There aren’t many things that are worse than sitting down to watch a movie that promises romance, excitement, tension, and thrills, only to discover a few minutes in that the leads have no chemistry with each other. There’s a reason that productions of any sort tend to do “chemistry reads” with their cast members to see how well they work together, even before anyone is officially cast. This chemistry doesn’t always have to be romantic — but in a rom-com, it definitely does.
Still, movies come out and their audiences are disappointed by the lack of spark between the lead actors. Even consummate professionals, rom-com veterans, or simply actors who are really great in other stuff sometimes can’t jump this simple hurdle, and since the movie rides only on the strength of its romance, these films often feel lacking some essential element. It’s difficult to say what makes great chemistry and what doesn’t, but you certainly notice the lack when there isn’t any.
Because we love to torture ourselves, we revisited some of the most famously unbelievable couples in rom-com history, whose actors, professionals though they are, just couldn’t seem to hit it off. Some of these movies are famous flops, and some were hits but failed to stand the test of time. Maybe there’s a weird energy, or maybe they just aren’t playing off each other’s vibe the way that they should, or maybe they’re simply unbelievable as a romantic pairing together. For whatever reason, these movies tried to make it work, but left the audience on read.
10 Rom-Com Couples with Absolutely Zero Chemistry
Despite their best efforts, we don’t ship any of them together.
Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky
READ MORE: The 10 Worst Romantic Comedy Cliches
Movies That Are Shockingly Rated PG
These movies are filled with content that might not be suitable for younger kids. But they all received a PG rating anyway.
