Rom Bombs

In this episode we discuss "Office Romance," the new JLo/Brett Goldstein romcom that, from the trailer, seemed very innocuous — perhaps even boring — but turned out to be a REALLY rough watch. Have any of the movies we've covered made LESS sense than this one? It's a tough call. Join us as we break down a movie that manages to completely misunderstand the legal system, human physiology (including...

Did we record this episode six months ago? Yes. Is it newly relevant because of the theatrical release of "You, Me, and Tuscany," another romcom set in Tuscany that is almost certainly much better than Netflix's "La Dolce Villa"? Conveniently, yes! Join us as we unpack a movie whose plot has about as much tension as a cat on gabapentin, and whose star has the charisma of a damp shower curtain. Fol...

Unlike Vanessa Williams, we went and saved the worst for last! In our final holiday episode (don't look at the upload date) we discuss "My Secret Santa," Netflix's return to form after 3 holiday original movies that were actually good. If you thought the heist in "Jingle Bell Heist" didn't make any sense, wait until you see how one mom attempts to save 50% on her daughter's snowboarding school tui...

Another episode already?? Well, for one thing, E is trying to churn out the rest of these holiday episodes. For another thing, this episode is only half an hour long, because it turns out Jingle Bell Heist isn't actually a romcom and also we didn't have THAT much to say about it. But we did still have some things to say about it, and J wants credit for watching the movie. So enjoy this extra-short...

Look, Christmas may TECHNICALLY be over, but E was lazy and we still have two more Netflix Holiday Movie episodes in the can after this one, so we're extending the holiday season a little bit. In this episode we discuss "Champagne Problems," the rare Christmas romcom whose title isn't a Christmas-related pun. Minka Kelly is sweet, a French guy is bad at communicating in ways that go far beyond a l...

Holiday romcom season has begun once again! Okay, it actually began a month ago, but E has been too busy to edit any episodes until now. This year Netflix is blessing us with FOUR holiday romcoms (or THREE depending on how you count them), so the next few weeks will be busy. For our inaugural holiday 2025 episode we're talking "Merry Little Ex-mas," a lovers-to-exes-back-to-lovers movie that someh...

Netflix romcoms starring former Disney Channel child stars are back, baby! In this episode we discuss The Wrong Paris, a new Miranda Cosgrove vehicle that parodizes reality dating shows. And J has THOUGHTS about what they got wrong and what they got right. Along the way we also discuss: -Whether spraying yourself in the face with a hose can be sexy -Too much abs? -The nature of the Hulk's genitals...

What does it take to make an enemies-to-lovers story work? Ideally, Colin Firth in a soaking wet shirt, but instead "The Hating Game" offers up Temu Ryan Reynolds in a towel, which doesn't quite get the job done. A book J liked was transformed into a movie neither of us liked, but we have lots of ideas about how it could have been fixed. We're not angry, just disappointed. Topics covered include:...

We're talking about "You're Cordially Invited," the new(ish) Reese Witherspoon/Will Ferrell romcom that's a bit heavier on the com than the rom but nonetheless qualifies. Why is this a bonus episode instead of a regular episode? Well, two reasons. One: we both really enjoyed this movie, so this episode is less us picking apart its flaws and more just us talking about what we liked about it. Two: w...

We did it! We've made it to the end of the Netflix holiday season! Like marathon runners, we limp across the finish line, wobbly-kneed and hopefully not having pooped our pants. In this episode we discuss "Our Little Secret," the last of Netflix's 2024 holiday romcom releases. Lindsay Lohan, Kristen Chenoweth, a guy who played a creep on Pretty Little Liars, and a bunch of other people (and a York...

What if Magic Mike, but Christmas, and also even less of a plot? In this episode we discuss "The Merry Gentlemen," Netflix's third holiday romcom offering, in which Chad Michael Murray plays a carpenter who gets roped into performing in an all-male topless dance revue in order to save Christmas. Join us as we discuss ugly necklaces, floor humping, city girls, and hair that may or may not be a wig....

Since the dawn of time, made-for-TV holiday romcoms have featured women bringing snowmen to life and then falling in love with them. In this episode we discuss "Hot Frosty," the second of Netflix's holiday romcom releases, which was truly a breath of fresh air after the debacle that was "Meet Me Next Christmas." Come for the discussion of the practicalities of having sex with a snowman; stay for t...

It's the holiday season again! And in the midst of the hellscape we find ourselves in, Netflix has decided to grace us with not one, not two, not three but FOUR new holiday romcoms. In this episode we discuss the first release, "Meet me Next Christmas," a Christina Milian/Pentatonix vehicle that... okay, you know how, without the occasional rainy day, you can't really appreciate the sunshine? Well...

Is "The Idea of You" a romcom? We don't know, but we watched it, and by golly we're going to talk about it! It's a story about ancient, withered crone Anne Hathaway falling in love with a young(?) boy-band star played by Nicholas Galitzine, and while we do spend a lot of time discussing age gaps, we also make room to talk about really important topics like: the world's ugliest dress, the various w...

We're back! And so is Lindsay Lohan, continuing her Romcomnaissance with another Netflix holiday romcom. But this time the holiday is... St. Patrick's Day? Join us as we discuss "Irish Wish," covering such topics as the definition of "wish," cobblestone streets that look exactly unlike New York City, and the fact that movie writers never seem to understand how the world of publishing actually work...

We're back, just in time for Christmas! New holiday romcoms were thin on the ground this year, but we managed to find the Freevee original "Exmas," starring Robbie Amell and Leighton Meester as ex-fiance(e)s who reunite. One of us watched the movie in 5-minute chunks with a toddler kicking them in the ribs, and the other of us watched it like a normal person watching a movie; can you guess which o...

Holy moly, we've reached episode 50! To honor the occasion, we went out and actually PAID to see a movie in theaters. That movie is "Love Again," a fever dream of a romcom that will make you ask "did I hit my head and wake up in 1997, a year when it might actually make sense for everyone to be obsessing over Celine Dion?" Join us as we discuss such important topics as: -Sam Heughan's butt -Emotion...

In this episode, we discuss "Ticket to Paradise," the movie that reunites romcom mainstay Julia Roberts with a George Clooney who has gradually abandoned his suaveness and embraced his wackiness. We all love an enemies-to-lovers story, but can we love a lovers-to-enemies-back-to-lovers-again story? Maybe not? Join us as we discuss the world's most disappointing wardrobe, the real dangers of swimmi...

Ho ho ho! Meeeerry Christmas! What's that in your stocking? It's another holiday episode! In this one we talk about "Christmas With You," the incredibly generically-named Netflix original romcom that marks Freddie Prinze Jr.'s return to the screen. If you enjoyed "Marry Me" then you'll probably enjoy this one, since it's essentially a store-brand "Marry Me" with a slightly more plausible premise....

It's holiday season, baby! And you know what that means: another Vanessa Hudg— (touches earpiece) Sorry, I'm being told that... this can't be right... Netflix didn't put out a Vanessa Hudgens Christmas romcom this year? Well, we'll just have to settle for "Falling for Christmas," the movie that marks Lindsay Lohan's return to the screen as well as millions of people learning for the first time tha...

In this episode, we discuss "Blast from the Past," the classic 1999 "fish out of water" romcom that itself constitutes a blast from the past, but in case that wasn't enough, we actually recorded this episode a year ago and then E never got around to editing it, so the episode itself is a blast from the past! INCEPTION. Anyway, join us as we talk about the "born sexy yesterday" trope, proper Air Fo...

In this episode, we tackle "Moonshot," a straight-to-streaming young adult romcom set *~*in the future*~* when humans live on Mars and yet nothing else has changed. Although we have surprisingly different opinions about this movie, we still manage to tackle lots of important issues, including: -Cole Sprouse's confusing career and tonsorial choices -Cat welfare -What the Big Bang looked like -Wheth...

We're baa-ack! (Actually, we recorded this episode a while ago, and then E took an embarrassingly long time to finish editing it.) In this episode we talk about "Marry Me," the new social-media-infused heir to the golden age of romcoms (the late 1990s). Join us as we talk about JLo's seeming inability to age, Owen Wilson's hair, Central Illinois geography, and the logistics of marrying a stranger...

At last, we reach the end of the holiday season, and our final Netflix original romcom: "Single All the Way," a movie we both unironically enjoyed. Join us as we unpack what exactly makes this movie succeed where so many others have failed, engage in some light nitpicking, and go off on a bunch of tangents because we didn't have enough to complain about. Follow us on Twitter @rombombs Music: "Our...

Continuing our marathon of Netflix Christmas romcoms, in this episode we discuss “A Castle for Christmas.” It’s yet another British-adjacent royalty-adjacent Christmas movie, but this time without any Vanessa Hudgenses and with a middle-aged couple at the center. Brooke Shields is an “author,” Cary Elwes is a “Scottish” duke, and a big stone house is the “castle” at the center of their romance. Jo...