9 ruin-the-friendship romances in films and series: from ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ to ‘Bridgerton’

The first season of Bridgerton followed the fake-dating trope. Season two was built on an enemies-to-lovers dynamic. The third season leaned fully into the ruin-the-friendship trope, centring on the romance between childhood friends Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, affectionately known as Polin.

Penelope had secretly carried a torch for Colin her whole life and was heartbroken when she overheard him telling his friends that he had no intention of ever courting her. But never say never. After a clandestine kiss, a rival suitor and Lady Bridgerton’s wise counsel, Colin realised just how much he truly cared for Penelope.

Fans adored the on-screen—and off-screen—chemistry of the leads, which turned their infamous carriage scene into one of the show’s most iconic moments, and made Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything” an unexpected Regency-era anthem.

Don’t miss: Daphne, Simon, Penelope, Colin: what are the former ‘Bridgerton’ leads doing now?

Adapted from Emma by Jane Austen, this 1996 film stars Gwyneth Paltrow as the charming yet incorrigible Emma Woodhouse. Having had a privileged upbringing, Emma is used to getting her way and is often spared from reproach. Her small social circle adores her and indulges her well-meaning but meddlesome matchmaking schemes, except her old friend Mr Knightley, played by Jeremy Northam. Much to her dismay, he has made a habit of calling her out on her missteps—as only a true friend can and would. 

She’s convinced she can do without him and his constant upbraiding, but when a misunderstanding threatens to take him away, she realises that her feelings for him are deeper than she could have imagined.

Before Poppy and Alex, there was Rosie Dunne and Alex Stewart. Best friends since childhood, the two are inseparable and plan to stay inseparable throughout adulthood. When a shared drunken kiss on Rosie’s 18th birthday threatens to reveal their true feelings for each other, the consequences lead them on separate paths.

Despite staying in touch and occasionally flying out to see each other, time, distance and unspoken words widen the distance between them. Lily Collins and Sam Claflin share a chemistry that keeps you invested, hoping their characters eventually circle back to one another.

In this timeslip, ruin-the-friendship rom-com, 13-year-old Jenna wakes up one day as a 30-year-old, played with whimsy and charm by Jennifer Garner. It seems that all her childhood wishes have come true as she’s grown up to be a confident, glamorous magazine editor.

But not everything makes sense. She’s now frenemies with her high school nemesis, she has a doofus for a boyfriend and worst of all, she seems to have lost touch with her best friend, Matt. 13 Going on 30 chronicles Jenna’s journey to finding her way back to herself and the love that’s been waiting for her all this time.

The Netflix series was adapted from David Nicholls’s bestselling novel about Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew’s 14-year friendship, revisited on the same day each year. What began as an almost one-night stand at university evolved into a lifelong friendship quietly marked by an undercurrent of unresolved sexual tension.

Through the ups and downs, missed opportunities and twists and turns, audiences are drawn into that will-they-or-won’t-they, should-they-or-shouldn’t-they drama that defines their relationship. With sublime performances by Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall, One Day stands out as one of the most touching ruin-the-friendship romances on this list.

When it comes to cinematic ruin-the-friendship couples, nobody comes close to Harry and Sally. In fact, People We Meet on Vacation contains several clear nods to scenes from the 1989 classic. From lines like “men and women can’t be friends…” and the famous Katz’s Deli scene to the little interviews and the heartfelt New Year’s Eve confession, it doesn’t miss a single beat.

It’s a testament to the words of rom-com screenwriting queen Norah Ephron, the sharp direction of Rob Reiner and the pitch-perfect performances of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan that the film has not only stood the test of time but also become the gold standard of ruin-the-friendship rom-coms, often imitated but never surpassed.

This ’80s teen ruin-the-friendship classic, written and produced by John Hughes, follows the love story of Keith and Watts. Both high school outcasts—Keith is a sensitive artist and Watts a tomboyish drummer—they only have each other to lean on.

When Keith falls for the most popular girl in school, Watts volunteers to help her best friend execute the perfect date, all while harbouring secret feelings for him. She’s tried—and failed—to confess her love to Keith several times, but realising she’s nothing like his dream girl, she decides to all but give him up. It’s sweet and heartbreaking, which makes his eventual realisation that the right person has been beside him all along all the more satisfying.

Han Sun-woo and Lee Eun-soo are best friends who secretly have feelings for each other, but bad timing, unspoken feelings and a shared fear of ruining the friendship seem to have robbed them of their chance for something more.

It will take some gentle prodding from well-meaning shippers around them, a suspiciously pointed tarot card reading and a bit of courage from both of them to finally overcome the emotional obstacles standing in their way.

Park Hyung-sik, always a master of yearning, outdoes himself here. His character’s quiet longing for Han So-hee’s Eun-soo is endearing, and their chemistry will have you rooting for them to get together.

NOW READ

When antagonism becomes intimacy: 9 enemies-to-lovers K-dramas

Tired of back-hug clichés? 7 mature slow-burn K-drama romances where the chemistry is real

Review: Emerald Fennell’s movie is hardly ‘Wuthering Heights’ but a great love story