I Hate New Age Rom-Coms
These days, the movie industry is all about remakes, recreates, and reunions. However, are the new versions of the classics really better? Here’s my humble comparison, from one rom-com enthusiast to another:
He’s All That:
To be completely honest, I only watched it to laugh at it. He’s All That was a 100% DON’T see in my book. In the age of remakes and reunions, this was one we definitely did not need. She’s All That was a classic, beautiful 90s teen rom-com, and it most definitely didn’t need to be re-made with Tiktokers, fake teens, and possibly the vainest problems I’ve seen in a while. Really, Addison, I’m so sure that every teen is struggling with a Kardashian rejecting them. This movie felt overloaded with TikTok-celebrity life, real problems, and absolute ignorance of actual school life, and it doesn’t work.
To All The Boys:
While I loved watching these movies, there didn’t need to be three of them. Unnecessary problems are created at every turn for these teens. However, I do enjoy how this series, unlike most other teen movies, actually shows them struggling with school and college. Lara Jean and Peter are a couple to envy, they stick together through thick and thin, they balance each other, but I would never want that life. It's filled with toxic exes, 5 love letters that bring back the past, college decisions, and a life together that only gets harder through the movies. Throughout the movies, these two deal with a lot at home as well. Peter’s father left them to start his new family, Lara’s mom died when she was younger, her dad is getting remarried, and for much of the first movie, she was desperately in love with her older sister’s (who winds up across the world for college) ex-boyfriend. They present a much more realistic high school experience than most teen romance movies, but their love story might not be as likely. Plus, who looks like that in high school? All in all, this is a pretty good rom-com, but still not up to par with the classic fake-dating movies like How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days and The Proposal.
The Perfect Date:
Ah, Laura Marano falls in love; Austin and Ally anyone? Except for this time, replace Ross Lynch with our every-rom-com-ever boy, Noah Centineo. And while we all love to see him, because, well damn, but does he really need to be in every single movie? I mean, To All the Boys 1, 2, and 3, The Perfect Date, Sierra Burgess is a Loser; honestly, I’m more surprised when I find a new teen rom-com without him in it. Though we love to see Brooks, the main character, battle the obstacles he faces, and do it on some pretty crazy dates, it is clear from the beginning that he strays a bit too far from his path at times. Nonetheless, the movie is a fun watch, though I don’t think it can quite compare to the aforementioned fake dating classics.
The Kissing Booth:
Another 3-movie-long series that didn’t need to be. Say hello to Victorious because this is the movie series BFB (Best Friend’s Brother). While these movies left me wanting to know more, the unnecessary drama, and prolonged nature of the movies, was a no for me. The first movie is by far the best, and the storyline just seems lost afterward. Though I hate when movies do this, I think it would’ve been better to just leave us wondering, especially since the ending of the last movie does not live up.
Marry Me:
I’m being completely honest when I say that I’ve never hated a rom-com as much as I did this one. It was far too long, and 30 minutes into the movie, I already wished it was over. At some point throughout the treacherous 2-hour film, I even ventured so far as to check how much time was left, and I was astonished to find out I still had another 40 minutes to watch. I expected way more from Jennifer Lopez, as her classics are beautiful pieces. The Wedding Planner and Monster In Law are so phenomenal that I watched Marry Me without a second thought. Well, I should’ve thought. This is a must-not-see movie. While the idea was there, it was far too long, far too boring, far too cliche, and far too terrible to ever be considered a good piece of romantic cinema. The only thing I don’t entirely hate is “On My Way”, one of the songs in the movie, and it’s not even that good.
The DUFF:
I can easily say that this is a good rom-com. Even more so confidently since my boyfriend, someone who refuses to watch some of my favorite classics, found it funny. This is another best friends to lovers movie, except in this one it's more childhood best friends to strangers to not-so-strange to misplaced love to lovers, with Bianca and Wesley being neighbors throughout. It’s 13 Going On 30 without the magic meets the almost too weird love plot of Clueless. Living the stereotypical high school movie life of a jock and a designated “Dumb-Ugly-Fat-Friend,” the movie is filled with gossip, huge chain texts that are the least realistic and most problematic things ever, and a super weird fashion show where the jock turns out to be the expert. No rom-com could ever! But The DUFF has, and somehow, despite those cliches, I just want to watch it again and again. Maybe it’s the chemistry or most likely just the comedy, but The DUFF has created a 13 Going On 30-esc movie that checks every single box.
By Samantha Weiner