Runaway Bride

Runaway Bride is currently streaming in Australia on Disney Plus and Stan, and in the US on Peacock Premium and Philo, and it delivers exactly the kind of comedy that earns a loyal following. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Julia Roberts's performance alone is worth the time investment. Put it on tonight on Disney Plus and see for yourself.

Runaway Bride is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The jokes in Runaway Bride land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Having already left three grooms at the altar, Maggie Carpenter is branded "the runaway bride" by jaded New York journalist Ike Graham. But, after his facts are called into question, Ike races to Maggie's hometown to save his reputation and report on her upcoming fourth trip down the aisle – during which he's convinced she'll run again. Though he's there on a muckraking mission, Ike can't help but fall for this breathtaking heartbreaker. The chemistry Julia Roberts and Richard Gere bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. It hit screens in 1999. Runaway Bride earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Runaway Bride. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Julia Roberts anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.