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Would you pretend to date someone? Most would answer the query in the negative, yet, when depicted on the big screen, it makes for a fun and guilty pleasure watch for many. Love, after all, is not a straight path. Sometimes, it can begin as a cover-up, scheme, or even a lie that eventually becomes real once emotions, feelings, and genuine connection enter the picture.
This is the charm of the fake dating trope, where the main couple enters into a ruse for a variety of reasons that ends up turning on its head. As cliché as the trope is, pretend relationships more often than not deliver in rom-coms, which is why it never gets old. There’s just something about opposites attract that gets us hooked in the story, even if we can already guess how it will end. Check out our recommendations for fake dating films to watch on Valentine’s Day and beyond.
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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – This Letter Is for You
This Netflix hit stars Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey, a high school student who finds herself in a deep hole after her sister mails her secret love letters to her crushes. One of those crushes happens to be Lara’s ex-boyfriend. So, to convince him that she’s already moved on, she pretends to date another one of her crushes, Peter Kavinsky, who conveniently also needs help making his ex jealous. The chemistry between Lana Condor and Noah Centineo drives the movie forward as their fake relationship evolves into a romantic, teenage feel-good love story.
The Proposal – Fake Engagement, Real Feelings
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds lead this modern classic about Margaret, a Canadian editor-in-chief, and her assistant, Andrew, who enter a fake engagement so that she can get married to gain American citizenship and not be deported back to Canada. As part of the plan, they travel to Alaska to break the news to Andrew’s family, where hilarious chaos ensues. Equal parts funny and heartfelt, The Proposal will have you laughing in one scene and getting in your feelings in another as Margaret and Andrew’s fake relationship slowly turns real. The movie is also notable for featuring one of Betty White’s most endearing performances as Grandma Annie.
She’s All That – More Than a Bet
One of the pillars of the “bad boy dates the social outcast girl” rom-com subgenre, the movie tells the story of Zack, a popular jock who enters a bet with his friends that he can turn the artsy and unpopular Laney Boggs into Prom Queen material in a few weeks.
Most may remember this movie for its makeover scene, but the film also checks the rom-com boxes because of its satisfying redemption arc for Zack. You’ll want to hope he changes his ways to win back Laney, which is made even better with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook’s undeniable chemistry. Add to that the film’s commentary on high school social hierarchy and popularity contests, and the movie still holds up to this day.
The Perfect Date – The Only Dating App You’ll Need
Before Noah Centineo hit it big with the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, he first had this Netflix rom-com where he plays against the jock archetype as a smart and affable guy who you want to root for. Brooks is about to go to Yale, but the problem is that he can’t afford the tuition. So he pretends to be Celia’s boyfriend, and to further supplement his income, he develops an app where other girls can hire him to be the perfect stand-in boyfriend they need for any date. It’s one of Noah’s most charming rom-com roles to date, and it gives the tried-and-tested fake dating trope a 21st-century twist with the dating app plotline.
Decoy Bride – When You Accidentally Get Married to a Stranger
Hollywood actress Lara is about to get married on a remote Scottish island. The problem? The paparazzi have crashed the intimate wedding, threatening to spoil Lara’s big day. So, Lara’s manager hires a local named Katie to serve as a decoy bride to get the paparazzi off Lara’s trail. Hijinks ensue, though, when Katie and Lara’s fiancé, James, end up getting hitched. As crazy as it may seem to marry someone by accident, Decoy Bride delves into how these mistakes may actually lead to something more as Katie and James get closer through the incident. The film is a wild ride, reminding us that paparazzi and people in general often overlook the fact that celebrities are human beings who deserve privacy, too.
Just Go With It – A Weekend in Hawaii To Remember
Regardless of how you may feel about the quality of the movies, you can’t deny that Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston have a real spark when on screen together. Just look at 2011’s Just Go With It, one of their best efforts. Danny, a successful LA plastic surgeon, finds himself in a bind when he has to pretend that he’s in a soon-to-be-ending marriage to cover up a lie he told a young woman he developed feelings for.
So, on a weekend trip to Hawaii, he enlists the help of his assistant, Katherine, to be his pretend wife. As the movie goes on, the lie becomes increasingly convoluted, leading to hilarious results. But it’s in this chaos that real feelings between Danny and Katherine start to develop, one that feels meaningful to both of them.
Pretty Woman – A Baddie Meets a Businessman
It isn’t just Julia Roberts’ legendary scene of her getting back at the sales associate who discriminated against her that this movie does right. So too is the fake dating relationship at the heart of this classic. Edward Lewis is a successful businessman who seemingly has it all, except for a loving partner. One night, he hires Vivian Ward, a prostitute, to be with him for a day. When he sees how personable Vivian is, Edward decides to extend her services for one week. While transactional at first, their relationship becomes more than that as they open up to one another and realize how they may just be right for each other.
The Hunger Games – Playing It for the Cameras
Before you scroll down, hear us out. While the main story of The Hunger Games centers on two teenagers forced to compete in a dystopian battle to the death, one of the key plot points is how Katniss and Peeta pretend to like each other to gain a better image and reputation from the Capitol’s audience. The lie plays a part in the duo’s personal development and the movie as a whole. Over time, what started as a ruse for the sake of putting on a show to gain sympathy becomes quite real by the end.
Failure To Launch – The Real Deal
35-year-old Tripp has become a headache for his parents as he refuses to move out of their home and settle down. So, they hire Paula, a professional interventionist, who hatches a plan to make him fall in love with her so that he can eventually move out. Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker make for a great couple in this rom-com as the one-sided relationship slowly morphs into a swoon-worthy and frequently light-hearted tale.
Love Hard – A Catfishing Situation
While dating apps have made dating more accessible to some, they have also led to new problems, such as catfishing. It’s a scenario that fuels this rom-com about Natalie Bauer, a young woman who seemingly found her perfect match on a dating app. She surprises him for the holidays by flying to the East Coast, only to discover that the person she was talking to online is not the person she meets.
Making the situation even more complicated, the guy Natalie actually likes is in the town, and the guy who tricked her agrees to help Natalie only if she pretends to be his girlfriend for his family during the holidays. In the wacky Netflix holiday flick, Love Hard flips the script on the classic fake relationship ruse. From catfishing to romance in the age of social media, Love Hard keeps things real and relatable.
Wedding Season – For People Who’ve Dealt With Nosy Relatives
Combining the fake dating trope with the all-too-relatable scenario of constantly being asked about your relationship status during Asian family get-togethers, Wedding Season centers the story around Indian-Americans Asha Maurya and Ravi Shah. Frequently hounded by their families to get married, the two decide to pretend to be in a relationship for their friends’ weddings to make their overbearing relatives stop bothering them about their love life. It’s this added context of Asian culture that helps this movie stand out, giving it a refreshing and culturally rich take on a well-loved plot point.
