This film is saving rom-coms - and it's coming to NZ

A film hailed as the saviour for the romantic comedy genre is coming to New Zealand with a wave of hype behind it.

The Big Sick, which has had many five-star reviews and currently has an 86 per cent approval rating on Metacritic, will hit theatres here in August.

The film is based on the real-life relationship between Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani, who plays himself in the film, and his girlfriend, writer Emily V Gordon, played by Zoe Kazan.

The film follows their courtship from a one-night stand to a full relationship and the complications that arise from Nanjiani's parents' expectations for him to enter an arranged marriage.

Emily also suffers a major illness, something that happened in real life.

The Big Sick has already screened in America, where critics didn't hold back on praise for it.

Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times called it "one of the best romantic comedies I have seen in a long time".

"It is funny and smart and wise and silly, it is romantic and sweet and just cynical enough," he wrote.

Peter Travers from Rolling Stone agreed, saying the film "has a rare authenticity that pulls you in and keeps you glued to the screen".

The Austin Chronicle's Kimberley Jones said "I laughed plenty at their film, cried my guts out, too, and went home elated".

And Time's Stephanie Zacharek said: "The Big Sick succeeds in doing so many things that romantic comedies - to the extent that they're even made anymore - have failed to do for years".

The Big Sick hits theatres here on August 4.