- enemies to lovers
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You know it and you love it: the first trope is enemies to lovers. This trope follows characters that initially hate each other — are repulsed at the thought of being in each other’s presence — but by the end of the film are more in love than you can imagine.
You might think this narrative is played-out and overdone. But, when done right, nothing beats this arc. Which brings me to the best enemies to lovers representation in film, “10 Things I Hate About You.”
This movie follows heroine Katherine “Kat” Stratford, who is unknowingly set up to date Patrick Verona, a guy she can’t stand. Kat is known for being “undateable” and badly-tempered, unlike her sister who is only allowed to date after Kat does. Patrick gets paid to woo Kat, but in the process, ends up falling for the one girl he never imagined he’d love.
What’s so special about this movie is the way the characters slowly but surely let their guards down and learn to understand each other despite their initial assumptions. It’s that intimacy that leads them to fall in love. As a bonus, Kat’s famous monologue can bring anyone to tears, so watching this movie is surely a must!
- friends to Lovers
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One of the most heartwarming storylines is the journey from friends to lovers. It’s simple yet sweet, and the slow-burn of watching two people navigate the blurred lines between friends and something more never gets tiring. This trope usually follows two people who have ruled out dating in favor of keeping the friendship, but eventually discover that their bond goes deeper and they can’t ignore it anymore.
There are so many movies to choose from, but in my opinion, “Friends with Benefits” is the most fun. The film revolves around Jamie and Dylan, two singles who meet in New York through work and naively decide to start sleeping with each other, never expecting to end up with feelings.
As you can imagine, their pact to just stay friends does not last. “Friends with Benefits” is a movie about being true to your feelings and not being scared to show vulnerability. It’s about the thin line between friendship and love, and how easy it is to cross.
But if that’s not convincing enough for you, the film stars Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake.
Screen Gems Castle Rock Entertainment - Fake Relationship
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Finally, we have fake relationships. In this trope, the main characters pretend they’re dating for the benefit of one or both of them, but of course, acting like a couple madly in love leads to them falling for real.
By far, the best movie for this trope is “The Proposal.” Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds star in this light, fun romantic comedy as Margaret and Andrew. In the film, Sandra’s character Margaret needs to fake a relationship with her assistant, Andrew, to avoid deportation from the U.S., as her visa is about to expire.
Not only do you get the pleasure of watching these two characters fall in love with each other, but Margaret and Andrew’s personalities and interactions with all the other people in the movie are so genuine and funny that even if you weren’t sold on the romance, you’ll still love it. From peak comedic moments to heartfelt conversations, “The Proposal” will remain a classic and the best for this trope.
Even though these tropes might seem predictable, there’s nothing like a cheesy romance movie to immerse yourself in the world of love, comedy and happily ever afters!
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