Film

Rosaline

Name: Rosaline
Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy
Released: 2022
Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Kyle Allen, Sean Teale, Christopher McDonald

Romantic comedy
Parody
Light-hearted

A spirited comedic reframing of Romeo and Juliet told from Rosaline's perspective—the girl Romeo ditches for Juliet. It's a breezy, deliberately silly romance that finds humour in Shakespeare's most famous love story by asking what happens when you're not the chosen one. Fun for people who like their classics subverted with charm rather than reverence.

TMDb rating

3.6

If you liked this

10 Things I Hate About You1999

A witty, warmhearted teen comedy that riffs on The Taming of the Shrew with the same affectionate playfulness toward Shakespeare. Sharp writing, genuine chemistry, and it knows when to get sincere beneath the jokes.

But The 90s teen-movie formula shows its age in spots, and if you're allergic to high-school settings or cute-couple dynamics, this won't change your mind.

Bridget Jones's Diary2001

A romantic comedy that rewrites Pride and Prejudice for modern London with real intelligence and self-awareness. The protagonist is messy and flawed, the humour lands without trying, and it respects both the source and the comedy equally.

But It's aggressively early-2000s and relies heavily on the rom-com beats you've seen a dozen times. If you hate the genre, this won't be the one to convert you.

tick, tick... BOOM!2021

A musical about artistic anxiety and wanting to matter, with genuine stakes beneath the Broadway energy. It captures that feeling of being twenty-nine and wondering if your life will ever start, with unexpected emotional depth.

But It's a filmed stage musical, so if musical theatre feels precious or over-earnest to you, the style might overwhelm the story. Very New York, very specific in its sensibility.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Rosaline

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Northanger Abbey2007

Both are Shakespeare/literary riffs that flip the expected romantic triangle; both ask 'what if the person chasing the wrong person was the interesting one?' and find the comedy and heart in being sidelined.

A fresh BBC adaptation of Austen's silliest, most playful novel—a young woman's romantic delusions crash into real life. It's got verve, genuine humour, and understands that Austen was a comedist first. Criminally short at just 80 minutes, but it soars.

But It's still a literary adaptation and moves at novel-pace rather than plot-pace. If you need constant incident or aren't already fond of Austen's register, it'll feel slow and talky.

MAID2021

A sharp, unsentimental look at escaping an abusive relationship told with actual humour and humanity. It's about survival and resourcefulness, anchored by a performer (Margaret Qualley) who brings depth to every moment.

But It deals directly with domestic violence and financial precarity. The grimness underneath the comedy isn't incidental, and if you need lighter viewing, save this for when you're ready for it.

Shrill2019

A comedy about a woman finding her voice in a world that constantly tells her to shrink—funny, crude, angry, tender. It gets the political personal without ever preaching, and every character feels like a real person.

But It's uncompromising about body image, sexuality, and women's rage. If you prefer your comedies to smooth those edges, this will feel abrasive. Only three seasons, which feels too short.

Fire Island2022

A Pride and Prejudice retelling set among queer friends on Fire Island that understands both the source material and queer joy. Clever without winking, genuinely moving, and packed with excellent character work.

But The opening is deliberately theatrical and arch; if you can't get on its wavelength in the first ten minutes, the rest might feel affected. Some plot beats feel underdone.

Galavant2015

A musical fantasy comedy that plays with fairytale tropes with genuine affection and constant invention. Every episode surprises you, the musical numbers are smart and funny, and it's joyfully weird without apology.

But The singing is integral to every episode and the comedy is deliberately camp. If either feels grating, you're out. Only two seasons before cancellation left it without a proper ending.

Enchanted2007

A romantic fantasy that knows exactly what it's spoofing while genuinely liking what it's spoofing. Amy Adams is radiant, the genre mechanics are played for laughs and sincerity in the same breath, and it respects both the artifice and the feeling.

But It's Disney corporate, and the satire is pretty gentle. If you want your genre deconstruction sharp and cynical, this won't bite hard enough.

Spoiler Alert2022

A romantic dramedy about long-term queer love that's funny and tender without ever becoming a tearjerker. It captures the mundanity and the extraordinary of a real partnership across decades.

But It's a biographical film about loss, so the emotional register is more mournful than comic. The romance is the engine, but inevitability weighs it down throughout.

My Life as a Zucchini2016

Both are comedies about characters in painful situations who scheme and conspire to change their circumstances. Both find genuine humour and agency in rejection rather than despair—reframing heartbreak as the beginning of something better.

A stop-motion film about a foster child finding chosen family and unexpected joy in the wreckage. It's whimsical and achingly real at once, funny without diminishing its characters' pain, and genuinely moving without sentimentality.

But It's about child abandonment, abuse, and loss. The animation style is visually unusual—some find it precious rather than affecting. Heavy themes require emotional bandwidth to engage with.

The Lost Daughter2021

Both center women who are sidelined or defined by romance and motherhood; both ask what happens when women refuse the script written for them, though one finds that refusal comedic and the other finds it tragic. They're inverse mirrors of the same impulse.

A tense, intelligent psychological thriller about motherhood, identity, and the stories women tell about themselves. It's beautifully made, genuinely upsetting, and structured like a mystery that rewires itself. Outstanding performances from Tilda Swinton and Jessie Buckley.

But It's bleak in ways that build slowly and hit hard. It's a thriller about maternal ambivalence and betrayal, so if you're seeking warmth or resolution, this is anti-Rosaline—darkness that doesn't resolve into light.