Who doesn't love a good romantic movie? Many may be sick of seeing this genre reigning supreme at the international box office, but there's a reason why it's so popular and there's a reason why millions love romantic productions, whether they're dramatic or comedic. Here are some of them.
1. It's all in the psychology
Research from the University at Buffalo suggests that frequent enjoyment of these cheesy, predictable stories can make for better people. A study published in Media Psychology revealed that people who watched more romantic comedies were more sensitive than those who preferred to watch other genres. The explanation summarised that talking about themes such as love, romance and emotional support is simply enjoyable for the viewer.
2. They are not so unrealistic
While some situations we see on the big screen may seem completely crazy, the National Communication Association of the USA concluded that the vision of love presented in these films is mostly not as idealised as it seems. The association analysed 50 of the top-grossing romantic films and found that they may encourage audiences to think about having a healthy relationship in the future, as concepts such as "trying to make a relationship work" are repeated more often than "finding one's better half".
3. Love is literally in the air
On the other hand, the University of Gothemburg in Sweden conducted a study in which they first monitored the brain of someone who received affection and then recorded the brain activity while watching romantic movies. The results were the same, i.e. the brain was stimulated by both physical and visual contact. Thus, they claimed that the emotional meaning of the token of affection can be felt while watching a film.
4. It can help your relationship
The truth is that science has been very interested in the phenomenon of watching romantic films. The University of Rochester conducted a study in 2014 where they analysed 174 newlywed couples and for a month they made them watch all kinds of romantic productions. The result was that the divorce rate was reduced to half the conventional statistic. This is related to a previous point, as it was concluded that the couples got a good understanding of what should be done correctly in a relationship.
5. It calms and relaxes you
But it's not all about love, according to psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert, watching romantic films reduces stress and produces hormones that calm the viewer. Interestingly, this happens when it comes to sad romantic movies which would make people confront feelings that they typically try to avoid such as feeling love for someone or crying over a loss.