5 High-Concept Romance Movies To Watch After ‘One Night Only’
There was once a time when romantic comedies were such popular staples for theatrical releases that they were everywhere. Romantic comedies or romantic dramas starred big stars because they weren’t just a box to tick in a filmography but an exciting, fulfilling project. In their abundance, romances could branch out beyond their usual formulas. They could stretch into “what if” ideas that resulted in some truly lovable high-concept romance movies.
The latest addition to this subgenre of romance movies is Will Gluck’s One Night Only (2026), starring Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro. All three have a history with romances. So, it’s exciting that they’re teaming up in a drought of theatrical comedies. The concept of One Night Only is that there is only one night when single people can legally have premarital sex. The hope is that the single leads will find true love on that singular, unromantic night. The movie released in theaters on Friday, August 7, 2026, and once you see it, you may be looking for more romantic comedies with a less-than-conventional twist for the leads. Luckily, there are some standouts in the early 2000s and 2010s. You can watch these movies on Hulu, Netflix, and more!
Richard Curtis’s About Time is one of those movies that makes my heart feel lighter and warmer even though I weep through practically the whole thing. I should expect nothing less from a Curtis romance because Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and Notting Hill (1999) are brilliant and emotional, too. In About Time, Domhnall Gleeson stars as Tim, a hopeless romantic who is rather, well, hopeless in finding a real, lasting love. Amid his search for the one, his father (Bill Nighy) tells him that the men in their family can time travel, but there are consequences.
Rachel McAdams stars as Mary opposite Gleeson’s Tim, and it’s one of my favorite performances from an actress who gets better with every project. The romance between Mary and Tim moves from a believable awkwardness to a lasting love. The imperfections in their romance and their lives test Tim’s reliance on time travel, eventually encouraging him to accept things for the way they are. About Time is a truly charming movie; I can’t recommend it enough.
The older I get and the more I watch it, the more I am convinced that 13 Going on 30 is a perfect movie. As Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) does, it’s easy to wish for the coming-of-age experience to make way for an adulthood that seems better. It’s easy to wish to be “thirty, flirty, and thriving.” But, as the movie explores, there are a lot of challenges that come with being a 30-year-old person in the world, too. There are adult jobs, relationships, and responsibilities.
Garner plays that duality with such infectious energy and warmth, and her Jenna finds a perfect match in Mark Ruffalo’s Matty. They have the chemistry that romantic comedies need today. It’s gorgeous and palpable and necessarily strained. Their friends-to-lovers arc is well-written so that their happy ending is earned rather than a given because of the genre’s conventions. It’s no wonder that Netflix is rebooting 13 Going on 30 for a new generation—its themes are timeless, and its romance is unforgettable. It’s a staple in the genre for a reason.
As a romantic comedy scholar, I’m actually stunned that I only watched Kate & Leopold for the first time relatively recently. I really like it for how truly wacky it is from start to finish. Like, what do you mean both the invention of elevators and time portals in 1876 combine to create a rather charming romance in 2001? It probably shouldn’t work, but it does because even when the story gets a bit convoluted, the chemistry between the leads makes the romance engaging.
Kate & Leopold stars the rom-com heroine Meg Ryan, which is, let’s be honest, a reason to watch the movie alone. Be it When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), or You’ve Got Mail (1998)—she never misses. Ryan’s Kate finds her match in Hugh Jackman’s Leopold, who is every bit as silly as he is romantic while being a fish out of water—or, well, time—in this story. Needless to say, Kate & Leopold is a lesser-known, entertaining opposites-attract romance.
If you’re a fan of the persistent, slow-burn romances of 50 First Dates (2004) and Groundhog Day (1993), Palm Springs should be your next watch after One Night Only. It’s one of the few recent romantic comedies that has succeeded at a high-concept romance. Its leads, Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti), find themselves in a time loop at a wedding.
Beyond the romance, which is fantastic, I love that Palm Springs is actually funny. So many romantic comedies can lose that very crucial element, and this one doesn’t. The sense of humor is sharp, and it’s necessary to help Nyles and Sarah cope with their rather existential science-fiction issue. It’s worth mentioning that Samberg and Milioti’s chemistry in this is excellent; they will have you wanting to rewatch Palm Springs on an endless loop.
I don’t know if it’s because I just rewatched Just Like Heaven, but I think we, as a society, need to get Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo back in romantic comedies. Ruffalo, in particular, is maybe the king of high-concept romantic comedies. Witherspoon understands the genre so acutely that I rewatch Sweet Home Alabama (2002) every time it's on. I miss when actors used to star in multiple romantic comedies. Take me back!
This movie puts Witherspoon’s Elizabeth in a coma after a car accident. She appears as a ghost/spirit to Ruffalo’s David when he moves into her apartment. He’s a grieving landscape architect, and she’s a workaholic who never made time for love. Throughout the movie, they fall for each other, and David risks everything to ensure Elizabeth wakes up from the coma. There’s a fun, banter-filled spark between them that makes way for an earnest, invisible-string romance. Just writing about it makes me want to rewatch Just Like Heaven again!
