Valentines Day is right around the corner, and a perfect way to celebrate it is by cozying up (with or without a partner) and watching some killer zromcoms.
Romcoms aren’t just feel good movies, a number of them also host some of the greatest compilation of songs or even original tracks. Whether it’s Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski in Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s Someone Great, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam in Cameron Crowe’s grunge era Singles, James Reid and Nadine Lustre’s iconic Diary Ng Panget, these are 10 romcoms that are too good to pass on.
Diary ng Panget
It’s safe to say that Nadine Lustre and James Reid-led 2014 flick Diary ng Panget was a cultural reset. The movie didn’t just feature a star-studded cast; the masterminds behind its iconic soundtrack are the best Filipino pop music producers in recent history. “Paligoy-ligoy” by Bojam (producer of BINI’s “Karera,” Sarah Geronimo’s “Tala” and “Ikot-Ikot,” and more), Jasper Lukban, and Pow Chavez went viral again on TikTok for a reason.
Award-winning songwriters and producers Thyro and Yumi (“Dati,” “Triangulo,” and more) also worked on the soundtrack with songs like “No Erase,” “Kakaibabe,” and more. With such a tight soundtrack, this is definitely one of the best pop albums not just in the entertainment industry, but in the Filipino music scene as a whole.
I’m Drunk I Love You
JP Habac’s I’m Drunk I Love You is an ode to the Filipino indie and gig scene, and its soundtrack features some of the best indie acts in the country. I mean, you have Ang Bandang Shirley’s “Tama Na Ang Drama” (Enough With The Drama), Shirebound and Busking’s tongue-in-cheek “Lloydy” and “Pahintulot” (Permission), and of course, the most beautiful rendition of Sugarfree’s “Burnout” by Ebe Dancel, Johnoy Danao, and Bullet Dumas (3D).
I’m Drunk I Love You remains as one of the most celebrated indie films in the country, with its references (7 years, bagnet, ‘Women of Now’ section in YoungSTAR, and more) still being brought up today, nearly seven years since its release.
Someone Great
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s 2019 film Someone Great has all the perfect parts of a breakup romcom — a heartbreaking monologue, your best friends for life, and copious amounts of heartwarming lessons about love, loss, and change. When a movie opens with Lorde’s “Someone Great,” you know immediately that you’re in for a ride.
It’s not an understatement that the soundtrack fits perfectly into the movie’s story; a 29-year-old music journalist facing a life-changing breakup and new job necessitates a soundtrack with the likes of Vampire Weekend’s “Mansard Roof,” Phoebe Bridgers’ “Killer” and “Motion Sickness,” Mitski’s “Your Best American Girl,” Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts,” and even Selena’s “Dreaming Of You.” Truly a perfect soundtrack, no notes.
Music And Lyrics
Who could ever forget this Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore classic? You have an unlikely pairing of a “washed up” pop star and a plant caretaker trying to write a song for a Britney Spears-esque pop artist. You have the iconic “Way Back Into Love” and even underrated tracks like the 2000s-esque “Buddha’s Delight.” You can’t help but feel giddy watching Grant and Barrymore falling in love with a soundtrack that moves you closer to their characters.
Singles
A romcom with heavy grunge music? It’s an unlikely pairing, but for the 1992 flick Singles, it tracks. Singles tells the story of the romantic lives of people living in an apartment block across the backdrop of the grunge scene in Seattle. The soundtrack features “Would?” by Alice in Chains and a number of songs from Pearl Jam as well as acts like Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden, and more. Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Alice in Chains and more even make cameos in the film. If you’re looking for an unconventional twist on the romcom genre, Singles is definitely for you.
Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist
It’s in the title itself — Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist takes viewers into a fictionalized music scene of New York City in the early 2000s. Nick O’Leary (played by Michael Cera) is a bass player in The Jerk-Offs while Norah Silverberg (played by Kat Dennings of 2 Broke Girls) collects his breakup mixtapes and the duo pretend to be in a relationship. They go off on a search to find the venue of a secret show organized by a legendary indie band Where’s Fluffy?
With such a music-centric film, the soundtrack has to live up to the plot — and to no surprise, it does. It features a lot of indie favorites like Vampire Weekend, Devendra Banhart, Bishop Allen, and more. This isn’t just a good film to cozy up to, but it’s also a great platform to discover new music.
Begin Again
When it comes to the 2013 film Begin Again, most remember Adam Levine’s “Lost Stars,” but this soundtrack has great original songs that deserve to be celebrated as well. Keira Knightley shines as she plays a songwriter, with earworm-worthy tracks like “Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home,” “Coming Up Rose,” “Like A Fool,” and more. This soundtrack and film is severely underrated, so if you’re looking for something refreshing to watch this Valentines week, this should be on your to-watch list.
Sing Street
Picture this: you’re in Dublin in the ’80s, Duran Duran is playing on the television, and you’re a scrappy, awkward high schooled teenager with a crush on an older, aspiring model. The soundtrack’s original music is an ode to ’80s with killer songs like “Up,” “A Beautiful Sea,” and of course, “Drive It Like You Stole It.” The other featured songs feature great bands during that time, like The Cure, Hall & Oates, Duran Duran, Motörhead and more. You’ll fall in love with the film’s affectionate coming-of-age tones and its music.
He’s Just Not That Into You
He’s Just Not That Into You is another classic romcom that you can always rely on. It has all the hallmarks of the best romcom soundtracks like The Cure’s “Friday I’m In Love,” Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know,” and the Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody).” You even have artists that seem to come out of left field for a movie this big, such as Corrine Bailey Rae, R.E.M, and Wilco. If you haven’t watched He’s Just Not That Into You, you’re definitely missing out.
Reality Bites
The 1990 flick Reality Bites is known for bringing back The Knack and Dave Jerden’s “My Sharona” back into mainstream consciousness, but the rest of the soundtrack is too good to not be recognized. The film is led by some of the most in demand actors in the ’90s: Winona Ryder, Ben Stiller, and Ethan Hawke. Reality Bites’ soundtrack is a nice, eclectic mix of iconic bands from that era like U2, Dinosaur Jr., Big Mountain, and more.