Just in time for Valentine's Day, Amazon Studios' new romantic comedy I Want You Back is available for fans to enjoy. The movie stars Charlie Day and Jenny Slate as two people who are recently dumped by their significant others and team up to help each other win back their exes.
I Want You Back offers a funny and fresh take on most romance stories while also sharing similarities with other movies. From the break-up angle of the story to the aspect of friends falling for each other, fans of I Want You Back have plenty of other great movies they can check out next.
Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)
One unexpected element of I Want You Back is the inclusion of the Little Shop of Horrors musical. As Emma (Jenny Slate) works to break up Peter (Charlie Day)’s ex from her new beau, she becomes entangled in a high school production of the musical.
Any viewers who were intrigued by this inclusion in the movie should check out the movie version starring Rick Moranis. It follows a timid flower shop worker who comes across an alien plant that feeds on humans.
Horrible Bosses (2011)
The movie serves a little bit like a comedic take on the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Strangers on a Train in which two people agree to carry out a murder for each other. This was also a premise played on in which also starred Charlie Day.
In the dark comedy, Day stars alongside Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis as friends tormented by their abusive bosses and agree to help each other kill them. While I Want You Back is not nearly as dark, the storyline of deception feels reminiscent.
The Holiday (2006)
As great as Jenny Slate and Charlie Day are on screen together, it is fun to see their characters sort of swapping lives in order to infiltrate their exes' new relationships. This feels somewhat similar to the Christmas rom-com The Holiday.
Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet play strangers who are looking to get over a bad relationship. After meeting online, they decide to swap houses in order to spend the holidays with a totally new experience.
The Break-Up (2006)
It is interesting for a romantic comedy to begin with a breakup, but it starts the story off in a unique way. Seeing the main characters dealing with being dumped and their partners moving on is something that is probably relatable to a lot of viewers.
The Break-Up is another romantic comedy that deals more with the end of a relationship. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Anniston star as a couple who breaks up but neither is willing to move out of their fancy apartment. It makes for a new approach to the genre.
Whatever It Takes (2000)
The premise of these two people forming a pact to win back the people they love might seem like something out of a sitcom, but the outlandish gimmick also makes for a lot of entertainment. It also feels similar to some of the high-concept rom-coms of the 1990s and 2000s.
One such movie that fans might have forgotten about is Whatever it Takes. It follows an overlooked student who helps a dim-witted popular student win over his sophisticated friend in exchange for help winning over the school's prettiest girl. The movie marked early roles for James Franco and Aaron Paul.
Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)
One of the best parts of I Want You Back that separates it from other rom-coms is how a break-up can be what is right for a particular relationship, but it can still make it hard for those involved to move on.
This idea is explored more in the underrated comedy Celeste and Jesse Forever. Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg play a couple who get divorced amicably and try to maintain their friendship while pursuing new relationships.
Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
Another rom-com that unexpectedly begins with a breakup is Crazy, Stupid, Love. Steve Carrell plays a married man whose wife of many years suddenly asks for a divorce. As he tries to get his life back together and win her back, he meets a young man (Ryan Gosling) who teaches him how to be a ladies' man.
While the story might sound like an outdated premise, it is a surprisingly fun comedy with various storylines revolving around love intersecting with some surprisingly hilarious twists.
Silver Lining Playbook (2012)
There are plenty of movies and television shows about characters going to bizarre lengths to win back their significant others. In most cases, they are meant to be grand romantic gestures, but I Want You Back feels a little twisted in the main characters' approach.
That is something that makes Silver Linings Playbook a fun different addition to the genre as it acknowledges the flawed way the main character thinks. Bradley Cooper stars as a man dealing with his bipolar disorder who seeks help from a young widow (Jennifer Lawrence) to win back his ex-wife.
Friends With Benefits (2011)
While there might be a few unexpected aspects of I Want You Back, the fact that Emma and Peter begin developing feelings for each other should come as a surprise to no one who has seen a rom-com before. But the story of friends growing closer is a fun story to see.
One of the many movies to tell a story like this is Friends with Benefits. Like I Want You Back, Friends with Benefits stars with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis's characters getting dumped and turning to each other as friends.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
While I Want You Back will deliver the kind of romance many fans will be looking for, it also is a great examination of breakups. The first half of the movie is especially enjoyable as the two characters reel from their relationship ending.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is another movie that has a lot of fun with this type of idea. Jason Segel plays a man who is dumped by his famous girlfriend. When he attempts to escape to a Hawaiian resort, he finds that his ex is also staying there with her new rockstar beau.
