's Love Actually which has become a modern classic in its own right.
Having a stellar cast, the movie follows different people and their stories all happening a few weeks before and after Christmas. Instead of showing the classic love story, Love Actually explores different types of love and how love is present in our daily lives, even if we don't always realize it.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Much like Punch-Drunk Love, Silver Linings Playbook isn't exactly about average people or a cookie-cutter relationship. But by showing the personal issues its characters have to go through, it is actually as relatable as any other real-life experience where nothing is ever perfect but that's okay.
Based on the 2008 novel The Silver Linings Playbook, the movie tells the story of Pat (played by Bradley Cooper) who has bipolar disorder and was recently released from a psychiatric hospital. He moves back in with his parents and decides to win back his wife who cheated on him. However, something changes when he meets the young widow Tiffany (played by Jennifer Lawrence) who seems to be going through her own issues.
The Notebook (2004)
Among the most celebrated rom-coms, The Notebook would probably take one of the first places. Perhaps partially due to its dramatic elements, but largely because of its unusual structure and strong performances, it became a box office hit and is now remembered as one of the greatest love stories in cinema.
The story begins in a nursing home where an elderly man reads a certain notebook to one of the other residents. In the story he reads, two young people (played by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) fall in love in the 1940s, but their relationship is tested time and time again.
Her (2013)
In the day and age where technology has become ever-present in our day-to-day lives, the story from Her feels like it could happen anytime in real life. No wonder that the movie received five Academy Award nominations and won one of them for Best Original Screenplay.
Set in the near future, Her follows a young man named Theodore Twombly (played by Joaquin Phoenix) who works for a business that composes letters for people who are unable to write letters to their loved ones. Theodore is going through a divorce and is quite lonely, but after purchasing the new AI-based virtual assistant, he starts developing feelings for the program.
La La Land (2016)
Musicals have long gone out of fashion, but the recent La La Land (which became a hit both critically and commercially) is a throwback to the golden age of Hollywood and musical romances. Yet, director Damien Chazelle's unique take on the genre is probably the reason for its immense success and multiple awards.
Set in Los Angeles, La La Land follows two creative young people who are pursuing their dreams. Mia (played by Emma Stone) is an actress working as a barista while Sebastian (played by Ryan Gosling) is a struggling jazz pianist barely making a living from the gigs he gets. Over time, they fall in love with each other but realize the price they would need to pay for success.
Annie Hall (1977)
Among rom-com classics, 1977's Annie Hall stands out as a movie that was made a long time ago but it still very relevant today. No wonder that it won a total of four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director (Woody Allen), Best Actress (Diane Keaton), and Best Original Screenplay (Allen and Marshall Brickman).
To put it simply, the story actually begins at the end. Alvy Singer (played by Allen) tries to figure out why his relationship with Annie Hall (played by Keaton) failed a year ago.
Amelie (2001)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie doesn't spend a lot of time on the title character's love life, but it's still a rom-com that has become a modern classic. It's not often that foreign films get five Academy Award nominations, so it's obvious that Amelie was one of its kind with its distinctive visual style and an ensemble of memorable characters.
Set in Montmartre in Paris, the movie focuses on the young Amelie Poulain, a shy waitress peacefully living her life. But despite her own isolation and loneliness, she decides to change the lives of those around her and bring more joy into their mundane reality.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Much like Her, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind combines romance and sci-fi effortlessly, and just like 500 Days of Summer, it doesn't rely on a linear narrative to tell its incredible story.
Joel (played by Jim Carrey) and Clementine (played by Kate Winslet) are tired of each other and decide to end their relationship. Moreover, they completely erase the memories of each other with the help of a company offering such services. But the point is not in the fact that they did it, but what made them do it in the first place.