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Often paired with the "coming of age" genre I discussed in my last blog post is the romance genre. My partner, Sofia, and I love the look of 90's and early 2000's teen movies that are very "rom-comm-y" and "coming of age," so we wanted to research that style of genre when brainstorming ideas for our filming opening.
The romance genre has changed a lot through the years, however. During the 30's and 40's romantic films had a more glamorous look from the golden age of Hollywood, but, in years like the 90's, there was a growth in comedy within the romance genre, creating many iconic rom-coms such as You've Got Mail (1998) and Notting Hill (1999).
Due to the genre's expansive nature, its target audience is quite different depending on the type of film. Young-adult romances/rom-coms often feature teenage or, well, young adult protagonists; they are often catered to a similar audience as the characters' relationships and issues are often relatable for them. More tragic romances are often catered less to teenagers and more towards adults or older audiences that understand that romance is not always as feel-good and happy as it is portrayed in rom-coms.
The films tend to attract women, but are also popular among many other demographics as the genre continues to expand to cover newer, more "modernized" romantic stories.
Film institutions tend to "recycle" storylines, but this repetition of key plot points in a romance film is what attracts many viewers when watching these kinds of movies. There, of course, is the central romance in the story, then common tropes like meet-cutes or some sort of obstacle, and a resolution—happy in rom-coms or tragic in some dramas. Marketing a romantic film often centers around the idea of love, a partner, and high emotions; it is made up of posters or trailers that feature 2 people in happy, romantic moments.
Romance films focus on attraction and love between two people sometimes following the tropes of "love at first sight," "opposites attract," "forbidden love," or even "love triangles." Their setting is often varied from film to film, showcasing that love can happen anywhere and is not centralized to a specific location, though there is often mention of Paris as "the city of love" and other romanticized locations. There are always the 2, or sometimes 3, main characters that are in love and, depending on the type of film, contain other supporting characters like the best friend or close families.
On a technical note, romantic movies contain many tight close ups and two-shots that highlight the attraction of these people falling in love as well as low-lighting scenes that set the mood for love.
Sources:
Film Symphony SL. (2025, February 17). History, evolution and soundtracks of romantic cinema. FilmSymphony. https://filmsymphony.es/en/historia-evolucion-bandas-sonoras-cine-romantico/
Film Symphony SL. (2025, February 17). History, evolution and soundtracks of romantic cinema. FilmSymphony. https://filmsymphony.es/en/historia-evolucion-bandas-sonoras-cine-romantico/
Sarantinos, J. (2024, March 4). Writing the genre hybrid romance. International Screenwriters’ Association. https://www.networkisa.org/screenwriting_articles/view/writing-the-genre-hybrid-romance
Lizada, M. A. N., PhD. (n.d.). Understanding film: Genres [PDF]. The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. Education Bureau. https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/curriculum-development/kla/eng-edu/professional-development-programmes/2324/SS_Lit%20Film%20Genres.pdf
Michelle Hui. (2016, February 27). Genre conventions: Romance. It Is Already Here. https://itisalreadyhere.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/genre-conventions-romance/
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