Netflix Wants to Help You Find Your Movie “Meet Cute”

Not every great love story has a meet cute — but every great romantic comedy does. These days, couples are more likely to meet swiping through their smart phones than over a dropped pile of books in the high school hallway. That statement, however, is in no way a criticism of the film genre: people don’t switch on a romcom searching for an accurate depiction of reality. That’s what Planet Earth and Daniel Day Lewis are for.

Romcoms, on the other hand, are for giggles and warm fuzzy feelings. The meet cute is a very essential part of this: the plot device enables the romantic leads to initiate a spark, which then drives forward their fiery romance. It’s the moment when two beautiful people, destined to fall in love, are first put on one another’s radar. It isn’t always love at first sight — sometimes it’s embarrassing, and it’s often very awkward — but it’s always memorable. And it’s definitely always cute.

For a while, it felt like meet cutes, sappy music and quirky protagonists were a thing of movies past. But while we were all watching Marvel movies and Disney live action reboots, Netflix was plotting the return of the great romcom. With their summer selection of original films and old school classics, they’ve created the perfect lineup of light-hearted romantic comedies to watch from your air-conditioned couch. So grab some microwave popcorn and a box of Kleenex, and start fantasizing about your own IRL meet cute.