One’s college years have the potential to be equally awkward and enriching, making it an ideal time for many greatromantic comediesto be set. These years provide students with a newfound independence, requiring them to take full control of their educational, social, and romantic lives. As seen in the best college rom-coms, these formative years take some time getting used to.
Characters in these films are often navigating significant romantic relationships while simultaneously sorting out who they truly want to be in life. The pressure of it all lends itself well to some humorous narratives. From classics likeThe Graduateto newer releases such asPitch PerfectandThe Other Zoey, there’s a diverse mix of love stories for everyone to enjoy in the best college rom-coms.
The Other Zoey
Cast
The Other Zoey is a romantic dramedy film directed by Sara Zandieh. The film follows computer science major Zoey Miller, who finds herself caught in a love triangle between a college athlete with amnesia named Zach and his cousin, Miles, after Zach belives that Zoey is his current girlfriend.
One of the newest films mentioned,The Other Zoeyis an incredibly refreshing rom-com released during a time when many believed the genre was dead.The film is centered around Zoey Miller (Josephine Langford), a young college student with a particularly strict view of romance. When her classmate Zach (Drew Starkey) suffers from amnesia after being knocked unconscious on his bike, Zoey is mistaken by him for his girlfriend who shares the same name.
Langford, who’s no stranger to romance movies, leads the cast ofThe Other Zoeywell.
Zoey then finds herself wrapped up in a complicated love triangle with Zach and his cousin Miles (Archie Renaux),and soon enough, romantic antics and the fun miscommunication trope begin to unfold. Langford, who’s no stranger to romance movies, leadsthe cast ofThe Other Zoeywell and helps create an enjoyable and familiar rom-com in an era where such movies are few and far between.
The To Do List
The To Do List is a coming-of-age comedy directed by Maggie Carey, featuring Aubrey Plaza as the academically driven Brandy Klark. Set in the early ’90s, the film follows Brandy as she attempts to gain more life experience before starting college by creating a list of activities to complete. The ensemble cast includes Johnny Simmons, Bill Hader, and Alia Shawkat, contributing to a humorous exploration of teenage curiosity and self-discovery.
Taking place over the summer before Aubrey Plaza’s Brandy heads off to college,The To Do Listsees the socially awkward teenager branching out.Throughout high school, Brandy was an accomplished student but wasn’t as romantically experienced as her peers. Intent on gaining more sexual experience before college, Brandy creates a list of various intimate acts she hopes to learn about and begins checking them off one by one.
Though the film has its weaker spots, there is some appreciated depth to the character of Brandy, as her escapades allow her to stumble and explore her sexuality on her own time.The To Do Listmay not beone of Plaza’s best movies,but she does receive some well-earned laughter from audiences, often outshining others in the film’s ensemble cast of comedic actors, including Bill Hader, Alia Shawkat, and Donald Glover.
Starter for 10
Starter for 10 is a British romantic comedy-drama directed by Tom Vaughan and based on David Nicholls' novel. Set in the 1980s, it follows Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a working-class student navigating his first year at the University of Bristol. He joins the university quiz team and competes on a popular television quiz show while dealing with the challenges of academic life and romantic entanglements.
An adaptation of David Nicholls' novel of the same name,Starter for 10is, at its core, a romantic comedy.The film follows college first-year student Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), who’s obsessed withUniversity Challenge, a TV quiz show, becoming an extremely knowledgeable person as a result. As Brian attempts to get on the show throughout his first year, he also has some unsuccessful attempts at finding love.
Starter for 10is witty and largely held up by McAvoy’s performance.
McAvoy’s Brian is a charming and ambitious protagonist that audiences can easily root for and empathize with during the film’s darker moments.The film doesn’t necessarily reinvent the rom-com formula,but its quiz-show setting sets it apart from others and provides a unique conflict within the British comedy.
13 years afterThe Last Days of Disco, Whit Stillman returned with the clever and delightfully absurdDamsels in Distress.Starring Greta Gerwig, Adam Brody, and Lio Tipton, the film sees Tipton’s Lily as a new transfer student at Seven Oaks University, where her roommates are a group of students who run a suicide prevention center. Led by Gerwig’s Violet, the center aims to improve the quality of life on campus.
The center’s unconventional methods of counseling involve the handing out of donuts and tap dancing sessions.Other measures taken to help Seven Oaks' students include dating timid men to give them a confidence boost, which is where the film’s element of romance shines. The oddball qualities inDamsels in Distressmay not be for everyone, but there’s still plenty to love about the film, including Gerwig’s attention-grabbing performance.
Drumline
Drumline is a musical drama directed by Charles Stone III, starring Nick Cannon as Devon Miles, a talented street drummer from Harlem who joins a Southern university’s marching band. As he grapples with the rigid expectations and traditions of the band’s culture, Devon faces personal and professional challenges that test his commitment and passion for music. The film explores themes of teamwork, discipline, and personal growth.
Following the familiar formula ofan underdog sports movie,Drumlinedepicts the cutthroat competition between college marching bands.As a first-year student at Atlanta A&T University, Devon (Nick Cannon) discovers just how serious his school is about its marching band, requiring its members to read music of various styles and attend a rigorous band camp before the season begins. As Devon becomes familiar with the band’s procedures, he finds himself falling for an upperclassman, Laila (Zoe Saldaña).
Cannon is a charismatic lead whose confidence and commitment to drumming get him in all sorts of trouble.
Though the film is fairly predictable, it still has a lot going for it. Comedically intense and with stakes comparable to that of a traditional sports movie,Drumlineis immensely entertaining. Cannon is a charismatic lead whose confidence and commitment to drumming get him in all sorts of trouble, and the film has a memorable soundtrack that’s supported well by its inclusion of early 2000s music in its drumming sections.
Dear White People
Dear White People, released in 2014, is a satirical comedy-drama exploring racial identity at a predominantly white Ivy League college. The film centers on four African American students and the ensuing campus upheaval following a racially themed party, offering commentary on the concept of a “post-racial” society.
Being both a critical and commercial success,Dear White Peopleearned praise for its performances and ability to address the topic of race with a great amount of honesty and wit.The film is set within a fictional Ivy League school where radio host Samantha White (Tessa Thompson) boldly criticizes her white classmates for their acts of cultural appropriation. Admittedly, the movie is best categorized as a satirical comedy and isn’t as full of romance as the other films mentioned.
Dear White Peopleis concerned most with depicting the racial tension impacting Samantha and her fellow Black classmates.However, these characters’ romantic relationships undoubtedly play a part in the larger conversation about identity and racial politics within a college setting. The movie is as humorous as it is eye-opening, creating a well-rounded and satisfying viewing experience.
Shithouse
Shithouse follows Alex, a lonely college freshman struggling to connect with his peers. His experience changes when he attends a party at Shithouse, a renowned fraternity, and forms a meaningful bond with fellow student Maggie. Released in 2020, the film explores themes of social isolation and personal growth.
College is an ideal setting to branch out and make new connections, but it’s not always easy.This is where audiences find Cooper Raiff’s Alex inShithouse, marketed asS#!%house. As a college freshman, Alex struggles to make friends or explore any romantic connections, despite reassuring his mother he’s doing just that. When attending a party at the titular fraternity, Alex meets sophomore Maggie (Dylan Gelula), who’s in a similar dilemma.
Winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at SXSW, Raiff’s film earned praise for its thoughtful exploration of social dynamics in college and the struggle many have to adapt to this new chapter in life.Alex and Maggie’s connection, both platonic and romantic throughout the film, is refreshingly realistic.There’s a heavy amount of miscommunication between the two that not only adds depth to their individual arcs but prompts audiences to be invested in their reconciliation.
Legally Blonde
Elle Woods, a fashionable sorority queen, is devastated when her boyfriend breaks up with her to attend Harvard Law School. Determined to win him back, she enrolls at Harvard and soon realizes her true potential as she tackles a high-profile murder case, ultimately proving her intelligence and capability in the legal world.
A quintessential film from the Golden Age of Rom-Coms,Legally Blondeintroduced the comedic talents of Reese Witherspoon on a larger scale.Following an unexpected breakup with her aspiring senator boyfriend, UCLA sorority girl Elle Woods (Witherspoon) decides that getting into Harvard Law School is the best way to get him back. Elle’s initial goal at Harvard Law is to prove to her ex-boyfriend that she’s capable of having similar career aspirations.
Legally Blonde Prequel Casts Young Elle Woods, And Reese Witherspoon Has Shared The Video Of Her Telling The New Star She Got The Part
Reese Witherspoon reveals that the part of Elle Woods in the Legally Blonde prequel series has been cast via a video of her telling the new star.
However, in doing so, Elle gains attention for being multifaceted and subverting the expectations others have of her due to her stereotypical interests and appearance.Witherspoon’s comedic performance and her natural charm helped create an iconic pop culture figure in Elle Woods.In the decades since the film’s release, audiences have continued to connect with the character and theLegally Blondefranchise, which includes a 2003 sequel film, a direct-to-video spin-off, a Broadway musical, and an upcoming prequel series.
Pitch Perfect
Pitch Perfect is a musical comedy film directed by Jason Moore, starring Anna Kendrick as Beca, a college freshman who reluctantly joins her school’s all-female a cappella group, the Barden Bellas. The Bellas strive to win the national competition in the male-dominated world of collegiate a cappella by reinventing their dated repertoire with new, dynamic arrangements. The cast also includes Rebel Wilson and Brittany Snow.
Set against the backdrop of a fierce collegiate a cappella competition isPitch Perfect’s forbidden romance between Beca (Anna Kendrick) and Jesse (Skylar Astin).The two are members of rival a cappella groups —the all-female Bellas and all-male Treblemakers— at Barden University.Following an incident that was detrimental to their reputation, the Bellas hope to make a comeback, with Beca proving to play an essential part in doing so.
Throughout the film,Beca grapples with her career aspirations and the significance of her role in the Bellas, which leads to tension between her fellow members and her growing relationship with Jesse.Pitch Perfect’s memorable performancescontain a mashup of catchy songs guaranteed to get stuck in the audience’s heads. The comedy film also tackles themes of belonging and teamwork, which are neatly built upon in the following sequel films.
The Graduate
In The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman stars as college student Benjamin Braddock, who becomes involved in an affair with an older woman, Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft. The film explores themes of alienation and the generation gap in 1960s America, and features a memorable soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel.
The Graduatesees aimless college graduate Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) start an affair with the married Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft).However, the semi-blissful romance between the two becomes further complicated when Benjamin begins falling for Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). Though their love is forbidden, Benjamin and Elaine have a false sense of maturity that gives them the courage to defy the orders of others.
This leads toThe Graduate’sending, which is what the film is remembered most for.Considered to be a perfect movie ending, the final moments of the film see the young pair gradually hit with the reality of their bold declaration of love. For its soundtrack, performances, and ability to capture the feelings of uncertainty after college, the film has become widely regarded as one of the most influential movies of all time.
