I remember when Singles came out, and while it was popular amongst friends, it never really appealed to me. I was partial to rom-coms, I just wasn’t keen on this one for some reason. So it took a number of years for me to finally get around to it.

Having said that I do like me some Cameron Crowe, so I finally got around to watching it in 2026. And while all the rom-com tropes are familiar and at play, what really makes this one stand out, is the film’s location, and its needle drops.

And it’s the same thing that makes it popular now. Singles is set in Seattle, Washington, and embraces the new shift in music that was happening at the time. Set around the iconic needle drops is the story of Janet (Bridget Fonda), Cliff (Matt Dillon), Steve (Campbell Scott), Linda (Kyra Sedgewick) and the friends around them.

All of them are seeking love, to couple up, to find that other part of themselves. And as so happens in rom-coms, they find one another, muck things up, screw up, make up, break up, and find a way to be with who they are supposed to be with.

Sedgewick is absolutely darling as Linda, she enchants, holds her own, and is also incredibly funny. The romance that develops between her and Steve is fun to watch, and has some great dialogue. They are really fun together.

And you just want Janet to be happy, to believe in herself, and maybe find someone a little better for her.

There’s some breaking of the fourth wall, as the film breaks itself up into chapters to tell its stories, not quite interweaving them, but most of them do live in the same apartment building.

The film is a treasure trove of 90s music and fashion, as we (not all of us) left the synth-pop of the 80s behind and shifted to something a little more grunge. And it makes for a charming and engaging film, that doesn’t deliver anything new to the romantic-comedy genre other than a kick-ass soundtrack.

Crowe delivered a stronger film with Jerry Maguire, an an even better soundtrack with Almost Famous, but it’s a great film with strong performances, and truly takes the viewer back to the 90s which makes it all the more enjoyable now, than it may have been then.

Sedgewick is adorable, Dillon is a goof, Scott is earnest, and Fonda is a joy. This one is fun.