10 Romance Movies With Better Friendships Than Couples
Romance movies are known for their meet-cutes, dating montages, and grand romantic gestures. However, some of these love stories fall flat. This can be because the two characters lack chemistry. Or, it can be due to the couple having unredeemable issues in their relationship.
In certain movies, the love story fails to land because the friendships in the film are stronger. The protagonist's platonic relationships can be just as, or even more so, entertaining than their romantic ones. A viewer may choose to watch a romance movie for the main couple, but the friendships in the film often leave a more lasting impression.
10 P.S. I Love You (2007)
After the death of her husband Gerry, Holly starts receiving letters in the mail from him. The letters offer advice and tell the story of their romance. However, Holly's friendship with Sharon and Denise helps her process her grief better than the letters.
Both of her friends encourage her to leave her apartment; they also accompany her to Ireland to say goodbye to Gerry. Holly's romance with the other Irishmen is lackluster, but the relationship she has with her friends is more satisfying.
9 Notting Hill (1999)
William, a bookstore owner, falls in love with Anna, one of the most famous American actresses. The two start to date, but Anna's deceit tears the two apart. The two of them make up at the end, but their relationship has more flaws than strengths.
Will's group of friends are better suited for one another than the couple is; they hang out all the time and are always there for one another. The group's friendship is built on trust, while Anna and Will's relationship is built on lies.
8 She’s The Man (2006)
She's The Man is an adaptation of Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night where the protagonist Viola poses as her twin brother Sebastian so she can play soccer. Her roommate and love interest Duke trains her on the field, but her friends do more to help her than Duke.
Paul gives her a makeover to look like a guy. Also, her two friends Yvonne and Kia, pretend to be her exes to make her more popular. Viola's friends do most of the heavy lifting in Viola's scheme and prevent her from getting caught.
7 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
Scott Pilgrim falls in love with the cool and mysterious Ramona Flowers at first sight. But, he must fight her seven exes to be with her. Because of Ramona's unrealistic nature and Scott's problematic behavior, most of the audience doesn't root for their relationship.
Instead, viewers are more interested in Scott's intriguing friends; his bandmates, Stephen and Kim, are passionate about their music, and his roommate and friend Wallace also delivers some of the best one-liners in the film.
6 Chemical Hearts (2020)
The hopeless romantic Henry pursues a relationship with the new girl Grace. The two begin dating, but Grace sends Henry many mixed signals because she has a lot of emotional and physical trauma from an accident that killed her boyfriend.
Henry and his friends Lola and Mark remain incredibly close throughout the film. They're all odd but authentically themselves with one another. It's important to have good friends as a teenager because one's emotions run wild, and every problem seems like life or death.
5 My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Jules tries to sabotage her friend Michael's wedding after realizing that she loves him. But, Michael ends up marrying Kimmy. Both of these romantic pairings have many issues. The enjoyable relationship of My Best Friend's Wedding is actually between Jules and her friend George.
Being the good friend that he is, George tries to make Jules see sense. They fight but make amends. The last scene of the film is them dancing together. This leads the audience to believe that their friendship is the movie's most important dynamic.
4 The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)
Lucy holds on to things that remind her of different heartbreaks. She decides to create "The Broken Hearts Gallery," a collection of her keepsakes and others in Nick's hotel. Their relationship is cute, but Lucy's friendship with Amanda and Nadine is more profound.
When Lucy messes up, they tell her so. When she needs cheering up, they help rouse her spirits. They're also strongly defensive of Lucy. Amanda, Nadine, and Lucy are the kind of friends who would do anything for one another without needing to ask any questions.
3 Never Been Kissed (1999)
The reporter Josie goes undercover at a high school. She has a romance with her English teacher Sam, who expresses feelings for her while thinking she's a teenager. This makes their relationship uncomfortable to watch.
Josie's friendships are less dubious. Her co-worker Anita helps her go undercover. Also, her teen friend Aldys is kind to her when others are not. When Josie stands against the popular kids on behalf of Aldys, it's a more powerful moment than the scene where she gets her first kiss.
2 Aquamarine (2006)
The mermaid Aquamarine strikes a deal with her father; if she proves that true love exists, she doesn't have to marry a man she's never met. She enlists Claire and Hailey to help make Raymond fall in love with her.
Hailey and Claire become friends with Aqua, bonding over magazines and trips to the mall. Near the end of the movie, they jump in the ocean during a storm to save her life. Their friendship proves the existence of true love, not Aqua's romance with Raymond.
1 Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
The Bridget Jones's Diary trilogy is a modern retelling of the novel Pride and Prejudice. The protagonist, Bridget, has a romance with her deceitful boss Daniel, but, she also falls for Mark, a kind but stiff lawyer.
While Bridget's dating life is the main plot, many interludes feature her tight-knit group of friends. Their scenes are the most entertaining of the film. Her friends make her feel less alone, and they even offer to take her to Paris when she's suffering from a broken heart.