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Rom coms where the leads have chemistry

110 replies

noblegiraffe · 12/08/2026 14:39

It being the summer holidays, I am currently in the market for lightweight frothy crap. I've been watching rom coms on Netflix basically at random, whatever it suggests of extremely varied quality. But the main characters just look like they are acting a role.

One of my most recent watches had Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat/Ali G) as the romantic lead (I shit you not), with Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) supposedly falling for him. All the romance of a dental filling, it couldn't have been less convincing.

I swear back in the day rom com leads didn't merely look like colleagues. Has anyone seen any good ones lately where they actually have chemistry?

OP posts:
moonisblue · 13/08/2026 23:40

Falling in Love with Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. Maybe a rom minus the com though!

Neighbours87 · 13/08/2026 23:40

Not recent but the chemistry between goldie hawn and Kurt Russell in particular overboard is incredible

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 13/08/2026 23:42

Piglet89 · 12/08/2026 15:26

As an aside, I might watch “Ladies First” OP. Hadn’t heard of it so thanks for the heads up!

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/13/ladies-first-sacha-baron-cohen-netflix-sexism

I liked it!

Brainstorm23 · 13/08/2026 23:45

Out of Sight - George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez

Challengers - Zendaya, Callum Turner and another guy

Crazy Stupid Love - Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone

The first two are not really rom-coms but the leads have great chemistry.

WitcheryDivine · 13/08/2026 23:45

CypressMoon · 13/08/2026 06:57

No!!! I never for one minute believed that gorgeous woman would go for that tetchy, plain dork of a man.

THANK YOU someone finally said it.

Brainstorm23 · 13/08/2026 23:47

OllyBJolly · 13/08/2026 07:39

I'm currently watching my way through Younger on Amazon Prime. Essentially, it's about a 40 year old woman who gave up her career when she had a baby and has to get back to work on the break up of her marriage. After being chatted up in a bar by a twenty something who assumes she's the same age as he is, she puts in an application for a role as a junior assistant and gets the job. There's magnetic attraction with her and the boss but he believes she's far too young for him and she can't give the game away. There's also real chemistry between her and the guy in the bar. Some interesting plot twists.

Not usually my kind of thing and I can't believe it's held my attention through 6 series. One more to go! It's frothy but funny and most of the characters are great.

I've watched all of this and it's ludicrous as she looks every bit of 40.

ErrolTheDragon · 14/08/2026 00:00

noblegiraffe · 13/08/2026 22:04

I'm surprised anyone suggesting Kelly McGillis having chemistry with anyone as she had zero with Tom Cruise in Top Gun. I mean, surely anyone would manage it with Tom Cruise.

good grief no. Whereas Harrison Ford …

CaringCucumber · 14/08/2026 00:34

Brainstorm23 · 13/08/2026 23:47

I've watched all of this and it's ludicrous as she looks every bit of 40.

Exactly. I managed half an episode.

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 14/08/2026 01:11

God no, I'd rather shag pretty much anyone else on the planet over Tom Cruise. I've pretty much never seen him have any chemistry with anyone in any of his films.

ComedyGuns · 14/08/2026 01:16

Crazy Stupid Love has the most insane chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone! They must have got on as they teamed up again in La La Land.

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