Theromancegenre shine under a wad of scrutiny , but a lot can be forgiven in the account and tropes of a romantic comedy if the chemistry between the central couple is good . When it comes to these rom - coms , the lead actors are so absent in this section that it can be unmanageable to watch their onscreen relationships acquire . While few of these performer are bad actors or genuinely seem to hate each other , they just are n’t believable as a couple , andthis throws off the entire dynamic of a film that relies on the succeeder of its love story .

When compare to themovie duo with the best chemistry , it ’s passably disgraceful these actor were throw up opposite each other in the first place . The best fixed storage - coms of all prison term achieved this differentiation because the audience is do-or-die for the lead couple to include their feelings and end up together . All of the tarradiddle ’s tenseness and stakes swear on this moral force , and when it falls bland , it ruins the entire project . By the end of these movies , it does n’t weigh whether or not the relationship last because they never made sentience to begin with .

10Jennifer Lopez & Owen Wilson - Marry Me (2022)

Directed by Kat Coiro

Marry Medoesn’t shy away from the fact thatJennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson are an unexpected compounding . Their character , Kat and Charlie , have about as much in common as the actor seem to , as Kat is an international pa star and Charlie is a regular dad . When the dyad get get married so Kat can save face after being deceive by her former fiancé , the pair essay to make things forge and get to recognise each other . However , even their half - hearted attempts at friendship feel half - broil inMarry Me .

Putting together such incompatible performer demonstrates how much the advanced fixed storage - com is getting wrong about the genre .

Though arranged wedding and fake dating are two familiar read-only storage - com trope , Marry Mecast two actors with totally different comedic styles . While there ’s understandably some respect and friendship there , Kat and Charlie are embarrassing with each other from the beginning , and it come off as force when they make up one’s mind to be together . With much nothing in common and plenty of uncomfortable silences , Marry Meputs any persuasion that they could work to seam . put together such incompatible performers present how much the modern rom - com is getting wrong about the musical genre .

An image of Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as Abby and Harper from Happiest Season next to an image of Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon as The Prime Minister and Natalie-from Love, Actually

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Title

Rotten Tomatoes Critic musical score

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

Charles and Carrie in Four Weddings and a Funeral and Andie and Ben in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

splice Me ( 2022 )

61 %

92 %

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

9Natalie Portman & Ashton Kutcher - No Strings Attached (2011)

Directed by Ivan Reitman

No string Attachedis far from the onlyfriends - to - fan romance moviethat tackles the strange in - between form of Quaker with benefit to full - on committedness . InNo Strings Attached , Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher playact Emma and Adam , who allow their mutual attractiveness and attempt to have a relationship with no emotion involved . Of naturally , it does n’t take long for this to give out stunningly and for the yoke to get in full entrenched in the others ' lives . However , No Strings Attachedasks us to suspend our incredulity when it hail to the main relationship .

Portman and Kutcher are having some play together , but they ’re much more believable as friends than as a romantic brace . The manner Portman interact with Kutcher onscreen is closer to the style she might treat a brother rather than a love interest . It ’s the supporting cast ofNo Strings Attachedthat micturate the moving-picture show worth watching . Strong comedic performances from Kevin Kline , Greta Gerwig , and Mindy Kalinghelp distract from the fact that Emma and Adam should ’ve stayed booster from the starting time .

No Strings Attached ( 2011 )

Ryan Reynolds & Amy Smart in Just Friends and Kristen Stewart & Mackenzie Davis in Happiest Season

Custom Image by Ana Nieves

47 %

51 %

8Kristen Stewart & Mackenzie Davis - Happiest Season (2020)

Directed by Clea DuVall

Happiest Season , Clea DuVall ’s LGBTQ+ holiday rom - com star Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis , reminds us that there ’s no timeline on coming out but that you ’ve got to let your married person in . After Abby ( Stewart ) hear that her longtime lady friend Harper ( Davis ) is n’t out to her family , it puts a stock on the couple ’s happiness and future , just as Abby decides she wants to suggest . Though Harper is going through a lot , her treatment of Abby throughout the moving picture only compounds the lustreless chemical science between Davis and Stewart .

vacation fixed storage - coms often end with the central duet together at last , but when the coupling does n’t work , the characters would ’ve been better off alone .

It ’s out of the question to snub that the literal chemistry is between Stewart and Aubrey Plaza , who play Riley , Harper ’s ex . While Harper is off hurting Abby ’s opinion for most of the movie , Abby and Riley connect , open up up to each other about their experiences coming out and their divvy up conflict to fight for Harper ’s affections . It ’s somewhat surprising that Abby receive it in her kernel to forgive Harper after what she puts her through , but this might have been easier to interpret with leads that had a more natural dynamic .

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Happiest Season ( 2020 )

82 %

72 %

Headshot Of Michelle Buteau

7Lauren London & Jonah Hill - You People (2023)

Directed by Kenya Barris

ethnical differences between the syndicate of a immature match are a common issue in read-only memory - coms , and Kenya Barris’You Peopletakes an empathetic and satirical face at this . If the motion-picture show had featured a central twosome who liked each other , it probably would be better remembered today . Jonah Hill and Lauren London play Ezra and Amira , a ashen Jewish man and a Black Moslem woman who shine in love but struggle to defeat the difference in their setting and their parent ' strict worldviews .

You Peopletackles these relevant outcome by riddle them with clowning and understanding , but the film fails to make us connect profoundly with the love affair between Ezra and Amira . It should be grievous when they ca n’t make it work and see outside forces add up between them , but it does n’t sting that much because it ’s not clear that they belong together . Both Hill and London shine when they ’re apart , play off Eddie Murphy , Julia Louis - Dreyfus , and the residue of the endorse cast .

You People ( 2023 )

Headshot Of Utkarsh Ambudkar

39 %

34 %

6Chris O’Donnell & Renée Zellweger - The Bachelor (1999)

Directed by Gary Sinyor

A few old age beforeRenée Zellweger would cement herself as an iconic leave noblewoman of the romantic comedy genre inBridget Jones ’s Diary , she play polar Chris O’Donnell inThe Bachelor . A very dated project , the 1999 film saw Zellweger and O’Donnell ’s character reference , Jimmie and Anne , break up in the Wake Island of Jimmie ’s failure to redeem a good proposal , leaving them both disappointed . However , The Bachelortakes this comedy of error one step further and redact a ticking clock on Jimmie ’s nuptials .

Though O’Donnell has more chemistry with Zellweger than he does with the other possible brides in the film , this is n’t say much .

The Bachelorforces Jimmie to discover a bride or miss his heritage , and as luck would have it , both he and Anne decide they do love each other after all . However , from Anne ’s view , there ’s no reason to forgive Jimmie , even for millions of dollar . Though O’Donnell has more chemistry with Zellweger than he does with the other possible Saint Brigid in the film , this is n’t suppose much . The slapstick silent film from 1925,Seven Chances , that the movie is based on , has far more heart and a lot more chemistry between pencil lead and does all this without any dialogue .

no strings attached poster

The Bachelor ( 1999 )

8 %

28 %

Headshot Of Ashton Kutcher

5Matthew McConaughey & Sarah Jessica Parker - Failure To Launch (2006)

Directed by Tom Dey

Out ofall of Matthew McConaughey ’s romantic comedies , Failure to Launchranks low on the inclination . McConaughey first rose to prominence through his early rom - coms , andFailure to Launchwas something of a measure back for him , and he began to research other music genre . Sarah Jessica Parker plays Paula , a young woman hired to get Tripp ( McConaughey ) to move out of his parents ' house . Parker is also a stager of the love story sphere , as her TV show , Sex and the City , attend her dating all kind of man .

Failure to Launch ( 2006 )

23 %

Headshot Of Natalie Portman In The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards

52 %

4Ashton Kutcher & Reese Witherspoon - Your Place Or Mine (2023)

Directed by Aline Brosh McKenna

Two beloved read-only memory - com actors should adequate success inYour Place or Mine , the recent Netflix Romance language film starring Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher . However , this could n’t be further from the Sojourner Truth , asYour Place or Minekeeps the cardinal couple split for almost the entire runtime . It ’s possible that this was on intention since Debbie ( Witherspoon ) and Peter ( Kutcher ) somehow have less chemistry nerve - to - face than through the telephone set . Even though we ’re told that Debbie and Peter used to date , the people they are in the present are n’t compatible .

Though poorly receive for many reasons , the miss chemistry between Witherspoon and Kutcher act a major role in the unsuccessful person ofYour Place or Mine .

Though poorly receive for many reasons , the missing chemistry between Witherspoon and Kutcher played a major role in the failure ofYour Place or Mine . Both of these actors have a lot of experience in Latinian language movies and are know for their comedic chop , but their performance give the printing they ’re in unlike flick . It ’s always refreshing to watch a rom - com that does n’t center on on a young , impulsive couplet in their early 20s , butYour Place or Mineonly compounds its chemistry problem by ca-ca Debbie and Peter act like children .

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Your Place or Mine ( 2023 )

30 %

35 %

Headshot Of Victor Garber

3Emma Roberts & Hayden Christensen - Little Italy (2018)

Directed by Donald Petrie

Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen already had an uphill battle inLittle Italy , asthis advanced equipment on aRomeo and Julietnarrative does n’t have many bracing ideas . InLittle Italy , Nikki ( Roberts ) and Leo ( Christensen ) are the tike of rival pizza shops who come back together in adulthood after years apart . It ’s a sweet theme , but the clumsiness between Roberts and Christensen is n’t delightfully loveable or quickly dissolves into common attracter . Instead , the actors are hesitant and uncertain with each other throughout the tale .

Neither Roberts nor Christensen are bad worker or incompetent of developing an onscreen romance , as they ’ve had sparks in front of the camera many times before . However , there ’s something missing from their dynamic inLittle Italy , as they never seem fully invested in their human relationship . Even when the stake are at their high , and it ’s potential that the war between their folk will come between them forever , Nikki and Leo do n’t appear particularly bothered by this .

Little Italy ( 2018 )

Headshot Of Mackenzie Davis

13 %

66 %

2Ryan Reynolds & Amy Smart - Just Friends (2005)

Directed by Roger Kumble

Though there are many reasons the dated rom - comJust Friendshasn’t get on well by today ’s standards , it ’s impossible to ignore that Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart , Chris and Jamie , do n’t have the romanticist dynamic to anchor the movie . Reynolds and Anna Faris , who play Chris ' would - be romantic pastime , have a substantial comedic chemistry , giving the film some interestingness . However , when it comes to Chris and Jamie , there ’s so much animosity compose into the story that it ’s punishing to believe there ’s a initiation of true friendship at the core of their dynamic .

Not every human relationship stands the test of time , not even one manipulate up in the plot of land of a fixed storage - com , and some seem destined to transgress up from the start .

Chris and Jamie are n’t an easy couple to root for from the beginning , as Chris is downright think of to her throughout most of the narrative . It ’s somewhat surprising , as both Reynolds and Smart are capable of have tension - packed onscreen romantic human relationship , but there ’s something off about the elbow room they interact . It ’s percipient that the pair are n’t hold fun with each other the way Chris and Jamie should be , adding to the already lacklustre story ofJust Friends​​​​​​.

You People Temp Poster

Just Friends ( 2005 )

43 %

71 %

Headshot Of Jonah Hill

1Claire Danes & Dermot Mulroney - The Family Stone (2005)

Directed by Thomas Bezucha

ThoughThe Family Stoneis one of themost underrated Christmas romance movie , the primal couple the interview is supposed to be root for does n’t make a mountain of horse sense . While it ’s readable from the start that Dermot Mulroney ’s Everett is n’t entail to be with Meredith ( Sarah Jessica Parker ) , he ’s just more compatible with her sister Julie , played by Claire Danes . As soon as Julie appears , The menage Stonecharacterizes her relationship with Evertt as making love at first sight , but they do n’t have much in common .

By the last of thisromancemovie , you might be convinced that no one inThe Family Stonedeserves their happily ever after base on the way they deal each other . However , there ’s no basis for the love story that unfolds between Everett and Julie , as Mulroney and Danes have few scene together to begin with . If their onscreen moral force was magnetized , it might be easy to consent their love , but as it remain firm , they do n’t work .

The Family Stone ( 2005 )

Headshot Of Lauren London

63 %

Headshot Of Eddie Murphy In The Los Angeles premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Candy Cane Lane’

Headshot Of Julia Louis-Dreyfus In The 28th Annual Webby Awards

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Headshot Of Chris O’Donnell

Headshot Of Renée Zellweger

Failure to Launch 2006 Movie Poster

Headshot Of Matthew McConaughey In The 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Headshot of Sarah Jessica Parker In The Opening night of ‘Plaza Suite’ in New York City.

Your Place or Mine Movie Poster

Headshot Of Reese Witherspoon In The 49th AFI Life Achievement Award

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Headshot Of Emma Roberts In The NY Premiere of Space Cadet

Headshot Of Hayden Christensen In The 2006 MTV Movie Awards held at Sony Pictures Studios

Headshot Of Alyssa Milano

Headshot Of Danny Aiello

Just Friends (2005) - Poster - Ryan Reynolds & Amy Smart

Headshot Of Amy Smart

Headshot Of Anna Faris In The Overboard Los Angeles Premiere

Headshot Of Chris Klein

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Headshot Of Claire Danes

Headshot Of Diane Keaton

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