With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, finding the perfect romantic comedy to watch with friends, significant others or family can be a bit of a daunting task.

Psychology and criminology student Grace Knapp, says she likes romantic comedies, even if they can be cheesy at times.

“I like rom coms because they are lighthearted and funny and just generally a pretty good movie genre to watch when you don’t know what to watch,” Knapp said.

When choosing a romantic comedy to watch, Knapp says she prefers the early 2000s or 2010s romantic comedies.

“Rom coms are generally one of those types of movies that you can watch with anybody,” Knapp said. “They’re fun to watch with family and friends and if you’re in a relationship, they’re fun to watch with those people as well. And I think that a lot of us, when we watch rom coms, are kind of hoping that we end up in a relationship like the ones we see on the screen because who wouldn’t want to have a cute and fun relationship in the future?”

Knapp says some of her favorite romantic comedies include “Set It Up,” “Love & Other Drugs,” “Palm Springs,” “Friends with Benefits,” “Clueless,” “The Princess Bride” and “Crazy Rich Asians.”

“I like some of those because they’re classics and always fun to watch with the family,” Knapp said. “Some of the other ones I like are because they actually make me laugh out loud when I watch them.”

Rebecca Habing, sophomore math education major, says she also likes romantic comedies and some of her favorites are “Guys and Dolls” and “Life as We Know It.”

“I love the buildup and suspense for the ‘couple’ to finally get together at the end. It just makes me happy,” Habing said.

Habing says that sometimes romantic comedies can be overdone or cheesy.

“It feels like nowadays every single hallmark has the same plot and actors and every time they are way too sappy,” Habing said.

The enemies to lovers trope is one of Habing’s favorites, she says, but there are a few tropes she dislikes.

“I hate the predictable boy meets girl, they fight and made up, and then kiss,” Habing said. “I like the friends to lovers trope because I feel like that’s more realistic. The more sappy basic type of rom coms don’t give younger girls a good idea of how most healthy relationships are.”

Sophomore communication disorders and sciences student Kristina Robinson says she likes romantic comedies as long as there’s an element of realness in the plot.

“I think as long as there are some realistic scenarios and humor and everything isn’t picture-perfect, it is a good movie,” Robinson said. “However, some rom coms give unrealistic expectations of love to children.”

Robinson said romantic comedies can be impractical examples of love and relationships for those who haven’t experienced them yet.

“Some rom coms only focus on the good in relationships and make it seem like love is all easy and happy, but there’s ups and downs and love takes effort and trust and so many other things,” Robinson said. “So, I appreciate the movies that capture the reality and rawness of the emotion of love more.”

Robinson said she likes the romantic comedies “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Someone Great.”

“The first one because it shows all the ups and downs and also includes romantic gestures and humor and realness,” Robinson said. “And the second one because it is so real and relatable, and it hits you in the feels. And spoiler alert: my favorite thing is that she chooses herself in the end and the couple doesn’t end up together.”

As a last concern of romantic comedies, Robinson said she wishes there was more inclusion of all types of love.

“I definitely wish there was more diversity whether that be LGBTQ+ or different ethnicities,” Robinson said. “And also, more realistic expectations of love that show the hard parts and the good parts instead of just glamorizing love as perfect. Even heartbreak can be beautiful in the right light.”

Heather Vosburgh can be reached at 581-2812 or at hmvosburgh@eiu.edu.