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Most audiences love romance movies. They evoke excitement, sadness, joy, and sometimes, all these feelings and more as the film's two love interests finally come together. Not every romance movie depicts a believable romance, though, and some are simply... weird. To highlight some fictional romances that just don't make sense, here are 10 romance movies where the power dynamic is weird.
Never Been Kissed (1999)
This one is a given. Never Been Kissed has problematic power dynamics through and through. On top of the list is Sam Coulson, the high school teacher who sets his sights on Josie. Sure, Josie is actually 25 years old, but Sam doesn’t know this when he’s contemplating a romance between the two. Then there’s Josie’s brother, Rob, who also pretends to be a high schooler and starts a relationship with a classmate, who is a minor. It’s difficult to revisit Never Been Kissed as an adult.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s takes a very different route from its original novella source work; in the Blake Edwards adaptation, Holly and Paul are actually love interests. While some might stop and scoff at Paul entertaining Holly as a romantic interest when she’s so dysfunctional, the real problem is Doc and Holly’s history. Doc married a teenage Holly and took her and her brother, Fred, into his home. In plain sight, Doc is a man twice Holly’s age, and probably older when it’s revealed he has several children of his own. To see Doc persuade Holly to return with him, given how their marriage unfolded and the obvious reasons it was annulled, is unsettling to see.
No Hard Feelings (2023)
Unlike the aforementioned films, it's not the age gap that makes the dynamic in No Hard Feelings so awkward; it's what it’s rooted in, a lie. Maddie lies to Percy throughout their entire relationship, about small details, about her past relationships, and about her actual feelings for him. Even when Percy forgives Maddie, it’s an extremely weird point to start a friendship at, especially when he’s college-bound and their time to genuinely get to know each other is limited to one car ride across the country.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Considering that both Tiffany and Pat have their own respective traumas and health issues to deal with, it’s unfathomable to think that Pat considers Tiffany as a lesser person. That noted, Pat spends the majority of the film underestimating and insulting Tiffany; she, on the other hand, lies to get closer to him. To see Tiffany forgive Pat’s verbal and emotional abuse, and for Pat to overlook Tiffany’s manipulative tactics, all in the name of love, is ridiculous and results in a weak ending for Silver Linings Playbook.
Harold and Maude (1971)
Harold and Maude is actually one of the sweeter romance flicks on the list. What makes Harold and Maude's romance such a weird relationship dynamic is their huge age gap, arguably the longest in film history. Harold is a young man in his 20s, and Maude is a few days away from 80. While the movie excels at highlighting the ironic contrast in their personalities. Harold is obsessed with death, while Maude cherishes every waking moment. To think that this pair can look past their generational differences to somehow function romantically, is utterly contrived.
Grease (1978)
From Rizzo and Kenickie to Danny and Sandy, none of the romances in Grease are plausible in the long term. Rizzo is a self-empowered, progressive thinker who is too strong-willed for the misogynist Kenickie; Sandy is, simply put, too good for Danny. To see these two couples come together is everything short of satisfying.
Licorice Pizza (2021)
No, Licorice Pizza just doesn’t work in any way, shape, or form as a romance flick. Alana is a whole decade older than Gary, and while the majority of the film focuses on their friendship, the fact that Gary alludes to a potential relationship when he’s an adult, and Alana's love confession to Gary, are not only unsavory, but just wrong. This movie would have worked better as a buddy comedy.
(500) Days of Summer
While (500) Days of Summer doesn’t get the happily ever after expected of romance flicks, it’s weird to see Tom and Summer come together in the first place, they are polar opposites. Tom is a hopeless romantic who dreams of meeting the love of his life; Summer holds a cynical outlook on romance, driven by her childhood experiences. Music aside, these two characters have nothing in common, so even a friendship seems unlikely.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
While there are several reasons why Edward and Bella shouldn’t be together, the relationship in question here is Jacob and Bella. Jacob and Bella develop a strong friendship when Edward temporarily abandons Bella; nonetheless, when Edward and Bella reunite, Jacob refuses to accept anything less than romance from Bella, even when she makes it clear she only views him as a friend. Eclipse has Jacob becoming increasingly controlling, aggressive, and crossing Bella’s established boundaries. Bella and Jacob should have parted ways the moment Jacob refused to take no for an answer.
50 Shades of Grey (2015)
50 Shades of Grey is a tale of abuse disguised as a romance. Anastasia spends the majority of the movie adhering to Christian's every sexual desire, and while Christian provides Anastasia with a luxurious lifestyle far above her means, this in and of itself is a manipulation tactic. While Christian is a victim of abuse himself, and acts from his trauma, his treatment of Anastasia is inexcusable, and to try to romanticize their dynamic is unsettling.
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