Top 20 Movie Couples With the Worst Chemistry
#20: Tom Cruise & Annabelle Wallis “The Mummy” (2017)
Top 10 Couples with the Worst Chemistry
The film that was supposed to launch the Dark Universe failed on virtually every level, from the action, to the horror, to the romance. Cruise is one of the most charismatic stars in Hollywood, but Nick Morton is written with none of his signature charm. Wallis’ Jenny has virtually no character traits outside of being the love interest and an archaeologist… and we’re not even sure if those count as traits. Say what you will about the previous “Mummy” movies, but Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz’s characters had defined personalities that worked well off each other. It wasn’t Shakespeare, but you remember Rick and Evelyn whereas Nick and Jenny are instantly forgettable. They somehow come off as even more lifeless than the mummy pursuing them.
#19: Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore “Music and Lyrics” (2007)
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Grant and Barrymore are basically rom-com royalty. Between the two of them, they’ve starred in more romantic comedies than we can keep track of. With that in mind, you’d think that they’d be a match made in heaven here. For whatever reason, though, Alex and Sophie never make beautiful music together. It’s especially strange since the stars seem well-suited for the parts, what with Grant as a sarcastic former pop star as Barrymore as the adorkable girl next door. Then again, maybe that’s part of the problem. The two feel like they’re playing parodies of themselves. As a result, “Music and Lyrics,” plays out less like an actual rom-com and more like a fake one you’d see in another movie.
#18: Seth Rogen & Katherine Heigl “Knocked Up” (2007)
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Don’t get us wrong, “Knocked Up” is among the early 21st century’s funniest comedies, but most would agree that the romance is one of the film’s more contrived elements. Ben Stone is the very definition of a guy who got a girl way out of his league. Pairing an ambitious career woman with a stoner who has no ambitions naturally amounts to some hilarious interactions. Between their constant arguing and lack of common interests, though, it’s clear that Ben and Alison are only together because of their baby. The two do grow as individuals, learning what it means to be a parent. While we don’t doubt their love for their daughter, we don’t really buy that these two will ever be a happy couple.
#17: Sean Connery & Catherine Zeta-Jones “Entrapment” (1999)
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When Catherine Zeta-Jones married Michael Douglas, the relationship received a fair deal of media attention due in part to the 25-year age difference. Well, the same year she got engaged to Douglas, Zeta-Jones starred opposite Sean Connery, who was almost 40 years her senior. Before you jump to any conclusions, the age gap isn’t this movie’s problem. The main issue is that Zeta-Jones’ Gin is sexualized to the point that it’s borderline comedic. Some really corny music selections only add to the unintentional laughter. Connery, meanwhile, feels like he’s played this role in a dozen better movies. It doesn’t help that the two are entrapped in a ridiculous plot, which “weighs down any potential chemistry between the movie’s leads,” according to the Rotten Tomatoes consensus.
#16: Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale & Josh Hartnett “Pearl Harbor” (2001)
Hey, remember that movie with DiCaprio, Winslet, and the sinking ship that made like $2 billion? Let’s try to do that again, except this time with Affleck, Beckinsale, and Pearl Harbor. Oh, and let’s throw another heartthrob in there so we can have a soap opera love triangle. This movie’s attempts to recapture the success of “Titanic” couldn’t be more apparent, but “Pearl Harbor” doesn’t understand what made that Best Picture winner work. What can you tell us about Jack and Rose? Well, Jack is an optimistic dreamer overflowing with passion. Rose is a repressed aristocrat with a wild side eager to break free. Now, what can you tell us about Rafe, Evelyn, and Danny? Yeah, we’re drawing three blanks too.
#15: Jennifer Lopez & Ralph Fiennes “Maid in Manhattan” (2002)
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If you can get past the inevitable liar revealed plot point, a maid posing as a socialite who falls for a senatorial candidate isn’t a bad setup for a romantic comedy. Our issue boils down to the casting. While Lopez and Fiennes are talented actors, we don’t entirely buy them in these roles. Before she even puts on the Dolce & Gabbana coat, “ugly duckling” Marisa is already the most stunning person in the hotel because well… she’s played by Jennifer Lopez! As for Fiennes, we think he’s better suited to play a rom-com villain rather than the romantic lead. Put these two together and they have about as much chemistry as Ramona Vega and Lord Voldemort… actually, we’d totally pay to see that movie.
#14: Ashton Kutcher & Cameron Diaz “What Happens in Vegas” (2008)
After meeting and drunkenly getting married in Vegas, Kutcher’s Jack and Diaz’s Joy decide to divorce ASAP. Matters are complicated, however, when they win the three-million-dollar jackpot. Although they could easily split the money and live comfortably for the rest of their lives, Jack and Joy are unfortunately the worst people in the world. The newlyweds go to court and through a ludicrous ruling, they’re forced to stay together for six months to learn the value of marriage. Rather than wait it out, these two continually find new ways to make each other miserable. That is, until the final act when they develop feelings for one another. Why? Because it’s time for the movie to end. They live richly ever after and nothing is learned.
#13: Mark Wahlberg & Zooey Deschanel “The Happening” (2008)
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M. Night Shyamalan isn’t particularly known for having a knack for demonstrating how couples interact or how human beings talk. Thus, Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel have even less personality than the killer plants in “The Happening.” Their relationship is supposedly intended to be the film’s emotional core; however, they’re so deadpan and lifeless that nobody cares if these individuals overcome this epidemic or sort out their marriage problems. It would’ve made more sense if it turned out they were pod people all along… Would’ve been a better twist too.
#12: Leonardo DiCaprio & Cameron Diaz ‘Gangs of New York” (2002)
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Martin Scorsese is great at depicting complex relationships between dysfunctional people, but sweeping romance hasn’t exactly proven to be his strongest suit. The love story is pretty tacked on in “Gangs of New York,” with DiCaprio’s Amsterdam and Diaz’s Jenny failing to light up the screen together. Their chemistry is at soap opera levels, which you could argue is in the tradition of other Hollywood epics. Unlike “Titanic,” though, the romance here simply never feels genuine. It doesn’t help that Diaz seems miscast in her role altogether, although she does give it her best shot.
#11: Johnny Depp & Angelina Jolie “The Tourist” (2010)
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At one point in time, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp were two of the most respected, talented and appealing movie stars in the world. So how was it possible that they had zero chemistry in “The Tourist?” Well, this entire movie is actually kind of the definition of shallowness: the production values look attractive on the outside, and of course the leads look attractive on the outside, but there’s no heart, emotion, or humanity on the inside. It just goes to show that appearances can be deceiving, even when great talent is involved.
#10: Jennifer Aniston & Gerard Butler “The Bounty Hunter” (2010)
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“The Bounty Hunter” is further proof that action romantic comedies rarely satisfy any demographic. Butler plays Milo, who’s tasked with bringing in his ex-wife Nicole, played by Aniston. We can see why their marriage didn’t last. Milo is insensitive, immature, and has serious anger issues. Nicole is a nagging stereotype who only cares about her job. What we don’t understand is why these two would ever get back together. Spending the entire movie bickering and even getting physically violent, the two continually prove why they shouldn’t be together. Even after everything, Milo still turns Nicole in and she still wants to be with him! Yet, we’re supposed to believe that this is true love just because they play a catchy pop song over the credits.
#9: Dane Cook & Jessica Alba “Good Luck Chuck” (2007)
In the 2000s, she was known more for her looks than her acting skills while he was more of a love-him-or-hate-him comedian. 2007 saw Jessica Alba and Dane Cook partner for “Good Luck Chuck”, where every woman who sleeps with Cook’s Chuck finds her true love immediately afterwards - and Alba’s the girl he hopes will break the curse. But we find it hard to believe these two even want to be in the same room together, let alone spend the rest of their lives with one another. You can actually see the leads trying to look like they’re attracted to each other, a sure sign of sexual compatibility if ever we’ve seen one. We think Chuck’s luck done run out.
#8: Madonna & Adriano Giannini “Swept Away” (2002)
Winning five Razzies, including Worst Screen Couple, “Swept Away” stars Madonna as Amber, a self-absorbed snob who we instantly despise. On a cruise, she repeatedly mistreats Giuseppe, a deckhand played by Adriano Giannini. The tables are turned when the two are stranded on a deserted island, as Giuseppe reduces Amber to his submissive servant. Despite Giuseppe’s cruel behavior, Amber finds herself falling for him, which feels like a red flag for Stockholm syndrome. Amber doesn’t even want to leave the island when there’s an opportunity to be rescued. In the end, however, Amber returns to her wealthy husband, leaving Giuseppe heartbroken. We think this is supposed to be a tragic ending, but these characters were so toxic together that it’s honestly the happiest resolution possible.
#7: Daniel Radcliffe & Bonnie Wright “Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)
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Fans often debate what the “Harry Potter” movies got right and wrong, but pretty much everyone sees eye to eye when it comes to Harry and Ginny’s relationship. In the books, we watch Ginny evolve from a shy girl with a crush on Harry to a resilient woman who Harry falls for. The movies dropped the ball with Ginny’s development, essentially turning her into a glorified extra. Unless you’ve read the books, Harry’s blossoming attraction towards her in “Half-Blood Prince” comes off as completely random. Maybe it was the casting, maybe it was the writing, or maybe it was the direction. All we know is that they had several movies to build this relationship up and the magic never materialized.
#6: Hayden Christensen & Natalie Portman “Star Wars” prequel franchise (1999-2005)
It’s hard to believe that the man responsible for Han Solo and Princess Leia’s relationship also wrote the love story between Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala. Watching Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman together in the “Star Wars” prequels is excruciatingly painful. While their performances are stiff and bland, can you really blame them? You try making lines like, “I wish I could just wish away my feelings,” “You’re breaking my heart,” and that diatribe about sand sound natural. A five-year-old could construct more romantic dialogue than this. What else can be said except, “Nooooo!”
#5: Will Ferrell & Nicole Kidman “Bewitched” (2005)
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The 2005 film version of “Bewitched” was dead on arrival because it has no idea what it wants to be. Is it a satire, remake, or an homage to the classic ‘60s comedy series? Since the film can’t make up its mind, Kidman and Ferrell have little chance at creating three-dimensional characters. In the end, she just comes off as a naïve, inconsistently written airhead and he comes off as an egotistical, childish jerk. Their forced relationship makes no sense, but neither do any of the other motivations in this film. The most impressive magic in the movie may’ve been when they made their chemistry disappear.
#4: Justin Guarini & Kelly Clarkson “From Justin to Kelly” (2003)
In the early 2000s, “American Idol” dominated the planet. It turned Kelly Clarkson into an overnight sensation and runner-up Justin Guarini into an overnight flavor of the month. As a means to cash in, we got the shamelessly gimmicky rom-com “From Justin to Kelly.” Set during spring break, the movie plays like a musical fan fic written by a shipper trying to push Clarkson and Guarini together. As a result, the stars just look embarrassed to be there and prepared to fire their agents; we’d rather see a buddy picture starring William Hung and Sanjaya.
#3: Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez “Gigli” (2003)
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Remember when Bennifer 1.0 was the ultimate celebrity supercouple? Ben and Jen may’ve met on the set of “Gigli,” but this infamously horrendous picture set both their acting careers back a decade – and it probably didn’t help their off-screen relationship in the long run either. With Affleck playing a macho meathead and Lopez playing a lesbian, it’s completely inconceivable that these characters would ever fall in love. The chemistry between the actors doesn’t make this contrived relationship any easier to buy, especially when they have to say lines like, “It’s turkey time.”
#2: Jamie Dornan & Dakota Johnson “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise (2015-18)
Once again, you can’t entirely blame the actors here as Johnson and Dornan give perfectly solid individual performances in the first “50 Shades of Grey” movie - though the same thing can’t exactly be said about the sequels. But, given the material they’re forced to work with – which, by the way, started as “Twilight” fanfiction – the actors don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of making their onscreen relationship believable. Even if Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman had played Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, their love scenes still would have been more laughable than steamy or romantic. Guess none of that matters to studios considering the films ended up making as much as they did at the box office. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions. Christian Bale & Katie Holmes, “Batman Begins” (2005) Eh, Let’s Get Maggie Gyllenhaal for the Sequel Brandon Routh & Kate Bosworth, “Superman Returns” (2006) Christopher Reeve & Margot Kidder, They Ain’t Lily Tomlin & John Travolta, “Moment by Moment” (1978) Together at Last? Hugh Grant & Sarah Jessica Parker, “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” (2009) By the End, You’ll Be Rooting for Doug from “House of Cards” To Do Them In
#1: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner “Twilight” franchise (2008-12)
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It’s no shocker that one of the most poorly written romance novels of all time would inspire one of the worst cinematic love triangles ever. To add insult to injury, Stewart, Pattinson, and Lautner make little effort to emote feelings of affection throughout “The Twilight Saga.” The fact that Bella looks vaguely like she may be physically unwell as she walks down the aisle is reason enough to place this mostly expressionless trio at number one. They’ve taught a generation that lustfully staring into somebody’s eyes is all a healthy relationship truly requires, giving us all unrealistic expectations for romance.
