A little disclaimer before we begin: don’t be embarrassed by your choices. I was for a very long time, and honestly, it did absolutely no good. So now, I say watch the cheesy rom-coms. Rewatch the predictable love story. Get attached to fictional men. Be delusional when you can. There are worse ways to spend an evening.
If your idea of relaxation is putting something on that lets you completely switch off your brain and simply get lost in the story, we can be best friends. With The Love Hypothesis now streaming on Amazon Prime, the hopeless romantic in me has officially woken up and I’ve found myself revisiting all the OGs that made me fall in love with romance in the first place.
I speak for most girls when I say: I like keeping the delusion alive, the belief that true love exists somewhere, somehow, and will eventually find its way to me—even if I have absolutely no idea when, where, or how. I’m an arranged-marriage-believer girly, but that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on the whole madly in love with your person thing.
So yes, I will continue watching fictional people fall in love in increasingly unrealistic circumstances. I will root for the emotionally unavailable man to realise he’s in love. I will believe that the enemies are obviously going to kiss eventually. And I will absolutely convince myself that a meet-cute at a coffee shop is possible, despite having spent most of my adult life avoiding eye contact with strangers.
A friend once asked me how dumb I had to be to spend hours in front of a screen watching something that “makes absolutely no sense.” I was a little heartbroken. Mostly because I had no convincing argument. How do you explain to someone that fake dating, friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, love-hate relationships, grand gestures and people realising they’re in love at the exact right moment are not plot devices but, in fact, essential to your emotional wellbeing?
Maybe they’re unrealistic. Maybe they’re predictable. Maybe you can spot the breakup from a mile away. But that’s exactly the point. Sometimes you don’t want realism. Sometimes you want two impossibly attractive people to stare at each other for 90 minutes and figure out what the rest of us have been trying to figure out for years.
So, if The Love Hypothesis has reignited your need for butterflies, banter and wildly unrealistic expectations, consider this your sign to keep the delusion going. From swoony adaptations to old favourites worth rewatching, here’s a list of films and series to put on when you want to do absolutely nothing except fall a little bit in love with a fictional world. Push your delusions. Here’s a list worth losing a little sleep over.
1. The Love Hypothesis
Fake dating. Nerdy romance. Book Adaptation. Maximum delusion.
Possible in reality? Absolutely not.
2. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
Classic rom-com. Peak early-2000s chaos. Enemies to lovers. Workplace romance. One very questionable bet.
Possible in reality? Maybe.
3. The Proposal
Fake dating. Boss X Employee. Enemies to lovers. Female lead pretending to be engaged to her assistant because apparently that’s easier than getting a visa.
Possible in reality? I don’t think so.
4. Notting Hill
This one’s my favourite. British Charm. Hopeless romantic. “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
Possible in reality? I wish.
5. The Holiday
Christmas charm. House Swap. Two love stories in one. Cosy, yes you read that right. Cosy. Must be watched with a cup of hot chocolate.
Possible in reality? Hardly.
6. Crazy Rich Asians
Rich-boy romance. Family drama. The kind of wedding budget you dream of. You’ll listen to ‘can’t help falling in love’ on repeat
Possible in reality? Let’s not get carried away.
7. Crazy, Stupid, Love
Mid-life crisis. A reminder that love is, in fact, crazy and stupid. Ryan’s charm and Steve’s comic timing
Possible in reality? I hope not.
8. Bridezilla
Wedding comedy. Best friends turned enemies. Perfect combination of drama and chaos.
Possible in reality? Sadly, very much so.
9. Bridesmaids
Female friendship. Proof that sometimes the real love story is between you and your best friends.
Possible in reality? 100%
This list has got the potential to never end. With winter almost around the corner, keep your hot chocolate on standby and make your way through all of these. And if you need more recommendations, I could always help—because, “I’m just a girl.”
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