1. There Are Two Girls and a Guy/ Two Guys and a Girl on the DVD Front Cover

This suggests a love triangle plot which is a classic in romantic films. Who gets the girl/guy though? Wanting to know the outcome may make you become involuntarily glued to the telly.

2. It Stars Hugh Grant

If you see Hugh Grant and his floppy hair and puppy dog eyes on the front cover or screen, you can bet your life that it is sign of a romantic movie. Prepare yourself to see Hugh Grant overcome some love troubles with some humour along the way. Hugh Grant made his name in films such as Notting Hill, About a Boy and 2 weeks’ notice.

3. Love Challenges

This is a classic plot for and a sure sign of a romantic movie. The protagonist must deal with all manner of obstacles presented to enable him/her to be with the one they love. We get totally caught up in the whole emotional ride and hang on to every scene until that final moment – do he/she get to be with the love of their life or not?

4. Grand Gesture

In every romantic movie the main character tries to win back the loved one with a big romantic gesture. It might be in the form of a moving speech, an extravagant gift or a elaborate demonstration of their love. Sometimes it works, other times it causes more conflict.

5. The Characters Break up

A sure sign of a romantic movie is the break-up. The couple has to spend time apart so they can realise what it is they have together. No doubt there will be a montage of them being sad and separated with a piano playing in the background. There may even be flash backs of their happy times.

6. The Male and Female Characters Don’t like Each Other

What could be a more definite sign of a romantic movie other than the two main characters starting off not liking each other? Classic love hate relationship; don’t they happen in real life too?

7. Your Best Gal Pal Recommended It

It’s a fact that women enjoy romantic movies more than men. Maybe we ladies like to watch other people’s lives fall apart and then work out in the end. It’s also a girly night in activity to watch a romantic gushy movie over too much chocolate and some wine. Well that’s the clichéd view anyway.

8. There is a Happy Ending

Not a personal favourite of mine as things never seem to work out like they do in the movies but I must admit, they make you feel good for a little while.

9. Jennifer Aniston is in It

Jennifer Aniston is one good looking woman and makes a great female protagonist. What male character wouldn’t want her full attention on screen? The fact is that Jennifer isn’t known for her serious roles , so anytime you see her on screen and the scene is not Central Perk or Monica’s apartment, you’ve got a sure sign of a romantic movie.

10. There is a Kiss in the Rain

There is always a kiss in the rain Four Weddings and a Funeral , the Notebook, Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean, Step Up 2 to name but a few movies where there’s a watery snog. It’s not the most definite sign of a romantic movie on its own though as even action films feature kisses in the rain, like Daredevil and who can forget the Spiderman one?

So there was 10 ways to spot a Romantic movie. It’s not foolproof because of course romance features as a theme across the whole range of movie genres. However, see a few of these tell-tell signs in combination and it’s a almost a foregone conclusion that it’s a rom com on the screen.

Have you got any more tell tale signs of a rom com or maybe you’d like to tell us your favorite?

Top Photo Credit: erekle