Film
Isn't It Romantic
- Parody
- Romantic comedy
- Urban fantasy
- Light-hearted
A cynical Australian architect gets knocked into a romantic comedy and has to live it. Rebel Wilson leans into the absurdity of being trapped in a genre she despises—this is a film about hating rom-coms that is itself a rom-com, and it knows exactly how funny that is. Smart enough to work as satire, warm enough to work as the thing it's satirizing.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy rom-com tropes being gleefully picked apart from the inside, with a heroine who is cynical, sharp-tongued and still wants the bouquet at the end.
Skip it if you find the genre's conventions tiresome to begin with, since the film leans hard on them, and its jokes about cliches can feel a bit repetitive when the gags stop landing.
What it asks of you: It runs a brisk 88 minutes and asks only that you keep up with quick, cheerful jokes and a plot that takes its own silliness at face value.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Legally Blonde2001
Elle Woods disarms expectations through sheer optimism and intelligence. Like Natalie, the lead gets underestimated; unlike Natalie, Elle embraces her world. The tonal balance between genuine heart and comedy is pitch-perfect.
But If you're allergic to femininity-as-strength narratives or find pink overwhelming, this will test your patience.

Enchanted2007
A princess from a fairy tale stumbles into modern New York and has to navigate a world that doesn't work like her stories. Like Isn't It Romantic, it's a romantic comedy that deconstructs romantic comedies while being genuinely romantic.
But It commits fully to whimsy and earnestness. If you need your comedy divorced from sentiment, it'll feel saccharine.

10 Things I Hate About You1999
A sharp teen rom-com that's actually smart about its own tropes. Kat's resistance to romance echoes Natalie's cynicism, and the film respects both positions without punishing either.
But The late-90s high school setting and some dated references may feel musty if you're watching it fresh.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Isn't It Romantic
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Troop Beverly Hills1989
Both are comedies about women who think they're too sophisticated for their circumstance, who discover that the thing they're trapped in might actually suit them.
Shelley Long is a wealthy Beverly Hills mother leading a girl scout troop and discovering herself. Like Natalie, she's trapped in an identity that doesn't fit—but this film is genuinely kind to everyone in it, mocking the world, not the people.
But The 80s production values are thick and some satire lands obliquely. It's genuinely interested in being sweet, which some read as earnest to the point of sincerity-without-irony.

More like this (8)
Crazy, Stupid, Love.2011
Multiple love stories that actually earn their sentiment. The film balances comedy with real emotional stakes in ways that make you believe in the relationships, not just the jokes.
But It's quite long and juggles a lot of storylines. Some of the genre moves feel familiar even when the execution is good.

The Proposal2009
Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock have comic chemistry that crackles. The fake-engagement-becomes-real setup lets both leads deliver comedy and vulnerability in equal measure.
But The plot hinges on a premise—forced marriage as comedy—that some find more icky than funny.

Set It Up2018
Two assistants matchmake their bosses and fall for each other instead. Modern, snappy, and the leads feel like actual people rather than rom-com archetypes even while hitting those beats.
But If you've seen this setup before, you know exactly where it goes and the film doesn't surprise you.

Notting Hill1999
Hugh Grant's stammering bookshop owner is endearingly ordinary beside Julia Roberts's movie star. The film is genuinely funny about celebrity and romance, and it actually likes its characters.
But It's British rom-com pacing, which means it breathes a lot. Some find that leisurely; others find it slow.

Holidate2020
Two people fake-date through holidays and it goes exactly where you'd expect—but the performers have fun with it and the jokes land more often than they don't.
But It's broad and doesn't aim for sophistication. If you want rom-com wit rather than rom-com warmth, look elsewhere.

How to Be Single2016
Multiple women navigating New York and dating and friendship. It's less interested in endings than in the actual experience of being single, which gives it a fresher angle than most rom-coms.
But It's overstuffed with storylines and some resolve more satisfyingly than others. The tone can feel scattered.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel2017
A woman forced into a narrative (housewife; rom-com heroine) who has to decide whether to destroy the frame or work within it. The show takes the question seriously in ways Isn't It Romantic gestures toward.
A 1950s housewife discovers she's a gifted stand-up comic and pursues it, dismantling the life everyone expected her to want. It's a deep dive into genre expectation and female ambition, funny and serious in equal measure.
But It's verbose and digressive. If you prefer plot momentum over character conversation and period detail, it will feel baroque and slow.

The Adam Project2022
Both use genre self-awareness as the actual plot rather than as decoration. The characters have to reckon with being inside a story and what that means for their choices.
A time-traveling pilot teams up with his younger self. It's a film about narrative and self-awareness—the protagonist literally has to watch his own story unfold and change its ending. Playful about genre while still delivering genuine emotion.
But It's a blockbuster with budget and spectacle. If you want intimate character work, the scale and action work against that.

People
Cast
Rebel WilsonNatalie
Liam HemsworthBlake
Adam DevineJosh
Priyanka Chopra JonasIsabella
Betty GilpinWhitney
Brandon Scott JonesDonny
Tom EllisDr. Todd
Jennifer SaundersNatalie's Mother
Jay OakersonGary
Michelle ButeauMartina
Alex Kis12 Year Old Natalie
Rao RampillaFood Cart Man
Directing
- Todd Strauss-SchulsonDirector
- Marco LondonerFirst Assistant Director
- Soren MiltichSecond Assistant Director
Writing
- Dana FoxScreenplay
- Erin CardilloScreenplay
- Katie SilbermanScreenplay
- Erin CardilloStory
Production
- Rich DeliaCasting
- Aaron L. GilbertExecutive Producer
- Dave NeustadterExecutive Producer
- Jason ClothExecutive Producer
- Marty P. EwingExecutive Producer
- Rebel WilsonExecutive Producer
- Richard BrenerExecutive Producer
- Gina MatthewsProducer
- Grant ScharboProducer
- Todd GarnerProducer
- Rob HowardProduction Assistant
Recommended by
One Night Only, Set It Up, The Love Hypothesis, I Feel Pretty, The Wedding Party