The Worst Rom-Com Couples in History

It’s incredibly frustrating when a movie promises a captivating love story, but the actors playing the leads have no spark. That’s why filmmakers often do “chemistry reads” – tests to see how well actors connect – before finalizing the cast. While good chemistry is important in any movie, it’s absolutely essential for a romantic comedy to work.

It’s frustrating when a movie relies on romance, but the lead actors just don’t seem to connect. Even experienced and talented actors sometimes struggle to create believable chemistry, and when they don’t, the film feels flat. It’s hard to define what makes that spark, but you definitely know when it’s missing.

We decided to revisit some classic romantic comedies with couples that just didn’t seem to have any chemistry. Some of these films were box office failures, while others were popular at the time but haven’t aged well. Whether it was a lack of spark, mismatched energy, or just an unbelievable pairing, these movies tried to convince us of a romance that ultimately fell flat with viewers.

10 Rom-Com Couples with Absolutely Zero Chemistry

Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns in Life or Something Like It

In the romantic comedy Life or Something Like It, Angelina Jolie plays a driven news reporter who’s told she has only a week to live. The last thing she expects is to fall in love, but she does—with her cameraman, who also happens to be her professional rival, played by Edward Burns. The movie is infamous for a lack of chemistry between its leads, so much so that Jolie received a Razzie nomination – a surprising fact considering very few people actually saw the film.

Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes in Maid in Manhattan

The appeal of Maid in Manhattan rests on its fantastical story – a highly unlikely romance between a hotel maid and a Senate candidate – which allows it to ignore logic. The central relationship between Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes feels completely flat, making it hard to believe it could ever work. The movie doesn’t bother with realism; Lopez’s character is essentially told she’ll lose her job if she continues seeing Fiennes, a bizarre threat considering her career path in hotel management.

Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock in Two Weeks Notice

The movie Two Weeks Notice presents a mismatched pair: a dedicated environmental lawyer and a wealthy, questionable developer who’s putting a community center at risk. While it sounds like a potential romance, the film isn’t particularly enjoyable to watch. Surprisingly, even Hugh Grant struggles to create chemistry with his co-star, Sandra Bullock. His character’s roguish charm quickly becomes irritating next to her very proper demeanor, and the initial amusing contrast wears thin. Interestingly, the movie poster is famously featured in Lynne Truss’ book about punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, with the author pointing out the missing apostrophe in “Weeks.”

Zach Braff and Natalie Portman in Garden State

It’s well-known that Garden State is a divisive film, but the lack of chemistry between Zach Braff and Natalie Portman is particularly striking. While the term “manic pixie dream girl” originated with Kirsten Dunst in Elizabethtown, Natalie Portman’s character in Garden State is often seen as the archetype. She’s defined by being a compulsive liar whose primary role is to passively listen to the male lead’s problems. The film expects you to root for their connection, but it’s hard to see what draws these two characters together, other than a shared taste in music.

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in Twilight

Okay, let’s be real: Twilight is basically a romantic comedy, and the main characters spend the whole time acting like they’re about to be sick whenever they’re near each other. You probably already noticed how terrible they are together, even though they’re normally good actors. Their lack of chemistry is painfully awkward and became a running joke throughout the movies. It’s like neither of them knew if they should be serious or not, and they seemed really uncomfortable just being in the same scene. Honestly, you might find yourself rooting for Jacob before the first hour is up.

Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel in Yes Man

The movie Yes Man attempts to pair the energetic Jim Carrey with Zooey Deschanel, but their on-screen chemistry falls flat. Any romance feels like it happens near Deschanel’s character, rather than actually with her. Carrey’s over-the-top expressions initially distract from this disconnect, but ultimately, the romantic storyline feels unnecessary and unimportant.

Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler in The Ugly Truth

It wasn’t long ago that movie studios regularly released comedies like The Ugly Truth, sometimes even monthly. While many viewers enjoyed those classic studio comedies with recognizable actors and reasonable budgets, this particular movie doesn’t quite hit the mark. It follows a predictable story: Katherine Heigl plays a single talk show producer, Gerard Butler is her irritating, opinionated colleague, and, naturally, they fall in love. (And seriously, Chadway as a last name?) Both actors have appeared in similar romantic comedies before, and that might be the issue – the movie doesn’t try anything new, and the chemistry between Heigl and Butler feels flat.

Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hardy in This Means War

In the action comedy This Means War, Reese Witherspoon finds herself caught between two spies who are also best friends. When they realize they’re both dating the same woman, they decide to compete for her affection—without revealing their connection to each other. While the idea is fun, the movie doesn’t quite work because Witherspoon only has a strong romantic connection with one of the actors, Chris Pine. Her scenes with Pine are much more engaging than those with Tom Hardy, likely because Pine is a natural in romantic comedies, while Hardy is better known for darker roles. Interestingly, Pine and Hardy share better chemistry with each other than either does with Witherspoon, a dynamic many fans have already explored in detail through fan fiction.

Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen in Little Italy

As a film buff, I’ve always admired Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen – they really shine in projects with a bit of an edge, like the wonderfully weird world of American Horror Story or the grand scale of Star Wars. That’s why I was so disappointed by Little Italy. Honestly, it felt like they were stuck in a really predictable and cliché rom-com. The whole movie relies on tired stereotypes and tries way too hard for laughs. They play childhood friends whose families are rivals – each owning a pizza place across the street from each other – and the resulting forbidden romance feels completely forced. Unfortunately, their performances didn’t quite lift the material, and the movie just kind of fizzled out instead of building any real momentum. It had potential, but ultimately, it didn’t deliver.

Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher in Your Place or Mine

We apologize for focusing on Your Place or Mine again, but we had to mention it before finishing our list. Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher intentionally spend almost the entire movie apart, living in each other’s homes while she attends classes in New York and he gets to know her son in Los Angeles. The film tries to show their connection growing through split-screen scenes, but it mostly highlights how little time they actually spend together.

Movies That Are Shockingly Rated PG

Airplane! (1980)

As a big movie fan, I was checking out the quotes section for Airplane! on IMDb, and wow, it’s full of really crude jokes – a couple of awkward attempts at sexual humor and a bunch of stuff that’s just plain offensive. And get this, there’s even a quick shot of a nude woman. It’s a comedy, sure, but it feels a bit much, especially considering it’s a movie a lot of people grew up with!

The Bad News Bears (1976)

The movie The Bad News Bears centers around a grumpy, alcoholic coach who constantly yells at and puts down his clumsy Little League team. While it features swearing and mature content, it was surprisingly rated as appropriate for kids. Some argue that the film, despite its harshness, might actually prepare children for dealing with abusive adults, particularly those struggling with alcohol.

Barbarella (1968/77)

When Barbarella was first released in theaters, the MPAA rating system didn’t exist yet, so it didn’t have an official rating and contained quite a bit of nudity and sexual content. After the success of Star Wars proved science fiction could be profitable, the filmmakers edited out the most explicit scenes and re-released the film as Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy, earning it a PG rating. The original, uncut version is technically unrated. However, the MPAA website currently lists the film as PG, which likely has led to some surprised – and perhaps unhappy – parents letting their children watch Jane Fonda’s famous nude scene in space.

Beetlejuice

In the movie Beetlejuice, the mischievous ghost character boasts he’ll do anything asked of him, then shockingly declares he’ll even bite a dog. This scene is part of a bizarre display meant to prove how scary he can be – it includes an inappropriate gesture and snakes emerging from his face. The scene concludes with Beetlejuice swearing and a crude physical comedy bit involving a honking sound, all in a film rated PG!

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

The movie Conquest of the Planet of the Apes culminates in a revolt by enslaved apes who fight back against their human owners and ignite a fire in the city they live in. This dramatic scene was intentionally made to resemble the racial unrest of the time, and it’s quite powerful and unsettling – especially considering the film was rated PG. Surprisingly, the original Planet of the Apes, which includes torture, violence, and the destruction of humanity, received a G rating!

Earthquake (1974)

While Earthquake doesn’t have a lot of graphic violence or swearing, it does feature the widespread devastation of Los Angeles through a series of earthquakes. Plus, a major storyline involves Charlton Heston having an affair with Geneviève Bujold while married to Ava Gardner. And ultimately, many of the main characters perish in a devastating flood. If that sounds like appropriate viewing for your children, feel free to let them watch it.

Ghostbusters (1984)

I saw Ghostbusters countless times as a kid, but when I showed it to my own children, I was surprised by how frightening and mature it actually was. I even checked the MPAA rating online—it’s rated PG! It seems like kids were allowed to watch just about anything in the 80s.

Gremlins (1984)

When people talk about scary movies from the 1980s, Gremlins often comes up as a key reason the MPAA created the PG-13 rating. It, along with other films, pushed the boundaries of what was considered appropriate for a PG rating but wasn’t quite as intense as an R. Interestingly, the sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, did receive a PG-13 rating, but the original Gremlins has never been re-rated. This means that even now, this chaotic and sometimes violent Christmas monster movie is still considered okay for most audiences.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

The original Indiana Jones movie featured villains like Nazis and graphic violence, yet still received a PG rating. Temple of Doom took things much further with a disturbing plot involving child slavery, people eating monkey brains, and a scene of a villain ripping a man’s heart out. Interestingly, the MPAA created the PG-13 rating just two months after Temple of Doom came out in theaters.

Jaws (1975)

What do the movies Gremlins and Temple of Doom have in common? They were both produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, who first became famous for a similarly scary (but still PG-rated) film, Jaws. Jaws features several shark attacks, including a particularly gruesome scene where a shark nearly tears one of the actors in half and pulls him underwater. Despite this, Jaws has aired on television for about fifty years with very few changes. I remember watching it for the first time on WPIX 11 when I was around ten years old, and its accessibility to children may explain why it continues to influence so many movie lovers across generations.

Mission to Mars (2000)

It’s surprising to see Brian De Palma, the director behind thrillers like Dressed to Kill, Carrie, and Body Double, make a PG-rated sci-fi film. Mission to Mars is far from gentle – almost everything goes wrong on the mission, leading to a lot of death and destruction, including a character’s shocking suicide in space. It makes you wonder if the MPAA simply glanced at the title and mistakenly thought it was a harmless movie based on the Disneyland ride.

Poltergeist (1982)

I have to say, Steven Spielberg really knows how to get under your skin! It’s almost admirable how dedicated he is to creating genuinely scary moments, and that commitment was clear even back with the original Poltergeist, which he helped create. That movie truly terrified me as a kid! It followed an ordinary family who were relentlessly haunted – and I mean relentlessly – by all sorts of spooky things: ghosts, skeletons, even demonic creatures. It was definitely a memorable experience, though maybe not one I’d call ‘fun for kids’!

Prophecy (1979)

In John Frankenheimer’s Prophecy, a bear is transformed into a terrifying monster by toxic waste, leading to a destructive rampage through the forests of Maine. Just watching the trailer makes it clear this isn’t a family-friendly PG film – it’s a full-on monster movie, as the poster itself proclaims!

Sixteen Candles (1984)

The movie Sixteen Candles is a classic from the 1980s, and one of director John Hughes’ most well-known teen films. However, it contains a troubling scene where the main male character describes a heavily intoxicated girl and implies he could sexually assault her. While the movie doesn’t show anything happening, the scene has undeniably uncomfortable implications. Even though it might have been enough to receive a PG rating because nothing explicit occurs, the scene is deeply disturbing.

Son of the Mask (2005)

The MPAA rated Son of the Mask PG-13 for action, crude humor, and language, which is accurate enough. However, that rating doesn’t fully convey how disturbing it is to see a poorly-rendered CGI baby vomiting and urinating on Jamie Kennedy – that part felt like it deserved an NC-17 rating.

Spaceballs (1987)

Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles is full of outrageous and crude humor – from Dark Helmet’s frustrated outbursts to President Skroob’s scandalous behavior, and even characters literally named ‘Ahole.’ It’s no surprise the movie received an R rating, though Young Frankenstein was rated PG.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Believe it or not, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan received a PG rating despite featuring intense scenes – things like mind control, a man sacrificing himself with an explosion, and the agonizing effects of radiation poisoning! It was actually much more intense than the original Star Trek movie or the television series. In fact, the Star Trek franchise didn’t get its first PG-13 rating until 1996 with Star Trek: First Contact. Interestingly, even the director’s cut of The Wrath of Khan, re-rated in 2002, still received a PG rating.

Star Wars (1977)

I always thought it was a little strange that Spaceballs got a PG rating, and it made me wonder why the original Star Wars movies didn’t! Seriously, all three of the originals got PG ratings, even though there’s stuff like Luke losing his hand, Leia’s iconic outfit, Obi-Wan getting killed by Vader, and, let’s be real, entire planets being blown up! Millions of people probably died in those films, and it still got a PG?

Top Gun (1986)

Compared to most war movies, Top Gun isn’t very graphic or violent. While it doesn’t show a lot of bloodshed, it does feature a fairly intense romantic scene between Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis, and a significant character meets a tragic end on screen. (Think about which moment the song “Take My Breath Away” accompanies!) I wouldn’t necessarily give it an R rating, but a PG-13 seems appropriate, especially since that rating system was already established when Top Gun came out.

Watership Down (1978)

Martin Rosen’s film adaptation of Watership Down is widely considered a classic of English-language animation, earning a place in the Criterion Collection in 2015. However, deciding when children are old enough to watch it is a different matter. The movie is quite dark and upsetting at times, showing realistic dangers like rabbits being shot and killed by predators. While this could be a valuable lesson for some children, it’s important to consider if they are prepared for such harsh realities.

2025-11-21 18:01