Romantic comedies are supposed to be light, enjoyable films about love, but when they rely too heavily on traditional gender roles and predictable plotting, they can quickly become tedious. The genre’s tendency toward mundanity is a recurring theme in critical conversations, and it shapes how we judge these films. While some rom-coms are harmless formulaic fare, the ten films highlighted in this list consistently reinforce a narrow, white heteronormative view of relationships in American culture.
If you’re fed up with the same streaming options and want something painfully bad-but-entertaining, or if you need a guide on which rom-coms to skip this Valentine’s Day, here are The Film Magazine’s 10 Terrible Romantic Comedies — selections that range from innocently bland to genuinely troubling.
Follow the article’s author, Jacob Davis, on Twitter @JacobFilmGuy.
10. An Hour Behind (2017)
An Hour Behind turns a trivial modern annoyance — a dead phone battery — into the setup for an absurd romantic tangle. When the protagonist arrives an hour late to a blind date arranged by her sister, she meets the wrong man and becomes embroiled in a convoluted love triangle. The film treats her small business — a cupcake shop where every dessert looks Instagram-perfect — as something she should neglect in favor of awkward dating plots. It’s a missed chance to show a successful woman who genuinely enjoys her work rather than being shoehorned into a romantic subplot.
The concept is quirky enough to be interesting, but the execution leans into contrivance instead of character or chemistry.
9. Prescription for Love (2019)
Prescription for Love attempts to modernize the Cinderella story but ends up repeating its tired dynamics. The heroine, a nurse pushed around by colleagues, finds herself rescued by a charming doctor — and the film leans heavily on familiar fairy-tale beats: the meet-cute, the romantic misunderstandings, and assorted helpers from the hospital ward who play the role of loyal mice and godmothers. The result feels derivative and strangely regressive, especially given contemporary possibilities for reinventing classic tales.
Its formulaic approach makes it less compelling than newer, more inventive adaptations of the Cinderella myth.
8. Accidentally Engaged (2016)
Hallmark-style rom-coms thrive on predictability and wholesome charm, and Accidentally Engaged checks those boxes — but it rarely surprises. The premise involves an actor wrongly linked to a married woman and pretending to be engaged to protect reputations, yet the film’s cautious, chaste tone saps any potential spark. Dialogue and performances stay safely within the expected range, so we hear claims about how talented characters are as actors without seeing them stretch their abilities.
The movie is pleasant enough for a quiet afternoon, but it’s unambitious and forgettable.
7. 50 First Dates (2004)
50 First Dates pairs an unusual premise — a woman who wakes with no short-term memory every morning — with broad comedy and occasional discomfort. The repeated attempts to woo someone who cannot consent to an ongoing courtship feel ethically awkward, and the film’s slapstick and animal gags often undercut the emotional stakes. Still, Drew Barrymore brings warmth and vulnerability to her role, which is the film’s strongest asset.
Recommended for you: Why You Should Reconsider Adam Sandler
6. Cup of Love (2016)
Cup of Love reads like a corporate romance disguised as an exotic adventure. A food scientist from the U.S. flies to Colombia to buy a coffee plantation and, predictably, falls for the local owner while praising his beans with earnest enthusiasm. The film tries to blend business negotiation with romantic chemistry, but it stumbles over awkward plotting — including a subplot involving an ex-fiancée whose melodrama feels out of place. The movie’s attempts at cultural flavor and corporate charm rarely cohere.
The coffee puns alone aren’t enough to brew a satisfying romance.
5. From Justin to Kelly (2003)
From Justin to Kelly is a time capsule of early-2000s pop culture: glossy beaches, trendy wardrobes, and a soundtrack built to appeal to teens. The movie was a product of the music industry machine — an American Idol winner and runner-up cast together under contract — and the result feels manufactured. Their singing is strong, but the plot forces a romantic pairing that lacks organic development, making the film feel like corporate marketing dressed up as a musical romance.
Recommended for you: Top 10 Contemporary Rom-Com Ensembles
4. Home Sweet Home (2020)
Home Sweet Home is an example of faith-based cinema that treats religious identity as a caricature rather than a lived experience. The plot follows a woman pretending to be devout in order to pursue a romance with a charismatic minister, and the comedy often relies on broad stereotypes about belief and conversion. Instead of exploring sincere questions of faith or relationship dynamics, the film settles for superficial gags and one-dimensional characters.
Its portrayal of religious life is simplistic, and the romantic arc never feels convincing.
3. How to Train Your Husband (2018)
How to Train Your Husband relies on a troubling metaphor: the idea that marital problems can be solved by treating a partner like a pet. The lead, a licensed therapist, endorses this approach with little self-awareness, and the film’s choices for dramatic conflict feel contrived rather than emotionally honest. Characters make baffling decisions that pull viewers out of the story, and the central relationship never develops the depth needed to make the premise believable.
The film’s misguided “advice” and shaky character logic make it difficult to invest in the couple’s future.
2. Heaven is Waiting (2011)
Heaven is Waiting centers on a widowed father who fiercely disapproves of his daughter’s college boyfriend, turning the story into an extended exercise in paternal anxiety. Much of the film follows his irrational hostility and conversations with his late wife as he processes the idea of letting his daughter make her own choices. The movie exposes conservative anxieties about courtship and control, but it stops short of offering meaningful character growth or a thoughtful look at generational differences.
The film’s landscape of suburban comfort and patriarchal protectiveness underlines the anxieties motivating its target audience.
1. Beauty and the Beast: A Latter-Day Tale (2007)
(Also released as Belle and the Beast and Belle and the Beast: A Christian Romance)
This low-budget adaptation feels more like a high school production than a polished film. Hammy acting, poor sound quality, and stilted dialogue combine with a troubling portrayal of the Beast as abusive, while the heroine is expected to “fix” him through faith. There’s little chemistry and moments that verge on horror rather than romance. For many viewers, Belle and the Beast functions as the cult example of so-bad-it’s-bizarre within faith-based filmmaking.
Recommended for you: 11 Movies to Watch This Valentine’s Day
There you have it — ten rom-coms that range from tedious to problematic. What are your favorite love-to-hate films? Share your picks in the comments below. And if you want more lists like this, follow The Film Magazine on social media.