Regé-Jean Page is returning to his roots with his latest film release, You, Me & Tuscany, starring alongside Halle Bailey.
Languishing in Tuscan vineyards and falling in love with the one person you’re not supposed to, it’s the stuff of every happily ever after on screen, arriving at Cineworld on the 10th April. But, more and more, there seems to be conversation around this being exactly what Hollywood studios are pivoting away from in favour of another superhero movie or car chase packed action blockbuster.
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That’s in part why Page decided to take on the cookie-cutter perfect romantic comedy, You, Me & Tuscany. Speaking to People, Page said, “The idea that the rom-com is dead… Love definitely isn’t dead. Love will save us. And I think that I’m happy to wave that flag.”
He continued, “[rom coms] are about having aspirations. About having aspirations that you can step into your best life through trusting other people, through discovering how to solve your problems with others… how to talk through your problems. Every movie doesn’t have to be who punches hardest. So I’m conscious about talking it out and finding peace with yourself and other people. And it was a joy to do that.”
Page definitely nails the charm of romcoms on the head, though. While often showcasing a polished version of love, more and more it’s also a genre used to navigate the complexities of existing with another person and also individually. And I think that’s where romcoms are going – and they’re definitely not dead!
Have we already reached our peak with rom coms?
I may have only experienced When Harry Met Sally for the first time recently, but I think most would agree we’ve been deeply deprived of love stories that feel as good as the ones we saw in the late 80s, 90s, and 00s.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? Immaculate. A Cinderella Story? My go-to. Since then, things have maybe become a little too…manicured?
Still, this brilliance can be recreated. The continuation of Bridget Jones’ Diary with last year’s release of her next chapter, Bridget Jones’ Diary: Mad About the Boy proves it can be done.
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Does that mean the romcom is dead, though? No, in fact I’d agree with Page that we’re craving them more than ever, and wanting to get to the (sorry, not sorry) heart of the story. And to maybe see the foundations of them, but in a way that innovates on the genre?
Are rom coms just packaged differently now?
More often than not, it feels like the blueprint of a romantic comedy is present in new releases. They’re just dressed up in other genres to appeal to a wider audience. Take Ryan Gosling’s The Fall Guy, for instance. It’s got action, it’s got comedy, but it’s also got romance. And if Ryan Gosling isn’t the romcom lead of our generation, I don’t know who is. Crazy Stupid Love, La La Land, need I go on?
It’s the same with this year’s The Drama from A24. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star as a young, engaged couple who are about to say “I do”. But before they make it down the aisle, a silly conversation amongst friends will shake up how they see each other and if they really knew one another at all.
This one is less camouflaged. It’s described as a romantic black comedy. So yeah, this is a romcom. Watch the trailer and I think A24 definitely captures the nostalgic aesthetic of what we’ve come to associate with the romcom golden age. We saw it in 2025’s Materialists, too.
But where these romcoms differ is they have a sharper edge. There’s almost something sinister about the marketing of The Drama, even though this is by no means a psychological thriller. The bait that will entice audiences more than a good ol’, cosy love story here is the potential for some depraved plot twist. In Materialists, it was the scathing commentary on the dating landscape and our skyrocketing, shallow preferences in a potential partner.
But that’s okay – romcoms can hold space for the fact we are flawed, messy human beings that want to engage in the discourse.
We all crave human connection – IRL and on screen
The fact that romantic storylines are embedded in these movies that are otherwise not romcoms just shows the need, fundamentally, for human stories that revolve around two people catching feelings. It’s what keeps the world turning, and when times are bleak, sometimes it’s nice to watch two people become a bit silly about each other. We love the explosions and the tension and people saving the world, but sometimes we also just want to watch something a bit soppy and hopeful, don’t we?
So please, film studios, back the romcom scripts that come your way, and don’t shy away from the messy, rough around the edges kind of love. It doesn’t always have to be perfect, it just has to be witty and a little bit gooey.
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