Saagar Kote
Love is a complex feeling, often challenging the hearts of people, whether they are young or old. Romance is not always a linear path of attraction and love, and can mean different things to different individuals. Sometimes, love can arise in the least expected spaces between unlikely people, even enemies. Films have dealt with the romantic trials and tribulations of characters for a long time, but these stories also include those where characters don’t instantly start liking each other, and go through a difficult process of being enemies or opponents first, before finding love.
Since love and enmity are two very layered emotions, their convergence can often be chaotic, serious, hilarious, and also meaningful. When these two seemingly unrelated feelings collide, it leads to intriguing tales of human connection. These films streaming on Netflix, through their layered plots and characters, intricately shed light on the process of finding love through enmity.
9. The Tearsmith (2024)
Directed by Alessandro Genovesi, ‘The Tearsmith’ or ‘Fabbricante di lacrime’ is the story of two orphans named Nica Dover (Caterina Ferioli) and Rigel Wilde (Simone Baldasseroni). Nica is adopted by a married couple, Anna and Norman Milligan. As she hopes to live a life as a family member, finally, her plan is disrupted by the arrival of Rigel, who is also adopted by the Milligans. Coming from the same orphanage where they had heard mysterious stories and faced similar traumas, they find it difficult to live as siblings under the same roof and start to dislike each other.
With their emotions going through tumultuous patches, they eventually develop a mutual romantic attraction, which further complicates their lives. They must find the courage to listen to their souls, while also navigating the challenges of life. The unique connection between Nica and Rigel, along with the themes of childhood and family, adds depth to the narrative, which is based on the eponymous novel by Erin Doom. You can watch Netflix’s Italian romantic drama here.
8. Love Tactics (2022)
Netflix’s ‘Love Tactics’ or ‘Ask Taktikleri’ follows Asli (Demet Özdemir), a fashion designer, and Kerem (Sükrü Özyildiz), an advertising executive. Asli thinks she understands men well, whereas Kerem assumes he has figured out women. Due to challenges issued by her friends, Asli agrees to use her love tactics to charm Kerem, who has also made a deal with his friends to do the same with Asli. As they cross paths, it leads to a complex bond of dislike and affection.
While moving through their social circles to outdo each other, their greatest risk is truly falling in love. With their romantic feelings complicating the situation, they must decide if it is worth giving love a chance. Helmed by Emre Kabakusak, the Turkish drama movie is a nuanced and engrossing take on the journey from dislike to attraction, and the need for genuine human connection. The film can be enjoyed on Netflix.
7. The Hating Game (2021)
In ‘The Hating Game,’ Lucy Hutton (Lucy Hale) and Joshua Templeman (Austin Stowell) are colleagues who dislike each other, especially due to the equal ranks they share in the corporate hierarchy. They constantly attempt to sabotage each other’s prospects in the company to be a managing director. As they compete against each other to attain a corporate position, they also develop unexpected romantic feelings. With their professional and personal lives converging, they must make difficult choices about each other while also navigating the pressures of the corporate world. Directed by Peter Hutchings, the romantic comedy movie is a poignant exploration of enmity and romance between two very different individuals. The visuals and the hilarious dynamics between Lucy and Joshua enhance the story’s entertainment value. The adaptation of the eponymous novel written by Sally Thorne can be streamed here.
6. Love Hard (2021)
Netflix’s ‘Love Hard’ is a rom-com about Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev), a journalist from LA, who assumes that she has finally found love after interacting with Tag (Darren Barnet) online. Convinced by her feelings, she impulsively travels to New York to surprise him for the holidays and discovers she was catfished by Josh Lin (Jimmy O. Yang), who has used Tag’s credentials to execute the elaborate scheme. With Josh and Natalie locked in a puzzling scenario, only love can seemingly liberate the two of them from their romantic insecurities. The narrative engrossingly navigates confusion, mistaken identities, and love-hate bonds. The Hernán Jiménez directorial is available on Netflix.
5. The Ugly Truth (2009)
Helmed by Robert Luketic, ‘The Ugly Truth’ centers on Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl), a producer of a Sacramento TV show who is on a quest to find her perfect romantic partner. However, her morning show’s declining ratings necessitate her working alongside Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), a pessimistic realist known for his candid and blunt views on love and dating in the modern world. These philosophical differences lead to a relationship of dislike between the two.
When Abby meets her ideal man, orthopaedic surgeon Colin Anderson (Eric Winter), she reluctantly enlists Mike’s help to follow his specific instructions to win Colin over. However, when love enters the equation between Abby and Mike, it challenges them in unexpected ways. The romantic comedy movie is a nuanced exploration of the fine line between love and dislike, and the price of achieving success in romance. You can enjoy the story here.
4. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
In ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,’ advertising executive Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) is a confident and ambitious man who intends to be more successful professionally. He makes a wager with colleagues to acquire a highly coveted campaign account. The deal is that the account will be his if he can successfully make a woman of their choice fall in love with him within ten days. Unbeknownst to him, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), the woman they choose, is working on an article titled “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” which she must complete to convince her editor to let her write about more serious subjects.
As opponents Benjamin and Andie cross paths while working on significantly different objectives, a romantic complication arises between them, turning their reality upside down in the rom-com directed by Donald Petrie. Loosely based on the eponymous picture book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long, it is a wild ride of fun, chaos, and adrenaline, which is streaming on Netflix.
3. Purple Hearts (2022)
Netflix’s ‘Purple Hearts’ is the tale of Cassie Salazar (Sofia Carson), a young woman who works at a bar to fuel her dreams of becoming a professional singer. At the bar, she comes across Luke Morrow (Nicholas Galitzine), a Marine trainee on the verge of deployment to a war zone. They agree to get married, as Cassie needs military insurance benefits to combat diabetes, and Luke needs to maintain the image of being a married man.
The plan initially works out, as their fake love convinces others around them. When Luke gets injured during one of his missions, the two of them begin to question if they actually love each other. The character dynamics and the moral questions posed by the romantic drama movie make it a meaningful watch. Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum and based on Tess Wakefield’s novel of the same name, it is available to watch here.
2. Hum Tum (2004)
Directed by Kunal Kohli, ‘Hum Tum’ is a Hindi-language film that revolves around Karan Kapoor (Saif Ali Khan), a man who doesn’t hold idealistic notions on love, and Rhea Prakash (Rani Mukerji), a practical woman. The two of them meet on a flight and develop a kind of enmity due to their erratic behaviors. As they keep running into each other repeatedly, they begin to wonder if there is more to their connection. They traverse the zones of dislike, friendship, and eventually love, which challenge them in intense and hilarious ways. The Indian romantic drama movie is a heartwarming and engaging depiction of the emotional equations between an independent woman and a man in the modern world. The story can be witnessed on Netflix.
Related
1. 10 Dance (2025)
‘10 Dance’ chronicles the turbulent emotional equation between Shinya Suzuki (Ryoma Takeuchi) and Shinya Sugiki (Keita Machida), who are competent dancers who have mastered different styles. While Sugiki pursues standard ballroom dance, Suzuki trains in Latin American dance. In order to learn each other’s dance styles for an important event called “10 Dance,” they agree to provide mutual help. As they start to train in intimate spaces, the initial rivalry and professional competition between them give way to romantic attraction. As their hearts and bodies move through the poetry of dance and love, they must learn to balance their feelings and objectives. Directed by Keishi Otomo, Netflix’s Japanese drama film is an adrenaline-fueled journey of enmity, friendship, love, and ambition, featuring beautiful visual elements. You can stream the movie here.
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