It's no secret that 2020 was one of the strangest years in the history of cinema. Many planned major releases were postponed to 2021 and the ones that weren't often got released straight to streaming services. It meant that fewer films arrived across all genres, including romantic comedies.
Traditionally, romantic comedies are a staple each year. Audiences love these, as they are typically easy to digest, feature fun characters, and they make people laugh. Although 2020 didn't have a ton of romantic comedies released, there were still a handful that stood out as being funnier than the rest, regardless of how well they were received by critics.
Valley Girl
A remake of the 1983 film of the same name, Valley Girl is a lovely jukebox musical, featuring the characters singing popular songs. The story sees a mother (Alicia Silverstone) telling her daughter about the time she fell in love during the '80s, which is the setting for most of the movie.
In the past, the protagonist (Jessica Rothe) is a valley girl who falls for a punk singer (Josh Whitehouse). While it's not flat out hilarious, there are some funny gags throughout. You also can't help but get a kick out of seeing the over-the-top look at the '80s that the film aims for.
Desperados
The reviews for this Netflix original movie weren't all that positive. It also featured some humor attempts that felt like the writers were trying too hard at certain points. That being said, Desperados managed to work out quite well for one key reason.
The two leads are Nasim Pedrad and Lamorne Morris, who developed tremendous chemistry during their time together on New Girl. Even when they're doing things in Desperados that aren't technically funny, they make you laugh with how well they play off of one another. The plot sees a group of friends, led by Pedrad, travel to Mexico to delete an angry email sent to her boyfriend, who is in a hospital.
The Wrong Missy
Speaking of Netflix original rom-coms that weren't met with high praise, there's The Wrong Missy. As is often the case, Happy Madison Productions released something that was panned. It boasts a wild combination of both funny and cringeworthy moments.
David Spade is mostly fine in this but it's the work of Lauren Lapkus that lifts it. She totally throws herself into the role and goes all-in. The Wrong Missy follows Tim (Spade) as he accidentally invites a terrible past blind date named Melissa (Lapkus) on a work retreat instead of the Melissa he actually had a romantic connection with.
Love Wedding Repeat
In 2012, a French romantic comedy arrived titled Plan de Table. 2020 saw Netflix drop a remake in Love Wedding Repeat. It focuses on a core group of people at a wedding and lays out the various ways in which the event can go by showing different timelines.
These outcomes of the wedding range from total disasters to heartwarming to side-splitting. The cast of Sam Claflin, Olivia Munn, and Freida Pinto are all very good but the scene-stealer who really makes this a blast is Joel Fry. He gets some truly hilarious moments.
The High Note
While this is not a traditional romantic comedy, it is indeed a movie with some memorable laughs and a sweet love story at the center. The comedy is led by the always terrific Tracee Ellis Ross, who brings the charm that made her a star on Black-ish to lead this film.
The romantic side of The High Note is centered on her assistant Maggie (Dakota Johnson) and aspiring musician David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who have remarkable chemistry together. It's one of the more critically-acclaimed entries on this list.
Love And Monsters
Sticking with the theme of something that isn't strictly a romantic comedy, it's Love and Monsters. On paper, this is a monster adventure film that sees humans battling a world taken over by giant creatures. However, once again, love is at the center and there are also plenty of laughs.
The story follows Joel Dawson (Dylan O'Brien), a survivor in a world overrun by monsters, who braves the harshness of the outside to travel to where the woman he loves (Jessica Henwick) is. Though it's not exactly a comedy, this overlooked gem is funnier than one might expect.
Happiest Season
Released on Hulu right around the holidays, Happiest Season put a spin on the expected Christmas films that dominate that time of the year. It centers on lesbian couple Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mckenzie Davis) who visit Harper's family for Christmas, except she hasn't told them that she's gay.
That leads to all sorts of shenanigans in this laugh out loud comedy that also has tons of heart. The supporting cast is filled with hilarious talents like Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Dan Levy, as well as Lauren Lapkus, who appears on this list for the second time. Audiences and critics both enjoyed Happiest Season.
The Lovebirds
One of the first movies to be sent to a streaming service instead of going to theaters, The Lovebirds hit Netflix and was an instant hit. That's mostly because it features a ridiculous premise where a struggling couple witnesses a murder and goes on the run since they might get blamed for it.
The combination of that absurd situation and the two leads is what makes this such a funny film. Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are two of the most impressive actors in the world of comedy and that's what leads the way. They bring big laughs in this breezy movie.
Emma
Again, Emma isn't something you might traditionally put in this genre. However, it's an adaptation of a Jane Austen novel and not many authors in history ever did romantic comedy as well as she did. The premise of Emma is ultimately a simple one on the surface.
Set in Regency-era England, the story follows the titular Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy), a wealthy young lady who spends her free time interfering in the romantic lives of her friends. While it's quite different from the rest of the entries on this list, it's still hilarious at times.
Palm Springs
The time loop trope in films has been done quite often over the past few years. The sci-fi concept has been blended in with several genres over time and 2020 saw it used for a romantic comedy with Palm Springs. It made Sundance Film Festival history by selling for the most money ever.
Palm Springs centers on Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) as they are trapped in a time loop where they relive the same day over and over at a wedding they're both attending. Again, it's a case where the incredible lead actors shine but this is also cleverly written and filled with funny scenes.