The simple fact of the matter is that the vast majority of movies aren’t very good. There are always sterling examples of great films that emerge every year, and some years have a better crop of movies than others, but the reality of the situation is that it’s easy to indict a genre based on its worst examples, especially when there are so many. Perhaps no subgenre has been more maligned than the romantic comedy, as there’s been a plethora of clichéd, subpar and outright terrible entries in the form. But it isn’t the case across the board. Beyond just the classics – like “It Happened One Night,” “The Apartment,” “Splash” and others – there are other prime examples of filmmakers doing interesting and innovative things within the genre.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, here is a list of great romantic comedies that people who aren’t too into the subgenre should check out. Some are classics and some are overlooked gems, but they all make clever decisions that bring out the best in romance and comedy and produce something that has lasted the test of time.

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