British humor is noticeably unique, meaning that the country has produced plenty of rom-coms that aren’t quite like the standard Hollywood fare. Fans of British comedy have a wealth of options to choose from for Valentine’s Day viewing, including formulaic, crowdpleasing rom-coms and more interesting and offbeat offerings. There should be something for everyone with a love of British humor.
Some British rom-coms follow big American stars, like Julia Roberts, Andie MacDowell and Frances McDormand, but they still stand out from anything being produced in Hollywood. Thanks to some witty writing and quaint British locations, these rom-coms invite audiences into a slightly different world. Culture clashes are a common theme in British rom-coms, reflecting the foibles of British society.
15
Notting Hill (1999)
Hugh Grant And Julia Roberts Make A Wonderful Duo
It’s hard to talk about British rom-coms without talking about Hugh Grant at some point, since so many of his early successes were built around his awkward charms. Notting Hill is one of Hugh Grant’s best rom-coms, thanks to the effortless chemistry that he manages to build with Julia Roberts. They play a typical opposites-attract couple in this culture-clash comedy, divided by their class, their work and their nationalities, but being drawn to one another nonetheless. Notting Hill paints a romantic picture of London and British culture in general.
14
Rye Lane (2023)
Rye Lane Puts A Modern Twist On A Classic Premise
Rye Lane is one of the best British comedy movies of recent years, but its style feels like a throwback to an earlier era of rom-coms. The story follows two young people reeling from post-breakup blues who find each other and decide to spend a day together as they meander through South London. Its breezy, conversational tone has been favorably compared to movies like Before Sunset, as the story gets most of its dynamism from the dialogue, and the captivating chemistry between the two leads. Rye Lane is a simplistic comedy with a few surprises up its sleeve, and it deserves more love.
13
Yesterday (2019)
Yesterday Pushes Its Premise To The Limit
Yesterday is a high-concept comedy that doesn’t stay content with the peculiarity of its premise. The story follows a man who wakes up after being hit by a bus to find that he’s the only person on Earth who remembers The Beatles. This contrived premise could easily fall flat with a less capable creative team, but writer Richard Curtis and director Danny Boyle ensure that the focus remains on the characters at the heart of the story, and the endearing romance that unfolds as one man is rocketed to international stardom. The music of The Beatles is the perfect soundtrack for a story about the power of love.
12
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (2008)
A Charming Adaptation Of A Forgotten Novel
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day was originally published in 1938, and the movie adaptation which came 70 years later clearly has a lot of fun recreating the period details of pre-war London. Frances McDormand plays a British governess who takes on an ᴀssignment meant for someone else, and she finds herself acting as social secretary to a flamboyant American singer with dreams of making it big. The tension between the old world and the new drives a lot of the humor, and the fish-out-of-water tale works wonderfully for a tangled romance narrative.
11
Together (2021)
Together Takes A Frank Look At Relationships During The Pandemic
While most rom-coms are about couples falling in love, there’s an interesting subgenre that focuses on the specifics of long-term relationships. Together takes place during the pandemic, as a struggling couple are forced to spend every waking moment together in their London apartment with their son. It’s a more honest and pragmatic kind of romance story that aligns with how real people experience relationships. Sharon Horgan and James McAvoy are completely believable as a couple who know each other perfectly, but still try to keep secrets. They carry Together through its ᴅᴇᴀᴅpan comedy and startling drama.
10
Emma (2020)
Anya Taylor-Joy Plays One Of Britain’s Most Popular Literary Characters
There have been countless Jane Austen movie adaptations over the years, and the author’s books have been reinterpreted in movies like Clueless, Bride and Prejudice and Fire Island. Emma is a blend between the old and the new, bringing Austen’s novel to life in a way that underlines the wit and social satire without butchering the language like some other modern adaptations. Anya Taylor-Joy is a delight as the тιтle character, an immature socialite with a hobby for matchmaking who is nevertheless a wonderful companion to spend time with. She is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, as Emma makes a worthwhile addition to the long list of British costume dramas.
9
Man Up (2015)
Simon Pegg And Lake Bell Are A Heartwarming Couple
Fans of British comedy will undoubtedly recognize Simon Pegg from his roles in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy, although he’s also made a name for himself more recently as part of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Man Up sees him in a familiar comedic role as a divorced man who puts himself out there for a blind date, but he soon discovers that he’s met the wrong woman by mistake. Lake Bell’s flawless British accent is just one of the many positives to her performance, as she also strikes up a charming chemistry with Pegg. Together, they create a charming rom-com about middle age that eschews the classic tropes.
8
Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994)
An Ensemble Rom-Com With Genuine Heart
A few years before Notting Hill, Hugh Grant made another rom-com with an American love interest, but Four Weddings and a Funeral is a much different prospect. While Grant and Andie MacDowell’s on-screen chemistry is frequently endearing, the story is just as much about friendship as it is about romantic love. The story follows a group of friends who lean on each other as everyone else their age gets married and has children. It’s filled with snappy dialogue, but Four Weddings and a Funeral also has plenty of authentic emotion where it counts, and the eulogy scene is a real tearjerker.
7
Alfie (1966)
Michael Caine Shines In One Of His Funniest Roles
Many of Michael Caine’s best movies came out in the 1960s, as he worked his roguish Cockney charms in a variety of comedies like Gambit and The Italian Job. Alfie sees him playing an irresponsible playboy who frequently lies to women to get them into bed. Although Alfie has plenty of great comedic set pieces as the тιтle character ties himself in knots to keep his precarious lifestyle afloat, the script is also smart enough to swing into deep personal tragedy. Throughout it all, Caine delivers a wonderful performance.
6
What’s Love Got To Do With It? (2022)
An Intelligent Culture-Clash Comedy
What’s Love Got to Do with It? follows a Pakistani man in Britain who struggles to process his feelings on love and partnership when his parents find an arranged marriage for him. Opposite Shazad Latif is rom-com stalwart Lily James, who represents a more idealized and optimistic view of love. The clash of different cultures in What’s Love Got to Do with It? is more than just the premise for some fun comedic exchanges, it’s also a way for the movie to discuss conflicting cultural atтιтudes toward romance, and the way that modern life often jars with tradition.
5
Wimbledon (2004)
Paul Bettany And Kirsten Dunst Star In An Uplifting Sports Rom-Com
Wimbledon is a rom-com set in the world of professional tennis, with Paul Bettany as an aging player at the tail end of a mediocre career, and Kirsten Dunst playing an exciting up-and-coming prospect. Wimbledon is a blend of the classic rom-com formula and the classic underdog sports movie formula, as each beat in the central relationship reflects the next step in the famous tennis tournament. This approach means that it doesn’t take a genius to predict the ending, but Wimbledon is ight enough to make for some crowdpleasing comedy, and the unique setting will charm any Anglophile.
4
My Beautiful Landrette (1985)
A Queer Love Story With Some Heavy Themes
My Beautiful Laundrette is one of Daniel Day-Lewis’ best movies, although it doesn’t get as much attention nowadays as some of his later performances. He plays a young street punk who reunites with a Pakistani childhood friend, and they soon rekindle a romantic relationship. Although My Beautiful Laundrette is often very funny, it’s also not afraid to tackle some thorny social issues, like race relations in 20th century Britain, cultural atтιтudes to queer love and Britain’s rigid class structure. The fact that it can take on these issues with a blend of humor and sympathy is a credit to the script.
3
About Time (2013)
Richard Curtis Proves That He Can Direct As Well As He Can Write
Richard Curtis is known as one of Britain’s most successful screenwriters, with a long list of rom-com hits to his credit. He only dips his toe into directing once every few years, and About Time is his third directorial feature after Love Actually and The Boat That Rocked. It adds a dash of sci-fi to Curtis’ usual flair for romantic comedy, as Domhnall Gleeson plays a man who learns that he can travel through time. About Time always keeps its feet on the ground, never letting the sci-fi elements overpower the characters. It’s no coincidence that the method of time travel is as plain and unspectacular as possible.
2
Educating Rita (1983)
Julie Walters Stars In A Complex Romance
Educating Rita is a strange and complex kind of romantic comedy, as the feelings of romance between the two main characters are tied to their hopes for their own lives and their perceptions of the world. Julie Walters delivers a charismatic performance as a dissatisfied hairdresser who takes a university course on literature, where she meets Michael Caine’s jaded, alcoholic professor. Each character represents a new opportunity for the other, and they ultimately leave one another with a renewed vigor for life. It’s a mature and realistic rom-com that examines the very nature of love.
1
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
The First In The Franchise Is Probably Still The Best
Although Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is imminent, it’s already unlikely that it will beat the franchise’s first movie. Bridget Jones’s Diary is a wonderfully rude and witty comedy about a young woman struggling to get her life together, both socially and professionally. Renée Zellweger’s performance makes Bridget a character who’s easy to love, despite her many glaring flaws. She’s caught in a love triangle between two completely different men, which leads to a hilarious street fight between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, as well as a parade of awkward moments, raunchy humor and uplifting emotional scenes.
