The recent box office success of Anyone But You (a rom-com with dramatic beats) proved that audiences are starved for this genre on the big screen. Similarly, vinyl soundtracks (the La La Land soundtrack) and Blu-ray collector’s editions of Outlander sell out because fans want permanence. A fleeting stream feels less real; a physical copy of a romantic drama feels like a keepsake of one’s own emotions.

Interestingly, the line between romantic comedy and romantic drama has blurred. Recent hits like Anyone But You or Set It Up still exist, but prestige romantic entertainment—like The Worst Person in the World , One Day (Netflix series), or Fleabag —treats romance with dramatic weight while retaining humor.