Within theromancegenre, you have your fair share of tropes. The third-act breakup that occurs when the two lovers have a huge fight when the movie is almost over before dramatically getting back together. The scene in which person A runs through an airport to get to person B before they board their plane, and always makes it. Or the two best friends who swear they see each other as siblings but secretly harbor romantic feelings. Tropes any romance lover knows well enough since they’re constantly used in these classic rom-coms.
There’s only one trope that doesn’t ever seem to get old if it’s done right, and that’s the enemies-to-lovers storyline. Two people who genuinely can’t stand each other and bicker more than they have normal conversations, but somehow end up falling in love. Let’s take a look at the best romance movies that depict the enemies-to-lovers trope.
20Ella Enchanted (2004)
Ella Enchanted
Anne Hathaway makes it on this list twice, once as a queen and the other as Ella inElla Enchanted. Since she was a baby, Ella was cursed by a spell that made her unable to use free will. In the land in which this story takes place, there are all types of creatures that inhabit the area, such as elves, ogres, and even giants. Of course, there’s a famous prince who’s beloved by almost everyone he meets and is portrayed as a heartthrob by his loyal fan base. When Ella and Char meet, the prince is shocked to learn that she’s not charmed by his good looks and treats him as if he were anyone else.
Hathaway Is a Rom-Com Legend
Throughout the film, they have their moments where their arguing gets them into tough situations, such as singing in front of a bunch of giants and fighting off evil step-sisters. As time goes on, Ella and Char realize they don’t detest each other as much as they thought, and end up getting their happily ever after. Hugh Dancy and Anne Hathaway also makea really adorable couplewho love to bicker but also always have each other’s backs.Stream on Paramount+ and DirecTV.
19Anyone But You (2023)
Anyone But You
Anyone But You is a romantic comedy by director Will Gluck starring Sydney Sweeny and Glen Powell. Sweeny and Powell star as Bea and Ben, two strangers with an incredible first date that goes sour following one incident at the tail end. Thinking the worst is behind them, the two are roped into a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia, where they’ll have to pretend to be a couple despite absolutely hating each other.
Sydney Sweeney, whom youmight know fromEuphoria,starred in the enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating rom-comAnyone but Youalongside Glen Powell. It tells the story of Bea and Ben, who meet and have an amazing first date, but then become estranged due to a misunderstanding. When Bea’s sister is all set to marry Ben’s best friend’s sister, the two of them are forced into the same place again. Bea and Ben make a dealto fake-date each otherduring the wedding to placate their nosy families but sparks fly alongside fiery insults that make them both rethink their decision.
Uses Tropes in all the Right Ways
Sydney Sweeney has proved herself to be capable of great things and this movie proves that she is great at the tried and tested field of rom-com. Glen Powell’s character compliments her Bea perfectly, and they make us wish we were also on a romantic wedding getaway with our frenemy. Their arrangement makes it hard for them to not feel their sexual tension. The events leading up to their final reconciliation make the grand gesture sweet and totally worthwhile.Not yet available to stream.
18Red, White and Royal Blue (2023)
Red, White and Royal Bluequickly becamea sensation when the novel was releasedby Casey McQuinston in 2019, dominating the bestseller list and was in talks of being adapted into a film not long after its release. This sweet story focuses on two individuals, Prince Henry from Britain and Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the President of the United States. The animosity between the two quickly turns into heated love when a misunderstanding clears up.
A Lovable and Charming Romance
When Alex and Henry first meet at a royal wedding, things get off to a rough start as they fight and ruin the wedding cake, quickly establishing the enemies part of this trope. However, as the two are forced to spend more time together, they then realize that they secretly really enjoy each other, and once they enter a friends-with-benefits relationship, things get incredibly messy for the two. Starring Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex and Nicholas Galitzine as Henry, this movie quickly made a lot of fans across the globe.Stream on Prime Video.
17Life as We Know It (2010)
Life as We Know It
InLife as We Know It, we see Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl as Eric and Holly, who hate each other with a passion after their best friends Alison and Peter attempt to set them up on a blind date. Peter and Alison get married and have a baby daughter. But tragedy occurs when they are killed in a car crash and godparents Eric and Holly are forced to live together and take care of her. But when they put their differences aside for little Sophie, they discover romantic feelings underneath all that animosity.
For the Forced Proximity Lovers
The film takes full advantage of the enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes. If Eric and Holly were never forced to live together, they probably would have spent the rest of their lives hating each other, but that does not happen. Heigl and Duhamel do a fantastic job of first hating and then loving each other and their chemistry is so palpable you’re able to feel the tension through the screen. Throw an adorable child in the mix and you have got yourself a great rom-com. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll swoon atLife as We Know It.Stream on Max.
16The Bounty Hunter (2010)
The Bounty Hunter
Gerard Butler is on this list twice, and it’s been years sinceButler has been in a rom-com; what’s up with that?The Bounty Hunterfollows a divorced couple, Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) and Milo (Butler). Milo is an ex-police officer turned bounty hunter who is tasked to retrieve Nicole, his ex and an investigative reporter, when she skips her bond hearing, revoking her bail. But when Milo catches up to Nicole and captures her, they get into a load of trouble with the people whom Nicole is investigating.
Enemies-to-Lovers With Added Action
Aniston and Butler are great and hilarious together as Nicole constantly slips out of Milo’s grasp, but Milo always manages to catch up with her, no matter what she tries. They get caught up in some shady things, and as they work together to make it out alive, they come to the conclusion that they both have unresolved feelings for each other.Estranged couples havealways been the lifeblood of enemies-to-lovers movies and even though this film is more of an action comedy, the two main characters make for a hilariously adorable couple we cannot help but love.Stream Prime Video.
15The Proposal (2009)
The Proposal
The Proposal (2009) is a romantic comedy about a high-powered book editor who persuades her assistant to marry her in order to avoid deportation to Canada. As they navigate the complexities of their unconventional agreement, unexpected emotions and humorous situations unfold, challenging their perceptions of love and commitment.
The Proposalis the classic story of a marriage of convenience, but with real feelings at the end of it, which we love. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock have so much chemistry, and they’re both so hilarious, that it makes them a great duo in this rom-com. What starts off as a tense work relationship between a hardheaded boss and her assistant, morphs into a full-fledged romance as they rush to get married, to save Susan (Bullock) from leaving the country.
Incredible Chemistry from the Leads
The fact that the two main characters are so different in nature only makes this movie more entertaining. We get to see how the two of them learn more about each other and slowly start falling head-over-heels in love.The late Betty Whiteplays a hilarious character, and there are so many memorable scenes, that this movie is perfect if you need a pick-me-up.Stream on Hulu, FuboTV, and DirecTV.
20 Rom-Coms Like The Proposal You Need to Watch Next
If you liked The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, here are 20 other rom-coms you’re bound to love.
14Hum Tum (2004)
Even though there is an abundance ofrom-coms in Bollywood, none of them nailed the enemies-to-lovers trope quite likeHum Tum.It tells the story of Riya and Sameer, who meet on a plane and end up spending a day when their flight stops in Amsterdam. Cartoonist Sameer, who is a carefree playboy, realizes that he feels a connection towards Riya even though her serious disposition is vastly different from his personality. They part ways on a bitter note, but over the years, fate keeps bringing them together until they cannot deny their love for each other anymore.
A Fated Romance
The film stars Rani Mukherjee as Riya and Saif Ali Khan as Sameer, who have great chemistry on screen even when they are annoyed with each other. Sameer accompanies Riya during some of her happiest days and stays beside her to console her during her heartbreak. The best thing about their movie is the realistic pace with which their relationship moves and it makes their final confession that much sweeter.Stream on Prime Video.
13The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement (2004)
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Anne Hathaway will forever be known as the Queen of Genovia, and we’re hoping at some pointwe’ll get a third movieto catch up with Mia. After she’s crowned in the first film, we come back in the second movie to find out she needs to be married in one month. As she’s courted by dozens of eligible bachelors, she meets Prince Nicolas, who’s different from the others, and not in a good way. He and his uncle come to Genovia for sinister reasons, and as Nicolas tries to get under Mia’s skin and work his way into the title of king, the two come to realize they like each other more than they originally thought.
A Timeless Classic Teen Rom-Com
It’s a great follow-up to the first film, and the budding romance between Nicolas and Mia is a fantastic build-up. The two of them already had some chemistry in the first film, but things get even more heated and interesting inPrincess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. The small instances where we see Nicholas falling more and more due to Mia’s kind heart and respecting her as a ruler make us swoon. The scene where Nicholas professes his love for Mia is one of the classic proposal scenes every girl dreamed of in their childhood.Stream on Disney+.
12The Ugly Truth (2009)
The Ugly Truth
The Ugly Truth explores the dynamic between a romantically challenged morning show producer and a brash television host who offers unfiltered relationship advice. As their professional and personal lives intertwine, they confront their preconceived notions about love and attraction. This film delves into themes of modern romance, gender dynamics, and the complexities of human connections through humor and candid dialogue.
Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star in the 2009 rom-comThe Ugly Truth, directed by Robert Luketic. It features Abby (Heigl), a morning TV show producer who has bad luck in love but never stops believing in it. Following a drop in her show’s ratings, the company decides to add Mike Chadway (Butler) to the team, a man with a totally different stance on love who she dislikes from the get-go. To settle things between them, Abby and Mike come to an agreement: if he manages to help her win over her crush with his skills as a heartthrob, she will stop treating him badly at work. Otherwise, Mike must quit the show and leave without looking back.
A Chaotic Plot and Electric Chemistry
Whenever there is a bet involved in a rom-com, we can already predict the chaos that is bound to follow, and this film is no different. Even though Abby and Mike are determined to prove each other wrong, they cannot focus on their task when their incredible chemistry and sexual tension blur the lines they draw in their contentious relationship. Heigl and Butler make a great pair whose chemistry makes it the favorite rom-com of a lot of people.Stream on FuboTV, DirecTV, and Starz.
20 Rom-Com Couples Who Had Amazing Chemistry
Through mixtapes and meet-cutes, will-they-or-won’t-they tensions, and surprise kiss confessions, these rom-com couples have left a mark on the genre.
11Me Before You (2016)
Me Before You
Me Before Youis the 2016 film that marked Thea Sharrock’s directorial debut. In it, the enemies-to-lovers dynamic takes a slight twist, as the disdain comes from only one of the main characters.Me Before Youfeatures Lou, a hard-working young woman who lands a job as a caregiver to Will, a man who was paralyzed after an accident. Will’s cynical and enraged attitude clashes with Lou’s cheerful optimism, and she makes it her personal mission to prove to this man that life is meant to be lived. Naturally, time will change their feelings as they embark on the most important relationship of their lives.
A More Emotional Offering
Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin star in this romantic film, joined by Janet McTeer, Charles Dance, Steve Peacocke, and Matthew Lewis. The film has a bittersweet ending that leaves the audience in tears. Clarke and Claflin’s growing love is so heartwarming that the ending hits us harder. However, it is a great story of living your life and going into your death with dignity and surrounded by the people you love and is definitely worth a watch.Rent or buy on Apple TV.
