Netflix Is Now Streaming One Of The Best Romantic Comedies Ever With Jack Nicholson

In 1989, Jack Nicholson struck an absurd back-end deal with Warner Bros. that essentially meant the box office smash "Batman" likely didn't make any profit — mostly because it all went to the actor. It makes sense that the phenomenon that was "Batman" remains Nicholson's most successful film, but you might be surprised to learn that his second was a James L. Brooks rom-com that saw the enduringly charming star play a misanthrope opposite Helen Hunt as a kind and understanding waitress.

The unlikely comedy that beat "Batman" for Nicholson's biggest opening weekend was 2003's "Anger Management." But his second-highest grossing movie overall is "As Good as it Gets." One of the great rom-coms of the 90s and a movie that garnered seven Academy Award nominations, "As Good as it Gets" really lives up to its title. Jack Nicholson stars as Melvin Udall, a reclusive misanthropic novelist whose views would probably ensure this movie would never get released in 2025. Udall, who has a fairly severe case of obsessive–compulsive disorder, spends his days in his swanky New York apartment where he's perpetually terrorized by his neighbor's dog. That neighbor is Greg Kinnear's Simon Bishop, an openly gay man and artist whose lifestyle is about as far from Udall's as it's possible to get.

What could possibly warm the cold heart of this bigoted shut-in? Helen Hunt, of course. The actor plays Carol Connelly, a waitress and single mother with a chronically ill son who serves Udall at her restaurant and beguiles the old cynic with her kindly manner. It all makes for the kind of understated rom-com charm that defined so many of Brooks' movies, and it's streaming right now on Netflix.

Jack Nicholson disappeared from Hollywood after 2010's "How Do You Know," another James L. Brooks rom-com that failed to recapture the magic of "As Good as it Gets." But the 1997 film, which Brooks directed and co-wrote with Mark Andrus, remains one of his finest movies.

Not only is Nicholson somehow charismatic as one of the most off-putting characters in all of film history, the movie is just dripping with mid-'90s charm. The sets come with a warm, inviting '90s aura that makes the film feel endlessly comforting and familiar. That makes for a fascinatingly sharp contrast to the cold, acerbic energy radiating from Nicholson's hateful author, giving the sense that Melvin Udall simply can't keep up his guarded, contemptuous ways for long — which, given this is a love story, he unsurprisingly can't. Much like Helen Hunt's character can't help but see the good in Melvin, we can't help but feel the warmth emanating from this movie, even while Nicholson is spouting racist tirades against Cuba Gooding Jr.'s Frank Sachs or sending dogs down trash chutes.

That delicate balance of keeping the character likable even when he seems determined to be as repulsive as possible led to a clash between Brooks and Nicholson, with the director putting his actor in a frustrating position by sitting him down for hours and hashing out the characterization while the film's crew all went home. Whatever the pair discussed it seemed to work, however. Nicholson nails what is clearly a tough role, making Melvin somehow sympathetic, especially after he's forced to dog-sit Simon Bishop's Brussels Griffon following a brutal attack on the artist. Jack Nicholson falling for a dog and Helen Hunt? What else could you want this Christmas?

"As Good as it Gets" is a high point in the long-running collaboration between Jack Nicholson and James L. Brooks, which started back in 1983 with the equally great "Terms of Endearment." Not only did the 1997 movie gross $314.1 million in theaters on a $50 million budget, it received almost universal critical praise, and if you need to know, maintains an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes to this day.

Still not convinced? Well, aside from being a charming film, "As Good as it Gets" keeps you guessing throughout. Nicholson's insults are sort of funny until they're not. A moment where he mentions Carol Connelly's son stops the light-hearted charm in its tracks as the waitress chastises him in public, giving Helen Hunt and Nicholson a chance to once again prove their worth as two of the greats. It's no wonder this is one of only seven films that earned Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars for its two leads. There's also the whimsical, romantic score from Hans Zimmer, which perfectly adds to the sense of old-fashioned romance. When this movie arrived on Christmas day 1997, audiences surely felt as though they got their money's worth, and now we can relive that feeling for the 2025 festive season.

"As Good as it Gets" hit Netflix on December 1, 2025, and is a perfect movie for a Christmas season that otherwise looks set to be dominated by stuff like Dwayne Johnson's critically-derided festive action-comedy "Red One," which is currently taking over Prime Video. It would be enough to turn anyone into Melvin Udall, but with "As Good as it Gets" now streaming, we can pretend "Red One" never happened and immerse ourselves in the comforting '90s glow of Nicholson's award-winning rom-com.