Just when teenage girls thought that the age of the romantic comedy was over, Netflix comes as a savior. Summer 2018 can easily be named “The Summer of Rom Coms.” The past couple of months, Netflix has fed youthful viewers with many rom coms, such as The Kissing Booth, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser. Since then, clips from these films have taken over Instagram, VSCO, and Twitter feeds all over the world.  

It all started on May 11th, when The Kissing Booth began streaming on Netflix. The very next day, everyone was talking about this movie. The plot is based around a girl, named Ellie, whose first kiss (yes, it occured in a kissing booth) is with her best friend’s brother, Noah. This leads to a forbidden relationship, threatening her bond with her best friend, Lee. The movie is full of cliche one-liners directed towards teens and quickly became one of the most popular rom coms of the year. The movie’s popularity might also have something to do with the good looks of the leading male character. Since the movie debuted, all of the characters have gained both popularity, as well as followers, on all social media platforms.

The next wave, and maybe the biggest, of the rom com trend came on August 17th and was called To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Lara Jean Covey wrote love letters to all five of the boys that she had a crush on in the past. When they mysteriously get sent out to all of the boys, it wreaks havoc on her life. There is no question as to why the movie is so appealing to teens; it is the perfect recipe for a heart throbbing teen tear jerker. Out of all the characters to be broadcast in this new wave of rom coms, Peter Kavinsky, played by Noah Centineo, is arguably the most appealing to the youth. His character has been vastly spread all over social media. Centineo now has 12.6 million followers on Instagram, many referring to him as the “internet’s boyfriend.” Lana Condor, who plays Lara Jean, also received plenty of love for representing Asian American women on the Netflix screen. Since then, many teenagers have been able to relate with Condor’s character.

The most recent of the trend is Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, which came out on September 7th. This follows a modern “Cyrano de Bergerac” storyline in which Sierra Burgess, played by Shannon Purser, is an underdog teenage girl who pretends to be a more popular girl. She texts  the leading male character, Jamey, played by someone that might sound familiar, Noah Centineo. This movie was complimented for representing modern society by using smartphones and social media. It also illustrates the ups and downs of teenage girls who do not essentially fit into societal norms.

Rom coms have been a significant aspect in the lives of teenagers for numerous decades. There is no doubt as to why they resonate so well with the youth, as they represent the unrepresented and overall make hearts warm. The world is counting on Netflix to keep the spirit of romantic comedies alive forever.