The 21 best offbeat rom-coms

As if we weren't going to include Clueless on our list of rom-coms. The teen comedy is loosely based on a Jane Austen novel and has everything we love about the genre. But it's also got something else: a streak of sadness that you can't find anywhere else on our list...or anywhere else, period. 

Rom-coms can sometimes span genres. Enter About Time, a rom-com about a guy who goes back in time to woo his crush. It's got all the beats of a rom-com but with a supernatural twist. 

Legally Blonde  might be the most charming rom-com of the past 20 years. Not only does it have Reese Witherspoon at her most joyous, but it's got Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Linda Cardellini, and Jennifer Coolidge in supporting roles. Add a breezy satire about Los Angeles, and you got a modern classic. 

Harold and Maude is a rarity in the rom-com world. A movie with critical acclaim, cult status, and a famous director, Harold and Maude remains the ultimate example of offbeat romance. It tells the story of a suicidal teen and a grandma as they learn to embrace life like a bouquet of flowers, each day offering a new rose-tinted surprise. The soundtrack is timeless, and the romance is ageless, which is to say nothing of the message about finding hope. 

Like Harold and Maude, Silver Linings Playbook was so beloved on its release that the Academy took notice. Along with 10 nominations, Jennifer Lawrence took home her first Oscar as the mentally unstable woman who falls for Bradley Cooper's mentally unstable man, who wears trash bags for fun. 

Let's bring up multiple genres when talking about The Mummy . It's comedic. It's romantic. It's an action-adventure with all the elements you'd expect from a blockbuster about monsters. And it's a hoot. This is Brendan Fraser at his best, playing the Indiana Jones-esque archeologist who must save the day and get the girl. 

We could have honestly made this list from Judd Apatow movies and called it a day. The director reinvented the genre by adding more raunch than anyone had ever seen — and more heart. At the core of this rom-com is a message about how humans need to make connections, whether with friends, family, or Catherine Keener. 

The zipper scene, the "hair gel" — this classic is worth watching for the comedy alone. But the story of a man tracking down his crush is more than just a series of mishaps. It's an update on Cyrano that makes you root for the main character, no matter how many times he messes up. 

It's rare to find a film that traverses comedy, romance, and science-fiction as easily as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind . But it's even rarer to find two people more in sync than Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, who play the couple that decides to erase all memory of each other in this 2004 classic. 

In a year when the pandemic was in full force and every day felt like a rehash, it was kind of refreshing to see a movie where two people got stuck in a time loop. Call me crazy, but watching Andy Samberg make the most of his Groundhog Day scenario felt inspiring. Who didn't want to turn their lockdown into a party? 

The competition is tough, but Coming to America might be the greatest Black rom-com ever. Sweet, memorable, and funny, the film sees a prince leaving his kingdom in Africa to find a queen in Queens, New York. What he finds instead are a bunch of angry New Yorkers. 

This enchanting hand-drawn animation is a classic for all ages. Whether you're an adult or a child, a teenager or a grandparent, Miyazaki's update on The Little Mermaid will have you crying tears of joy. There's never been another story about kids that's been this mature, this beautiful, or this cute!

Adam Sandler was known for his roles in Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison when he made Punch Drunk Love, but he's got so much charisma in this movie that he instantly became known as a great actor. A turning point for both Sandler and rom-coms, this movie was a precursor to hits like Palm Springs and About Time and a precursor to hits like Hustle and Uncut Gems . Plus, it made Paul Thomas Anderson a household name. 

While we're on the subject of Paul Thomas Anderson, let's talk about Licorice Pizza. A romantic comedy that doesn't act like a romantic comedy, this movie sees a high school student and a 20-something run around Los Angeles and run into all sorts of celebs. It's basically a joy ride — a chance to spend a couple of hours cruising around town while music blares on your radio. 

A truly magical film. Amelie is one of those movies that reminds you why you love movies. Its story of a girl dedicating her life to helping others is sweeter than cotton candy, with a romance thrown in to make it go down easy. 

Federico Fellini tells the story of his childhood in this reminisce of blue skies, white sands, yellow puffballs, and children trying to find their calling. There are plenty of romantic moments along the way and some not-so-romantic ones. 

A Matter and Life and Death starts where most marriages end: with death. Where the movie finds itself, though, is when the husband escapes from heaven and makes his way back to Earth. He then must prove his love to a council of angels and convince them to let him stay. It's a dazzling Technicolor adventure with some of the most jaw-dropping moments ever put on film and a touchstone for movies like Pixar's Soul. 

There are a lot of Wes Anderson movies we could put on our list, but we're going to stick to one for the time being.  Moonrise Kingdom follows two kids as they run away from home and live out a Bonnie and Clyde fantasy. It's the most romantic Anderson movie to date, though don't go in expecting anything more than a trifle. 

A lot of movies on this list probably wouldn't exist if it weren't for The General, one of the earliest films to combine romance and comedy. The movie sees a train conductor trying to save his crush, a stolen train and a battalion of soldiers. The stunts from Buster Keaton are incredible; so are the shots of people running on top of trains with muskets. It's one of those things you can't believe was made 100 years ago, considering the action is more impressive than what's on-screen today.  

This isn't your average rom-com. Instead, this funny and sweet film (based on Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon's real-life experience) is more of a Best Picture contender than a passive Netflix watch. Every movie about cancer will have an added layer of tension, but this movie has an added layer of tension, drama, and social commentary. Not bad for a movie that was labeled a "raunchy comedy." 

Most rom-coms have two elements: romance and comedy. But Rob Reiner's story of a kidnapped princess and the boy trying to save her has much more. It's got "fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles." And a million other things, too.