Normally, we’re supposed to root for movie couples and their happy endings. But when they’re done poorly? At best, you feel total apathy; at worst, you start rooting against them because you hate to see it. Here are the worst movie couples where we weren’t thinking “will they won’t they” but rather “Oh god, why did they?”
10. Bumper and Amy (Pitch Perfect 2)
Bumper and Amy don’t work on a romantic level. Why? Because they were created to be secondary characters for comedic relief. Secondary characters rarely have romantic relationships on the big screen—and when they do, they’re usually there to be mocked. With Bumper and Amy, we cringe because they’re exactly that except with more screen time. Their scenes last longer, they have their own songs, but they don’t add much value or depth to the overall story. We look up to movie couples to find idealized examples of what love might look like. We root for the ones with whom we resonate. Instead, Amy and Bumper are treated as the bottom of the joke in their own love story. No one wants to be mocked for love—and in this couple, we find a pairing with whom we absolutely don’t want to relate.
9. Natalie and Josh (Isn’t It Romantic)
Same kind of couple, different writing style, similar outcome. In this particular case, Natalie and Josh are in a textbook “best friends in love” scenario: they’ve been friends for a long time, and one has feelings for the other (who’s preoccupied with somebody else). Inspired by classics like When Harry Met Sally, writers think they found a goldmine by mixing attraction and playful banter! But that only works when the dialogue is good—and we can’t all be Nora Ephron. Isn’t It Romantic tries to mix sentimental moments with nonchalant humor, but ruins both. Adam Devine and Rebel Wilson are competent actors, and this could’ve worked if only they had competent writers.
8. Cho and Harry (Harry Potter)
Sometimes, the lack of chemistry between romantic characters comes down to their screen time. Other times, it’s due to how little impact their love story has on the broader plot. For Harry and Cho, it’s both. These two characters were given minimal screen time, and their relationship was ultimately portrayed as unimportant. Unfortunately, this is one of the balls that were dropped while adapting the books. In the original books, Cho Chang is a fascinating character and Harry has great chemistry with her. He spends entire books thinking about her. They still don’t work out in the end, but at least it made more sense.
7. Ginny and Harry (Harry Potter)
Unlike Harry and Cho, Harry and Ginny were actually given ample screen time together, and their love story was certainly more important. So, what went wrong? Why didn’t we buy this pairing? It mostly comes down to the failed buildup. In adapting the books, the Harry Potter movies had to make many changes—and some of those missing bits involved Harry’s growing relationship with Ginny. Throughout the original books, they matured together as friends before falling in love. Not only is this missing from the movies, but both of their personalities are watered down as well. Ginny should’ve been active, charming, witty, and courageous. Similar to Harry’s mother, in fact. (Freud would’ve loved to see that.) Instead, she was rather bland, her personality a shapeless blob. Harry should’ve been an impulsive, troubled, and complex character, but we got a shallower action-based hero. Paired together, they gave us nothing more than cringe moments and empty whispers.
6. Bella and Edward (Twilight)
The Twilight saga had its flaws, yet it kept many teenagers with their noses glued to the pages. The romance between Bella and Edward was as thrilling as it was far-fetched—but, on paper, it worked. I wish I could say the same about their portrayals in the film saga. Unfortunately, all I have to say is that we had to suffer through two characters interacting without their well-constructed book personalities. Instead of being proud of their work, even the actors admitted their regrets in being part of this project. Who’s to blame? Screenwriters, once again.
5. Anastasia and Christian (Fifty Shades of Grey)
It’s impossible not to mention Fifty Shades of Grey after bringing up the Twilight saga, given that Fifty Shades of Grey started as a fanfiction of Twilight. If Bella and Edward deserve to be on this list, then Anastasia and Christian are definite shoo-ins. Their on-screen interaction is what happens when you frame a borderline toxic and co-dependent relationship as merely kinky. The smarter viewers in the audience won’t fall for it—they’ll cringe all the way through. Why was this film made, other than for profit? That remains one of the great cinematic mysteries of our times.
4. Elliot and Alma (The Happening)
To be clear, The Happening was pretty darn bad as a whole. But of all the aspects that made it unwatchable, Elliot and Alma’s interactions stand out as remarkably dull, head-scratching, and unintentionally hilarious. Again, The Happening is far from a good movie. However, you may still get some enjoyment out of watching it if you go into it with an understanding of what it is: a surreal and verbose piece of cinema.
3. Owen and Claire (Jurassic World)
Jurassic World is the spoiled little brother of a cinematic masterpiece. You can tell it’s a cash grab, and with that, you can expect the main couple to tick off every box of mediocre blockbuster writing. Owen and Claire are opposites of each other who treat each other poorly—but they also find each other attractive. He’s cool, she’s charming. He’s rough, she’s squared. They find time to flirt with one another even as they run for their lives and evade killer dinosaurs. Sadly, they each have the emotional range of a damp sock—one sock shared between them. We know that action film couples can’t have the same depth as Jesse and Celine of Before Midnight, but it’s still tragic that great characters are forsaken to make the film an easier watch. Owen and Claire could have been an amazing power couple. Instead, they are the copy of the copy of a million characters we already forgot.
2. Thor and Jane (Thor: Love and Thunder)
Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder isn’t terrible. It has flaws, but it’s charming—like the weird cousin at the MCU dinner table. The main issue was the superfluous pairing of Jane and Thor. Their interactions felt forced and their dialogues were clunky with too much overt exposition. Furthermore, Jane’s illness was treated too lightly, as if she was bedridden with the flu and not dying of cancer. Their renewed connection existed for one practical purpose: closure. Because of that, Jane’s character felt solely instrumental. What went wrong was Waititi’s attempt to fit in the MCU universe without adhering to its canon. Thor and Jane on-screen felt like Marvel fanfiction.
1. Anakin and Padme (Star Wars)
Many have complained about this iconic cinema couple for many years, and rightfully so. We agree that the Christensen-Portman chemistry was far from the best, but it wasn’t entirely their fault. Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala are great examples of great actors playing bad roles. Actors are usually blamed for poor results, but sometimes poor performances are a result of poor writing and/or direction. To be fair, their story is believable. Anakin and Padme are two young people, stuck on an island, forced into close proximity. That’s a situation where people fall in love all the time—we didn’t need all the sappy dialogue. Anakin should have been a fascinating, fiery, and eccentric fellow; instead, we got a whiny and pedantic pain in the butt. Padme wasn’t any better as she consisted mostly of stares, smiles, and revealing outfits.
