Rom-Com fantasy on screen provides the perfect escape from reality for viewers of all ages. Over the years romantic comedy films have veered from stories set in the contemporary or real world to portray stories with more fantastical elements. Films such as The Princess Bride (1987) and Disney’s Enchanted (2007) concern couples’ travails in a fairytale landscape. In the case of Enchanted the fairytale crashes into the modern world.
Otherwise, time travel and memory loss are oft-repeated plot elements adding to the complexity of any romance. 50 First Dates (2004) concerns a couple whose meet cute is complicated by the fact it has to happen every day due to the female leads’ lack of short-term memory. 13 Going on 30 (2004) centers around time travel in a purely cinematic fashion when a 13-year-old makes a wish on her birthday and wakes up 17 years in the future in her adult life with no memory of the previous years.
I would also include films set in exotic locations or where the characters undertake a vacation. Crazy Rich Asians (2018) fits the category when the lead couple travels to Singapore. The fantasy is further complete when the female lead discovers her fiancé’s family is among the richest in the ultra-wealthy community.
Any romantic relationship is complicated but adding these fantastical elements to the plot makes the couples’ chances more unlikely. See more film recommendations on the Escape from Reality theme page. Rom-Com fantasy on screen exists for fans of all backgrounds and preferences.
