10 Celebrated Romantic Movies with Toxic Tropes

Trigger warning: discussion of attempted suicide

Romantic Movies Spotlight

Ever watch a so-called "passionate love story" and end up side-eyeing the friend who recommended it? Since it’s the month of love, let’s shine a light on popular romance movies with tropes that really need to die—like, yesterday.

1. Something Borrowed (2011) – Cheating & Betrayal

The movie is based on a book by the same name. Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Darcy (Kate Hudson) have been best friends forever, but Rachel has always had a secret crush on Dex (Colin Egglesfield)—who happens to be engaged to Darcy. One drunken night, Rachel and Dex cross the line, then start a full-blown affair riddled with guilt, secrecy, and justifications about "true love". Instead of being held accountable, the story tries to make us root for them, ignoring the emotional devastation left in their wake. The excuse here is that they used to fancy each other in university. 

Then, the writers have the audacity to try to paint Darcy as the bad guy by having her cheat too and get pregnant in the process. This apparently exonerates Rachel and Dex completely. Man, who needs enemies when you have friends like Rachel. 

2. The Notebook (2004) – Emotional Manipulation & Toxic Persistence

Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) have a supposedly epic love story that begins with Noah —it starts with Noah refusing to take "no" for an answer .

He manipulated her into going out with him by threatening to kill himself. That's the start of an epic love story? On top of that, their relationship is filled with constant breakups then make-ups. Sometimes, a more boring love is a bit easier on the heartstrings.

3. Twilight (2008) – Stalking & Codependency

Bella (Kristen Stewart) moves to Forks and instantly falls for Edward (Robert Pattinson), the mysterious vampire who watches her sleep. Their love is obsessive and develops at a lightning speed.

So, Edward actually tries to kill himself in the sequel over a girl he knew for a nanosecond? Peak unseriousness. I see the writers took a page out of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

What's worse (sincere apologies if you're team Jake) is that I found Jake, her other love interest to be very cringy, so I almost had to root for Edward by default.

There is literally a whole generation of young girls who grew up thinking that Edward's type of stalking was the most romantic thing ever. Wow!

4. My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) – Sabotaging a Relationship

Julianne (Julia Roberts) realizes she’s in love with her best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney)… just days before he’s set to marry Kimmy (Cameron Diaz). Instead of accepting her bad timing, she works hard to sabotage the wedding by lying, manipulating, and even kissing Michael to try to get him for herself. The film tries to redeem her in the end and I'm grateful that the movie ultimately ends without her getting with Michael. Unlike 'Something Borrowed', the bad behaviour is not rewarded.

Again, I can’t imagine getting betrayed by my own best friend like this. 

5. Serendipity (2001) – Leaving Love to Fate Instead of Communication

Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) have an incredible meet-cute but decide to let fate determine if they’ll ever meet again.

Okay, but tell me why Jonathan has a whole fiancée the entire time he is chasing Sara. Let's think about this for a second: he wants the greener grass with someone he just met while there is a woman waiting to say her vows to him? This is just nasty. 

In my opinion, the movie should be renamed 'Seren-stupidity'.

6. Runaway Bride (1999) – Commitment Issues & Emotional Damage

Here we are with Julia Roberts again. Maggie (Julia Roberts) has a habit of leaving men at the altar, and the film attempts to paint her toxic behaviour as quirky. When journalist Ike (Richard Gere) writes a piece detailing her absurd behaviour, she challenges him to get to know the "real" her—only for their romance to follow the same pattern. The movie brushes off the damage she’s caused to her exes. Her actions are entirely selfish. Doing this to men over and over is just so cruel.

I have a personal pet peeve about people who leave their fiancé(e) at the altar on the day. You couldn’t have called things off earlier and saved them the hurt and humiliation. Our dear Maggie is a repeat offender out here. I'm glad that she at least acknowledges that she is the problem.

7. Culpa Tuya (2023) – Step-siblings to Lovers 

I don’t know why so many movies nowadays keep on keeping on with the step-siblings-to-lovers trope. Noah (Nicole Wallace) and Nick (Gabriel Guevara) fell in lust with each other in the first movie ‘Culpa Mia’ after their parents got married. 

The sequel has all sorts of mess. There is cheating (I will not be accepting the excuse of ‘we were on a break’), keeping secrets, manipulation and some type of twisted love pentagon. The most disturbing thing for me is that they legit refer to each other as brother and sister around other people. 

Might I just add, it’s a bit problematic that Noah was 17 years old and Nick was 22 in the first movie. She only graduates high school and becomes legal in ‘Culpa Tuya’. Just putting that out there. So, instead of finding an adult girlfriend, Nick goes for the minor that lives under his roof? I can’t be the only one who’s a bit concerned about that. 

8. Love Actually

Can you imagine if your best friend went to the doorstep of your house to confess his love for your wife? What's worse, can you imagine said wife kissing him afterward? Well, Mark (Andrew Lincoln), spends the entire film being secretly in love with Juliet (Keira Knightley), who is getting married to his best mate, Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Instead of moving on, he secretly films her obsessively at the wedding (exclusively close-ups on her face).

One day, he shows up to the door with cue cards while Peter is inside and none the wiser. It’s said to be so romantic, but in reality, it’s creepy and just plain wrong. We simply cannot allow such levels of shamelessness! Then, Juliet proceeds to kiss him. On the lips! Ewww.

Some people genuinely need to find new best friends.

9. 50 Shades of Grey (2015) – Stalker Behaviour Disguised as Romance

Edward Cullen is the gift that keeps on giving because this one was infamously based off a Twilight fanfiction. Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) meets Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), a handsome, wealthy businessman who is obsessed with control. He dictates what she eats, when she sleeps, and who she interacts with, all under the guise of "love." 

Let's not forget that Christian goes after Anastasia because she looks like his mother. As in, he seeks out sadistic sexual relationships with women who resemble his mother as his own way of punishing her.

As with Twilight, they also do the thing where they give the main character another potential love interest who is worse than the main man. Now, these options are just poor. Now, I have to choose the lesser of two creeps. 

Christian Grey only manages to win the hearts of some audiences because he’s rich, good-looking and broken. Pretty privilege for the win once again. I always say that if they had just slightly changed the soundtrack of this movie to more eerie music, it could be a fantastic psychological thriller. 

10. 365 Days (2020) – Kidnapping 

Massimo (Michele Morrone), an Italian mafia don, straight-up kidnaps Laura (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) because he saw her on a beach some day and tells her she’ll be held captive for 365 days so she can fall in love with him. What ever happened to inviting a woman out for coffee?

Instead of being terrified (which would be a normal reaction), Laura finds herself drawn to him, leading to what many describe as an irresistible, steamy romance. This whole nonsense is based on a Wattpad book, and that much is obvious.

We are 3 for 3 here, because Laura also had a boyfriend and describes their relationship as ‘toxic’ in the film. Being the less worse option should not make Massimo a good option. In fact, he wasn't even an 'option' in the first place!

This film tries to do a twisted ‘Beauty and the Beast’ thing, but completely misses the point. It simply had to be a Wattpad fanfic.

If you disagree with any of my takes or have any other romantic movies that deserve a shoutout, please share your thoughts in the comments. This has been my unsolicited opinion!

-Rebecca Opio