PICTURE this: A girl rushing to work one sunny morning accidentally bumps into the guy of her dreams. They exchange pleasantries, lock eyes, and just like that— sparks fly, marking the beginning of a great love story. This is the blueprint for a meet-cute straight out of a romantic comedy.
The concept of whirlwind romances, often seen in romcoms, paints an idealized portrayal of love. Wrapped in saccharine clichés and flowery professions of admiration, these films enforce how feelings and relationships typically unfold in a quintessential world; it poses the question: do viewers put too much expectations on happily ever afters occurring beyond the screen?
On love and nostalgia
Romantic comedies have a special spot in the Filipino movie industry. These swoon-worthy films follow a pattern of charming meet-cutes and delightful love tropes blending with values of love, self-discovery, and family. Tatiana Mendoza (21), a self-proclaimed DonBelle fan, enjoys watching rom-coms like Love is Color Blind and An Inconvenient Love not just for the mere romances as it provides food for thought for its viewers, “watching Filipino rom-coms does not only bring [me] excitement and joy when watching but, I also see a different perspective wherein I can learn something from the movie itself that resonates with me,” she shares.
On the other hand, Andrea Neis (18) reveals that the charm of Filipino romcoms is anchored on nostalgia. A significant factor in her enjoyment of this genre is the sentimental touch they bring, “She’s Dating the Gangster is a classic feel-good romcom that has familiar tropes, and that’s exactly what makes it nostalgic and comforting to watch for me.” she explains. Although these stories do not reflect reality, they serve as an escape for audiences to live vicariously through the main characters.
On blockbuster expectations
For young, hopeless romantics, this genre is a benchmark for love. It’s easy to believe that the red string theory, showy gestures, and meet-cutes exist; however, as they become more exposed to today’s dating landscape, a love story straight out of a romcom is not a necessity for the Gen Z audience. Nevertheless, it still influences their standards and what they seek in a romantic relationship.
Tatiana admits that the gestures in these movies shaped what she looks for in an ideal partner, “It raised my standards because upon seeing relationships or actions done by characters through a screen, I can’t help but think na may ganyan pala, like someone out there exists. So from time to time, I hope to meet someone from the films I watch with that personality, but it’s more of a want and not a need” she describes.
On the other hand, Andrea recounts the difference between the movie plots and real life, “I met my current love interest through school. Although I’ve watched movies centered on school romance, that was not true for us. He and I started talking after I asked him about our homework. There were no heart-fluttering butterflies or silly little banter, just two classmates slowly getting to know each other.” Their first encounter reinforced her perception of how unrealistic romcoms portrayed the instant connection people felt after one conversation.
While romantic comedies have paved the way for a glamorized view of love and relationships, they are simply whimsical stories existing in a fragmented reality. Gen Zs believe authentic connections are not rooted in grandeur declarations of love or perfectly timed meet-cutes with chance encounters. In the current dating landscape, where genuine connections carry more weight than the illusions of romantic comedy films, a love story that is nothing like the movies sounds all the more appealing.
