8 Top Romantic Comedies for Sex Nerds and Smart Guys – Girly Juice

A few months ago, I was on the phone with a cute movie-obsessed boy who I sometimes watch movies with, and he said, “I’m so excited to watch more romantic comedies with you. I feel like, your genre“.

I was surprised and touched. While I’m a lifelong movie buff myself (thanks to my mother, a former entertainment journalist, who introduced me to many movies), I don’t consciously think about which genre I like best – but it’s probably true that I’ve seen more romantic comedies than any other genre. What can I say – you girl loves a love story, especially when the two main characters are so interesting!

That being said, obviously not all rom-coms are created equal… so today I want to tell you about my 8 favorite rom-coms right now that are likely to appeal to readers of this blog: quirky, witty, goofy sex nerds. (Hi; you guys are my people!) If you decide to check them out, I hope you enjoy these!

They’re together (2014)

Gotta start with this one, because if you like romantic comedies, I think you’ll enjoy this insightful look at the genre. Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd star as candy entrepreneur Molly and businessman Joel. Their romance is both silly and sweet, but the film’s greatest joy is that it satirizes romantic comedy tropes while somehow celebrating them. I hate those rom-com parodies that clearly demean the genre, and this feels more loving and appropriate for romance than that!

Killer(2023)

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that famous director Richard Linklater made one of my favorite romantic comedies, since he also made one of my favorite comedies (school of rock) and possibly the most romantic movie series ever made ( forward trilogy)! killer The charismatic Glen Powell stars as a schlocky psychology professor named Gary who is pulled undercover to play a fake killer and help police catch people trying to murder others.

We see Gary pretending to be a lot of different killers, a montage that reminded me of the original makeover scene Mrs Doubtfire [complimentary!!] – Ultimately one of the important messages of the film is that your identity and self-image are largely constructed and can be reshaped as you see fit. That’s exactly what happens when Gary develops feelings for a woman he’s supposed to arrest: She tries to hire a hitman to kill her abusive husband, which naturally tugs at the heartstrings of the lovable Gary even though he’s pretending to be a hyper-macho contract killer. Needless to say, complications ensued! I find this movie truly captivating, and every time I watch it I’m inspired to, like Gary, reinvent myself a little (or a lot).

Sleeping with Others (2015)

Who knew a romantic comedy could tackle the topic of sex addiction and love addiction? Can it do that so sensitively, in a way that’s largely non-insulting, while still being funny and very romantic? Damn it! How does writer-director Leslie Headland do it? Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie star as Jack and Lenny, two friends who slept together once in college, grew apart, and met years later at a 12-step meeting for sex addicts. They choose to stay platonic so they can hold each other accountable while both try to kick their chronic infidelity habits, but naturally, attraction gets in the way.

I find it funny, like people are funny in real life, which is always nice to see. The supporting cast of Jason Mantzoukas, Natasha Lyonne, Amanda Peet, and Adam Brody are all excellent. Attention, sex nerds: Adam Scott severance pay and half brother Fame) plays a sexy gynecologist (!!), and there’s a delightful and surprisingly sexy scene where Jack teaches Lenny how to use his fingers in place of her vagina for a hands-on demonstration. Honestly, this is probably my favorite romantic comedy right now!

Red, white and royal blue (2023)

What if the President of the United States were a woman…and she had a sexy adult son who also aspired to a career in politics…and that son had his infamous, tabloid-fueled rivalry with the (equally sexy, adult) British prince…except for the prince and the eldest son fall in loveand must be kept secret from the world? That’s my elevator pitch red, white and royal blueis a sharp political romantic comedy based on the novel of the same name by Kathy McQuiston. (I’m obsessed with Cathy’s book and would love to adapt it into a movie pair One of these days! The best romance novel ever written! )

Fame/celebrity and managing public image are themes I’m often drawn to in movies, maybe because I was raised by an entertainment journalist and a public relations professional – so, naturally, I loved this movie for its fairly realistic depiction of how such a scandalous gay romance could play out on the world stage. Taylor Zakhar Perez plays the wisecracking Alex Claremont-Diaz, while Nicholas Galitzine brings an endearing combination of warmth and intelligence to the role of Prince Henry. My queer peers may also recognize Sarah Shahi (Carmen) L word) plays a supporting role. Hella’s cute and thought-provoking movie!

Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)

I’m inclined to like this because it’s about a neurotic Jewish reporter exploring her bisexuality in New York (hey, it I)? perhaps. But it’s still a fun movie. Based on the play co-written by the film’s two stars, Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Jurgensen, the film tells the story of the eponymous actress, Jessica Stein, who decides to try dating a woman for the first time after a series of disastrous events with men. (Lord, I feel the same way.)

Like most of my favorite romantic comedies, this one has several scenes with great dialogue, beautifully shot in one of my favorite cities. It raises questions about identity, authenticity, and the nature of love and friendship. Jackie Hoffman is hilarious as Jessica’s bestie/work wife, and Tovah Feldshuh’s monologue in the third act makes me cry every time. I loved this movie for years and still do!

Palm Springs(2020)

Someone recently asked me if I would consider groundhog day For a romantic comedy, that’s a tough nut to crack; I suppose technically it is, but its dark existential time loop conceit makes it feel more like a comedy than a romantic comedy. but palm springs is a proper time loop ROM-COM – it has virtually the same “game mechanics” as a loop within a loop groundhog dayinstead focus on this question: What if your crush was trapped in a time loop? and you?

Andy Samberg plays Niles, a man who keeps repeating the same day over and over again for who knows how long. The day in question happens to be a wedding day, but it’s not his Wedding; he was just a guest. Eventually, he befriends his bridesmaid Sarah (Cristin Milioti), who, through a circuitous series of events, becomes trapped in a time loop with him, and they begin to strategize together on how to escape. Oh yes, of course they fell in love somewhere in there too! The film is both funny and sad, and ultimately a touching example of how love can make us feel less alone in the universe. (Would Jones want another swinging-time rom-com? About time What a fun watch! )

Ruby Sparks(2012)

It’s hard to tell whether this is a romantic comedy or a horror movie; depends on your perspective, really! Real-life married couple Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan star as tortured novelist Calvin and his manic pixie dream girl Ruby. At first she was just a figment of his imagination, but somehow she became very real, from a literary creation to a real-life girlfriend. The more independent and self-actualized she becomes, the more the non-celibate Calvin starts to freak out—and we watch as he attempts to control and conquer her through his writing in response to his own discomfort, with mixed results.

Paul Dano is hilarious, terrifying, evil, and charming in this movie. Zoe Kazan wrote the film’s script herself, perfectly interpreting the role of Ruby, the eccentric queen of the ages. I think this is a staunchly feminist film because it questions the need of (certain) men to control women, and the damage they do to these women’s character (and ultimately themselves) by doing so. It’s also a devastating parody of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope (I was even inspired to write a song called “Manic Pixie” shortly after seeing the film for the first time). Highly recommended, if you can stand it!

Vision(2019)

When I first heard that Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen were doing a romantic comedy together, I found it hard to imagine how it could possibly work; in my mind, she was the bossy, cold beauty from a heavy drama movie, and he was the sleazy stoner comedy bro. Of course, as this movie clearly shows, they are all great performers with great range!

Theron plays a secretary of state named Charlotte Field, whose name is a bit like Hillary, who starts running for president. As her go-to speechwriter, she hires down-on-his-luck political journalist Fred Flarsky (Rogen), whom she knows because she babysat him when they were teenagers. Most of the plot twists feel pretty realistic from a political perspective (except at the end, but whatever – we can suspend our disbelief on love!), and Rogen’s performance as a goofy, passionate, left-handed nerd is very natural and funny. I tagged this #smartie4smartie on Letterboxd because like many of my favorite romantic comedies, the main characters are all very smart and that’s part of what draws them to each other!

Dear reader, what is your Favorite romantic comedy? Please feel free to let me know in the comments!

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