Seeing yourself as the main character of a movie—a tongue-in-cheek trend on TikTok—might be empowering. But then again, #maincharacterenergy seems like a lot of work, with all the trials and tribulations and overcoming obstacles.
Instead, @loloaokola on TikTok recommends going for a “beloved side-character” vibe. In romantic comedies, the sidekick remains consistently and joyfully themselves. Whether they’re the sassy, stylish bestie or the hapless hot mess, there’s no personal growth or evolution of their character; they just lighten the mood and wear great outfits while looking out for their friends. Our quiz helps you figure out which rom-com sidekick archetype you already embody.
Yes, sometimes these tropes can be a bit thankless (we’re looking at you, gay best friend), but some have evolved to the point where the characters actually have some substance. Isn’t It Romantic sent up the gay best friend stereotype beautifully, while Happiest Season showed us that it’s possible to have a gay best friend who isn’t a caricature, with a funny and heartfelt performance from Dan Levy. And George from My Best Friend’s Wedding remains one of the greatest movie sidekicks in the history of rom-coms.
Judy Greer has made such a career out of playing “the best friend” in rom-coms that Funny or Die made a skit about it, and Bridget Jones’s Diary manages to include three of the main sidekick tropes in Bridget’s “urban family”—possibly one of the reasons it’s such a beloved romantic comedy! If you’re ready to lean into your side-character energy, here are some excellent rom-coms to get you started. And be sure to download a VPN to stream securely and privately, with no ISP throttling.
Best rom-coms with awesome sidekicks
27 Dresses (2008)
Where to stream: Prime Video, HBO, NBC
Sidekick: Casey (sassy, stylish bestie)
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Where to stream: Prime Video, HBO Max, TBS, TNT
Sidekick: Shazzer (straight-talker), Jude (hapless hot mess), Tom (gay best friend)
Clueless (1995)
Where to stream: Prime Video, HBO, Paramount+
Sidekick: Dionne (sassy, stylish bestie), Tai (hapless hot mess), Christian (gay best friend)
Coming to America (1988)
Where to stream: Prime Video, HBO, HBO Max
Sidekick: Semmi (sassy, stylish bestie)
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Where to stream: Prime Video, HBO Max, TVision
Sidekick: Peik Lin (sassy, stylish bestie)
Emma (2020)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Freevee
Sidekick: Harriet (hapless hot mess)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Where to stream: Prime Video, The Criterion Channel
Sidekick: Dorothy (sassy, stylish bestie)
Happiest Season (2020)
Where to stream: Hulu
Sidekick: John (gay best friend)
The Holiday (2006)
Where to stream: Prime Video, HBO Max, HBO
Sidekick: Arthur Abbott (straight-talker)
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Showtime
Sidekick: Michelle (hapless hot mess), Jeannie (sassy, stylish bestie)
Isn’t It Romantic (2019)
Where to stream: Prime Video, TBS, TNT
Sidekick: Donny (gay best friend)
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Freeform
Sidekick: George (gay best friend)
Notting Hill (1999)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Starz
Sidekick: Spike (hapless hot mess)
Pretty Woman (1990)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Freeform
Sidekick: Kit (sassy, stylish bestie)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Where to stream: Prime Video, HBO Max, Tubi
Sidekick: Becky (straight-talker)
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Where to stream: Netflix
Sidekick: Gen (sassy, stylish bestie)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Netflix, HBO Max
Sidekick: Marie (straight-talker)
Did we miss your favorite rom-com sidekick? Let us know!
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