A Glean movie guide
From Rivals to Romance
The ultimate enemies-to-lovers guide.
The best movies proving there is a thin line between mutual disdain and true love.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Pride & Prejudice
The definitive example of the trope, where first impressions and social standing create a legendary romantic rift.
A story of love and life among the landed English gentry during the Georgian era. Mr. Bennet is a gentleman living in Hertfordshire with his overbearing wife and five daughters, but if he dies their house will be inherited by a distant cousin whom they have never met, so the family's future happiness and security is dependent on the daughters making good marriages.
- 02
10 Things I Hate About You
A sharp high-school spin on Shakespeare where a paid ruse turns into a genuine, if hostile, connection.
On the first day at his new school, Cameron instantly falls for Bianca, the gorgeous girl of his dreams. The only problem is that Bianca is forbidden to date until her ill-tempered, completely un-dateable older sister Kat goes out, too. In an attempt to solve his problem, Cameron singles out the only guy who could possibly be a match for Kat: a mysterious bad boy with a nasty reputation of his own.
- 03
Anyone But You
A modern destination-wedding comedy that uses the fake-dating trope to mask a very real mutual disdain.
After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben’s fiery attraction turns ice cold — until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.
- 04
The Proposal
A high-stakes workplace power struggle softens into romance during an unexpected family trip to Alaska.
When she learns she's in danger of losing her visa status and being deported, overbearing book editor Margaret Tate forces her put-upon assistant, Andrew Paxton, to marry her.
- 05
You've Got Mail
Business rivals by day and anonymous soulmates by night in this quintessential 90s romantic comedy.
Book superstore magnate Joe Fox and independent book shop owner Kathleen Kelly fall in love in the anonymity of the Internet—both blissfully unaware that he's trying to put her out of business.
- 06
Red, White & Royal Blue
An international PR crisis forces a U.S. first son and a British prince to turn their feud into a secret romance.
After an altercation between Alex, the president's son, and Britain's Prince Henry at a royal event becomes tabloid fodder, their long-running feud now threatens to drive a wedge in U.S./British relations. When the rivals are forced into a staged truce, their icy relationship begins to thaw and the friction between them sparks something deeper than they ever expected.
- 07
The Hating Game
Two executive assistants take workplace competition to the extreme in this faithful adaptation of the hit novel.
Resolving to achieve professional success without compromising her ethics, Lucy embarks on a ruthless game of one-upmanship against cold and efficient nemesis Joshua, a rivalry that is complicated by her growing attraction to him.
- 08
Much Ado About Nothing
The original 'merry war' of wits, featuring Beatrice and Benedick’s iconic transition from insults to intimacy.
In this Shakespearean farce, Hero and her groom-to-be, Claudio, team up with Claudio's commanding officer, Don Pedro, the week before their wedding to hatch a matchmaking scheme. Their targets are sharp-witted duo Benedick and Beatrice -- a tough task indeed, considering their corresponding distaste for love and each other. Meanwhile, meddling Don John plots to ruin the wedding.
- 09
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
A high-octane action flick where a bored married couple realizes they are rival assassins tasked with killing each other.
A husband and wife struggle to keep their marriage alive until they realize they are both secretly working as assassins. Now, their respective assignments require them to kill each other.
- 10
It Happened One Night
The foundational screwball comedy that perfected the bickering-on-the-road dynamic.
A runaway heiress makes a deal with the rogue reporter trailing her but the mismatched pair end up stuck with each other when their bus leaves them behind.
- 11
Palm Springs
A cynical time-loop comedy where two wedding guests are forced to confront their mutual annoyance and existential dread.
When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated when they find themselves unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.
- 12
The Cutting Edge
A classic sports romance where a figure skater and a hockey player must overcome clashing egos for Olympic gold.
Two former Olympians, one a figure skater and the other a hockey player, pin their hopes of one last shot at Olympic glory on one another. That is, of course, if they can keep from killing each other in the process...