Call us nostalgic, but ’90s rom-coms are the best movie genre out there! If you’re new to the classics, due for a binge, or just want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a box of chocolates, wine, and rom-coms on your couch, you’ve come to the right place.
Notting Hill (1999)
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A chance encounter over spilled orange juice blossoms into a full-blown love affair. William Thacker (Hugh Grant) is a London bookstore owner who falls in love with American actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts). As they get closer, they struggle to find common ground due to their radically different lifestyles. Good chaos ensues, and there are scandals, dinner parties, interviews, witty dialogue, and charming performances, all to reassure you that sometimes love happens at the most unexpected time in the most unexpected place. Watch now on Amazon Prime.
You’ve Got Mail (1998)
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Bibliophiles, put your book down for a few hours and thank us later. A Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks film is never a bad idea! Ryan plays a struggling bookseller who despises Hanks’ character, the owner of a chain bookstore that just moved in across the street. Coincidentally, the couple meets online and begins an anonymous internet romance, oblivious to who the other one is falling for. Eventually, one of them figures it out, and, well, you’ll just have to watch it for yourself to see what happens. Watch now on Amazon Prime.
Sliding Doors (1998)
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Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) is fired from her corporate London job and rushes to catch the train home. The twist is two very different scenarios take place. In one, she gets on the train and arrives home to find her boyfriend in bed with another woman; in the other, she misses the train and arrives after the woman has left. One scenario leads her to find a new man and improve her life; in the other universe, she’s miserable. If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’ve wondered, “What if?” this rom-com is for you. Watch now on Peacock.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
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Another Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks classic! After his wife’s death, Sam Baldwin (Hanks) moves to Seattle with his son. When his son calls into a radio program to find a new wife for his father, Sam hops on the line to discuss his feelings. Millions of women hear this and coincidentally fall for him, including Annie Reed (Ryan). Annie writes Sam a letter asking him to meet her at the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day, and that’s where our summary ends! Watch now on AMC+.
The Wedding Singer (1998)
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This movie is set in the mid-1980s, and Adam Sandler plays a nice guy with a broken heart who, ironically, has the very romantic job of wedding singer. He’s left at the altar and loses all hope of love until he meets Julia (Drew Barrymore), who asks him to help her plan her wedding. He falls in love and tries to win her over before she ties the knot herself. Watch now on Hulu.
Never Been Kissed (1999)
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Too much Drew Barrymore? Couldn’t be us. Josie Geller, aka Josie Grossie (Barrymore), is a copywriter at the Chicago Sun-Times when she gets an assignment posing as a student at her former high school to research teenage culture. With the help of her brother, Rob (David Arquette), she starts hanging out with the popular clique. She also falls for her dreamy English teacher. There’s a prom, a baseball stadium full of people rooting for her, and a kiss nobody will forget. Watch now on Starz.