"Nobody Wants This has proved that the days of cringey, lackluster rom-coms are long gone. Although I’m guilty of watching 10 Things I Hate About You and other iconic ’90s and 2000s rom-coms on repeat when I need my fill, finally, another contender has taken center stage. The revival of the rom-com genre is finally underway.
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In case you somehow missed the buzz, Nobody Wants This, a new series that was released on Netflix this past month, has blown up all over the internet as a new-age rom-com that finally has gotten it right. The series follows an agnostic sex podcaster, Joanne (Kristen Bell), and a newly single rabbi, Noah (Adam Brody), as they fall in love. Together, they discover whether their relationship can survive wildly different lives and meddling families. Nobody Wants This makes me laugh, it makes me cry—what more could I want?
As with all good rom-coms, Nobody Wants This features an incredible on-screen first kiss. And while Joanne and Noah’s kiss scene and relationship will rival other first kiss scenes for years to come, a few other shows and movies come close. Here are some rom-coms that can fill the Nobody Wants This-shaped hole in your heart.
1. Normal People
Where to Watch: Hulu
If you love the “our worlds are totally different” trope in a romance like Nobody Wants This, then Normal People is the perfect series for you to watch next. Based on the novel by Sally Rooney, this story follows the mundane struggles of first love and intimate relationships. It’s one of those super-relatable plots that’s a bit devastating but also great. Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones arguably have even more on-screen chemistry than Kristin Bell and Adam Brody.
2. Fleabag
Where to Watch: Prime Video
The thing that makes rom-coms so loved by all is the relatable dynamic of the relationships and lives of the main characters. If you appreciate the realistic struggles that Joanne and Noah face in Nobody Wants This, you’ll absolutely love the raw perspective of Fleabag. The story follows a free-spirited woman in London facing some serious trauma, and her commentary is unbearably funny and relatable. If you loved Adam Brody’s “hot rabbi,” allow me to introduce you to Andrew Scott’s “hot priest.”
3. Rye Lane
Where to watch: Hulu
Rye Lane is one of those criminally underrated, laugh-out-loud rom-coms that I keep coming back to even years later. It follows Yas (Vivian Oprah) and Dom (David Jonsson), who are both struggling through terrible breakups. Unlike Nobody Wants This, Rye Lane is set over the course of a single day in the characters’ lives, but still contains just as much heartfelt romance between the two main characters. Both Yas and Dom want to get back at their exes—but instead, they might be restoring each other’s faith in romance.
4. Never Have I Ever
Where to Watch: Netflix
Ahh, young love. Awkward, silly, heartbreaking. Never Have I Ever is the show that just warms your heart and makes you feel good. Want something that makes you believe in the magic of love like Nobody Wants This? This series should be next on your watchlist. Never Have I Ever follows Devi Vishwakumar, a first-generation Indian-American sophomore in high school who is trying to improve her social status after a traumatic first year. If you love the role that family and close friends play in the romance in Nobody Wants This, you should definitely watch this show.
5. What If
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Also known as The F Word (because one name isn’t enough to describe this classic Daniel Radcliffe rom-com), What If follows a med-school dropout (Radcliffe) who has decided to give up on love. That is, until he meets a woman he is convinced must be “the one”—until he finds out she has a boyfriend. Much like the “doomed love” plotline of Nobody Wants This, What If is one of those nail-biter rom-coms that keeps you second-guessing until the very end.
6. Love
Where to Watch: Netflix
In another rom-com that brings together people from two different worlds, Love is that refreshing reminder that love is an experience for everyone. Gus is recovering from a devastating relationship and breakup when he meets Mickey, a wild child who hates her job in radio. The two are completely different, but they’re living in the same apartment complex, and their differences start to draw them together. If you love to tear up and smile proudly at characters navigating and overcoming the hardships of life together like in Nobody Wants This, Love is the perfect show to binge-watch next.
7. Love, Rosie
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Long before she was Emily in Paris, Lily Collins was Rosie Dunne in Love, Rosie. Rosie and Alex (Sam Claflin) have been best friends since childhood, but they’re suddenly separated when Alex and his family move from Dublin to America. Slowly, back at home, Rosie starts to realize how much she loves Alex—even though she can’t do anything about it. If you love an unrequited love story like Nobody Wants This, Love, Rosie is for you.
8. Modern Love
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Inspired by the Modern Love column in the New York Times, this TV series focuses on a different love story. From a young couple navigating the ins and outs of their early marriage to a widow and a widower finding each other later in life to a dating app CEO discovering his complex feelings about love, Modern Love shows that love is an action instead of a feeling. Much like Nobody Wants This, this series will make you laugh, cry, and reflect.
9. One Day
Where to watch: Netflix
Devastating romance alert! Ok, so maybe One Day doesn’t have quite the happy ending that Nobody Wants This had in season 1, but it definitely has all the feels. One Day follows Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) after they spend a magical graduation night together, and then go their separate ways. Emma and Dexter’s lives continually intertwine over the course of 20 years, whether as lovers or friends. It has serious Normal People vibes, and we’re here for it.
10. About Time
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
When Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) turns 21, his father tells him that the men in his family can time travel. Tim decides to use his newfound power to get a girlfriend, and he meets Mary, who works at a publishing company. Tim manages to win her heart with a little bit of time travel, but quickly realizes that his superpower doesn’t mean he’s immune from the trials and tribulations of modern relationships. About Time is like a sweet combination of Nobody Wants This and 50 First Dates.
Jenna Piotrowicz, Editorial Assistant
Jenna began working as an Editorial Assistant for The Everygirl in 2024. With her eye for detail, she assists the team with content creation, sourcing products and images, and works behind the scenes to support The Everygirl in uploading and updating content.