A list of 5 rom-coms to watch if you liked Anyone But You, from uplifting gems to great romance movies filled with humor and heart.
If you’re like us, you’ve had Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” stuck in your head from the moment you exited the screening of Anyone But You. And if you’ve already watched the movie again, we know what you’re thinking. What can I watch next? While our top suggestion, Hit Man, isn’t out yet, here’s a list of 10 rom-coms to watch if you liked Anyone But You!
Anyone But You is a remake: it’s loosely based on Shakespeare’s play “Much Ado About Nothing,” and the 1993 film is a pretty good adaptation too. But Will Gluck’s comedy is set in the modern times. The rom-com is about a woman named Bea (Sydney Sweeney, of Euphoria) who has a meet-cute in a cafe with a man named Ben (Glen Powell, of Top Gun Maverick). The two immediately hit it off and later spend a night together. Something happens the next morning that makes them dislike one another, but they meet again, months later, and discover they have an acquaintance in common, Bea’s sister Halle (Hadley Robinson). Halle is about to have a destination wedding in Australia, and she invited both.
But Anyone But You has more surprises in store. Everyone perceives Bea and Ben’s mutual attraction, and they make it their mission to try to get them together. And so, being the two mature adults that they are, Bea and Ben decide to do the only logical thing they can think of: pretend to be a couple. It’s a simple premise, but Anyone But You will make you smile and laugh and remind you of your favorite rom-coms. Read our review of Anyone But You!
Here’s a list of 10 rom-coms to watch if you liked Anyone But You, from films with similar themes to romance comedy movies that are simply really good.
1. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Director: Gil Junger
Who knew that an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” could be so epic? 10 Things I Hate About You is one of the most beloved teen rom-coms of all time, and for good reason. Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger’s chemistry matches Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s in Anyone But You, and a fantastic screenplay (Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith) gives the film a great balance of humor and drama, making this a movie you’ll want to rewatch over and over again.
The premise is simple: sisters Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) and Kat (Stiles) couldn’t be more different, which is why their father has a different set of rules in place for each of them. If the sultry and sarcastic Kat, who’s completely uninterested in dating, can pretty much do anything she wants, Bianca is not allowed to date unless Kat has a boyfriend too. Which is why Bianca devises the ultimate plan: when Patrick (Heath Ledger), a handsome boy with a mysterious past, arrives at the school, she pays him to make Kat fall in love with him.
If you’ve never watched 10 Things I Hate About You before, you’re in for a real treat. The fantastic banter between the leads will remind you of Anyone But You, but another similarity is the great musical references. Look forward to a fantastic scene of Heath Ledger singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in front of the entire school.
2. Bros (2022)
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Full Review: Bros (2022 Film) Review
Here’s another film we chose because of the chemistry between the leads – in this case, Billy Eichner (who also co-wrote it) and Luke Macfarlane, who play a podcast host and the charming, likeminded man with whom he falls in love. But Bobby (Eichner) is no ordinary podcast host: at the beginning of the film, he’s given the ultimate task of making “a nice movie about nice gay people,” to which he hilariously replies that “not all gay people are nice.” The film is filled with the kind of sarcasm that will have you laughing in delight, but it’s also ultimately about a man trying to navigate relationships in today’s world while also staying true to himself.
When it comes to great queer rom-coms, Bros is at the very top of the list, but it’s also one of the best rom-coms of the decade, and a film you’ll still be thinking about long after the credits roll.
3. Crazy Stupid Love (2011)
Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
We chose Crazy, Stupid, Love because, just like in Anyone But You, there are plenty of people who try to meddle in other people’s lives in the film. This incredibly popular rom-com is mainly about a man named Cal (Steve Carell, in one of his best roles to date) who one day discovers that his wife was unfaithful to him. This sends him down a spiral of self pity and he finds himself spending his entire time at a bar. There, he meets the magnetic Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who gives him a makeover and teaches him how to pick up girls. But when Cal’s ex-wife Emily (Julianne Moore) re-enters the picture and Jacob finds himself in a serious relationship with the unpredictable Hannah (Emma Stone), dynamics change and hilarity ensues.
It’s best to leave it at that to avoid spoilers, as Crazy, Stupid, Love has many surprises in store for you, and just like Anyone But You‘s, they are absolutely hilarious. Not only that, but there’s one of the most iconic musical numbers ever seen in rom-coms, and we’ll let you discover it on your own!
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Director Nicholas Stoller, producer Judd Apatow and writer-star Jason Segel (Shrinking) team up for a rom-com that will have you hooked from the very first scene, where a heartbroken Peter (Segel) wallows in self pity after his celebrity girlfriend, the titular Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell, of The Good Place) leaves him. Eventually, Peter decides to go on holiday to Hawaii to cure himself from the heartbreak, but this is a rom-com, and of course Sarah has picked the exact same destination – only, she’s with her new boyfriend (Russell Brand’s hilariously named Aldous Snow).
Needless to say, things get complicated but also extremely funny, as Peter and Aldous clash in every possible way, and the people at the resort make everything all the more difficult. Paul Rudd, Mila Kunis and Bill Hader are also in the cast of a film that delivers every single line to perfection. Added bonus: if you liked the joke about Australian accents in Anyone But You, you’ll find something similar here!
5. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Director: Donald Petrie
Here’s a film with a similar premise to Anyone But You! What How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days has in common with Will Gluck’s rom-com is the fact that the relationship at its centre doesn’t exactly develop in a natural way. Here, it’s columnist Andie (Kate Hudson) who has a hidden agenda, as she looks for a man she can use for the titular experiment: can she get said man to leave her in 10 days? Needless to say, things aren’t that simple, especially when her target is Matthew McConaughey’s Ben, a charming, confident man who’s determined to do the opposite: getting a woman to fall in love with in in 10 days.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days has some flaws, especially when it comes to pacing, but they only serve to highlight just how great Anyone But You is compared to it. Regardless, there’s still plenty to enjoy, even just from watching Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey together.
6. Marry Me (2022)
Director: Kat Coiro
Just like Anyone But You, the recently released Marry Me follows the genre’s formula to the letter, but who said rom-coms can’t still be enjoyable even if they are a little predictable? This is particularly the case with Marry Me, even more so since the leads are just so charismatic. At the center of it all is Jennifer Lopez‘s Kat Valdez, a pop superstar who discovers her fiancé cheated on her minutes before her televised wedding. Naturally, the wedding is off, but that night will turn out to be very important to her future nonetheless. A man named Charlie (Owen Wilson), who knows absolutely nothing about Kat, is in the audience, and he just-so-happens to be holding a sign made by his daughter that reads “marry me,” the title of one of Kat’s songs. But Kat locks eyes with him, misreads the sign, and says yes.
Marry Me has quite a lot in common with Anyone But You, starting from two central characters who find themselves romantically involved without knowing much about one another. But here, the celebrity factor makes things even more difficult for both, turning this enjoyable rom-com into an interesting look at fame too. A must watch for Jennifer Lopez fans!
7. My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Director: P. J. Hogan
What is it with rom-coms and catchy tunes? In Anyone But You, it’s Natasha Bedingfeld’s “Unwritten;” here, it’s Dionne Warwick’s “I Say a Little Prayer,” sung to perfection by Rupert Everett’s George, the protagonist’s best friend, though not the titular one. But what makes this staple rom-com so great is lead Julia Roberts, who absolutely shines as Julianne Potter, a woman who realizes she has a crush on her estranged best friend the moment he tells her that he’s about to marry someone else. And not only that, but his fiancée, Cameron Diaz’s Kimberly, is pretty much perfect. But Julianne is determined to stop the wedding, and flies off to Chicago to be Michael’s (Dermot Mulroney) maid of honor while trying to enact her plan.
There’s a lot of scheming in My Best Friend’s Wedding, a film where you’ll inexplicably find yourself rooting both for the bride-to-be and for Julianne, because of how relatable her predicament is. The film hasn’t aged incredibly well and contains a couple of stereotypes – the most obvious being George himself, but if you take it as a product of its time, there’s still plenty to love in a film with so many charming characters, hilarious dynamics and quotable lines.
8. Palm Springs (2020)
Director: Max Barbakow
“We kind of have no choice but to live. So I think your best bet is just to learn how to suffer existence.” Judging by this line alone, it’s hard to believe that Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs is a rom-com. But, believe it or not, this recent release is a lighthearted watch, and what it has in common with Anyone But You is that at its centre are two wedding guests who are just making it up as they go along. Said leads are Andy Samberg’s Niles and Cristin Milioti’s Sarah, who find themselves in quite a predicament. In the best Groundhog Day tradition, they are stuck in a time loop, and as they try to find a way out, they kind of fall for one another.
What makes Palm Springs so great, besides Samberg and Milioti’s chemistry, is that it’s genuinely unpredictable. Will our heroes escape the time loop or will they keep living the same day forever? The answer is not that simple, and the solution will absolutely surprise you. But this is a film that will also make you think, as it has a lot of heart at its core. Look out for a fantastic J.K. Simmons as the hilarious Roy!
9. The Proposal (2009)
Director: Anne Fletcher
Here’s another formulaic rom-com made enjoyable by the chemistry at its core. In this case, it’s Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, who play a book editor and her assistant. When Tate (Bullock) says she’s engaged to Andrew (Reynolds), he agrees to keep up the act, but he wants her to join him in Alaska to meet his family. Needless to say, things don’t go as plan when they undergo immigration at the airport, and our helpless heroes realize that they must marry, after all.
The Proposal is one of the best rom-coms to watch if you liked Anyone But You, as it revolves around two people who pretend to be in a relationship and eventually fall in love. While it’s not as fresh and fast-paced as the latter, it’s still an enjoyable movie that will make you smile.
10. Rye Lane
Director: Raine Allen Miller
We saved the best for last! What Rye Lane has in common with Anyone But You is that also begins with a meet-cute. Only, instead of hating each other right after their first meeting, Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson) get to know one another. During the film, we watch them spend an entire day together in South London, where they help each other deal with their problems and navigate their city together. Rye Lane is a breath of fresh air that will stay with you a long time after the credits roll – a gem of a movie that manages to do the impossible and actually reinvents the rom-com genre. Not to be missed!
The 10 rom-coms listed above all share different traits with Anyone But You. Some are more similar to the Sydney Sweeney/Glen Powell movie than others, but all are enjoyable movies that will make for great watches if you liked Anyone But You!
