A friend of mine, Georgia, always tells us how Legally Blonde is her go-to romcom because Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods taught her the value of self-confidence and prioritising yourself. This was a film she turned to yet again recently after going through a particularly painful breakup.

Another friend holds Someone Great close to her heart, as watching Gina Rodriguez’s character process her breakup and embrace single life helped her navigate her own heartbreak. For me, that’s what Hilary Duff’s character in A Cinderella Story does every single time I watch it, even if she does have a romantic happy ending.

But what is it about a romcom that makes them such a joy and a comfort? Costa Coffee’s research found that the best elements of a romcom are the humour (38%), the resolution of a happy ending (22%) and watching the personal journey of a character (17%). We love to watch them again and again largely due to their ability to get us laughing again (48%), the escapism (45%), being relatable (41%) and providing some much-needed optimism and hope (37%).

It also found that some of the nation’s favourite romcoms to help with heartbreak are: Bridget Jones’ Diary, Legally Blonde, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, The Holiday and Bridesmaids.

“Our research has shown that these films can have a real positive impact and not only be relatable but put a smile on faces, too. While some are more realistic than others in the plot, it was interesting to find how effective they were in getting viewers to shed a tear or two, then move on,” Julia Foye, Costa Coffee’s head of marketing execution, says.

It’s why the coffee brand is partnering up with Odeon to bring the ultimate ‘moving on’ romcoms back to the big screen. When it comes to mending a broken heart, almost a quarter (21%) of people surveyed have gone to a cinema to watch a romcom after a breakup, and over half like to stick to their favourite drink throughout the year when watching one. Well, ’tis the season after all.

Feeling heartbroken? A romcom might be just what you need