Top 20 Movie Couples We Wish Had Broken Up
#20: Scott Pilgrim & Ramona Flowers “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010)
Scott and Ramona’s bond is essential to the entire plot of this romantic action comedy. And yet, it’s an absolute mess on paper. While pursuing Ramona and battling her seven evil exes, Scott fails to inform his current girlfriend Knives. If cheating on two women at once isn’t bad enough, he then lashes out at Ramona over her relationship history. She makes the wise decision to call it quits, but he manages to win her back. Sure, Scott jumps through some formidable hoops to woo Ramona. But if his treatment of Knives is any indication, he’s not exactly boyfriend material. While an alternate ending shows him ending up with Knives, seeing as he’s twenty-two and she’s still in high school, might we posit neither?
#19: Carrie Bradshaw & Mr. Big “Sex and the City” (2008)
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Viewers of the HBO series of the same name were subjected to Carrie and Big's will-they-won't-they relationship for six seasons. They did have great chemistry, but it was clear that the couple wasn’t exactly good for one another. In the first film, the pair decides to get married, partly to ensure that Carrie will be legally entitled to their shared home. But the man also known as John Preston stands his fiancée up at their wedding. Sure, he changes his mind midway through fleeing his own nuptials, and they eventually do tie the knot at the end of the film — but could there be a bigger red flag?
#18: Benjamin Braddock & Elaine Robinson “The Graduate” (1967)
What is probably a common fantasy for many young males is to be able to date a girl who also has a beautiful mom. However, unfortunately for our pal Dustin Hoffman, his girlfriend’s mother is Mrs. Robinson, who adds some negative features to that fantasy after she tries to seduce him. Since initially everyone but Mrs. Robinson wants Ben to be with Elaine, this causes the couple to experience a rollercoaster of rudeness, deception, and traumatizing events. In this relationship, we feel especially sorry for Elaine, as she has to suffer the most because everyone around her thinks Ben is such a terrible guy. A break up – at least for Elaine’s sake – just seems like the best choice, especially considering how uncertain their future is.
#17: Peter Brackett & Sabrina Peterson “I Love Trouble” (1994)
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After Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts’s rival reporters turn into lovers in this flick, the relationship between the two instantly goes downhill. It’s such an awkward transition from enemies to lovebirds that the two actually look better when they don’t get along. To top things off, their characters’ initial hatred seemed to transfer into real life, as the actors actually didn’t get along on set either. Or maybe it was the other way around – and that’s why barely anyone believed their on-screen coupledom. Either way, with Nick Nolte claiming Roberts was “not a nice person,” and Roberts describing Nolte as “disgusting,” maybe Hollywood should make sure these two never work together again.
#16: Justin Bell & Kelly Taylor “From Justin to Kelly” (2003)
The fact that Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson developed feelings for each other thanks to their their “American Idol” days and briefly dated is …interesting to say the least. Okay, so that revelation wasn’t actually made until waaaay after this film came out, but it’s definitely something to note when thinking about this rom-com. With an extremely socially awkward Justin, and a Kelly who is completely oblivious about how to act around guys, the movie features such a dull romance that it makes you wonder if their real life relationship was just as bad. Yes, they’re both musically talented, but that seems to be the only thing the on-screen pair has in common. We’re not even going to touch the extreme lack of chemistry they had going on….
#15: Holly Berenson & Eric Messer “Life as We Know It” (2010)
Enemies to lovers is a staple of the romantic comedy genre – but it doesn’t always work. Holly and Eric hate each other’s guts. When tragedy strikes and their married friends Peter and Alison die in a car crash, godparents Eric and Holly learn that despite their mutual hatred, Peter and Alison made them the guardians of their baby. Because, of COURSE the two people who can barely be in the same room should … raise a child together? The movie tries to convince us that Holly and Eric were meant to be – they just needed a child to push them in the right direction! But, judging by the way they fight – and Eric’s cracks about Holly’s age – it’s a no from us.
#14: Tripp & Paula “Failure to Launch” (2006)
A love built on lies – another staple of the romantic comedy genre that doesn’t always make for a long lasting, stable relationship. Tripp is a 35-year-old man who lives with his parents – a fact that he is perfectly fine with, thank you very much! But his parents are not. Enter Paula, a woman whose job it is to convince grown men living at home to move out by making them fall in love with her. The story unfolds, and Paula manipulates Tripp so well that she inadvertently manipulates herself, and falls in love with him. When Tripp finds out and is understandably angry, his parents tie him up to force him to talk to Paula again. Force does not a happy union make!
#13: Dr. Emma Kurtzman & Adam Franklin “No Strings Attached” (2011)
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Romantic comedies always depend on the chemistry between the two leads – and if that chemistry isn’t there, it’s hard to make the rest of the movie work. In “No Strings Attached,” Emma and Adam decide to have a sex-only, all-emotions-barred relationship. For the entirety of their relationship, Adam tries to take things further – even though Emma has been clear that she’s not looking for a relationship. And for Emma’s part, she barely seems to like Adam at all. After much back and forth and will they/won’t they, Emma finally agrees – but it feels more like Adam wore her down than anything else.
#12: Gigi & Alex “He’s Just Not That Into You” (2009)
In this romantic comedy-drama, Ginnifer Goodwin plays Gigi, a woman who has serious difficulties with dating. While she’s sweet and good-natured, she struggles to interpret the sometimes mixed messages her dates put out. That is, until Alex comes along and gives her a crash course in the brutally honest ways of single men. Gigi falls for him, and although he comes around in the end, we aren’t exactly thrilled to see her go back to someone who’d so callously brushed her off before. On top of that, his ultra-cynical perspective on romance tells us the couple’s future may not be the happiest.
#11: Tessa Young & Hardin Scott “After” Franchise (2019-)
The romantic drama series has already produced multiple sequels, but if you ask us, the central couple shouldn’t have lasted past the first film. Fresh-faced college student Tessa is dating Noah, but instead connects with the mysterious Hardin. They begin a relationship, but red flags abound. For one, her new lover seems to have a temper, and can also be dismissive of her concerns. Most alarming, though, is Tessa’s discovery that Hardin pursued her as part of a cruel game to leave her heartbroken. Considering all of these issues, we can’t quite support her choice to reconcile with him — let alone continue their torrid romance throughout the series.
#10: Dex & Rachel “Something Borrowed” (2011)
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Sleeping with your best friend’s fiance? NEVER a good idea. In “Something Borrowed,” Rachel has had a crush on Dex forever, but since he’s engaged to her best friend Darcy, she never said anything… until she did. She and Dex end up sleeping together – and then continue their relationship while Dex stays engaged to Darcy. They continue their torrid affair for the entirety of the movie, lying to Darcy and everyone else. But of course – because this is a rom-com – things work out perfectly! In the real world, however, we don’t condone the massive amounts of lying and sneaking around that Rachel and Dex engaged in – and we don’t think it would lead to happily ever after.
#9: Nick & Amy Dunne “Gone Girl” (2014)
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The central couple in this psychological thriller have serious issues — and that’s putting it mildly. Although Nick and Amy appear to be a happy pair, the latter’s disappearance unearths all kinds of secrets and resentments that have plagued their five-year marriage. As it turns out, Amy faked her own murder after discovering his affair, but by the end of the film she’s re-entered his life. It’s clear they shouldn’t remain together, and yet Nick decides to stick it out due to Amy’s surprise pregnancy. Although he wants to do right by his child, we’re not convinced remaining in a toxic household is the best way forward.
#8: Abby Richter & Mike Chadway “The Ugly Truth” (2009)
It’s the same old, sexist story – uptight girl meets chauvinistic boy, boy tries to “fix” her – and falls in love in the process. In “The Ugly Truth,” local host Mike tries to help TV producer Abby turn into someone she’s not in order to land a guy. But of course, Mike ends up having feelings for Abby and leaves his philandering ways in the dust. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he was a sexist pig for pretty much the entirety of the movie. And what’s more: Mike and Abby have completely different views of love – namely, Abby believes in it and Mike doesn’t. There’s just no way this relationship would work out in reality - or at least, not in the long term.
#7: Andy Sachs & Nate Cooper “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006)
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At the start of this fashion-themed comedy-drama, Andy and Nate are a happy and compatible couple. Unfortunately, the protagonist’s new job at “Runway” magazine drives a wedge between her and her boyfriend. On the one hand, it’s understandable that the down-to-earth chef misses the more carefree version of Andy that he’s used to. But he also levels unnecessary judgment at her, which partly leads to their breakup. In the end, it’s strongly implied that the couple gets back together. However, the course of their split revealed that they have different values and ambitions, and might not be a good fit after all. To us, the pair rekindling their relationship is a seriously questionable choice.
#6: Elle Evans & Noah Flynn “The Kissing Booth” Franchise (2018-21)
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The concept of the kissing booth in itself is regressive and problematic – and the tropes the movies use to bring its two love interests – Noah and Elle – together, are not much better. Elle is best friends with Noah’s brother, but has had a huge crush on Noah for a long time. When he starts to notice her, it’s not as great as you think. Besides literally kissing Elle while she’s blindfolded and doesn’t know it’s him, Noah spends a lot of the first movie beating guys up on Elle’s behalf... victim blaming her...and trying to control her romantic relationships. Seriously, telling a girl she was “asking for it?” If we were Elle, we would take that as an enormous red flag.
#5: Abby & Harper “Happiest Season” (2020)
For a movie with the word “happiest” in the title, we sure cried a lot during this one! The relationship in “Happiest Season” starts off sweetly enough, with Abby going to meet Harper’s family for the first time over the holidays. But, unbeknownst to Abby, Harper has NOT come out as gay to her parents… and wants Abby to pretend to be her roommate. Everyone has their own journey of coming out, and it can be a really difficult experience. But, that’s not an excuse for what Harper puts Abby through. She continuously ditches Abby for her ex-boyfriend, gaslights her, and worse. Honestly, it seems like these two would have had their own better journeys if they just let each other go.
#4: Christian Grey & Anastasia Steele “Fifty Shades” Franchise (2015-18)
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This trilogy of erotic drama films could have documented a romance that mixes intimacy with sexual exploration. Unfortunately, the central couple is a textbook example of an unhealthy relationship. Some of Christian’s controlling and manipulative behaviors are out of line, and Ana breaks up with him at the end of 2015’s “Fifty Shades of Grey.” However, they get back together and even get engaged in the sequel “Fifty Shades Darker.” By the third film, they’re newlyweds and eventual parents. But despite the happy ending the series depicts, we can’t help but feel there’s something better out there for Ana.
#3: Larry Gigli & Ricki “Gigli” (2003)
You might remember “Gigli” for being labelled one of the worst movies ever made. But you might not remember quite how bad the relationship between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck is. Affleck plays Gigli – a low-level mobster – and Lopez a mafia enforcer who’s called in to make sure Gigli does his job. If you remember, the two were actually dating when this movie was released – so the chemistry should have been instant, right? WRONG. With laughable dialogue and a very odd set-up that involves Gigli seducing Ricki – who is a lesbian – we do not buy this relationship one bit.
#2: Sierra Burgess & Jamey “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” (2018)
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Catfishing narratives are near impossible to pull off… and “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” doesn’t succeed. The story centers around Sierra Burgess, who has a crush on popular guy Jamey. She doesn’t think Jamey will like her for who she is, so, when Jamey accidentally texts her – thinking she’s someone else – Sierra goes along with it. Not only does she spend most of the movie lying to Jamey, but she also fakes being deaf to keep up her charade, AND tricks him into kissing her. But the worst part of it all is that Jamey forgives her and the two end up together. By missing the body positivity message that it was going for, the film ultimately misses the mark.
#1: Bella Swan & Edward Cullen “The Twilight Saga” (2008-12)
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All you Twilight fans, let’s be honest here. Even though you may love them together, Bella and Edward have a very strange relationship. Both of them fail to show any realistic affection to each other, and almost every scene they have together seems like they’re trying too hard to be a believable couple. All of Edward’s attempts to keep Bella safe from all of the other evil vampires and other supernatural creatures are dull. Their relationship also adds a dark vibe to the “knight in shining armor” cliché, and the only thing positive about their relationship appears to be that they would be considered cute if you were into emotionless relationships.
