We’ve spent the week spiralling over the Suddenly 30 reboot, and it’s led us down a rabbit hole of our favourite romcoms with problematic premises, that we love wholeheartedly nonetheless. It turns out "romance" in the 90s and early 2000s was often just a crime set to a peppy soundtrack, and we're here to admit it.

We're unpacking the supposed romantic "grand gestures" and breaking down the gap between what we want in real life and what we find "hot" on film, from the sex work of Pretty Woman to to why the teacher-student plot in Never Been Kissed still stops us in our tracks.

Plus, we have thoughts on the 2026 "Whimsy Drought." We’re unpacking why modern movies feel too polished and why we’re self-medicating with the messy, high-stakes lying of movies like How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. It’s a deep dive into the absolute classics that might just save you from a boring weekend.

Love binge-watching TV? The Spill has launched Watch Party — spoiler-filled episode deep dives into the shows everyone’s talking about. Find the feed on Apple or Spotify.

Listen to The Spill  New episodes drop every Monday–Friday!
Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/the-spill/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3mjNFVvJp1irXNVxKXXABO
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-spill/id1473523403

Follow The Spill:
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thespillpodcast/
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thespillpod
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/thespillpodcast/

Read all the latest entertainment news on Mamamia: https://mamamia.com.au/entertainment/

Support Independent Women’s Media:
https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe/
Your subscription helps us continue to tell the stories that matter to women.

Want to join the conversation?
Have feedback or a topic you want us to discuss? Send us a voice message or email us at thespill@mamamia.com.au and we’ll get back to you ASAP!

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here: https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/

SUBSCRIBE here to get 25% off an $89 annual subscription PLUS 25% off Nala. Your Mamamia discount will be applied at checkout. Then find your Nala code in the Subscriber Hub immediately after joining. Ends 1st April.

CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS:
Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your code. Ends 1st April.

CREDITS
Hosts: Laura Brodnik & Bree Player 
Executive Producer: Monisha Iswaran
Audio Producer: Scott Stronach

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

 

We&rsquo;ve spent the week spiralling over the Suddenly 30 reboot, and it&rsquo;s led us down a rabbit hole of our favourite romcoms with problematic premises, that we love wholeheartedly nonetheless. It turns out "romance" in the 90s and early 2000s was often just a crime set to a peppy soundtrack, and we're here to admit it. We're unpacking the supposed romantic "grand gestures" and breaking down the gap between what we want in real life and what we find "hot" on film, from the sex work of Pretty Woman to to why the teacher-student plot in Never Been Kissed still stops us in our tracks. Plus, we have thoughts on the 2026 "Whimsy Drought." We&rsquo;re unpacking why modern movies feel too polished and why we&rsquo;re self-medicating with the messy, high-stakes lying of movies like How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. It&rsquo;s a deep dive into the absolute classics that might just save you from a boring weekend. Love binge-watching TV? The Spill has launched Watch Party &mdash; spoiler-filled episode deep dives into the shows everyone&rsquo;s talking about. Find the feed on<a href="https://mamamia.au/TS-Shownotes-WatchParty-Apple"> Apple</a> or<a href="https://mamamia.au/TS-Shownotes-WatchParty-Spotify"> Spotify</a>. Listen to The Spill&nbsp; New episodes drop every Monday&ndash;Friday! Mamamia: <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/the-spill/">https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/the-spill/</a> Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3mjNFVvJp1irXNVxKXXABO">https://open.spotify.com/show/3mjNFVvJp1irXNVxKXXABO</a> Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-spill/id1473523403">https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-spill/id1473523403</a> Follow The Spill: Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thespillpodcast/">https://www.instagram.com/thespillpodcast/</a> TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thespillpod">https://www.tiktok.com/@thespillpod</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thespillpodcast/">https://www.facebook.com/thespillpodcast/</a> Read all the latest entertainment news on Mamamia: <a href="https://mamamia.com.au/entertainment/">https://mamamia.com.au/entertainment/</a> Support Independent Women&rsquo;s Media: <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe/">https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe/</a> Your subscription helps us continue to tell the stories that matter to women. Want to join the conversation? Have feedback or a topic you want us to discuss? Send us a voice message or email us at <a href="mailto:thespill@mamamia.com.au" aria-haspopup="menu">thespill@mamamia.com.au</a> and we&rsquo;ll get back to you ASAP! Discover more Mamamia podcasts here: <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/">https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/</a> <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe/?utm_source=shownotes&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=discounts&amp;utm_content=25-mm-nala&amp;code=MMNALA25">SUBSCRIBE here</a> to get 25% off an $89 annual subscription PLUS 25% off Nala. Your Mamamia discount will be applied at checkout. Then find your Nala code in the <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscriber-hub/exclusive-offers/?utm_source=mamamia&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=discounts&amp;utm_content=nala-discount">Subscriber Hub</a> immediately after joining. Ends 1st April. CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS: Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click<a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/nala-discount-code/?utm_source=shownotes&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=discounts"> here</a> to get your code. Ends 1st April. CREDITS Hosts: Laura Brodnik &amp; Bree Player&nbsp; Executive Producer: Monisha Iswaran Audio Producer: Scott Stronach Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
&nbsp;

The Spill is your daily entertainment news fix where we break down the biggest celebrity headlines. Join Laura Brodnik and her cast of expert pals like Em Vernem, Tina Burke and Tina Provis for brutally honest takes on pop culture, plus their recommendations that are actually worth watching. New episodes every weekday at 3pm.

Plus we have the latest pop culture headlines every weekday with the latest Morning Tea from Ash London, and on Friday we'll give you the best new TV shows and movies to binge this weekend in our Weekend Watch.  

The Spill is your daily entertainment news fix where we break down the biggest celebrity headlines. Join Laura Brodnik and her cast of expert pals like Em Vernem, Tina Burke and Tina Provis for brutally honest takes on pop culture, plus their recommendations that are actually worth watching. New episodes every weekday at 3pm. Plus we have the latest pop culture headlines every weekday with the latest Morning Tea from Ash London, and on Friday we'll give you the best new TV shows and movies to binge this weekend in our Weekend Watch.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Spill

The Problematic Movie Romances We Secretly Love

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/clips/478bee29-f33a-4de9-b6e3-b41201895d52/transcript