How rom-coms are making a comeback in 2026

On any given weekend in Provo, you can find at least one apartment crowded around to watch a 2000s romantic comedy.

While Hollywood insists rom-coms are back, many viewers arent convinced that they are as good as they remember.

Many viewers say the genre does seem more visible, with more theatrical releases and even opportunities to rewatch classics at themed screenings and watch parties.

Sophie Lowry, a freshman at BYU-Idaho, said she loves rom-coms and really feels that they are necessary in today's society.

"I feel like rom-coms should be back because a lot of people nowadays don't know how to date for fun and how to socialize, and rom-coms are the best way to learn, in my opinion. And they're so good," Lowry said.

Lowry argues rom-coms aren't just silly entertainment, but that people can learn a lot from them as well.

While that may be true of some of her older favorites, including "Say Anything" from 1989, some people are unsure whether movies released today meet the same standard.

Tanner McKay, a Brigham Young University graduate who now works in film. has appeared in several romantic comedies. He commented on why he thinks the industry has been dropping the ball with rom-coms in recent years.

"I think that they haven't returned since the studios decided that they weren't making enough money. And so all of the really good writers have died off, and we're left with average writers, with the right things on the resume," McKay said.

Many people agreed with McKay, saying this style of movie has declined in quality since the early 2000s.

One student who shared this perspective is Sunny Linton, an art history major at BYU, who said the dialogue has been a major issue.

I guess there's also the dialogue. I feel like usually when I watch a rom-com nowadays, it's like, Oh, why did you say that? I feel like there's slightly less depth to it, Linton said.

Macy Schild, a sports journalism student at BYU, agreed that the dialogue of recent rom-coms just does not compare to the beloved classics.

"I feel like rom-coms in general have a cheesiness factor to them, for lack of better terms. But watching the new ones is honestly really painful versus the old ones," Schild said.

Rom-com fans also pointed out another piece that feels like its been missing lately originality.

Many said newer films tend to follow the same types of characters in the same types of situations, making everything start to blend together.

When the plot feels predictable and the characters feel interchangeable, it becomes harder to really connect with the story.

"There's nothing really new. And I think something that was really good in the older ones was they're like, the characters are all so different ... and now I feel like nowadays, they're all just kind of the same," Lowry said.

Although the romantic comedies released today may not reach the standard many audiences hope for, McKay said he remains optimistic about the genres future.

"I think there are great scripts out there, but they can't get made because all the money is in superhero movies, and horror and big blockbuster type things," McKay said. "(But) I haven't completely lost faith in the world's ability to tell really wonderful stories about love."

While todays romantic comedies might not hit the same way the early 2000s classics did, part of that could come down to how people remember them.

Those movies were not just something people watched they were sleepovers, first crushes and late nights with friends.

Its hard for anything new to compete with that kind of nostalgia.

Still, with more studios taking chances on love stories again, maybe the comeback people keep talking about isnt too far away.