Rom coms are a beloved genre of film that has been around since storytelling began. Sadly, those types of movies have fallen to the wayside as of late, and it's something SXSW 2026's Love Language hopes to change.
Love Language follows aspiring author Louisa "Lou" Klaussner, who, following a failed engagement, reconnects with her college best friend and long-time crush Warren, a reunion that puts her in the middle of an unexpected love triangle. The film, directed by Joey Power, stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Anthony Ramos, Isabel May, Lukas Gage, Manny Jacinto, and more.
At SXSW 2026, The Direct was able to speak with cast members Billie Lourde, Daniel David Stewart, Dan Perrault, Connor Strum, and composer Jeff Morrow, where we talked about how they hope that Love Language will reignite the entire rom com genre.
While there's plenty more coverage to check out from The Direct about SXSW's endless list of feature films, we also spoke to School Spirits star Sarah Yarkin while at the festival, who starred and produced an awesome short film called Visitors.
Love Language Hopes to Revive Rom Coms
"We Need to Bring Back Rom Coms."
- The Direct: "There are a lot of movies here. So, can you talk about how this movie puts a unique stamp on the festival's lineup?"
Billie Lourde: Like, we need to bring back rom coms. It is a dirty, fun rom com. And like, there have been some rom coms recently, but none is dirty and fun and real as this one. And so I feel like that is different, which is cool. Being different is cool.
Daniel David Stewart: I think it's honesty, it has a way of talking about love that feels more akin to the romantic comedies of the 90s and the 80s, that has more of a grounded, real feel, where I feel like we went into a more heightened standard of romantic comedy. And this feels like my very first day on set. I didn't know what to expect, and I showed up, and it was like, oh, everyone's playing this really grounded. And it just opened up the well for me to be like, 'Okay, well, then I'm gonna be this grounded too.' So, yeah, it was really special.
Dan Perrault: I think that everyone in this movie feels like they could be your friend. This was made lovingly by Joey Power and a group of people who all felt very strongly about each other. We had a great time hanging out while we made it. And literally, it's a big ensemble of people and a very coming-of-age time in their lives. But I think everyone feels very real, lived in, and relatable. And like, you know, guys like this, who I've known for 10 years, and [he] already feels like a real friend. So it was very easy to play buddies with such a great group of people to work with.
Connor Strumm: I think it just has a killer cast. It's awesome to see a rom com. And there's a ton of local comedians and rising stars in this movie. I think it's gonna be one of the hottest pictures of the year.
Jeff Morrow: I think there are not a lot of rom coms in the schedule. [It's] predominantly, like horror or straight comedy. This [is] more just overtly joyful and sexy. And I think that that's something that's missing from the cinematic landscape. I think rom coms, for the last 20 years, have, like, people have forgotten that rom coms are a staple of Hollywood history. They've sort of been pushed off to the side [and] treated like this less important genre, and that there's something like less important to them. It's a beautiful, life-affirming exploration of the human messiness genre.
The full interviews on the red carpet of the SXSW for Love Language can be seen below.
Love Language does not currently have a release date.
