Romantic comedies are one of the oldest genres in modern moviemaking. From the iconic screwball comedies of the 1930s to Judd Apatow’s more raunchy comedies of the 2000s, the genre has adapted to each new era of storytelling. Like other genres with a long history, romantic comedies have developed a checklist of tropes that pop up repeatedly, and the way they’re used can make new stories feel fresh or stale.
As with any genre, romcoms have had their ups and downs over the decades. The best of the best are some of the most iconic movies of all time – When Harry Met Sally, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, You’ve Got Mail, 10 Things I Hate About You – but a bad romcom can be so disappointing.
Part of the struggle is that romantic comedies must deliver on two fronts: romance and comedy. If both sides of the coin don’t feel balanced, it won’t be a satisfying viewing experience.
For me, Set It Up, which premiered on Netflix in 2018, is the complete package, and one of the best romantic comedies of the last five years, if not the decade. It takes some of the overworked genre tropes and gives them a fresh twist and anchored by two electric lead performances from Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch.
Set It Up follows Harper and Charlie, both assistants to intense, workaholic bosses (wonderfully played by Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) who never seem to leave the office. They scheme to set their bosses up and get them to date so Harper and Charlie can free themselves from their tyrannical grasp. Throughout their planning, Harper and Charlie’s relationship grows and deepens as well.
The romantic side of Set It Up is unique in that it technically follows two love stories – one planned and one natural. Charlie and Harper’s relationship combines one of my favorite romcom tropes – enemies to lovers – with another common trope, forced proximity. The first time they meet, Charlie and Harper could not care less about the other person; they’re stressed and under pressure to make their bosses happy. They fight over a dinner delivery, and are able to reach a compromise, but still not liking the other.
Once they put their plot in motion to get their bosses together, Charlie and Harper start spending more time together, but as professional partners. This allows them to get to know each other as people first. For the first half of their partnership, they both have other romantic partners – Charlie has a girlfriend (that doesn’t seem to like him) and Harper goes on a few dates with another guy. The two even share advice to help each other’s relationships. They learn to support each other, growing and becoming better together.
Romantic comedies live and die by the chemistry between the two leads, and Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch are like lightning in a bottle. Their connection is palpable in every scene and their charisma is off the charts. Glen Powell is one of the most underappreciated actors we have today, but thankfully, more people have seen his star power now, after Top Gun: Maverick. And Zoey Deutch has an infectious energy with a smile that’s like sunshine. The two of them together perfectly match and feel totally natural in their chemistry and comedic timing.
It’s a joke online that actors with good onscreen chemistry make the audience seriously question if they’re dating – or at least hooking up – offscreen. Glen and Zoey have that kind of chemistry, and it’s evident even in their behind the scenes and interview footage. The way they play off each other is energizing to watch. Especially in the first half of the movie, when they’re still antagonistic to each other, they bicker and fire off lines to each other in a way that is seriously reminiscent of classic slapstick comedy pairings.
And thankfully, they have an incredible script to base their chemistry on. The comedy piece of this romcom is top tier. The premise allows the movie and the characters to comment on, invert, and poke fun at some of the predictable tropes of the genre.
For example, Harper and Charlie try to follow a typical romcom formula in setting up their bosses, like a meet-cute (that goes terribly wrong), their first kiss, and a romantic getaway. This structure gives Harper and Charlie the opportunity to discuss how wild or unnatural these situations are, all while slowly falling for each other in a more natural way.
Likewise, the movie inverts a few common tropes, like a climactic chase and declaration of love in an airport. Only this time, Charlie isn’t chasing after Harper because he loves her, but because Harper has made him a better person and he knows this declaration is the right thing to do. While it does also help him realize he does love Harper, their true declaration of love is much more subdued and natural at the end of the movie and comes after the completion of their individual arcs.
A more minor trope inversion is that of the “gay best friend” stereotype. In other romcoms, the gay best friend is part of the female lead’s group – “one of the girls” you could say. He’s (it’s usually a man, but female gay best friends are out there too) there to be loud, campy, supportive, and over the top. He doesn’t get a romantic subplot but is there to cheer on the lead and offer advice when needed.
But in Set It Up, the gay best friend is roommates with Charlie, the male lead. He’s played by Pete Davidson and does not talk, act or look like these characters typically do. Plus, his romantic relationships are briefly discussed. It’s a small update to this trope, but an important one that’s used for great comedic effect.
Since the release of Set It Up, several other great romantic comedies have been released, leading to a small resurgence of the genre. Movies like Palm Springs, Rye Lane, I Want You Back, Crazy Rich Asians and Cha Cha Real Smooth are all excellent additions.
Romantic comedies sometimes get a bad reputation, and their importance is often minimized by calling them chick flicks. But there are plenty of great ones out there for everyone, so if you need something new to try out, give Set It Up a try and then continue exploring!
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