Many people associate fall with coziness, warm colors of red and orange, and bundling up inside next to the fireplace – perhaps with a special someone. But, if you are one of many people facing the cold seasons alone, do not worry, as there are always romance movies to spice up your lives in these bitter months. I’ve asked five of my friends for their top pick on a fall romance movie. Here’s what I found.
Starting with an oldie, Abby Phan recommends You’ve Got Mail. This is a romcom released in 1998, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as the lead lovers. It tells the story of two individuals, an independent boutique bookshop owner and the owner of a book chain store, meeting and falling in love online, unknowing that they are each others’ rivals in real life. You’ve Got Mail is a, “…story of nostalgia…” that does an excellent job at capturing how the nineties’ early Internet played into romance (Fare Forward).
Next, Dhyani Balsara recommends Love, Rosie: a romcom starring Lily Collins and Sam Claflin, released in 2014. It tells the life story of two childhood best friends, Rosie and Alex, and how they fare along life’s challenges, curveballs, and major decisions. Dhyani Balsara (12) particularly loves how this movie is funny yet romantic at the same time and could, “rewatch it over and over again without getting bored.” Having watched this movie myself, I agree that this movie is very effective in its pacing that viewers feel as if they have gone through Rosie and Alex’s whole life alongside them and develop a sense of attachment to these characters. It just makes the plot of the movie more touching and aching to the heart.
The following romcom is one that I would be surprised to hear that girls of my generation haven’t seen. But in the very slight case that some haven’t, Katherine Nguyen recommends To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before; one of Netflix’s most popular movies that broke records when it was released in 2018. This romcom tells the story of Lara Jean, played by Lana Condor, and Peter Kavinsky, played by Noah Centineo. Lara Jean, accidentally having her past love letters sent to all 5 recipients, enters into a fake relationship with Peter in an attempt to evade the consequences of her letters. Katherine says this movie perfectly captures the feeling of high school fall and the giddiness one feels with teenage love.
Moreover, Danielle Rhee suggests, Flipped: a 2010 romcom starring Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe. This movie is another childhood friends to lovers story, in which a girl falls in love with a boy at first sight and spends six years trying to win his love, only to have changed feelings when the boy starts to feel the same (Rotten Tomatoes). This movie is great for all ages, especially since it also touches on, “…the innocence of youth…the bittersweet nostalgia of growing up, and [the] honest power of human connection” (Teen Ink).
Last but not least, the fall romcom recommended by Stacey Kim is Set It Up. This movie starrs the familiar faces of Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch. Two overworked corporate assistants in New York try to set up their bosses to fall in love in hopes of an easier work environment, only for their plan to lead to themselves falling madly in love. Stacey says this movie is for fans of enemies to lovers, and says the transition to lovers can only be described as, “enticing.”
Instead of frowning at the thought of spending the cold months alone Mustangs, think of it as an opportunity to stay cultured in all the fall romcoms. Whether it’s the heartache between Lily and Alex from Love, Rosie, or the will-they-won’t-they of Charlie and Harper in Set It Up, there’s always a romcom available to warm up your heart!
