Spider-Man: Brand New Day 2026
$360M domestic opening, past $1B worldwide; broke the 'Endgame' opening record before inflation.
The Big Picture · Discussion · Review · Roundtable
'One Night Only' and the 21st Century Rom-Com Canon
August 7, 2026/ 132 min/ Amanda Dobbins · Juliette Littman
With Sean on vacation, Amanda and Jam Session's Juliette Littman review Will Gluck's 'One Night Only,' then build a strict 25-film canon of 21st-century rom-coms.
36 films across 3 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
The News
Avengers: Endgame 2019
The opening-weekend record 'Brand New Day' beat.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2018
The animated films Juliette loves; a template for the mentor/multiple-Spideys plan.
Top Gun: Maverick 2022
Cited by David Ellison in his NYT op-ed restating the Paramount-Warner case.
The Housemaid 2025
Fun, not great; already on the Roku home menu.
The Housemaid 2
Brittany Snow joins Sydney Sweeney; Kirsten Dunst and Paul Kelly (JFK Jr. in 'American Love Story') also cast.
Les Misérables 2012
Amanda Seyfried; the cast-singing-together video Amanda rewatches.
Octet
Lin-Manuel Miranda's next as director; Seyfried among a Broadway-heavy cast in the set photos.
La Bola Negra 2026
Los Javis's Spanish historical epic; Netflix gave it a rare long theatrical window (Oct 16 / Dec 2) as an Oscar play.
Pitch Perfect 2012
Part of Brittany Snow's steady career.
'One Night Only'
One Night Only 2025
Will Gluck directs a Travis Braun blacklist script: two strangers chase love on the one night a year premarital sex is legal. Barbaro and Turner are charming, the jokes land, it's shot in real New York with a real soundtrack. But the purge-but-sex premise never sells, and 'let's not let the mandate win' pulls you right back to the holes. Amanda: almost works. Juliette: had a good time.
The 21st Century Rom-Com Canon 2001-2026, structural rules strictly applied; one personal 'blue' pick each
Bridget Jones's Diary 2001
Unassailable. Richard Curtis via Helen Fielding via Austen; Zellweger Oscar-nommed.
The Wedding Planner 2001
Juliette's favorite McConaughey; a good San Francisco movie, immoral setup and all.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2002
A $241M sensation; cultural weight forces it in.
Sweet Home Alabama 2002
$180M; lightning-in-a-bottle motif and Melanie Lynskey as the friend.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 2003
Retrograde and a little gross for women, but endlessly quoted and memed, so it's in.
Something's Gotta Give 2003
Nancy Meyers; over-40 leads, coastal-grandma production design, not picking Keanu.
Hitch 2005
Two romances landed at once; $179M; Juliette's favorite Will Smith.
Wedding Crashers 2005
$209M; more friend/con-man movie than rom-com but the bones are there.
Knocked Up 2007
The bro-com pivot point; essential even if not beloved.
27 Dresses 2008
You need a Katherine Heigl in the mix, the sign of trouble to come.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall 2008
Brought new blood to a dying genre; Craig Horlbeck's touchstone.
The Proposal 2009
$164M, arguably the last box-office rom-com sensation.
Morning Glory 2010
The pair's most underrated pick; a great Hunter Boots / Rockefeller Plaza movie.
Silver Linings Playbook 2012
Launched J-Law to an Oscar; Amanda's husband's #1.
Trainwreck 2015
Apatow directs a woman; $100M+; Jack's teenage favorite.
The Big Sick 2017
Screenplay Oscar nom; ushers in the smaller, sadder streaming-era rom-com.
Set It Up 2018
The Netflix original adults actually talked about; helped Glen Powell.
Happiest Season 2020
One of the few non-straight entries; everyone wanted Stewart to pick Aubrey Plaza.
Palm Springs 2020
Inventive Sundance hit; in despite Juliette's aversion to sun-drenched pool movies.
Anyone But You 2023
Also Gluck; a rare wide theatrical rom-com hit. Canonical, not good.
Anora 2024
Best Picture winner leaning on screwball; too good to not claim.
Pillion 2025
The 'dom-com'; breaks the rules but uses the tropes to comment on them.
The Drama 2026
Amanda's cute pick, a remarriage comedy that lands the wedding-at-the-end beat.
Picked by Juliette's blue
Music and Lyrics 2007
Hugh Grant washed-up pop star, Drew Barrymore, 'Way Back Into Love,' and it lives on her phone.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Rom-com touchstones (pre-2001, ineligible) When Harry Met Sally...Notting HillYou've Got MailSleepless in SeattleWhile You Were SleepingFour Weddings and a FuneralThe Wedding SingerWorking GirlMiss CongenialityYesterday
Considered but cut Legally BlondeKate & LeopoldEnchantedMaid in ManhattanUnder the Tuscan Sun13 Going on 30The Break-UpThe HolidayThe Devil Wears PradaTwo Weeks NoticeDefinitely, MaybeHow Do You KnowWhat's Your Number?Enough SaidObvious ChildPlus OneThe Worst Person in the WorldFire Island50 First DatesLove ActuallySex and the CitySex and the City 2
'One Night Only' reference points Easy AFriends with BenefitsPeter RabbitThe PurgeTrojan WarA Complete UnknownGreaseMission: Impossible
Genre trends in passing BridesmaidsHe's Just Not That Into YouValentine's DayNew Year's EveCrazy, Stupid, LoveFunny PeopleBooksmartAlmost FamousBird BoxPractical Magic 2Voicemails for IsabellePlease Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV Big LoveGrey's AnatomyAmerican Love StorySaturday Night LiveFleabagStarstruckLovesickSex and the City (series)GirlsSherlockBoy Meets WorldThird Rock from the SunEverybody Loves Raymond