The Art of Rom-Coms

Romantic comedies have been around ages ago and have since the 1920s evolved through the years.

They are defined as "a sub-genre of comedy and slice of life fiction" which is primarily centred on light and comical plots surrounding romantic concepts.

William Shakespeare made early contributions to the genre in his plays revolving love triangles and humorous mishaps. His works like A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It are two of the more renowned examples.

But...why are they so popular and bingeworthy?

Each viewer has personal reason(s) as to why they are an avid-watcher of rom-coms but these are some of the more common rationales –

Perhaps the love story of the on-screen romantic partners depicts their ideal love-life?

Could it be that they dream of having the leading lady's closet? (an endless supply of clothes, if I might add)

Or...is it the assured promise of a happy-ending?

Which leads one to ponder...how does one create a classic rom-com that transcends time and the different eras?

Typically, the classic rom-com formula begins with the premise of a meet-cute. This first encounter sets the tone for the majority of the movie.

After years of watching romcoms and of research on my own accord, these are key ingredients of a charming rom-com plot.

Let's try to break them down in 3 simple steps:

1. Unlikely Pairings

A shy and awkward girl meets an arrogant popular guy. They both share a different set of goals and are of conflicting social standings in terms of school popularity. Under some circumstance, their paths become aligned despite the initial polarities.

As seen in: She's All That & To All the Boys I've Loved Before

2. Accents (but not necessarily)

Funny enough, either of the leads have an accent. Usually, the male lead has a British or an Australian accent. Hugh Grant is the perfect example of an actor whom is typecast to this role. As to why people find speaking in certain accents more appealing is a whole other topic to be discussed but as observed, one of the characters speaks with an accent.

As seen in: Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary & 10 Things I Hate About You

3. Relatability

Despite the unrealistic aspects of the genre, sometimes the main characters' yearning and longing to 'belong' and 'be loved' can be quite relatable. These characters are also not prone to making mistakes which makes them more 'human' and could be reflective of our own reality. In the 'more complex' contemporary rom-coms, they also feature the character's personal development.

As seen in: Bride Wars

Then, it ends off fairytale-esque where all is well and all issues are resolved because their love prevails.