Summary
- Friends-to-lovers movies capture the heartwarming journey of platonic friends realizing they belong together romantically.
- Recent films in this genre feature diverse couples, breaking stereotypes and showcasing love stories in new and exciting ways.
- Chemistry between lead actors and fresh storytelling techniques make friends-turned-lovers films a beloved and timeless genre.
There are various different kinds of cinematic romance, but friends-to-lovers movies remain popular for a reason. Some of the most popular movie romances are those involving a friendship that develops into something more. The setup is simple: lifelong best friends one day realize they're in love with each other. Often one friend is in love from the start but it's unrequited, with the other coming to realize that the one they truly loved was right in front of them. From rom-coms to superhero stories, these friends-to-lovers movies strike a chord.
Friends-turned-lovers romances have always been favorites for audiences who enjoy the heartwarming feeling of watching a platonic relationship develop into something more. Best friends becoming lovers is one of the oldest romance movie tropes out there, and yet fans simply can't get enough of it. In recent years, friends-to-lovers movies have become even more diverse, telling love stories centered on people of color and even same-sex couples. Not all fictional friends-turned-lovers are equal though, and some stand out more than others.
10 2000s Rom-Com Couples With The Best Chemistry
From Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy to Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give, the 2000s were full of well-matched romcom couples.20 Single All The Way (2021)
Going Home For The Holidays Opens Up More More Than Presents
Single All The Way
*Availability in US
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- rent
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- Director
- Michael Mayer
- Release Date
- December 2, 2021
- Cast
- Jennifer Coolidge , Jennifer Robertson , Barry Bostwick , Luke Macfarlane , Philemon Chambers , Kathy Najimy , Michael Urie
- Runtime
- 99 minutes
Single All The Way made history as Netflix's first-ever same-sex Christmas movie. The story begins when Peter (Michael Urie) discovers his boyfriend is married right before he's set to take him home for the holidays. Not wanting to show up alone, he convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to go with him. Their strictly platonic relationship is then more complicated as Nick starts noticing how great Peter is when he's around his family.
The premise sounds like the kind of story seen in so many rom-coms and that is part of the appeal. However, Single All The Way distinguishes itself by putting an LGBT couple to be at the center of a very typical romance story, making it feel fresh and original. Peter and Nick have incredible chemistry together, so audiences find themselves genuinely rooting for them throughout (and they payoff when they do find eachother is all the more satisfying for it).
19 Plus One (2019)
Two College Buddies Develop Feelings Wingmaning At Weddings
Plus One
- Director
- Jeff Chan , Andrew Rhymer
- Release Date
- June 14, 2019
- Cast
- Maya Erskine , Jack Quaid , Beck Bennett , Rosalind Chao , Perrey Reeves , Ed Begley Jr.
- Runtime
- 98 Minutes
Plus One is an underrated independent romantic comedy that was a major success at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 starring The Boys' Jack Quaid and Pen15's Maya Erskine. It follows best friends from college Ben King (Quaid) and Alice Mori (Erskine) who decide to endure a wild summer wedding season together by being each other's plus-ones. Though they start as each other's wingmen, Alice starts to recognize her feelings for Ben.
This is one of several great friends-to-lovers movies that also starts with the eventual couple trying to help one-another find other people
Plus One is clearly made by people who love rom-coms but want to avoid seeing the same clichés over and over. This results in one of the better takes on the genre in recent years with the two leads elevating it even further. This is one of several great friends-to-lovers movies that also starts with the eventual couple trying to help one-another find other people, proving that the spark of passion they find in the movie is entirely new.