The 7 Best Rom-Coms on Netflix in August

Something’s Gotta Give

The world immediately got dimmer when Diane Keaton left it, but this month, her film “Something’s Gotta Give” hits Netflix. So, if you’re missing her a little extra, this is the move.

The film tells the story of Harry and Erica, who find love for each other in later life, despite being complete opposites. Harry typically only dates younger women, and he’s strict about that. But, for fans of the forced proximity trope, things get fun pretty quickly, as he’s forced to stay with Erica after he has a heart attack.

All the while, she’s being pursued by a much younger doctor, played by Keanu Reeves. Ironically, this is one of two movies on this list that stars Keanu Reeves, which is just a happy accident.

“Something’s Gotta Give” is massively important in the pantheon of rom-coms, so if you haven’t seen it, make sure you do.

Always Be My Maybe

Did you have that childhood friend that really could’ve — and maybe should’ve — turned into something more? “Always Be My Maybe” is going to be the rom-com you want this month.

Ali Wong stars as an up-and-coming celebrity chef named Sasha, while Randall Park stars as Marcus Kim, an assistant to his dad, who runs a heating business. They were best friends as kids, but didn’t maintain the closeness into adulthood. But, when Sasha’s longterm boyfriend decides he doesn’t want to get married, Sasha heads home, where she promptly runs into Marcus.

The two clearly still have chemistry, which is almost a bummer once Keanu Reeves enters the equation. Yes, that Keanu Reeves. He’s a highlight of this rom-com.

Hit Man

Listen, you can go to the classic rom-coms of the early 2000s all you want, but none of them have a scene quite like Glen Powell and Adria Arjona fake-arguing while communicating via notes app. That scene alone makes “Hit Man” worth watching.

Fortunately, it’s not the only good scene in this very fun movie. Powell stars as Gary Johnson, a college professor who works for the police, pretending to be a hitman for hire and thus, stopping would-be murderers. He crafts a hitman persona for each potential client, leading to a whole lot of fun disguises for Powell to play in.

But when he falls for one of his would-be clients, he tries desperately to help her out of a situation that gets more and more tangled. It’s fun, it’s steamy, it’s a very good watch. Oh, and it’s based on a true story!

Someone Great

Odds are, the Lizzo singalong moment from this movie still crosses your social feed every now and then. Oh, just me? Weird.

“Someone Great” premiered on Netflix back in 2019, starring Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise, Lakeith Stanfield and Peter Vack. It centers on Jenny (Rodriguez), a music journalist who unexpectedly gets dumped by her boyfriend right before she’s supposed to leave New York for her dream job.

To cope, she seeks out her best friends, striving to have one last insane night. Therein lies the beauty of this film. Yes, it’s a rom-com, but in the end, it’s really just a story about female friendship, and the importance of it. And it’s worth a rewatch.

The Incredible Jessica James

If you love Jessica Williams on “Shrinking,” you need to make sure you see her in “The Incredible Jessica James.” She is just reliably great onscreen.

Here, she plays Jessica James, a playwright going through a tough breakup. She tries to put herself back out there, but really only halfheartedly. When she meets Boone, she’s honest about her situation, prompting him to admit he’s in a similar boat, dealing with a divorce. Even so, the two hit it off.

They agree to help each other through their respective breakups, and of course, it’s a rom-com, so you know what follows. Don’t worry, it’s not a paint-by-numbers kind of movie, but it is still a rom-com that’ll leave you feeling satisfied (if a little alone, depending on your situation).

Love at First Sight

I’ll say it every time I recommend this movie, “Love at First Sight” should be called “Love at First Flight.” What were we doing here, folks?

The film stars Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy as a duo who meet at the airport and clearly have a spark, only to be seated next to each other on the plane. They quickly fall for each other, but Hadley’s (Richardson) phone dies before saving Oliver’s (Hardy) number. Now, they must figure out a way to find each other, all while dealing with their own family commitments.

It’s a very good rom-com, though it’s worth noting that there is a very sad subplot, so for as smitten as you’ll be with these two, you’ll also probably be fighting tears at least once. If that’s something you would like to avoid, that’s fair, and this may not be the movie to choose from this list!

The Perfect Find

If there’s one thing Gabrielle Union is going to do, it’s elevate anything she’s in. “The Perfect Find” is no exception. It may not be an A-tier rom-com, but it does what it needs to do, and is a perfectly good evening watch.

“The Perfect Find” centers on Jenna (Union), who is unexpectedly starting over at 40 years old, after being dumped by her boyfriend and kicked out by her mom. At her new job, she meets and falls for a much younger man. Don’t worry, this isn’t the more troubling kind of May-December romance (unless you’re troubled by all of them, which is your prerogative). Their relationship is sincere, if a little complicated.

It’s called “The Perfect Find,” and really, it’s perfectly fine. Give it a go.