‘Finding Emily’ Just Became One of 2026’s Best-Reviewed Rom-Coms, and Audiences Are Just Catching Up
Romantic comedies have had a rocky few years at the box office, often struggling to draw the kind of theatrical crowds that once made the genre a Friday night staple. Streaming has absorbed much of the demand, leaving studios cautious about betting on original rom-coms without a built-in franchise or star vehicle behind them.
That makes the arrival of ‘Finding Emily’ feel like a small act of confidence from Working Title Films, the studio behind genre staples like ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Notting Hill.’ The British production follows a lovesick musician who’s accidentally given the wrong number for his dream girl, teaming up with a driven psychology student to track her down, sparking a campus-wide frenzy that tests both of their hearts and ambitions along the way.
That gamble appears to be paying off. The film has emerged as one of the best-reviewed romantic comedies of the year, currently holding an 87% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes from 46 critic reviews, with some recent reporting even crediting it with setting a review-score record for the genre in 2026.
Directed by Alicia MacDonald and written by Rachel Hirons, ‘Finding Emily’ leans into a classic rom-com setup while updating it with a distinctly Gen Z sensibility. Critics have pointed to the chemistry between stars Angourie Rice and Spike Fearn as one of the film’s biggest strengths, with several reviews praising how the film balances sharp social commentary with genuine warmth.
Finding Emily’ has been singled out as the highest-scored romantic comedy of the year, putting it in rare company among 2026’s best-reviewed films overall. The film’s cast also includes Minnie Driver, Cora Kirk, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Sadie Soverall, and Phil Wang, rounding out a supporting ensemble that’s helped flesh out the film’s campus setting.
Not every review has been uniformly glowing. Some critics have noted that the film’s climactic grand romantic gesture doesn’t quite stick the landing compared to the rest of the journey, though most agree the overall experience still wins audiences over by the credits, much like the classic rom-coms it’s clearly inspired by.
‘Finding Emily’ first hit UK theaters back in May, distributed by Universal Pictures after Focus Features backed the project alongside Working Title. The film has since made its way to U.S. theaters, arriving with a PG-13 rating and a runtime of just under two hours.
On the audience side, the film’s Popcornmeter score remains something of a work in progress, with fewer than 50 verified user ratings logged so far on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s not unusual for a film still building word-of-mouth in its opening stretch, especially one without a massive marketing push behind it.
Given the strength of its reviews and the pedigree of the team behind it, ‘Finding Emily’ looks positioned to become one of the year’s sleeper favorites for rom-com fans starved for something new. Whether it can translate that critical goodwill into a genuine box office moment remains to be seen, but the reception so far suggests Working Title still knows how to make this genre work.
The film’s story also leans into some familiar meta territory for the genre, playing with the tropes that longtime rom-com fans will recognize while still finding room for its own voice. That balance between homage and reinvention appears to be a big part of why critics have responded so warmly, even as the film sticks close to a structure audiences have seen many times before.
Have you seen Finding Emily yet?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
