Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The holidays are a wonderful time to spend with family, friends, and Netflix. This past holiday season, not only did I catch up on HBO’s buzzy Westworld and preview the new season of Hulu’s cult drama The Path, but I discovered my very favorite movie genre on Netflix. And that is the Fake Wedding.
The premise starts simple but turns tricky, and that’s when things get fun. Two people (pals, strangers, or total enemies) decide to pretend to be engaged (to please, confuse, or rip off people in their lives) — but do they actually make it down the aisle? Sure, it fits neatly into the bubble of romantic comedy, but it’s so much more than that. It’s unexpected, silly, secretly romantic, and very sneaky.
And the best part? These movies don’t leave you depressed or even with much to think about. Yes, racking up a bunch of sweet kitchen items and a hot dude are clear perks, but for the most part, you can leave what you just watched behind and move on with your day in a generally positive demeanor. (Unless, of course, they spark a brilliant idea!) These aren’t heavy movies, by any means. They are sweet and fun and excellent to have in the background while you do a face mask or curl your hair. Basically, give yourself a break from these heady Oscar contenders and relax with some feel-good, fraudulent nuptials.
It’s true, Scorsese and the Coen brothers have yet to contribute to the genre, but these are the perfect escape movies. The plot is laid out, very clearly, and yes, it doesn’t take a movie buff to see the ending coming. But if you let yourself get just a little bit lost in the story, there’s still something surprising, a little bit sexy, and uncynically hopeful about these kinds of movies.
These are the three best fake-wedding movies currently available on Netflix, but I highly encourage filmmakers and streaming platforms to build up their Fake-Wedding inventory in the near future.
One Small Hitch (2013)
Upon hearing his father is sick, a dude (Shane McRae) asks his childhood friend (Aubrey Dollar) to become fake engaged, with the intent of pleasing his father, in One Small Hitch. Family gets involved, feelings get jumbled, and by the end, this mostly unknown cast will have completely won you over.
The Decoy Bride (2011)
This movie is about a fake wedding, but it is also about Alice Eve trying to ugly herself up. If The Decoy Bride were based on that alone, obviously it would be a failure, because nice try, lady. Eve plays a very popular actress who must throw off the paparazzi by having a wedding in a super remote location. When they find her anyway, she runs away, but her groom, an author played by David Tennant, hires a local gal (Kelly Macdonald) to be her fill-in for what is supposed to just be one afternoon. This movie WILL make you want to travel to a bed and breakfast on a Scottish island though, so just know that.
My Fake Fiancé (2009)
This movie was so well received by viewers that ABC Family (now Freeform) threw Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence together for the Melissa & Joey sitcom that lasted 4 seasons. In My Fake Fiancé, they star as two single people who could use all the benefits of an engagement to furnish their expensive new home and pay off a gambling debt, respectively. But maybe faking their relationship is the REAL gamble! This one is the most sitcom-y of the three, but come on, these two remain so damn watchable.
Watch 'One Small Hitch' on Netflix
