The Problematic Movie Romances We Secretly Love

We’ve spent the week spiralling over the Suddenly 30 reboot, and it’s led us down a rabbit hole of our favourite romcoms with problematic premises, that we love wholeheartedly nonetheless. It turns out "romance" in the 90s and early 2000s was often just a crime set to a peppy soundtrack, and we're here to admit it.We're unpacking the supposed romantic "grand gestures" and breaking down the gap between what we want in real life and what we find "hot" on film, from the sex work of Pretty Woman to to why the teacher-student plot in Never Been Kissed still stops us in our tracks.Plus, we have thoughts on the 2026 "Whimsy Drought." We’re unpacking why modern movies feel too polished and why we’re self-medicating with the messy, high-stakes lying of movies like How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. It’s a deep dive into the absolute classics that might just save you from a boring weekend.Love binge-watching TV? The Spill has launched Watch Party — spoiler-filled episode deep dives into the shows everyone’s talking about. Find the feed on Apple or Spotify.Listen to The Spill  New episodes drop every Monday–Friday!Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/the-spill/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3mjNFVvJp1irXNVxKXXABOApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-spill/id1473523403Follow The Spill:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespillpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thespillpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thespillpodcast/Read all the latest entertainment news on Mamamia: https://mamamia.com.au/entertainment/Support Independent Women’s Media:https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe/Your subscription helps us continue to tell the stories that matter to women.Want to join the conversation?Have feedback or a topic you want us to discuss? Send us a voice message or email us at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you ASAP!Discover more Mamamia podcasts here: https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/SUBSCRIBE here to get 25% off an $89 annual subscription PLUS 25% off Nala. Your Mamamia discount will be applied at checkout. Then find your Nala code in the Subscriber Hub immediately after joining. Ends 1st April.CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS:Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your code. Ends 1st April.CREDITSHosts: Laura Brodnik & Bree Player Executive Producer: Monisha IswaranAudio Producer: Scott StronachMamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.  Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.