Summary
Friends-to-lovers storieshave enthralled audiences for generations and have acted as the basis for countless iconic romance movies. From intense dramas to lighthearted rom-coms, friends-to-lovers narratives can capture the full scope of human relationships as they walk the fine line between platonic friendship and the slow, undeniable allure of newfound love. With so much history between the characters and a relationship with its foundations in friendship, these stories resonated because humans deeply relate to them.
The best friends-to-lovers romance movies were vast and varied, as some could be described as disposable rom-coms while others ranked amongthe greatest movies of all time. These stories relied heavily on the chemistry between the two main actors, who had to ensure their newly realized romance felt both believable and understandable. While this was a genre full of tropes and cliches,the best friends-to-lovers romance movies rose above their repetitive style to reinvent themselvesanew each time.
Always Be My Maybe
Cast
Always Be My Maybe stars Randall Park and Ali Wong as Marcus and Sasha, two San Francisco natives and childhood best friends who, after losing touch for many years, reconnect when Sasha moves back home to open a restaurant in the city. Having both previously held romantic feelings for each other, the two begin a real relationship in adulthood, but their lives and ambitions threaten to once again pull them apart. James Saito, Daniel Dae Kim, and Keanu Reeves are part of the supporting cast.
The best friends-to-lovers romance movies often involvedchildhood friends who reconnectedwith each other later in life, and that was exactly the case forAlways Be My Maybe. Withexceptional performances by Ali Wong and Randall Parkas lifelong best friends who lost touch after their brief teenage fling ended badly. After not speaking for 16 years, the two reconnected, and the unresolved remnants of their long-dormant romance returned once again in this clever, funny, and sentimental rom-com.
Yesterday
Written by famous rom-com director Richard Curtis, Yesterday follows Jack Malik, a struggling musician who one day wakes up to discover that he is the only person who remembers famous 1960s rock band The Beatles. As Jack begins using his exclusive knowledge to his advantage, he must reckon with the burden of it and the price that comes with his newfound fame. The film stars Himesh Patel as Jack, with a supporting cast of Lily James, Joel Fry, Kate McKinnon, and Ed Sheeran.
WhileYesterdayprimarily told the story of a struggling musician who realized he wasthe only one who remembered The Beatlesand became famous singing their songs, the film’s emotional core came from its friend-to-lovers romance.Yesterdayinvolved singer-songwriter Jack Malik being managed by his childhood friend Ellie Appleton, who was the only person who truly believed him, even before he found a way to exploit The Beatles to his own benefit. With layers of untold feeling between the two,Yesterdaywas an insightful romance bolstered by a great soundtrack.
Just Friends
Just Friends is a romantic comedy directed by Roger Kumble, featuring Ryan Reynolds as Chris Brander, a formerly overweight high school nerd turned trendy music executive. Returning to his hometown for the holidays, Chris tries to reconnect with his high school crush but finds himself reverting back to his old, awkward self.
Just Friendstold the story of Chris (Ryan Reynolds), a high schooler secretly in love with his best friend, who left his hometown after confessing his feelings and being humiliated. Ten years later, the once obese Chris transformed himself into a handsome womanizer, returned to his hometown, and was forced to confront his unresolved feelings. As an enjoyable, broad comedy,Just Friendsdoesn’t break any new ground in the rom-com genre, but it had a great cast and was a lot of fun.
13 Going on 30
13 Going on 30 is 2004 fantasy romantic comedy about a 13-year-old girl named Jenna Rink, who, in 1987, dreams of being popular and wishes she were “thirty and flirty and thriving.” She later wakes up in 2004 at the age of 30. Jennifer Garner stars as 30-year-old Jenna, while Christa B. Allen plays the role of young Jenna. Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Jim Gaffigan, and Andy Serkis also star.
With plenty of nostalgia and self-empowerment messages,30 Going on 30was a fantasy rom-com about a 13-year-old girlwhose wish came true and who awoke to find herself 17 years older. With the newfound freedom of adulthood, Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) reconnected with her childhood best friend, Matty Flamhaff (Mark Ruffalo), and the two soon fell for one another. As a heartfelt look at the awkwardness of teenagehood, the pitfalls of unrequited love, and the need to be true to oneself,13 Going on 30was a smash success.
My Best Friend’s Wedding
Upon hearing of her friend Michael’s engagement, Julianne Potter realizes she loves him and schemes to disrupt his wedding to win his heart.
My Best Friend’s Weddingwas aclassic rom-comstarring Julianne (Julia Roberts) and Michael (Dermot Mulroney) as childhood friends who vowed if they were both unmarried by 28 then they would marry each other. However, three weeks before Julianne’s birthday, Michael revealed his engagement to another woman (Cameron Diaz), and she’s forced to confront her true feelings. A classic tale of unexpressed love,My Best Friend’s Weddingwas a highly entertaining friends-to-lovers storythat delivered on all fronts.
I Want You Back
I Want You Back is an Amazon original movie that centers on Peter and Emma, two total strangers, who bond over the dissolution of their recent relationships. Their commiseration turns into a mission when social media reveals that their exes have happily moved to new romantic partners. Together, the two will scheme to break up their former lover’s relationships and win them back. Little do they know, however, they may find what they’re looking for in each other.
I Want You Backwas one of the best rom-coms in recent years that told the hilarious story of two recently dumped strangers, played byCharlie Day and Jenny Slate, who teamed up to sabotage the new relationship of their exes. In classic friends-to-lovers style, the two found a connection through their mutual heartache and, before long, found a romance brewing. With a strong cast and well-rounded characters,I Want You Backmay have had a stereotypical formula, but it was executed so exceptionally well that it didn’t matter.
Set It Up
Two corporate executive assistants hatch a plan to match-make their two bosses.
Two overworked employees hatch a plan to make their bosses fall in love inSet It Up, a perfect example of a match-up movie in which the matchmakers were unaware of their own burgeoning romance. With a strong ensemble cast,Set It Upwas a Netflix rom-comthat hit all the right notes and proved that with a strong script and great performances, a movie doesn’t need to be original to still leave a lasting impact. As an enjoyable crowd-pleaser,Set It Updelivered everything one could want from astraight-to-streaming romance.
Love, Rosie
In a tale of missed chances and enduring friendship, Alex and Rosie navigate the complexities of love and life’s unexpected turns. From an unforgettable kiss during a drunken night to the challenges of parenthood and failed relationships, their bond remains unbreakable. As they grapple with their own desires and ambitions, fate brings them together time and again.
Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) have been best friends since they were five years old and, by all accounts, were perfect for each other, but circumstance kept them apart inLove, Rosie. Based on a novel by the Irish author Cecilia Ahern,Love, Rosiewas a cliched-laden story propped up by the charm of its lead performances. With sometimes sloppy storytelling and a predictable plot, this film could have easily fallen flat on its head, but there was just something aboutLove, Rosiethat made it intensely watchable.
Reality Bites
A documentary filmmaker and her fellow Generation X graduates face life after college, looking for work and love in Houston.
Most friends-to-lovers movies were told as sentimental rom-coms, so it was refreshing to see the narrative play out inthe slacker 1990s classicReality Bites. As a film depicting the disenchanted lives of a group of wayward 20-somethings, the emotional core ofReality Biteswas the non-relationship between Lelaina (Wynonna Ryder) and Troy (Ethan Hawke.) While the pair had trouble expressing their feelings, their love for one another bubbled to the surface after the unwanted introduction of a yuppie love interest played by Ben Stiller.
One Day
One Day, directed by Lone Scherfig, follows the complex on-again, off-again relationship between Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) over the course of nearly two decades, checking in on the couple on the same day every year, July 15th, St. Swithin’s Day.
Although the recent Netflix adaptation of David Nicholls’ novelOne Dayhas overtaken the 2011 film as the definitive depiction of this story, that’s not to say there was not a lot to enjoy inAnne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess’s version of Emma and Dexter’s love story. With a story that spanned 23 years,One Daywas the textbook definitive of a friends-to-lovers story that will make viewers laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. As a poignant and sentimental account of how friendship turns into something deeper,One Daywas a triumph.
