Shows / The Rom Complex
The Rom Complex
Which came first, the romantic comedy or our messed up ways of thinking about love and relationships? Each week Sam Frontera and Shelby Schwieterman break down the romcom tropes that make their hearts sing and the ones that need to be tuned up. Listen to them talk about how these movies affected their relationships–for better and for worse.
Episodes
- The Rom Complex
256. Stay the Night: He Could Be the Love of Your Life
We're still not asleep for 2022's Stay the Night, a movie NOT based off a hockey romance novel. We also discuss character growth, Canadian careers, and what in…
- The Rom Complex
255. Sleepless in Seattle: People Who Truly Loved Once are Far More Likely to Love Again (with Jenn Scott)
We're joined in our late night discussion of Sleepless in Seattle (1993) by Jenn Scott. We compliment Meg Ryan, forgive some light stalking, and wonder how…
- The Rom Complex
254. Before Sunrise: Isn't Everything We Do in Life a Way to be Loved a Little More?
We're up all night watching a classic, Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise (1995). We discuss young romance, how time changes viewpoints, and the European…
- The Rom Complex
253. Love and Monsters: There's No Mission More Admirable Than Love
Eagle-eared listeners of the show know how Sam feels about Dylan O'Brien, so you might have guessed our next watch would be Love and Monsters (2020). We also…
- The Rom Complex
252. The Princess Bride: True Love Is the Greatest Thing in the World (with Emily and Jessica of Femmes Reading Filth)
We're joined by the hosts of the podcast Femmes Reading Filth to discuss the absolutely filthy flick The Princess Bride (1987). There's all this gross stuff…
- The Rom Complex
251. Beastly: You Have a Year to Make Someone Love You
Fantasy month continues with Beastly (2011), a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling that could have benefited from about ten times the camp. We also talk…
- The Rom Complex
250. Penelope: The Public Loves this Girl
Mmm mm mm Shelby is eating well this month because we're focusing on Fantasy, starting with 2006's Penelope. We talk about overvaluing appearances, storybook…
- The Rom Complex
249. Beautiful Disaster: I Did Kind of Love It, Yeah
Beautiful Disaster (2023) is... I'm having trouble figuring out how to describe this movie to you. We discuss the disjointed plot, the New Adult genre, and how…
- The Rom Complex
248. Kodachrome: I Was Just Filled with This Infinite Love for You
Please join us as we cry our eyes out to 2017's Kodachrome. Please join us as we also thirst over sad Jason Sudeikis. Sorry, we like him better as a dirtbag!
- The Rom Complex
247. What a Girl Wants: I Love You a Million Swedish Fish (with Torry of RTBP/RTBR)
We are joined by our friend Torry from Ready to Be Petty AND Ready to Be Romanced (she's busy!!) to discuss 2003's What a Girl Wants starring an angelic young…
- The Rom Complex
246. The Last Song: Love Is Fragile
We're digging into Sam's daddy issues with NO hesitation by covering 2010's The Last Song. We also talk Miley's big break, the easiest way to get into…
- The Rom Complex
245. American Pie: Welcome to Stifler's Palace of Love
Grab your aprons and baking supplies because we're discussing 1999's American Pie. It's a wholesome little movie about friendship, baking, and living the…
- The Rom Complex
244. Eating Out: Love You, Gay Bro
We're joined by James and Corwyn of This Movie's Gay to discuss 2004's Eating Out, a charming low budget sex comedy that spawned an entire series of followups…
- The Rom Complex
243. There's Something About Mary: When I was Sixteen Years Old, I Fell in Love
There's Something About Mary (1998) is about way more than just that one scene with the hair! We somehow manage to discuss interesting women, what kind of…
- The Rom Complex
242. Knocked Up: I Love You. You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.
We're starting our Nasty Naughty New Year in the year 2007 with Knocked Up. As we discuss sisters supporting each other, who you should grab in an earthquake…
- The Rom Complex
241. Our Little Secret: The Kind of Love That Can Get You Through Anything
We loved Hot Frosty so much that we had to double-dip on Netflix Christmas originals. Our viewing experience of Our Little Secret (2024), however, was quite…
- The Rom Complex
240. Hot Frosty: When You Say You Love a Person, It means Way More
This week your mature, adult hosts are discussing 2024's Hot Frosty, a movie about a sexy snowman come to life. We also chat about enchanted scarves, learning…
- The Rom Complex
239. Mr. & Mrs. Smith: To Dodging Bullets. Love, Jane.
Remember back in 2005 when we were all spies secretly married to other spies and also Mr. & Mrs. Smith hit the theaters? Haha yeah, we all remember that. We…
- The Rom Complex
238. The Fall Guy: Love Is How We Will Win (with Arthur Howell)
2024's The Fall Guy is in Shelby's crosshairs. Will Sam be able to defend it with the help of guest Arthur Howell of 2 Cents Critic? Listen to find out!
- The Rom Complex
237. Fool's Gold: Now That's A Man Who Loves his Wife
The adventure continues with 2008's Fool's Gold. Can the Kate Hudson/Matthew McConaughey duo shine like they did in past pair-ups, or is all that glitters not…
- The Rom Complex
236. Romancing the Stone: I'd Love to See You On That Boat
We're off on a new adventure for November, and it's going to be full of action. First up is Romancing the Stone (1984). Spoiler Warning: We discuss Your…
- The Rom Complex
235. Your Monster: He Doesn't Love You the Way You Deserve to Be Loved
Gear up for SPOILERS because we're celebrating Halloween with the brand new film Your Monster (2024). We also discuss our favorite monsters, harnessing your…
- The Rom Complex
234. Heathers: Our Love Is God
Remember the 80's? Haha, neither do I. I wasn't alive! Know who else isn't alive? A few teens from Heathers (1988). We talk the movie, the musical, and the…
- The Rom Complex
233. Lisa Frankenstein: They Won't Be Satisfied Until We're As Devoid of Love As They Are
Flip open your IMDB notebooks because we're hitting you with trivia from this year's Lisa Frankenstein (2024). Spoiler: it has absolutely nothing to do with…
- The Rom Complex
232. Spontaneous: We Would Actually Love to Survive (with Nicole Jakus)
Nicole Jakus (aka DarlingHomebody) joins us to kick off spooky month with the scariest settings of all: a high school. 2020's Spontaneous is full of snappy…
- The Rom Complex
231. Simply Irresistible: I Love Dessert
We're ending silly September with a hit: 1999's Simply Irresistible. There's a magic crab. You can see the strings. Don't question it too much!
- The Rom Complex
230. They Came Together: I Love Fiction Books
This week's silly watch is 2014's They Came Together, a briskly absurd 83-minute rom-com parody. I SWEAR neither of the hosts hated this film.
- The Rom Complex
229. What Women Want: The Man I Love Needs Rescuing
The year is 2000, the pop music slaps, and What Women Want is in theaters. We discuss the parts of this movie that stuck with us from way back then (boobs) as…
- The Rom Complex
228. Kate & Leopold: Love Is a Leap
We missed you on our week off, but now we're back with those antics you love for Silly September! Kicking us off is 2001's Kate & Leopold, a movie that forces…
- The Rom Complex
227. Monte Carlo: We Don't Call Her the City of Love for Nothing
Our last stop in our summer travels is Monte Carlo (2011). Along the way, we discuss identity fraud, group tours, and conflict avoidance. It's good to be home!
- The Rom Complex
226. Crossroads: I Love Rock and Roll
This week we're discussing how wrong critics in 2002 were about Crossroads, starring Britney Spears. As part of the target demographic at the time, Sam and…
- The Rom Complex
225. Just Married: I'm Not in the Mood to Make Love to You
We're still traveling, this time with newlyweds in Just Married (2003). We also discuss unlikable characters, diffusing arguments, and the glory days of Ashton…
- The Rom Complex
224. Outsourced: I'll Learn to Love Him
We're branching out in our travels this month, starting with Outsourced (2006). Not only do we talk about falling in love with a place, but we also learn oh so…
- The Rom Complex
223. Letters to Juliet: A Love to Cross Oceans For
Despite Sam's best attempts to turn this into a Love Island podcast, we're actually discussing Letters to Juliet (2010). We also chat about emotional women…
- The Rom Complex
222. Rome in Love: Love Before a Remake
We make a pit stop in the Hallmark corner of Rome to cover 2019's Rome in Love. We also touch base on nicknames for "Kathryn," audiobook narrators, and the…
- The Rom Complex
221. Eat, Pray, Love: Send Me Love and Light
Julia Roberts just won a coveted accolade--leading a movie that's over two hours long that we watch anyway. Ms. Roberts received her award for 2010's Eat…
- The Rom Complex
220. When In Rome: You Threw Them in the Fountain and Wished for Love
It's Cheeky Girl Summer and we're traveling to Rome for the month, starting with When in Rome (2010). Can Kristen Bell's tiny face charm us into accepting this…
- The Rom Complex
219. Moulin Rouge: I Will Love You Until My Dying Day
We're saying goodbye to Paris with a song (a few of them, actually) as we discuss Moulin Rouge (2001). In addition to the divisive movie, we touch on sad boys…
- The Rom Complex
218. Savoring Paris: I Love Who I Am here
Ah, Paris. The sights, the smells, the tastes... of cheese, of course. Savoring Paris (2024) has us laughing as we discuss Hallmark-universe, mistranslations…
- The Rom Complex
217. Under the Eiffel Tower: Love and Wine
Under the Eiffel Tower (2018) takes us from Paris to the countryside to a state of confusion as a man has a mid-life crisis that can only be fixed by falling…
- The Rom Complex
216. Amélie: A Woman Without Love Wilts Like a Flower Without Sun
This is France, baby! We're off to Paris where Amélie (2001) is dipping her hands in beans and picturing other couples in bed. We also discuss sudden…
- The Rom Complex
215. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas: Love Is Like A Rock
This week we're doing The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000). Deal with it! We also discuss the weather, Hanna-Barbera, and, of course, Vegas, baby. Special…
- The Rom Complex
214. Viva Las Vegas: I'm Just A Devil with Love to Spare
We're taking it back to 1964's Viva Las Vegas, when movies could just be hot people singing and dancing. We discuss Sam's favorite kind of comedy, the charisma…
- The Rom Complex
213. Honeymoon in Vegas: If You Love Her, Then Marry Her
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) is our next romp through the city of sin, and it's a fun one! We discuss love and marriage, boy-moms, and how much money we'd sell…
- The Rom Complex
212. What Happens in Vegas: I Love Vegas!
For the month of May, we're heading over to Sin City, starting with 2008's What Happens in Vegas. We discuss yelling chemistry, unlikeable characters, and why…
- The Rom Complex
211. New York, I Love You: Have You Ever Made Love to a Perfect Stranger?
What better way to close out New York month than with 2008's New York, I Love You? The segments of this anthology film range from touching to downright…
- The Rom Complex
210. Coyote Ugly: I Love That Bar (with Blair Gorman-Diaz)
Get up on that bar and get ready to shake your hips because we're talking about 2000's Coyote Ugly! Blair Gorman-Diaz joins us to discuss city dreams, jutting…
- The Rom Complex
209. Sex and the City: Labels & Love (with Late to the Party with Nikki & Bri)
We're joined by Nikki and Bri of Late to the Party to discuss 2008's Sex and the City: The Movie. We talk about Mr. Big's shortcomings, aspirational…
- The Rom Complex
208. Maid in Manhattan: Was It Love at First Sight?
Start spreading the news, we're talking about NYC movies this month! Because Sam wanted to carefully avoid directly talking trash about JLO, we're starting out…
- The Rom Complex
207. New York Minute: Love While Running Late
The last stop in our Olsen Twin tour is 2004's New York Minute. This time, the twins' characters are so different that they don't even like each other! But…
- The Rom Complex
206. Holiday in the Sun: Love in Atlantis (in the Bahamas)
Our next Olsen sampling is 2001's Holiday in the Sun, which shows just how great it can be to fall in love on vacation and also get accused of smuggling…
- The Rom Complex
205. Winning London: Love Outside the Loo
This week's Olsen twin feature is 2001's Winning London. We talk Disney-channel-style acting, holding children hostage, and embarrassing vomit memories that…
- The Rom Complex
204. Passport to Paris: Love Outside the Louvre
Grab your hot water bottle and your credit card because we're taking you on a a world tour for Mary-Kate-and-Ashley March, starting with 1999's Passport to…
- The Rom Complex
203. All About Steve: Loved This Week's Puzzle!
This episode is all about All About Steve (2009). We also touch on why Sandra Bullock should be brunette, whether or not you should get fired for stalker…
- The Rom Complex
202. The Truth About Cats & Dogs: We Can Love Our Pets, We Just Can't LOVE Our Pets
The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996) imagines a world in which Janeane Garofolo isn't movie-star gorgeous. We discuss how much we're not on board with that!…
- The Rom Complex
201. Addicted to Love: I Want Him Hopeless, Loveless, Finished Off!
It's the month of lovers, so we're talking about love. Just like we do every month! This time, we're discussing 1997's Addicted to Love. Secondary topics…
- The Rom Complex
200. All About Eve: Hundreds of People Love You
For our 200th episode (can you even believe it??) we're discussing All About Eve (1950). Fasten your seat belts because we're talking about Bette Davis's eyes…
- The Rom Complex
199. Serendipty: Revisited
This week we revisit Shelby's original romcom pick, Serendipity (2001). We also discuss AI-generated headshots, missing signs from the universe, and John…
- The Rom Complex
198. A Walk to Remember: Revisited
As we approach our 200th episode, we're revisiting the movies we discussed in the very first episode of the The Rom Complex. First up is A Walk to Remember…
- The Rom Complex
197. The Bishop's Wife: Once I was Madly in Love with a Girl
We're closing out the year with The Bishop's Wife (1947). We discuss angelic rizz, throwing things at kids, and why you gotta keep your wife happy. We're…