15 Unforgettable Romantic Comedies of the 2000s You Might Have Missed

These movies may have managed to shy away from the spotlight but they surely deserve a standing ovation in the halls of rom-com greatness.

1. All Over the Guy (2001)

In All Over the Guy, we meet Eli and Tom, two guys with nothing in common except mutual friends and a tendency to bump into each other. Their pals, playing cupid, trick them into a first date. From the get-go, the chemistry is, well, hilariously terrible. Eli's neurotic nature clashes with Tom's laid-back approach to life. Through a series of serendipitous (and mortifying) meetups, they begin to peel away their defenses.

2. Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)

Jessica Stein is a woman who's got it all together, except in the love department. When she stumbles upon a personal ad quoting her favorite writer, she's intrigued. But there's a catch: the ad is from another woman. In a moment of boldness (or perhaps madness?), Jessica responds. Enter Helen, a vivacious art gallerist looking for something more. As their relationship blossoms from friendship into romance, Jessica and Helen grapple with the complexities of their unconventional connection.

3. The Baxter (2005)

Ever heard of the term 'Baxter'? It's the kind of guy who is always left at the altar, the perpetual good guy who doesn't get the girl. The Baxter focuses on Elliot, the quintessential nice guy who's about to marry the perfect woman. But as fate would have it, her high school sweetheart swoops back into town, igniting old flames. Elliot's life spirals into a comedy of errors as he tries to be the romantic lead in his own story, instead of the footnote in someone else's.

4. I'm with Lucy (2002)

Imagine a series of dates, five to be exact, and each one could potentially be 'The One'. That's the premise of I'm with Lucy. After her engagement falls through, Lucy's quest to find Mr. Right leads her to five different men, each date showcasing a slice of potential romance and its accompanying mishaps. There's the enthralling and confident Bobby, the millionaire businessman Doug, the charming and divorced Gabriel, the lovable but odd Barry, and finally, the endearing Luke. Each date is its own mini-adventure, with Lucy gradually discovering just what she wants in a man.

5. Deliver Us from Eva (2003)

Eva is the kind of woman who takes charge – of her sisters' lives, no less. The men in their lives are tired of Eva's meddling and hatch a plan to distract her with a love interest of her own. They pick Ray, a smooth-talking playboy, to woo Eva under a lucrative deal. But what starts as a scheme quickly spirals into genuine feelings. As Ray breaks through Eva's tough exterior, they both start to fall unexpectedly.

6. The Prince and Me (2004)

Let's travel to the University of Wisconsin where pre-med student Paige meets Eddie, a foreign exchange student with a secret – he's actually the prince of Denmark. Their worlds couldn't be more different: Paige is driven and focused on her studies, while Eddie is escaping the shackles of royalty. As Eddie conceals his identity, their relationship blossoms from annoyance to affection. When Eddie's true identity is revealed, Paige has to decide between love and the life she's always planned.

7. Something New (2006)

Kenya, a successful but overworked accountant, is set up on a blind date with Brian, a landscape architect. He's not what she envisioned – he's white, and she had always imagined herself with a black man. Their initial encounter is awkward, but eventually, Kenya hires Brian to landscape her yard, and as they spend time together, sparks fly.

8. The Ex (2006) – Also known as Fast Track

In The Ex, we find Tom Reilly clashing with his wife's ex-boyfriend, Chip, when they start working together. Tom moves his family to Ohio for a new job, only to discover that Chip, who's still interested in Tom's wife, is an unscrupulous star employee at the new firm. Chip's wheelchair-bound but takes advantage of his disability to undermine Tom at every turn.

9. Management (2008)

Sue, a traveling art saleswoman, has a fling with Mike, an aimless motel manager in Arizona. What starts as a one-night stand for Sue becomes a cross-country pursuit for Mike, who believes Sue is his soulmate. The plot zigzags through Mike's spontaneous decisions to win over Sue, her resistance, and the eventual warming up to his awkward charm. Management is a testament to the saying that love finds you in the most unexpected places.

10. Dedication (2007)

Children's book author Henry is anything but childlike; he's misanthropic and has a hard time connecting with anyone. After his illustrator and only friend passes away, he's paired with a new illustrator, Lucy. Their relationship is rocky as Henry's eccentricities test Lucy's patience. But as they work together, they begin to understand each other, and Henry starts to open up, revealing the pain and fear that fuels his behavior.

11. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

In the heart of London during the late 1930s, we meet Guinevere Pettigrew, a governess who's just been fired and is down on her luck. By a twist of fate, she becomes the social secretary to Delysia Lafosse, a glamorous and dizzying singer with a complicated love life. Over the course of 24 hours, Miss Pettigrew is swept into a world of high society and romantic entanglements, while she helps Delysia navigate between three men.

12. Suburban Girl (2007)

Suburban Girl follows Brett, an aspiring book editor, who falls for Archie Knox, an older, charismatic publisher. As Brett navigates the tricky waters of career and romance, she finds herself facing the reality that love isn't always about the fairy tale endings – it's also about growth and sometimes hard truths.

13. TiMER (2009)

What if you could know exactly when you'd meet your soulmate? TiMER introduces us to a world where a device counts down to the moment you meet your true love. Oona, desperate to find her match, faces the predicament of a blank TiMER. Her life is turned upside down when she meets Mikey, a young man with a TiMER that's due to expire in four months. They agree on a relationship with an expiration date, challenging the concept of destiny and whether we can (or should) outsmart fate.

14. The Good Night (2007)

In this film, Gary, a former pop star, struggles with his mundane life and relationship until he begins to have vivid dreams of the perfect woman – Anna. As he becomes obsessed with sleeping just to "be" with her, his waking life starts to unravel. The plot weaves through Gary's desperation to maintain his dream world, often colliding with his reality in humorous and poignant ways.

15. Music and Lyrics (2007)

Washed-up '80s pop star Alex Fletcher has a chance at a comeback when he's tasked with composing a song for a current pop sensation. There's just one problem: he's never written lyrics. Enter Sophie Fisher, his quirky plant lady with a knack for words. Together, they compose music and something much deeper.