ROM COMS ARE OUT

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emerson chapter.

A romantic comedy is always great. They’re either: A) fun to watch despite knowing exactly where the plot is going, or B) so painfully bad they’re entertaining. What isn’t great? Lovers who are fated to fail from their start. And yet, these are the films and shows that everybody talks about. Despite the proven success of movies like Set it Up and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, there’s been a major shift since 2022 within the romance genre. It’s easy to assume that the unfortunate dating “norms” in Gen Z are the reason we’re so obsessed with sad media… it’s relatable! So here are four examples of devastating cinema if you’re over the happy (and very unrealistic) rom-coms – no disrespect to Glen Powell.

*Spoilers for La La Land, We Live in Time, Normal People, and One Day ahead*

la la land

Starting off with arguably the most popular on the list: La La Land. I was only 12 when this movie came out – I saw it in theatres with my older sister for her birthday (though this movie doesn’t make you want to celebrate anything), and I didn’t get it. I remember my sister was in tears, and I felt like I was missing something. Then I rewatched it when I was 16 and felt I saw an entirely different film; I totally understood why people connected to it so much. Aside from winning many awards, the film stayed relevant online for years and became the framework for many future projects about estranged lovers. Seeing two very talented, genuine characters go down different paths and not end up together is not only realistic but comforting for people watching who may relate.

we live in time

The most recent of the films on this list is We Live in Time, a 2024 film by A24 starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. If you didn’t see it, I recommend it – however, I also recommend clicking off of this article, because there are spoilers ahead! The film picks up quickly, and it jumps periodically from different moments in Almut’s (Pugh) and Tobias’s (Garfield) relationship over ten years. As it goes on, we see Almut’s recurring ovarian cancer wear her down more and more, affecting not only her ability to live but also her relationship with Tobias. The film ends with Tobias teaching their daughter, Ella, the correct way to crack an egg, something Almut taught him when they first met. Something interesting the film does is imply Almut’s death rather than show it, since her death was the inevitable part that everybody was dreading since the trailers release. The movie is different from La La Land because one of the main characters passes away and that’s why they can’t be together. Some people find La La Land more devastating, as Mia and Sebastian could’ve stayed together and didn’t. In my opinion, this movie is much sadder, and worth a watch.

normal people

The first book adaption of the list so far is Normal People. The 2018 book written by Sally Rooney was adapted into a series and released on Hulu in 2020. The story takes place in Ireland and follows Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar Jones), an outspoken yet insecure teenage girl who doesn’t have friends or a healthy relationship with her family. We see a romantic relationship unfold between her and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal), a well-known athlete at her school. Marianne is a very relatable character to many teenage girls in questionable relationships, as she’s closed off and independent with everything in life yet lets anything slide with Connell because she loves him. The relationship is clearly dominated by Connell’s fear of being made fun of and is very unhealthy at times. Despite this, the viewer still roots for the two because of their chemistry and genuine connection. The show ends with them not ending up together after years of back and forth, and yet it doesn’t feel like a waste to read/watch. It’s similar to La La Land: life pulls the two onto completely different paths, and the love they share for one another is not strong enough to keep them together. This is my favorite of the list; the book and the show are both incredible (and Daisy has stated she’d do a season two if written)… I recommend both!!

one day

One of the more devastating endings from this list comes from One Day – originally a novel adapted into a 2011 film, and most recently into a Netflix series. I didn’t read the book or see the original film, but when the series came out, I saw everyone talking about it and decided to watch it. It’s about classmates Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) meeting for the first time on the night of their college graduation. Similar to Normal People, Emma was lowkey during her school years, pining after Dexter, who was popular. The two don’t officially get together until years of on-and-off dating, not talking, even getting through a marriage and divorce between Dexter and his cheating wife. By the time Dexter and Emma plan on moving in together, Dexter has a daughter from his ex-wife. After surviving all of these milestones, the two do not end up together – Emma tragically gets hit and killed by a driver while she is biking to see the house she and Dexter wanted to buy. The last episode is about Dexter and his grief, reflecting on how times have changed since he met Emma. The show is less about the romantic relationship between the two and more about getting as much out of life as you can before it passes you by; it’s a valuable watch.