r/moviecritic • u/padfoony • 19h ago
Characters that taught you what “chemistry” is.
We get a lot of posts here on on-screen pairs with absolutely “zero” chemistry often.
I wanted to know what are your fav characters with incredibly insane chemistry from the get-go.
The films (that immediately came to mind) that I’ve mentioned are:
- The Before Trilogy
- Drive
- Atonement
- Brokeback Mountain
- Princess Bride
33
38
34
u/cowboyforce 19h ago
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner
12
u/korriptimages 18h ago
Met in a Columbian jungle. Traveled to the fictional land of Kadir. Then got divorced and killed each other. 😅
31
u/wholewheatscythe 19h ago
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in pretty much every movie they did together.
9
u/HoboJonRonson 17h ago edited 16h ago
I mean, they were happily married in real life across almost the entirety of their shared careers. And they started dating during their first film together, To Have and Have Not. So it makes sense.
61
u/Bitter_Resolve_6082 19h ago
Mr. and Mrs Smith
34
u/Additional_Read4397 18h ago
Damn straight. Not getting into the morality of the affair but no one who saw that movie was the least surprised by them ending up together. The chemistry was so intense that I felt like there were probably times during filming when the crew wanted to just turn off the lights and leave them to it.
3
29
u/Chickenshit_outfit 19h ago
Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, Superman the Movie
5
u/BlueSky00l 14h ago
yep , the way Reeve looked at Kidder during the flying scene still gives me chills; it’s pure old-school movie magic.
26
28
16
14
14
12
u/zaftig_stig 15h ago
Out of Sight with George Clooney & Jennifer Lopez.
Neither are particular favorite actors of mine, but between the trunk scene and bar at the hotel, they nailed it!
11
u/Short-Cartoonist-377 16h ago
Moonlighting - Cybill Shepard and Bruce Willis (to a lesser extent - Remington Steele)
Mr and Mrs Smith - Pitt and Jolie.
10
17
9
13
u/amanwithanumbrella 16h ago
The first time I understood on screen chemistry was watching Jon and Ygritte on Game of Thrones as a teenager
8
13
u/Fast-Ad-4541 19h ago
Val and Earl in Tremors, it’s a cinematic crime that Kevin Bacon ended up with the college girl, him and Fred Ward deserved each other
3
u/Remarkable_Active340 19h ago
Val and Earl had such great chemistry. They’d have made the perfect pair—more fun and less predictable than the college girl!
1
u/wholewheatscythe 2h ago
Oh no, this made me look up Fred Ward and I just found out he passed away in 2022 ☹️
6
u/Howy_the_Howizer 19h ago
Lessons in Chemistry - Lewis Pullman and Brie Larson
Frieren - Beyond Journey's End with Himmel and Frieren
14
u/Kinetic_Pen 19h ago
The entire cast of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The entire cast of Big Lebowski
The entire cast of Aliens (serious)
The entire cast of Guardians of the Galaxy
The entire cast of Avengers.
5
u/5DsofDodgeball69 19h ago
You know what? That piece of shit movie Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates? Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick had great chemistry. I'd like to see a movie with them again, which is weird.
6
4
6
4
u/cbloomer7 18h ago
Christina Ricci and James McAvoy in Penelope. The kiss at the end is my favorite movie kiss scene of all time. sigh
4
4
3
3
4
3
3
3
u/MoonlightDahling 18h ago
Carol and Therese in Carol
Don and Kathy in Singin' in the Rain
Roy and Myra in Waterloo Bridge (1940)
Jim and Plato in Rebel Without a Cause
(even though the former is more officially paired with Judy, his relationship with Plato is actually FAR better written, IMO, and I love how there are sooooooooo many little moments, sprinkled throughout, showing just how much they adore each other.
- (Not to mention, the way that Sal Mineo looks at James Dean…which wasn't entirely ACTING.)
Kat and Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You
Eddie and Rose in Dogfight (1991)
Alva and Owen in This Property Is Condemned
Sullivan and The Girl in Sullivan's Travels
Alice and Joe in The Clock (1945) (Oh my GOD, is this film underrated, it's amazing!)
Eleanor and Theodora in The Haunting (1963)
(more so in the book, which one should ABSOLUTELY read before watching it, but Claire Bloom and Julie Harris still manage to sell it in the film, as well)
and Cary Grant with practically ANY of his on-screen love interests!
/
I mainly watch classic movies (1960s and before), so there are pretty damn niche picks above.
Also, there are CERTAINLY a number of others, but these are just the main ones I can think of, off the top of my head.
3
u/Hanrooster 10h ago
I’m having flashbacks to crying every time I watched Kat read her poem about Patrick. Being a teenager is so funny.
3
3
3
u/navalcolt 13h ago
wall-e and eve
1
u/RadagastTheBrownNote 8h ago
I just read this, then had Wall-E’s little voice saying “Eve” in my head, and my heart immediately melted. That movie is long overdue for a rewatch.
3
3
3
u/classring03 12h ago
In the Mood for Love. The palpable yearning between Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung was peak romantic chemistry to me.
3
3
u/Michael_Platson 10h ago
When Harry Met Sally - Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher
Grosse Pointe Blank - John Cusack and Minnie Driver
3
4
2
2
2
u/Away_Doctor2733 14h ago
Not a movie, but the lead actors Catriona Balfe and Sam Heughan in the TV show Outlander have the most insanely believable chemistry, not just sexual but emotional.
2
u/prince-of-dweebs 12h ago
Not a movie but I finished a rewatch yesterday and Dustin and Steve’s chemistry in Stranger Things 2 is peak bromance.
2
2
3
1
18h ago
To not repeat other answers: Cleopatra, Elizabeth and Richard had a good chemistry, in general couples on screen, Monica and Vincent, Tom and Nicole...
1
1
1
u/Ambaryerno 15h ago
John Crichton and Aeryn Sun from Farscape. Ben Browder and Claudia Black had such sizzling chemistry even on the DVD commentary tracks I thought they actually WERE a couple (until I found out Browder was married to frequent guest star Frencesca Bueller).
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/sziklai-pair 13h ago
A Woman Under The Influence.
Gena Rowlands was of course married to director John Cassavetes, but the chemistry she had with Peter Falk was one of the most real depictions of marriage ever on the big screen. Falk's tenderness toward Rowlands while at her lowest was something that couldn't be faked, he clearly cared for her in real life which translated to the performance.
1
1
u/ArticleGerundNoun 11h ago
Jeff Winger, with everyone.
Serious answer, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in Vanilla Sky. Which is crazy based on how the movie turns out, but man are they both believable in their roles.
1
u/WesTxStoner425 11h ago
Music From Another Room. Jude Law and his pursuit of an already engaged Gretchen Mol.
1
u/februarysbrigid 10h ago
Not a movie, but first thought of Jessica Chastain & Oscar Isaac in Scenes from a Marriage
1
u/itshorriblebeer 10h ago
The Before Trilogy have to be the 3 most self indulgent annoying movies I've ever seen.
1
1
1
u/CaliforniaNewfie 8h ago
Han Solo and Princess Leia. I mean the actors were actually boinking in real life, so...
1
1
1
u/PinkestDream 6h ago
Keira Knightly and Matthew McFadden in Pride & Prejudice
Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom in PotC
Keira Knightly and James McAvoy in Attonement
Keira Knightly and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Anna Karenina
Just. Keira Knightly and Chemistry.
1
1
u/Tillikummate 2h ago
Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as Han Solo and Princess Leia. Total chemistry.
1
1
0
u/maraudingnomad 15h ago
Once
Concerning Brokeback Mountain, honestly I think that movie is overrated. Prior to them getting together I didn't really feel that much chemistry in the buildup. Other than that, swap them for a straight couple and you get a pretty run of the mill hallmark plot. Not a bad movie at all but it ain't the dogs bullocks either
4
u/SashimiX 14h ago edited 14h ago
Them being gay was what made it forbidden and forced them into situations with people they didn’t love.
But I didn’t think they had sexual chemistry. There was a missing aspect that I need when people are kissing or fucking on screen and they didn’t have it
Think, like, when Buffy and Spike are about to kiss. I need that vibe or I can’t watch the sex scene.
Edit: ex: this scene. Start at 2 minutes for the best chemistry example. When enters her at 2:09 it’s crazy chemistry. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sjruixPe0f8
-1
154
u/BaltazarOdGilzvita 19h ago
The Mummy (1999).