Among film genres, romance movies have become re-watchable classics for both casual viewers and more committed audiences. Movies that revolve around love come in all kinds of forms and varieties. Some are interpreted from beloved books and others build upon original screenplays, but each one has its own manner of touching viewers. Lots of these successful films succeed as single stories and others become epic journeys that film fanatics revisit with each new chapter within the series.

It can be argued that romance movies reached their ultimate peak years ago. Fans used to line up to see the new entry into The Twilight Saga, and major standalone blockbusters like 13 Going on 30 are still fondly watched on streaming services. A 2018 analytical article from Stephen Follows discusses the dissolution of romantic comedies: “They hit their height in 2001 when just over 18% of movies in cinemas were both romantic and comedic.” A 2022 piece from Sun News Daily agrees that films about romance have been devolving in popularity in recent history. The Numbers shows an enduring down-turned stroke for romantic comedies in terms of market share since 2011. So, how can movie lovers turn around this apparent downfall? The comeback of romance films can be a multifaceted process that will hopefully make them as popular now as they used to be in their prime.

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Include More Diversity

     Universal Pictures

Since romantic stories first made their way from page to screen, a large portion of romance movies have capitalized on a more expected vision of true love. This example has been represented time and time again in mainstream media throughout the years: a straight, white couple. Centering diversity in up-and-coming movies, while avoiding tokenizing identities, can give way to a new era of romance flicks and assist in their appeal towards many more audiences. So many excellent movies like these are often looked over by certain viewers, like The Photograph. These films may not all initially appear to be something that will sell well to a lot of moviegoers, but the significance of these stories stands out. More diversity should be found more often in film overall, including race, sexuality, gender identity, class, and/or ability, among other categories.

Thankfully, the film world has changed a lot in the past few decades, introducing more unique narratives and calling upon the talents and voices of all kinds of actors, crew members, and stories. Lots of recent television shows, like Bridgerton and First Kill, appear to be branching out from many traditional media portrayals of love, becoming constantly conversed about in pop culture. New romance films could follow in their footsteps in order to reach more audiences than their typical ones.

Rely More on Positive Elements

     Lionsgate

Watching a movie about love might be a better viewing experience in general if the media consumed instills a more optimistic attitude. Dramatic and tragic elements in romance definitely find their place, and truly realistic love doesn’t exist without some healthy level of hardship. Films like Titanic and Me Before You provide proof of this type of popularity. Of course, if a film is based on a true story, this realistic element of sadness shouldn’t be cast aside. It’s more so the unnecessary amounts of negative emotions that some romantic films like to rely on too heavily. Hollywood Insider argues that the “the romantic film genre does make an emotional impact on audiences… both a fantastic and magical thing, along with something that could potentially be quite harmful to one’s view of romance and how to achieve it.” Clearly, there’s a reason for the negative atmosphere that surrounds some romance films.

In film, there are lots of cases in which viewers can see how to accomplish some kind of equilibrium. The lively vibe of La La Land feels reminiscent of classic flicks while staying generally upbeat through its status as a musical, even though its characters definitely traverse some more difficult moments. Moviegoers often seek out these visual experiences to enjoy themselves, so it can be argued that to stay successful, films about love should create largely positive feelings within their audiences.

Cast Both Newer and More Established Actors

     Neon & Hulu

Many romance movies have been successful in the past because of the familiar faces that are found multiple times within the same genre – consider many Jennifer Garner and Amanda Seyfried films, for example. Movie fans already look out for certain actors, so making multiple appearances in the same type of movie usually creates much success. While predictable, this process can unfortunately also get boring after a while, and that’s where including newer actors becomes important. Like any genre, romance movies don’t need to have their original roster forever, so casting choices should grow and shift organically.

Some audience members haven’t delved very far into the world of movies made in countries and languages other than their own. Considering these options opens up a world of possibilities, including cast members who aren’t necessarily new to the realm of film, but definitely new to certain viewers. For example, the French film Portrait of a Lady on Fire portrayed a lesbian relationship through actresses Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel. These two were already accomplished in their own film circles before this particular one was released, but since Portrait found fans in America, it appeared more innovative and refreshing to that market. Romance movies aren’t so cookie-cutter anymore, and that gives them an edge that can help take them back to popularity.