25 Best Movies With the Fake Dating Trope, Ranked

Romantic comedies are the one genre no one can hate. Yet, despite their repeated use of the same tropes to narrate a slightly different story each time, they seem to be popular among people of all ages. One such trope is the fake relationship trope, which never seems to get old. From the Renaissance era, Bridgerton, to the latest releases of the modern streaming service era, the fake dating trope adds spice to every bland story.

From staging a relationship to fulfill an inheritance clause to pretending to be enchanted for an ex’s wedding, fake dating movies are the way to go. While the trope is prone to receive mixed reactions from various people, the sweet promise of happily ever afters seems to win their hearts overall. Especially for a trend that has become a staple for romantic comedies as a whole, the best versions of the fake dating trope are able to reinvent and evolve it in order to add something new to the table.

25 ‘The Perfect Date’ (2019)

Directed by Chris Nelson

High school senior Brooks (Noah Centineo) is excited to go to Yale, except he can’t afford it. So in a mission to support his dreams, he agrees to pretend to be Celia’s (Laura Marano) boyfriend until an idea strikes him. He develops an app and agrees to be a plus one to other girls with a personality of their choosing. A business-minded addition to his CV and quick cash? No way he’s saying no to it. But when Celia and Brook decide to go on one last date to make their crushes jealous, they’ll realize maybe their affections have found a new focus.

The Perfect Date is a rom-com perfect for date night with cute yet relatable scenes. Noah’s appearance as a regular kid with high hopes rather than an arrogant, popular jock is a fresh change that fans can’t help but swoon over.

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24 ‘Moonshot’ (2022)

Directed by Christopher Winterbauer

Taking the classic fake dating concept and providing a wild science fiction twist on it, Moonshot uses its massive intergalactic setting the make the most of its heartwarming rom-com venture. The film follows a duo of college students who both want to travel off to Mars for their own reasons, teaming up and sneaking aboard a space shuttle to be reunited with their respective significant others. However, the duo are forced to pose as lovers themselves while on their way to Mars, creating awkward complications when they begin to fall for one another.

Moonshot is as much about the dynamic and friendship between these two space travelers as much as it is about the wild, futuristic world in which their story takes place. For all the science-fiction aesthetics and worldbuilding, the film’s fundamental core is one of going to lengths to preserve a failed relationship while, in the process, realizing the real connection was with them the entire time. It’s certainly far from the most original romantic comedy out there, yet it plays to the conventions and esthetics of the genre effectively.

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23 ‘Dating Amber’ (2020)

Directed by David Freyne

While many fake romance films are quick to have their lead characters transform from a fake relationship into a real relationship with their falling in love by the end, Dating Amber takes a unique, friendship-oriented approach to the concept. The film follows social outcasts Eddie and Amber, who are sick of being picked on and ridiculed about their sexuality, so they devise a plot to stage a relationship with one another to squash these rumors. However, Amber soon begins to pick up on Eddie’s inherent denial of his sexuality, forcing her to do something before he represses himself any further.

What starts as an effective and quirky coming-of-age romance story quickly transforms into one of self-acceptance and vulnerability with being one’s authentic self. It features a lot of the classic trends and tropes of fake dating movies, yet its insistence on keeping these characters as friends who are simply helping one another helps make it stand out among the variety of fake dating films that came before it.

22 ‘What Happens in Vegas’ (2008)

Directed by Tom Vaughan

One of the most popular fake dating rom-coms, What Happens in Vegas tells the story of a wild night spent together by the usually self-disciplined careerist Joy McNally (Cameron Diaz) and the mischievous playboy Jack Fuller (a classic Ashton Kutcher rom-com character) she meets in the city. A few drinks later and the duo wakes up to their brand new marriage, which they’re both determined to get out of. When they find out they can get money out of their pretend marriage, though, things take a romantic turn.

A box office hit despite negative reception from critics, What Happens in Vegas is the perfect pick for a nostalgic movie night that viewers don’t have to take too seriously – the film does just that, which makes it fun to watch!

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21 ‘Drive Me Crazy’ (1999)

Directed by John Schultz

One of many quintessential teenage rom-coms that defined the 90s, Drive Me Crazy translates the fake dating trope into the gossip-filled world of the high school social climate. The film follows Nicole (Melissa Joan Hart) and Chase (Adrian Grenier), a duo of next-door neighbors who couldn’t be different from one another, but forge a scheme to fake date each other to make each other’s exes jealous. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, with a monumental gala celebration coming up and the importance placed upon having the exact right partner being at an all-time high.

Drive Me Crazy is defined by the aura of jealousy and chaos that makes up this type of high school relationship, yet the actual bonds and learning that Nicole and Chase create over the course of the film is what sets the film apart from other 90s romcoms. The array of exceptional supporting characters also play into the film’s central themes and entertainment value, as Nicole and Chase’s respective friends end up only adding to the drama and gossip at play.

20 ‘Love Hard’ (2021)

Directed by Hernán Jiménez

Love Hard follows the story of Natalie Bauer, a hopeless romantic living in LA who seemingly has had the worst luck in finding a relationship, but appears to have found the perfect guy on a dating app living on the East Coast. However, when she decides to surprise visit him for the holidays, she realizes that she has been catfished, and her so-called perfect man is far from what she had envisioned. However, the man that she actually fell in love with is in town, and the guy who tricked her promises to introduce the two if she pretends to be his girlfriend in front of his family for the holidays.

Love Hard transforms the classic fake dating trope into the modern era with its implementation of digital dating apps, catfishing, and a slew of other modern dating trends into its premise. At the same time however, the film fundamentally understands exactly what works best about fake dating films, which combined with its Christmas setting and cheeky self-referential humor, makes for a surprisingly pleasant watch.

19 ‘Green Card’ (1990)

Directed by Peter Weir

Green Card takes the classic structure of characters falling in love and ending with them getting married and reverses the order, giving a premise where a duo gets married before truly meeting each other and falling in love. The film sees urban horticulturalist Bronte Mitchell (Andie MacDowell) looking to rent a seemingly perfect apartment, but the owners will only rent it to a married couple. She finds the seemingly perfect solution in Georges Faure (Gérard Depardieu), a waiter from France whose expiring visa requires him to marry someone to stay in the country. The duo soon get married out of convenience, yet they begin to drive each other crazy when forced to live together so as not to raise suspicions.

While its plot has a lot of relatively complicated pieces in order to get to its rom-com setting, it’s all made up by the exceptionally dynamic and on-screen chemistry of MacDowell and Depardieu, who bounce off each other to an exceptional degree. They slowly evolve throughout the film from annoyed roommates to genuine friends and finally to the perfect match, only that they’re already married to begin with. Something as simple as reversing the order of events proves to make a major deal when it comes to the overall structure and stakes of a romantic comedy such as this.

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18 ‘Marry Me’ (2022)

Directed by Kat Coiro

One of many successful ventures by Jennifer Lopez during the streaming era, Marry Me brings her back to the world of romantic comedies with a wild and ingenious twist on the fake dating premise. The film sees Lopez as Kat Valdez, an international music superstar who is at the center of a massive global event as she plans to marry another musician live for a global audience of fans. However, when things go wrong at the last minute, Kat ends up making the most of the situation by marrying Charlie (Owen Wilson), a literal stranger in the crowd, with the duo now having to find a way to maintain a public image.

Marry Me is the type of chaotic, romantic comedy premise that would feel right at home in the early 2000s, overly leaning into the film’s essence of calling back to this classic era of romcom dominance. The film carries a lot of the benefits and strengths of this era into modern times, with an increased focus on the inherent humor and culture shock between Kat’s superstar life and Charlie’s simple life as a teacher.

17 ‘A Walk in the Clouds’ (1995)

Directed by Alfonso Arau

A fake dating story that doesn’t let up when it comes to the emotional weight and drama of its story, A Walk in the Clouds is one of the most serious and grounded when it comes to fake dating premises. The film follows war veteran Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves), who finds himself posing as the husband of pregnant woman Victoria Aragon (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) to give her more leverage and strength when facing her family with the reality of her pregnancy. However, it doesn’t take long before Paul begins to foster true feelings of love towards Victoria.

While the fake dating premise is most commonly associated with romantic comedies and the jarring antics that come from the clashing of two completely different parties, A Walk in the Clouds takes a more emotional melodrama approach. The film isn’t afraid to tackle the more grounded and painful realities that come from its premise, yet also shows the strength that love and willpower has to make it through any number of difficulties. While Reeves is more commonly recognized for his roles in action films, he gives an effective performance as Paul, having love and goodwill fuel his virtues.

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16 ‘The Wedding Date’ (2005)

Directed by Clare Kilner

When most of the maid of honors should be rejoicing, Kat Ellis (Debra Messing) dreads the day she has to return to her parents’ house in London for her sister’s marriage. If her being dateless isn’t scary enough, her ex-fiance is the best man at said wedding. So she enlists the help of suave escort Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney) to pose as her fake boyfriend.

Of course, in an ambiance of romance and sizzling chemistry, the lines between the fake and real start to blur. A reverse Pretty Woman, The Wedding Date is one of the most rewatchable movies in the fake dating genre that should definitely be considered essential viewing.

15 ‘Holidate’ (2020)

Directed by John Whitesell

In one of the best fake dating movies on Netflix, Sloane Benson (Emma Roberts) is tired of her family’s constant nagging over the holidays. Meanwhile, her mother is setting her up with people she thinks Sloane should date. So when she meets Jackson (Luke Bracey) while they’re both returning presents they received, they devise a plan to be each other holidates or platonic plus ones for a whole year. But their feelings might take a romantic turn as the year progresses.

A modern and riveting take on the fake relationship trope, Holidate features two complete strangers falling into an agreement that might lead them to realize that they’re perfect for each other. The film is far from perfect or innovative, but it is nevertheless a mindless fun watch.

14 ‘Come Live with Me’ (1941)

Directed by Clarence Brown

One of the earliest examples of the fake dating premise put onto the big screen, Come Live with Me helped further establish the conventions and tropes that would define the premise in the decades to come. The film follows Johnny Jones (Hedy Lamarr), a struggling refugee who managed to escape persecution from the Nazis in Vienna, Austria by traveling to the U.S., but will be deported if she doesn’t get married in a week. She manages to find her solution through Bill Smith (played by James Stewart), a struggling writer that she is willing to pay in exchange for marrying her.

Despite being one of the earliest examples of a fake dating story in film, Come Live with Me follows a lot of the same story beats and conventions that make modern fake dating stories so compelling to audiences. The mixture of having these characters initially hesitant due to prior relationships, yet simply unable to deny the attraction they feel towards one another in this marriage of convenience, works wonders even 80 years ago. Come Live with Me understands that this style of story is largely elevated by the strength and on-screen chemistry of its leads, a feat that Lamarr and Stewart achieve with flying colors.

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13 ‘Single All the Way’ (2021)

Directed by Michael Mayer

Having a significant other is great. But, you know what’s better: Your significant other also being your best friend. And that’s precisely what hardworking digital marketer Peter (Michael Urie) might learn in this rom-com. When Peter’s boyfriend breaks up with him just before the holidays, he knows he can’t go home without a date.

Peter convinces his best friend, Nick (Philemon Chambers), to pose as his boyfriend over Christmas at his parent’s house in New Hampshire. But he doesn’t know yet, that he might be getting a side of forever with his order. A recent addition to delightful Christmas romances, Single All the Way is a movie worth its time in space – boundless, per modern physics.

12 ‘Purple Hearts’ (2022)

Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum

One of the biggest surprise streaming hits of recent years, Purple Hearts became an overnight phenomenon with its transformation from a classic trend into a genuine romantic drama. The film sees struggling songwriter Cassie (Sofia Carson) and Marine Luke (Nicholas Galitzine) as they form a scheme to get married for massive financial benefits before getting divorced a year later. While all seems good at first, things quickly go awry when Luke is injured on the battlefield, forcing Cassie to reevaluate how she truly feels about Luke.

Purple Hearts taps into a subsection and style of melodrama that is largely lacking in the modern streaming era, effectively scratching an itch that audiences have felt for a while with its simple yet emotional story of love and emotion. It helps that both Carson and Galitzine work wonders off of one another and truly sell the harshness and unexpected love that blossoms between the duo, making for a by-the-books yet deeply impactful experience.

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11 ‘Just Go with It’ (2011)

Directed by Dennis Dugan

Jilted at the altar by his wife-to-be, Daniel “Danny” Maccabee (Adam Sandler) has a wild, drunken one-night stand with a woman he meets at a bar. Twenty-three years later, he’s a thriving plastic surgeon who developed the pattern of feigning to be in a happy marriage to hook up with women and avoid commitment. One of these times, he convinces his assistant Katherine Murphy (Jennifer Aniston) to act like his to be divorced wife.

A modern, more fascinating remake of the filmCactus Flower, Just Go with It is a romantic comedy featuring a hilarious workplace relationship. While many critics were disappointed with the film, they all praised Jennifer Aniston for her incredible acting and expert comic timing.

10 ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ (1987)

Directed by Steve Rash

Taking the classic premise and imbuing it with a signature 80s coming-of-age charm, Can’t Buy Me Love is easily one of the most underrated teen romcoms of its era. The film follows two complete opposites; Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey), a typical high school nerd, and Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson), one of the most popular cheerleaders at school. However, Ronald ends up making a deal with Cindy, where, in exchange for the $1,000 required to get her out of a sticky situation, Cindy must pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.

While it certainly comes with some of the same hurdles and difficulties that have arisen from dated 80s films after 40 years of culture and changed perspectives, Can’t Buy Me Love is still an effective and classic rom-com. It almost plays out like an 80s equivalent to She’s All That, with its combining and reflection on high school cliques and the slow, but eventual transforming from a relationship built on lies into one based on understanding and connection.

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9 ‘The DUFF’ (2015)

Directed by Ari Sandel

As a high school senior, the worst thing one could ever be is a DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). So when Bianca (Mae Whitman) realizes she’s the DUFF of her group, and it is explicitly brought to her attention, she is devastated. For once in her life, she wants to change, and the only person who can help her is the guy she despises: her childhood friend Wesley (Robbie Amell).

They make a pact to help each other, her helping him with his grades, but it isn’t long before the waters of friendship are tested, and the DUFF becomes the queen of his heart. Based on the actual teen slang, The DUFF is an interpretation of the social differences among high school students wrapped up in a rather delightful comedy.

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8 ‘About Fate’ (2022)

Directed by Marius Weisberg

About Fate follows the story of two strangers, having both dealt with painful and unexpected breakups, who miraculously find themselves on each other’s paths on their highly depressing New Year’s Eve. With seemingly no other way to break the news of their breakups to their families at their respective New Year’s Eve parties, the duo agree to pretend to be each other’s significant others for the night. As the night continues, however, it becomes increasingly apparent that their meeting was far from just change, but may have actually been destiny bringing them together.

About Fate succeeds spectacularly in the most important aspect of a romantic comedy, being the genuine heart and feelings of love and genuine connection felt throughout its runtime. The on-screen chemistry between Emma Robert and Thomas Mann is a genuine treat throughout the entire runtime, as they work perfectly off of one another comedically and make for a near-perfect on-screen couple. Even if the film is far from reinventing the wheel when it comes to the fake dating trope’s conventions, it accomplishes its base structure so effectively that it is easily one of the most underrated rom-coms in recent memory.

7 ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ (2003)

Directed by Donald Petrie

Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) is a writer for the composure magazine who writes “How To” articles. Bored of her monotony and fueled by her friend’s annoying habits, she decides to write a piece on “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days” and tries to prove her point by dating a man and imitating her friend’s behavior.

Advertising executive Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey), on the other hand, is looking to work for a diamond company. When challenged by his boss, he bets he could get any woman to fall in love with him. Together, they make a cute couple, but hearts will soon shatter as things get messy. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a legendary 2000s rom-com flick and the perfect movie to watch when looking for dating advice, especially the don’ts.

6 ‘We’re the Millers’ (2013)

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber

We’re the Millers proves that the fake dating trope isn’t exclusive to the romance genre, with the crime comedy movie making great use of it. It’s centered on small-time criminal David (Jason Sudeikis), who’s indebted to some dangerous people and plans to use a fake family to smuggle an illegal shipment from Mexico to pay what he owes.

Jennifer Aniston plays Sudekis’ (fake) other half, and the chemistry between the two leads makes the comedic movie that much better. We’re the Millers is a beloved classic for a reason, with moments and quotes from the film still used as memes and referenced today.

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