There are a number of great but overlooked romantic thriller comedies that are definitely a must-watch for fans of the genre.

The new movie Spin Me Round is a brilliant braiding together of multiple genres, combining elements of the thriller, the comedy, and the romance. As a result, it manages to have a charm all its own. However, there have been other moments in the history of Hollywood when such combinations have proven remarkably successful, both among critics and at the box office.

It is often the case with these movies that they manage to bring out the best that the movie industry can offer, with kinetic energy, strong performances, and dynamic writing all offering up multiple pleasures for audiences to enjoy.

Though the off-screen romance between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sometimes overshadows this movie’s reputation, it’s also a very strong romantic comedy thriller in its own right. The two actors play a couple who, unbeknownst to one another, are actually assassins.

When they are hired to kill one another, chaos ensues. It is certainly a movie that leans into its action elements, but there’s no denying that there is a great deal of on-screen chemistry between the two leads and, with its surprisingly subtle writing, it even manages to subvert some of the expectations of the romantic comedy.

Like the best romantic comedy thrillers, Spin Me Round begins with a young woman, Alison Brie’s Amber, who goes to Italy on her company’s dime for a receipt. Unfortunately, once she’s there things very quickly began to go awry, far more than she thought possible.

Though there are a few bumps when it comes to the screenplay’s overall coherence, there’s no doubt that Alison Brie is a highlight to watch. What’s more, Aubrey Plaza continues to show that she is the type of star who will steal the scene, even when she isn’t the biggest star in the movie.

There’s no question that Alfred Hitchcock was one of Hollywood’s great directors, and he was particularly skilled at creating slick thrillers. In North By Northwest, he is at the top of his form, and the movie expertly blends together its romantic and thriller elements, with more than a little comedy.

The latter, in particular, comes from star Cary Grant’s performance, who gives one of the best of his career. He brings out the absurd comedy of a man who is mistaken for someone else and gets sucked into a dangerous game of espionage.

Sandra Bullock is one of the best actresses of her generation, capable of appearing in a wide variety of genres. She brings her considerable star power to bear in The Lost City, where she plays a romance author kidnapped by a wealthy man who wants to find the lost city of the title.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on one’s perspective), the model for her book cover sets out to save her. The movie is undeniably funny, and it has more than a healthy dose of adventure. There’s no doubt that its major draw is the undeniable chemistry between Channing Tatum and Bullock, both who shine here.

Date Night is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to its casting, which has Tina Fey and Steve Carell as a married couple who inadvertently find themselves drawn into a criminal enterprise. Both of the leads give stand out performances here, and they bring out the tremendous humor in the setup.

While the two leads are obviously one of the movie’s major strengths, it also features a number of other hilarious performances, including from the likes of Taraji P. Henson, Mark Wahlberg, and Kristen Wiig. It is one of those movies that keeps the audience laughing and excited in equal measure.

There’s no doubt that Austin Powers is one of Mike Myers' best movies. In large part, it succeeds because of the skill with which it spoofs the classic spy movies of decades past, with Myers appearing in several standout roles.

And, given that this is a humorous send-up of James Bond movies, there is also more than a bit of romance, as he begins a relationship with Elizabeth Hurley’s Vanessa Kensington. It definitely deserves its reputation as one of the funniest movies of the 1990s.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Sandra Bullock showed herself to be one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, and Miss Congeniality is certainly one of the best comedies of the 2000s. Bullock shines as an FBI agent tasked with going undercover at a beauty pageant.

It is one of those movies that is a genuine pleasure, mostly because Bullock is one of those actresses who exerts a tremendous charisma. What’s more, there’s also a dash of romance, as well, as Bullock’s Gracie Hart has a bit of a flirtation with Benjamin Bratt’s Eric Matthews.

The 1980s was a particularly productive decade for both Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, both of whom turn in very fine performances in Romancing The Stone. In the movie, Turner is a romance novelist who, after learning her sister is in trouble in Central America, goes off on an adventure to save her, meeting Douglas’s American adventurer along the way.

As is so often the case with romantic comedy thriller, the plot meanders a bit, but it’s the undeniable chemistry between Turner and Douglas, which helps to keep the viewer invested and entertained.

Brendan Fraser has had a fascinating career in Hollywood, appearing in a number of notable roles and genres. One of his most beloved, however, is in the movie The Mummy, in which he appears as Rick O’Connell, an adventurer cut in the mold of Indiana Jones.

Though the creature of the title provides the movie with its thriller element, it’s the on-screen chemistry between Fraser’s Rick and Rachel Weisz’s Evelyn that really helps to elevate the movie into the realm of the truly great. From beginning to end, it is a truly entertaining and, at times, even a disturbing monster movie.

Crocodile Dundee has come to be regarded as one of the best movies to have come out of Australia. With very funny performances from both Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowksi, the movie would go on to become a truly global phenomenon, leading to numerous sequels.

None of the follow-ups, however, were quite able to capture the magic of the original. Though leaning more toward the comedic and romantic, there are some genuinely thrilling moments in this movie, particularly once Kozlowski’s Sue has an unfortunate run-in with a crocodile and has to be saved by Hogan’s Dundee.

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Thomas J. West III earned a PhD in film and screen studies from Syracuse University in 2018. His writing on film, TV, and popular culture has appeared in Screenology, FanFare, Primetimer, Cinemania, and in a number of scholarly journals and edited collections. He co-hosts the Queens of the B's podcast with Mark Muster and writes a regular newsletter, Omnivorous, on Substack.