10 Rom-Com Pairings Who Had Serious Chemistry And 10 Who Were Not Convincing At All
What's the difference between a good rom-com and a bad one? I don't know about y'all, but for me, it's all about the chemistry!
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Even the corniest plot can turn into something wonderful when the feelings between the characters are palpable.
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Alternatively, a good story can be totally ruined when things between the main character and their main squeeze feel flat!
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So let's take a look at some examples of what I mean, shall we?
WARNING: Some spoilers lie ahead for these classic rom-coms!
1.Starting off on a high note, some couples really know how to give you romance with a bit of heat, like Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey as Andie and Ben in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
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Part of the reason this movie is rom-com gold is that Kate and Matthew are so believable as a couple. Hudson even recently admitted they "had an energy together," which is why she wanted him to play opposite her in this film. The two aced being cutesy-competitive, fun, and flirty.
2.However, some pairs can only "sell it" until a more compelling character comes along, like Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as Abby and Harper in Happiest Season.
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Happiest Season is a very cute rom-com, but after Riley (Aubrey Plaza) is introduced, she has more chemistry with Abby than Harper does and it's distracting!
3.Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds knew how to make you root for an unlikely couple in The Proposal.
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Even in a movie where their whole schtick was to be an unnatural fit, there was just a little something between them that made you a believer. It probably helps that they're two incredibly funny actors in their own rights that crush most performances.
4.On the other hand, some couples are just not believable by ANY stretch of the imagination — like Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson in Marry Me.
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I have no problem with fate throwing two people who have totally different backgrounds and life experiences together, and them falling in love. Opposites do attract, but it's hard to suspend my disbelief when it comes to believing an unknowing teacher/dad could end up married to a glamorous international pop star and live happily ever after without some huge bumps in the road.
5.Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger might as well have written a master class on chemistry, using their roles as Kat and Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You as the lead example.
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The juxtaposition of her angst and his light — combined with the fact that this is based on Shakespeare — is all it took for me to be all-in on this movie from the very beginning. The magnetism between Kat and Patrick really elevates the whole movie. Any two teens could have taken on these roles, but the depth each actor brought to their characters and the spark between them makes this movie damn near perfect by rom-com standards.
6.While strangers meeting under unusual circumstances CAN be cute, Ashton Kutcher and Lea Michele as Randy and Elise in New Year's Eve was not.
7.Ali Wong and Randall Park as Sasha and Marcus in Always Be My Maybe were absolutely incredible.
8.Meanwhile, Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae portray a floundering couple better than a reconnecting one as Jibran and Leilani The Lovebirds.
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Some rom-coms don't have the burden of tricking you into believing that a couple deserves to be together, like The Lovebirds, which shows how one night could make or break a couple who's already on the edge. The problem here is that the comedic chemistry between the two outshines the romantic chemistry so much that it becomes an afterthought.
9.Lesser known actors can bring a romance to life, like Arye Gross and Eric Schweig as Henry and Pike in Big Eden.
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This lesser known but much loved LGTBQ rom-com puts Henry Hart in a love triangle after he finds himself back in his hometown. He's caught between his closeted high school sweetheart/best friend Dean (Tim DeKay) and Pike, owner of the town general store.
10.Whereas, sometimes, big names make it hard to believe the connection works, as seen with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker as Tripp and Paula in Failure to Launch.
11.But you can totally understand why they'd put Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone together as Hannah and Jacob in Crazy, Stupid, Love.
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Lucky for fans of both actors, this movie was just an introduction to the very satisfying bond between the two that's made for onscreen magic in an additional two films. Neither one is intimidated by the other, which opens the door to a comfortable banter that could only come from a "perfect match" or a longtime couple.
12.On the other end of that spectrum, there was N O T H I N G between Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore as Alex and Sophie in Music & Lyrics.
13.Some rom-com characters hit you right in the feels, like Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo as Jenna and Matty in13 Going On 30.
14.However, that was far from the case with Jessica Alba and Dane Cook as Cam and Charlie in Good Luck Chuck.
15.Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry prove convincingly that you can accidentally marry the right person as Alex and Isabel in Fools Rush In.
This is another one of those unusual pairings that somehow creates magic. As many times as I've seen this movie, I've been ready to outgrow the idea that they are cute together, but I have yet to feel that way. The comedy, albeit dated today, outshines the romance, but not so much to where the heartwarming scenes of romance can't be enjoyed.
16.But some characters can feel like they're torturing you with their highs and lows, like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as Tom and Summer in (500) Days of Summer.
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Elder emos know this was the quintessential rom-com of our time, but a revisit will quickly make you change your tune. It feels very naïve, with two characters who aren't all that likable coming together in a less-than-ideal situation. If you believe the connection, you should also be able to believe why it ultimately falls apart.
17.Larenz Tate and Nia Long both said that the connection between them as Darius and Nina in Love Jones felt "natural" and it shined through on camera.
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Not only was Love Jones a fundamental Black rom-com, but it also shared a warmth that turns into a pure heat and gets you hooked on these characters. It was smart and sexy, and you wanted these characters to get it right.
18.Meanwhile, Will Smith and Eva Mendes ace comedy way better than romance as Hitch and Sara in Hitch — and that's hard to come back from.
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Sara and Hitch's connection is supposed to be accidental, and it becomes marred by a bunch of the unexpected things interrupting the expected things in a rom-com, but it gets so comedic that it almost feels more buddy comedy than romantic comedy.
19.Still, comedy and romance can work! Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler melt your heart and make you bust out laughing as Julia and Robbie in The Wedding Singer.
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Another couple that really aces the combination of romance and comedy every time they come together, Sandler and Barrymore make viewers swoon in this fun-filled romantic flick, which gave him the opportunity to be a believable leading man and her room to flex her funny bone. Since then, the two have proved this was more than a one-off with 50 First Dates and Blended.
20.Lastly, in the midst of filming the first installment of The Kissing Booth, Joey King and Jacob Elordi went from friends to besties to ~together~ and ended up apart by the time of the second film — and it shows.
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You can argue their chemistry is genuine for parts of it, but it's genuine in playing characters (Elle and Noah) who are in a problematic relationship. The best friend's brother thing has been explored many times before, but the "forbidden fruit" thing seems to be the only thing driving her character the whole time. The characters don't share enough in common for you to root for them.
