20 Netflix Canada Rom-Coms You’ll Fall in Love With
Updated: Jun. 01, 2023Unearthing the perfect romantic comedy from Netflix Canada’s huge selection can be tricky, but we’ve done the heavy-lifting for you! From quirky love triangles to star-studded Hollywood fare, here are the best rom-coms Netflix has to offer.
I Give It a Year (2013)
I Give It a Year often plays like a raunchier version of British rom-com classic Four Weddings and a Funeral—and that’s not exactly a bad thing. When marketing exec Nat (Rose Byrne) and struggling novelist Josh (Rafe Spall) put a ring on it after just seven months of dating, no one sees a future in their union. And their loved ones have a point, as Nat’s hunky new client (Simon Baker) and Josh’s ex (Anna Faris) make the newlyweds quickly rethink their happily-ever-after.
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Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
Fifty-something playwright Erica Barry (Diane Keaton) doesn’t believe anyone would find her attractive anymore. Sixty-something record label exec Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) doesn’t date anyone under 30. Thanks to a series of mishaps, the two strangers are forced to spend a few weeks together at Erica’s summer house, where sparks improbably fly. The sharp-witted, often moving Something’s Gotta Give achieves something special: a rom-com for grown-ups only.
Friends with Benefits (2011)
“It’s a physical act, like playing tennis,” Dylan Harper (Justin Timberlake) tells gal-pal Jamie Rellis (Mila Kunis) late one night. And so begins the titular relationship, which—this being a rom-com, after all—hits some bumps along the way. Friends with Benefits, however, doesn’t let formula get in the way of a rewarding watch, thanks to some sharp dialogue, choice supporting players and breezy chemistry between Kunis and Timberlake.
Kicking and Screaming (1995)
The directorial debut of Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story) zeroes in on a group of quirky almost-adults unable to confront the fact that they’re about to be dragged into the real world. The film stars indie film stalwarts Eric Stoltz, Parker Posey, Chris Eigeman and Josh Hamilton, as well as Elliott Gould. Baumbach’s trademark—dark interpersonal and relationship humour—is already on full display, and perfect for movie lovers who don’t go for the “happily ever after” brand of rom-com.
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Notting Hill (1999)
Welsh actor Rhys Ifans does the lion’s share of the laugh-inducing heavy-lifting here while leading man Hugh Grant pitches in with his trademark charming British bumbler routine. At the centre of the story is Julia Roberts, who doesn’t exactly have to reach far to play an American movie star struggling to make a romantic connection under the glaring spotlight of fame. Notting Hill pulls at our heartstrings thanks to two perfectly matched protagonists who can’t seem to line up their lives to make love work—until, of course, they do.
Let It Snow (2019)
For many grown-ups, the happiest time of the year is actually the most stressful—and yes, that aphorism extends to teenagers, too. Playing like one of Garry Marshall’s ensemble rom-coms, the Christmas Eve-themed Let It Snow follows a group of high schoolers in Illinois who’d rather be anywhere else. Julie (Isabela Merced) struggles to balance her home and school lives before a meet-cute with a pop star; Addie (Odeya Rush) is worried her boyfriend is cheating on her; and Dorrie (Liv Hewson) strikes up a relationship with a classmate who wishes to remain in the closet. Will the trio find happiness in time for Santa’s big day?
Funny Girl (1968)
Want a “based on a true story” rom-com? Look no further than Funny Girl, the Barbra Streisand-starring musical that won the actress an Academy Award for her very first on-screen role. Streisand plays Fanny Brice, the famed Ziegfeld Follies performer, with Omar Sharif in the role of her charming gambler husband. For fans of musicals, this one’s a classic, spawning hits like “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “People.”
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Larry Crowne (2011)
Perhaps the sweetest movie ever made about unemployment and foreclosure, Larry Crowne stars Tom Hanks as a divorced Navy veteran who, after losing his job, enrolls at a community college in the hopes of finding a new life path. There, he becomes pals with a group of equally determined students, and also hits it off with a teacher (Julia Roberts), herself trapped in a loveless marriage. Written and directed by Hanks (with screenwriting help from Canada’s own Nia Vardalos), Larry Crowne succeeds on the shoulders of its iconic stars.
Ibiza (2018)
The thirty-something crisis is very, very real—just ask Harper (the criminally underrated Gillian Jacobs), a malcontent PR associate in New York City. When her obnoxious boss sends her to Barcelona to secure a new account, her friends (Saturday Night Live alum Vanessa Bayer and Phoebe Robinson) tag along. There, Harper meets a famous DJ (Richard Madden of Game of Thrones fame) and impulsively follows him to the titular Spanish party island. With Ibiza’s leads firing on all cylinders, Millennial disillusionment has never been funnier.
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Crazy About Her (2021)
This endearing Spanish rom-com boasts one of the most unique premises in recent memory: after a spirited one-night stand with a woman named Carla (Susana Abaitua), hotshot journalist Adri (Álvaro Cervantes) tracks her down, only to learn that she’s a patient at a mental hospital. In an effort to reunite with her, Adri admits himself into the hospital…but when he tries to leave, the nurses believe he’s mentally ill too. Both a skewering of tired genre tropes and an earnest exploration of mental health, Crazy About Her breathes new life into the rom-com formula.
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More the Merrier (2021)
For something a little edgier, stream the sexy Spanish rom-com More the Merrier. Set in a sex club, the movie follows multiple story arcs as couples get frisky and find connections they weren’t necessarily looking for. (An especially funny plot line sees one character recruit her BFF to frantically search for the engagement ring she lost at the club.) This sex-positive romp is definitely for adults only, but even the shyest viewer will find themselves chuckling at lines like “All that matters is the size of this thing here…your heart.”
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Set It Up (2018)
What if Horrible Bosses was a romantic comedy? That’s the question posed by Claire Scanlon’s first feature, following directing stints on sitcoms like The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Overworked assistants (Zoey Deutsch and Glen Powell) conspire to set up their powerful but stressed-out bosses, hoping that a successful hook-up will buy them some much-needed down time. Set It Up also boasts supporting performances by Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs and SNL’s Pete Davidson.
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She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
Spike Lee centres his acclaimed directorial debut on Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns), a young Brooklynite juggling three boyfriends. Soon, however, they all find out about each other and demand that she commit to just one of them. Loosely inspired by the ancient Greek comedy Lysistrata, She’s Gotta Have It takes a humorous approach to issues that remain contentious for women in the dating world.
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He’s Just Not That Into You (2009)
Based on the best-selling self-help book of the same name, He’s Just Not That Into You is another ensemble cast comedy with romance at its heart. Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson play just some of the characters trying to navigate dating, love, marriage and divorce in the modern world. Not all of them are successful at it, but they’ll all make you laugh!
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Dear Ex (2018)
Dear Ex features an unlikely love triangle: after Zhengyuan dies, his ex-wife and secret boyfriend battle it out for his life insurance money. To further complicate matters, the dead man’s teenage son can’t figure out whose side he will take in the conflict. A storyline that might otherwise sink into sadness is buoyed by a quirky script and note-perfect performances from the film’s charming cast.
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The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Jessica Williams, a Daily Show alum and podcast host of 2 Dope Queens, stars in this refreshingly non-formulaic rom-com about two single people trying (and sometimes failing) to get over their exes. Social media has made it hard to avoid keeping tabs on the people you used to date—a fact the film’s two central characters bond over. Irish actor Chris O’Dowd plays Williams’ is-he-or-isn’t-he love interest, enchanting both viewers and her character.
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Alex Strangelove (2018)
At once a coming-of-age and coming-out story, Alex Strangelove sees its title character go out in search of himself in a sea of high school pressures and expectations. Things go awry when he and his girlfriend make plans to have sex for the first time—all while his attraction to another boy grows. If tragedy plus time equals comedy, then it’s safe to say that anyone who’s escaped the clutches of high school will find more than a few reasons to laugh with Alex.
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Always Be My Maybe (2019)
If there’s one Keanu Reeves cameo appearance you watch this year, let it be his epic walk-on in Ali Wong and Randall Park’s fresh twist on the When Harry Met Sally story. Reeves plays Wong’s short-lived love interest, chewing the scenery as a caricature of his Hollywood self while the two characters who are actually destined to be together remain divided by his comically massive ego. In classic rom-com style, however, it all works out in the end.
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Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)
Say what you will about Sex and the City’s slow decline towards being, well, unfunny, the film gets the Gang of Four back together, reuniting them for a refreshingly imperfect and funny finale. (Yes, we are pretending that the embarrassing sequel doesn’t exist.) Here, happy endings, like Manolo Blahniks, come in various shapes and sizes. You just have to find the right fit.
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The Breaker Upperers (2019)
It’s never easy to tell your significant other you want to see other people. It’s harder still to call off your wedding. Enter New Zealanders Mel (Madeleine Sami) and Jen (Jackie van Beek), two best friends who run an agency that’ll help you put an end to your romance for a reasonable price. When one of them begins to feel remorse for their line of work, however, their lifelong friendship begins to unravel. The Breaker Upperers is the perfect introduction to Kiwi comedy.
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