Ever since love stories were invented, they’ve become the be-all-end-all of many films. Romantic comedies, specifically, are supposed to be ideal examples of the perfect real-life love story. But, sometimes the two protagonists seem like the opposite of soulmates.
From epitomized ’90s couples to more modern romantic pairings, rom-coms tend to gloss over some of the core differences and incompatibilities that their romantic leads have. In the end, there are couples from that genre who shouldn’t have gotten together at all.
Cher & Josh – Clueless (1995)
The reason Cher and Josh don’t work isn’t necessarily that they’re incompatible–they get along decently well in the movie. The reason that these two shouldn’t have ended up together is that there’s an uncomfortable sibling connection between the two of them.
After all, Cher and Josh used to live together as step-siblings. Their parents used to be married and the relationship between the parents seems to be good enough that Josh comes to visit Cher and her dad while he’s on break from school. The whole thing is about a step away from incest, and the two should have simply stayed close friends instead.
Sandy & Danny – Grease (1978)
Danny is a movie boyfriend who shows a lot of red flags in his relationship. Not only does he have no problem with his friends problematically asking if Sandy “put up a fight” over summer break, but he routinely shows that he doesn’t really care about her personality.
At the drive-in, all Danny’s interested in is Sandy’s body, even though their supposed connection over the summer was purely emotional. Then, he basically refuses to accept her as his girlfriend until she gives up all of the things that make her herself. Sandy has to go through an entire makeover just for the couple to have a chance.
Allison & Ben – Knocked Up (2007)
Allison and Ben are an example of a couple who managed to get along but don’t necessarily have romantic chemistry. There was nothing in their interactions during the film that led audiences to believe that they were genuinely romantically interested in each other.
Instead, it seemed to be a case of “look at the glass half full,” where they were scrambling for any sort of connection with each other. As opposed to being a couple, it may have made more sense for Allison and Ben to be co-parents to their child.
Lucy & Jack – While You Were Sleeping (1995)
At no point should someone ever pursue a romantic relationship with someone who took advantage of their accident-induced amnesia and made them believe that they had been in a relationship. Lucy was ultimately a perfect stranger to Jack. This behavior isn’t cute, it’s creepy.
Oddly, Lucy and Jack are touted as a wholesome ’90s couple, but Lucy didn’t know Jack from Adam, and their entire relationship started with a perturbed lie on her part. This doesn’t mean that she’s necessarily a bad person, but it does mean that their dynamic from the get-go was off, and she took advantage of him.
Ramona Flowers & Scott Pilgrim – Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
In general, it doesn’t seem like Scott has very much respect for women. He doesn’t even bother to end things with Knives Chau before trying to pursue Ramona, and he views Ramona as a prize to be won instead of as her own complete person.
Scott didn’t deserve Ramona. He was an entitled, creepy guy who had just gotten out of a relationship with a high schooler and the only thing that drew him to Ramona was her disinterest in him and her manic pixie dream girl personality. She could have done a lot better than Scott.
Josie & Sam – Never Been Kissed (1999)
In the same vein as Scott Pilgrim’s problem, Josie and Sam’s trouble lies in suspect attraction to high school students. Sam is akin to Ezra from Pretty Little Liars before the show was even written, and Ezra had a lot of red flags as a TV boyfriend.
Both characters find themselves falling in love with high school students at the school where they teach, and the entire scenario gives off an uncomfortable and illegal vibe. Josie, unlike Aria, may not have actually been a high school student, but Sam didn’t know that and he acted inappropriately anyway. Then, he was upset that she lied—as if her suddenly being an appropriate age for him was a problem.
Sally & Harry – When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Sally and Harry spent the entirety of the film going years without even speaking to each other. They, as stated by the characters themselves, had a lot of philosophical differences about relationships, and Harry even tried to hit on Sally while he was dating her friend, Amanda.
When they do finally hook up, Harry leaves Sally’s place without a word and regrets the entire thing. That’s not to mention the fact that they were clearly harboring romantic feelings for each other but continuing in relationships, engagements, and even marriages with other people.
Abby & Harper – Happiest Season (2020)
Red flags were flying for this Scorpio holiday rom-com couple. Not only did Harper lie about coming out to her parents and put Abby in a horrible and awkward position during their trip, but she repeatedly had no consideration for Abby’s feelings and experience.
Many fans even think Abby had more chemistry with Riley, Harper’s ex-girlfriend. She, at least, was open and honest about who she was. When Abby and Riley go out for drinks, they immediately click better than Abby and Harper and would have been a better endgame couple.
Laney & Zack – She’s All That (1999)
The memorable She’s All That is a classic rom-com archetype, but the movie would have been better if it had just ended in a morality lesson for Zack. Realistically, he never showed Laney enough respect for her to entertain his advances.
Zack’s courtship of Laney is based on a juvenile and superficial bet between him and his friends. He also doesn’t think she’s naturally beautiful and insists on a “makeover” to make her fit in better with the popular crowd. Then, later, he acts as if he needs to “save” her from Dean when she was perfectly capable of handling herself.
Bianca & Cameron – 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Similar to Zack, Cameron lies about almost everything when he first meets Bianca and has a weird misogynistic need to “protect” her from anyone else who wants to pursue her romantically.
There’s no opportunity for the two to really get to know each other, and they don’t have much in common. Cameron thinks he’s obsessed with Bianca and in love with her, but it becomes very clear that he doesn’t know her at all.
