Rephonic
Artwork for The Rom Complex
Romantic Comedy
Love
Romantic Comedies
Romancing the Stone
Cancer
Moulin Rouge
One Day
Danny Devito
Bridgerton
Simply Irresistible
Fool's Gold
Heathers
Eat, Pray, Love
The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas
Hairspray
The Wedding Singer
Joan Wilder
Colombia
Your Monster
They Came Together

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes305Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
TV & Film

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Artwork for The Rom Complex

Latest Episodes

A huge thank you to every single one of you who have listened to and supported us as we've made our way to 300 episodes. We couldn't be more grateful for our listeners, supporters, and Patrons to make this all possible.

Ahem. Enough sappy stuff. Bac... more

My Fault: London (2025) has all the tropes we've come to expect from the New Adult genre--fistfights, car chases, main character in distress--with an added step-sibling twist. We also discuss bad valets, the lawyer from Fleabag, and Tokyo Drift.

YouTube

The creatively-titled Office Romance (2026) shows us what happens when a strict HR no-dating policy comes face-to-face with a handshake from a glowing Jennifer Lopez. We also chat about restricted raunch, self-insert fanfiction, and the powerhouse pe... more

YouTube

Can a comedy be both light and dark? Lightly dark? That's what we get in 2025's Oh, Hi!, a romance featuring a nice weekend getaway that turns into something else entirely. We chat about movie morals, light bondage, and remembering to pretend to forg... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Susan Kemp
Filmmaker, writer, director, actor
Episode: 288. All the Real Girls (2003) with Susan Kemp
Sam Frontera
Host of The Rom Complex
The Rom Complex
Episode: Femmes Reading Filth Crossover: The Idea of You
Shelby Schwieterman
Co-host of The Rom Complex
The Rom Complex
Episode: Femmes Reading Filth Crossover: The Idea of You
Rob Schulte
Host of Vanderpump Robs
Vanderpump Robs
Episode: 258. Love Potion No. 9: The Biochemical Process of Feeling in Love (with Rob Schulte of Vanderpump Robs)
Arthur Howell
Podcast host of 2 Cents Critic
2 Cents Critic
Episode: 238. The Fall Guy: Love Is How We Will Win (with Arthur Howell)
Nicole Jakus
Patreon subscriber and favorite sticker artist
darlinghomebody.com
Episode: 232. Spontaneous: We Would Actually Love to Survive (with Nicole Jakus)

Hosts

Shelby Schwieterman
Host of The Rom Complex; co-host who discusses romcom tropes with Sam; leads deep-dive discussions on genre, trope analysis, and cultural commentary.
Sam Frontera
Co-host who discusses romcom tropes with Shelby; engages in witty banter and insightful commentary on relationship dynamics in film.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 43 ratings
  • Chungking Express

    Found this podcast while looking for commentary on Chunking Express. Can you please do Before Sunrise and Chasing Amy?

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Xega
    United States2 years ago
  • The podcast you didn’t know you needed

    Sam and Shelby are amazing. Give it a listen you will not be disappointed. Promise.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    kbacian11
    United States5 years ago
  • It's Rom-Simply a good podcast

    If you watch rom-coms or have heard of rom-coms or have never heard of rom-coms or even if you've never heard of anything and are a baby I would recommend this podcast. I think as a baby you could maybe learn some basic English words from it and as a REAL PERSON - that's right babies aren't people, I said it - you can find laughs and love and life lessons. And maybe come out of it a little bit smarter, okay? How does that sound? Maybe get an education for once. Pick up a book. Listen to this pod... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    goatandcatandram
    United States6 years ago
  • Needed this in my life

    Love Shelby and Sam’s hilarious POV’s on my favorite garbage rom coms. I think the best moment so far is when they decided to recap their movie choices by writing songs...that they then badly (yet adorably) sang...set to Copa Cabana-esque music 😂 So funny.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jetjeans
    United States7 years ago
  • Movies, love, silliness

    Always surprised by the quality of conversation Sam and I can get out of this deeply silly obsession. I love doing it and am happy we can share it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    R2Shelby2
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans appreciate the balance of humor and thoughtful critique, with oft-cited chemistry between hosts.
Listeners praise the hosts' sharp, funny take on romcoms and their ability to make trope analysis entertaining.
Audiences value candid, personal reflections that feel relatable and insightful for romance fans and media lovers alike.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Femmes Reading Filth Crossover: The Idea of You
Q: So we're going to do this plan with you and we definitely had planned on doing a crossover episode?
Yes, somewhere on there.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
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Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Rom Complex

What is The Rom Complex about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two hosts break down romcoms with sharp humor and thoughtful critique, spotlighting tropes, relationship dynamics, and how films shape real-world views on love. Across episodes they blend scene-level observations with personal anecdotes, often calling out performative optimism, fantasy elements, and the social norms these movies both celebrate and critique. The show stands out for its playful banter, deep dive into trope mechanics, and a candid, self-aware take on how romcoms influence listeners' relationships and expectations. It's likely to appeal to listeners who enjoy film critique peppered with witty conversation and a shared love of romcoms, from casual fans to aspiring writers or marketers looking for culture-driven storytelling insi... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Rom Complex?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Rom Complex:

1. We Hate Movies
2. How Did This Get Made?

How many episodes of The Rom Complex are there?

The Rom Complex launched 7 years ago and published 305 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Rom Complex?

Recent guests on The Rom Complex include:

1. Susan Kemp
2. Sam Frontera
3. Shelby Schwieterman
4. Rob Schulte
5. Arthur Howell
6. Nicole Jakus

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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