Taylor Watches Rom-Coms Vol. 5

The good, the bad, and the beautiful (because there's never any ugly in these movies)

From 2023 movies to movies with 2023 sequels, it’s the latest edition of Taylor Watches Rom-Coms!

Rye Lane (2023)

Two twenty-somethings, both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London – helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance.

While I love to revisit favorites from my past, I'm always on the lookout for new releases to keep this series current. I heard a lot about Rye Lane on Twitter, primarily from my British pals, as it hit the festival circuit this year. I am the biggest sucker for British television, film, and media (I actually want to do an article dedicated to British rom-coms soon), so this seemed right up my... Lane. That was bad. 

While my jokes may flop - this refreshing, fun, creative, and compelling new film doesn't! Vivian Oparah (Yas) and David Jonsson (Dom), with just two additional film credits to their names according to Letterboxd, effortlessly create chemistry and a vibrant overall energy that is palpable. While the plot is relatively simple, this truly dynamic duo brings immense depth to their characters through performances that demand your full attention. I also loved the fun, creative direction by Raine Allen-Miller. These three new-to-the-block artists are ones to watch.

One of my favorite parts is a fun easter egg, a familiar face, working at a shop Yas and Dom visit. If you want to know who, you're just going to have to watch for yourself - and you should!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

A young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

I have seen this movie countless times, but the most memorable watch for me was the time I watched it in an AP Human Geography class. It was memorable, 1) because AP classes are difficult and it was refreshing to turn our brains off after national testing (we also watched Slumdog Millionaire, if you’re curious) and 2) because why on earth was this movie being shown in an AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY CLASS? The only thing this movie has in common with our subject is… it stars…people? Who tell stories about a culture? The only conclusion I’ve come to all these years later is that my teacher, Mrs. Salmon, must have really liked this movie and just wanted to watch it. I still giggle at the thought of her trying to explain the deep significance of it to our curriculum when we all knew it was just the movie time of the year.

That memory aside, I’ve always enjoyed this movie. It leans more into rom than com, especially as I get older. It’s definitely outdated at times, but it’s just pleasant! It really is just about as classic as you get for a mindless, linear, sweet rom-com. That, coupled with a nearing-the-end-of-his-prime John Corbett and an incredibly fun ensemble of That Guy/Girl From That Thing, it’s just a good time.

Bottoms (2023)

PJ and Josie start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. The fight club gains traction and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defense. But the pair find themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out before their plan is exposed.

Emma Seligman rocked the indie film world with her debut feature film Shiva Baby, and everyone watched closely for her next move as a director. To our joyous surprise, her next film, Bottoms, would go on to feature Rachel Sennott, Seligman’s good friend (muse?) and star of Shiva Baby. The buzz around this movie has been palpable since it was just an idea, and even though I hadn’t seen Shiva Baby until recently (If you’re curious, I absolutely loved it and gave it 4.5 stars on Letterboxd), I couldn’t help but be excited. 

I was a little nervous about it being a true comedy (though there’s definitely a hefty dose of romance, hence its feature in this roundup!), and also a satire, because it’s one thing to make a movie that ends up being funny, and it’s a totally different thing to say “Okay, world! This movie WILL be funny! Expect to laugh!” But it really is extremely funny! I have seen numerous outlets refer to it as a crossover between Wet Hot American Summer (which I also just saw for the first time and it is without a doubt the funniest, most laugh-out-loud movie I’ve ever seen and my new favorite capital C Comedy) and Heathers, and when it comes to a description, that pretty much hits the nails on the head. It’s zany, it’s quirky, it’s clever, funny, endearing, honest, and so much more. Rachel Sennott proves to be talented as always, but the real standout is Ayo Edebiri whose comedic timing and tone are absolutely perfect. The stars of this movie are quickly forming a troupe of repertory comedic actors who are going on to star in each other’s projects. I saw someone online mention that Emma Seligman could be the new Seth Rogan when it comes to that buddy-comedy trope, and I have to say that with this bunch, I’ll be all in.

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This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movies being covered here wouldn't exist. 

Credit: Each plot synopsis comes from Letterboxd via TMDb.