Anyone who’s close to me knows I’ve never been a big fan of romantic comedies. I tend to find most of them tacky, unrealistic and just plain ridiculous. Pretty Woman, When Harry met Sally, You’ve got mail, Sweet Home Alabama, and the likes never really resonated with me. That being said, it doesn’t mean that I hate the genre all together. Since today is Valentines Day, my Internet feed is filled with rom-com recommendations, and since I disagree with most of these lists, I decided to make my own.

Here are a few romantic comedies I really enjoyed and found not all that corny!

The big Sick

Written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, and loosely based on their romantic life, The Big Sick is a beautiful and hilarious film about cultural differences and interracial relationships. Starring Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter and Ray Romano, the film follows Kumail, a struggling comedian of Pakistani descent who is split between pleasing his very traditional parents and his desire to live a more western lifestyle, and Emily, a white student he falls for. Their relationship started off great until Emily realizes that Kumail hid their relationship from his family, who are still trying to fix him up with other Pakistani women. As Emily suddenly fell ill and slipped in a coma, Kumail contacts her parents and stays by her side despite their break up and the palpable tension between him and the parents. The story is touching, authentic, funny, and puts forth something that is rarely in the movies, and that is the perspective and struggles of an individual from a very different culture than Americans. The movie showcases how difficult it can be for people from very traditional cultures who grew up in a Western environment to juggle the two worlds.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Several different story lines intertwine in this very funny film starring an all-star cast that includes Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, and Kevin Bacon. This film deals with many different aspects of relationships, from the perspectives of both men and women, and of different generations. A marriage falling apart and the former couple trying to go their separated ways to start new lives, two people falling in love and not knowing how to behave, teenagers trying to attract the attention of their crush, etc, are all themes that get a smart and brilliant treatment in Crazy, Stupid, Love. I also liked that in this movie, it is the guy that gets the makeover. He’s the one who has to take a long hard look at himself and he’s the one who reevaluates some of his decisions. I am, however, willing to overlook the fact that everyone in this film is so damn attractive and rich, but only because the writing and the acting is that good.

Bridesmaids

I think Bridesmaids is one of my favorite comedies ever. It’s hilarious, raunchy, real and a truly original all-female movie (don’t get me started on these lame all-female reboots of already existing movies). As if her life couldn’t get any worse, Annie, an out of work pastry chef, learns that Lillian, her best and probably only friend in the world, is getting married. Even worse, not only will she lose Lillian to the new groom, but she might also lose her to Helen, the rich, beautiful, and elite wife of the groom's boss, with whom Lillian has grown very close. Jealous of each other, Helen and Annie embark on a fierce competition to put the odd girl out of their friendship with Lillian. Annie’s life spirals out of control as nothing seems to work her way, and she alienates everyone around her, including a potential love interest. Directed by Paul Feig, written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend, Bridesmaids, no matter how many times I’ve watched it, never ceases to be entertaining.

Stranger than fiction

This is one wonderfully strange movie. Emma Thompson plays Karen, an author struck with writer’s block, and Will Ferrell is Harold, an IRS agent who woke up one morning, hearing a female voice narrating his every movements. Little did he know that he is a character in Karen’s latest book. Harold soon fall for Ana, a woman he’s auditing but he also faces a conundrum as the omniscient voice that only he can hear, predicted his looming death. In fact, Karen faces writer’s block as she cannot find a proper way to kill off Harold. Stranger than fiction is funny, endearing, original, weird in a good way, and brilliantly played by its actors. If you’re looking for something different form the regular rom-coms, go for this film!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Written by and starring Jason Segel, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is loosely based on one of his heartbreaks. Musician Peter Bretter is devasted and blindsided when his girlfriend, TV star Sarah Marshal, leaves him. He tries to get over the breakup by booking a trip to Hawaii only to end up at the same resort as his ex-girlfriend and her new lover. Filled with hilarious side characters, this movie is highly entertaining as there is never a moment when you won’t laugh. The Dracula puppet show alone, is a good reason to watch this film!

500 days of summer

This film kinda has a corny ending but I’m willing to let it go because it’s actually pretty great. 500 Days of Summer is about two very different persons who, despite their contrasting personalities, try to make it work. Tom, a writer for a greetings card company, recollects the past year or so that he spent with Summer, his boss’ assistant, and the events that led to their breakup. Their story is real, sad, funny, endearing, clumsy and it’s hard to look away from such a tremendous film.

Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain

Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain is, in my opinion, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s best film. Set in Paris, this whimsical, colorful movie is about a very shy young waitress, Amélie, who, despite her isolation, decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while also trying to elucidate a photo booth mystery. When it was released, the motion picture became an instant international hit, winning a whole lot of awards and was then parodied and/or plagiarized so many times that we became saturated. There was a time when I could not bare to listen or see anything that resembled Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain because there was too much of it! Nonetheless, it shows what a powerful movie it was and despite people’s eye rolls now, we should not forget the film’s influence and we must admit that it is indeed, a very good and beautiful movie.

Enough said

Most romantic comedies are about young beautiful people falling in love. Enough Said is refreshing in that it’s about a romance between two middle aged adults : a divorced woman, played by Julie Louis-Dreyfus, starts a relationship with a man, portrayed by James Gandolfini, she really likes while at the same time becoming friends with his ex-wife. Both actors are charming and authentic, making the film a delight to watch.

Up In the Air

Written and directed by Jason Reitman and based on the novel by the same title, Up In The Air is about Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizer who is constantly on the road, conducting layoffs on behalf of employers. As he’s on the road showing the ropes to a new coworker, he meets another frequent flyer and they begin a relationship. A man whose life is spent in the air, who strives in a form of isolation, suddenly faces drastic changes both professionally and in his personal life.

Scott Pilgrim vs the world

Based on the graphic novel series, Scott Pilgrim, and co-written, produced and directed by Edgar Wright, the film is about Scott Pilgrim, a musician who must win a competition to get a record deal while at the same time battle the seven evil exes of his newest girlfriend Ramona Flowers. Mixing video game visuals into the cinematography made this fast-paced, hyperactive movie a whole lot of fun to watch. Though a commercial failure, Scott Pilgrim vs The World later gained a well deserved cult following. Highly entertaining, original and totally meta. What’s not to like?

The classics

Of course, there are these timeless classics (and no, I’m still not talking about Sleepless in Seattle or whatever) that never disappoint and to which we can always go back :