Something is missing: These 7 rom-com couples hardly had any chemistry on screen

On-screen chemistry inspires people to have faith in love in real life. Flirtatious energy, yearning looks, playful exchanges, or some unspoken connection, these are always fan favourite moments in rom-com, as they always wish to see a happily ever after kind of couple on screen. But sometimes irresistibly enchanting scripts or high-profile casts can’t even save a movie. When discussing a rom-com, you can’t deny that chemistry is the soul of the story.

A cliche narrative can easily change into a lively tale if there is great chemistry on screen. Many aspects need to be considered for the failure of a movie due to poor chemistry between couples, like contrasting vibe, shallow script, storytelling techniques, unseen interactions of the cast, and lastly, unconvincing casting. When there is no chemistry, rom-coms fail to deliver that emotional impact. Additionally, an actor’s career can be outshone in that particular genre for poor chemistry.

Here, we will explore seven rom-com couples who hardly had chemistry on screen. Through these examples, you will see how chemistry is the key.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

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Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet in Falling For Christmas

Although there was such a cheerful atmosphere with the comeback magic of the hero on screen, Falling For Christmas, with a promising cast, failed to impress the audience. The story was quite predictable as it followed the “Opposite Attract” theme, but it wouldn’t have mattered if the chemistry was enchanting. It felt unnatural and forceful—the interplay between the romantic leads. Sierra Belmont (Lindsay Lohan), a privileged heiress, and Jack Russell (Chord Overstreet), a generous lodge proprietor, are a good-looking couple, yet they lacked something, as there was a lack of chemistry, which is the key ingredient in rom-com.

Romantic dramas draw strength from the passionate connection. The dialogues felt more practical than engaging, their blossoming love hardly kindled any warmth. The narrative's pace could be an issue, there were some defining moments, like when they left little room to build real chemistry. After Lindsay’s amnesia, their nurturing trust was concluded kind of hastily—otherwise, these moments could have been the pivotal moment in the film. There was a lack of tonal harmony, and Overstreet's authentic acting disrupted Lohan’s wider comic style. It was a missed opportunity as the primary romantic plot came short, despite having a seasonal joy and retro charm, the film disappointed the audience.

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Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher in Your Place Or Mine

Viewing Your Place or Mine is like watching two strangers forcefully trying to create chemistry because they are just instructed to do so. Though the film had star-driven charm as Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon were the central pair as Debbie and Peter, with a solid narrative hook, their dynamic felt dull on screen. Rom-com doesn’t work like that—it’s all about giving you butterflies, flooding your face with happiness, and occasionally getting lost in thoughts, all of these make the audience cheer for the romance. On the other hand, Peter and Debbie’s connection felt emotionally close but not romantic. The story begins with a romantic vibe as the couple spends a romantic night together in Los Angeles, then the plot shifts to twenty years later.

The film largely depended on long-distance communication, as the couple was living in different cities suppressed chances for the heartfelt face-to-face moments. It felt like the couple was acting in an alternate reality—something was missing, no spark, no romantic glances, no charm, just uncomfortable banter. There was a scene that could have been comedic perfection, where Debbie was clumsily handling Peter’s Los Angeles lifestyle, but it was kind of cringeworthy and not amusing at all. Their comic banter with humor was lacking, as there was no chemistry, which was essential for convincing the audience.

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Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson in Marry Me

It's a perfect rom-com plot, where a fashion-forward queen popstar, Jennifer Lopez as Kat Valdez, meets with an offbeat fellow, Owen Wilson as Charlie Ghilbert. A whirlwind of confusion follows, and in the end, love wins. Sounds great, right? Except for their chemistry, which failed to sell the romance to the audience. J. Lo and Owen Wilson have such great personas, but on screen, it was like two excellent ingredients mixed to make a fine dish, but it came out unappetizing.

With grace and openness owning the screen, Jennifer usually delivered her irresistible presence on screen, and Owen Wilson brought relatable humor with his friendly approach. Despite that, the absence of chemistry in dialogues couldn’t make them an endearing romantic pair. It was lacking emotional depth, a rapid love affair on the surface. The film sidelined the rom-com aspects as it was more centered around Jennifer’s musical power. When the leading actor missed the mark, the supporting actors outshone by adding humor. With its glossy and polished plot, Marry Me was unable to win the audience’s heart as a rom-com movie, as Lopez and Wilson’s chemistry was mediocre.

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Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant in Two Weeks Notice

Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant’s mismatched chemistry proves that two high-profile stars don’t always spark together. In the rom-com genre, palpable chemistry is a must. A crusading lawyer was employed by a billionaire developer, Lucy Kelson, and George Wade, who squabble through towards love. The narrative thread kind of gravitates toward repetitive storyline elements. Their playful banter was meant to kindle attraction, but their chemistry felt like a fire that couldn’t catch.

Despite having Grant’s iconic nervous charm and Sandra’s quick-witted humor, their chemistry didn’t bring the heat which needed in this genre. The spontaneous chess game, midnight heart to heart, was there, but when it came to intimacy, it appeared unnatural. The film’s key strength was the ensemble cast and easygoing comedy, which made the film still enjoyable in the midst of the unconvincing chemistry. In short, Two Weeks Notice was a rom-com that didn’t offer "Rom" due to its unlikely couple.

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Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen in Little Italy

In Toronto’s vibrant Little Italy neighborhood, Emma, as Nikki, is a budding culinary artist, and Hyden, as Leo, is a pizzeria staff member who belongs to the families who were adversaries, as both families run pizza restaurants. Nikki and Leo were childhood friends who eventually fell in love. The director tried to make a rom-com with a savory pizza twist, but their stiff chemistry ruined the dish. After an enigmatic dispute, once partners, the fathers of the main protagonists, Sal and Vince, split their business and turned their restaurants into hostile opponents. Nikki’s return to Little Italy brought back the forgotten emotions between her and Leo amid the pizza war between the two families.

The chemistry between Emma and Hayden was underwhelming, despite having a delightful foundation. Christensen’s magnetism failed to match the spark of Robert’s energy, as Emma portrayed ambitious Nikki’s character. Some scenes were designed to ignite, like a drenched soccer game or flirty pizza-making moments, that seemed lifeless and failed to resonate emotionally, which is needed in a rom-com. Expected developments didn’t help as the script relied on conventional ideas. The supporting cast, comprising Danny Aiello and Andrea Martin, added the warmth, but couldn’t repair the chemistry between the leads.

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Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly

Along Came Polly emphasized its inconsistent appeal when Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston teamed up as co-leads, though it was unexpectedly challenging to go along with it, as these two form a romantic connection. The plot offered a story where the leading couple attempted to show an opposite attraction concept. A prudent insurance specialist, Reuben Feffer’s well-ordered universe turned on its head when Polly Prince, a laid-back, noncommittal former classmate, entered his life. The narrative was built around the couple's incompatible lifestyles, Reuben’s fixation on authority in contrast to Polly’s wild, salsa-infused, ferret-crazy energy, which maneuver through dating whimsical errors and character development.

Anniston and Stiller gave charming performances, but individually, there was no palpable chemistry between the two. Something was missing in this pair, no spark uplifted this genre. It came across as more of a story mechanism—they were struggling to spark romance with quirky interactions, which was funny but lacked genuine emotional depth. Moments like Ferret's persuasive focus on slapstick humor over genuine intimacy or spicy food disaster reduced their emotional pull. Lackluster as a love tale, their on-screen chemistry turned out to be light and unremarkable.

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Mandy Moore and John Krasinski in License To Wed

When a couple, Mandy Moore as Sadie Jones and John Krasinski as Ben Murphy, was caught in a pre-marital whirlwind under the wing of an unconventional mentor, Robin Williams as Reverend Frank, the compelling dynamic was remarkably dull. But then the film aspired to be whimsically endearing, though their flat chemistry disrupted the heart of the romance, which is essential to any successful rom-com. The scenes meant to showcase their dynamic, be it teasing banter or quiet intimacy, missed the instinctive bond and lacked spontaneity and fluidity, as seen in timeless examples of this genre.

The script was leaning too heavily on overly fabricated conflicts, as Reverend Frank’s comically impractical pre-marital class outshone possibilities for real emotional chemistry. A believable love story could have been built if the director, Ken Kwapis, hadn’t landed heavily on the slapstick and exaggerated behavior of Williams. While the film was prioritizing humor over emotions, their chemistry appeared to be an after-hours consideration, resulting in a rom-com that missed the key ingredient of this genre, a real romantic chemistry.