Do you remember those moments in rom-coms that make you squirm a bit in your seat? Yeah, the ones where you can’t help but let out an awkward laugh or maybe even cover your face for a second? Well, grab your salted caramel popcorn, and let’s dive into some of the most cringe-worthy moments in rom-com history.
From the painfully awkward scenes in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” to the secondhand embarrassment of “The Kissing Booth 2” and the love triangle drama in “Love Actually,” these movies have given us some unforgettable cringe moments that we just can’t seem to shake.
1. “Wedding Crashers” (2005)
In the movie Wedding Crashers, Jeremy’s stay at Cleary’s place turns into a nightmare when Gloria, whom he refers to as a “Stage 5 Clinger,” ties him up in his room, and…well, you know the rest. Was the scene funny? Arguably, yes, but what if the roles were reversed? Imagine if Vince Vaughn was tying up Isla Fisher with the same devious smirk! He’d be cancelled along with the movie five minutes after the release.
2. “13 Going On 30” (2004)
To fully grasp the level of cringe here, you have to realize that Jennifer Garner’s character is a 13-year-old stuck in a very hot body of a 30-year-old. So it makes sense that, in character, her first reaction to being checked out would be to look for a teenager and not the older guy at the bar. But that doesn’t make it any less awkward to watch her hit on a younger boy.
3. “Along Came Polly” (2004)
Let’s be real: the restaurant scene in this movie may be high-tier cringe, but you can’t say it’s not relatable. After Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston try a new restaurant, he gets an awkward bathroom experience. He tries to cover up his mess with a fancy towel, but that trick never works. Even the ferret in the movie knew better than to clog the toilet with a towel. You just can’t look at that scene without cringing.
4. “The Ugly Truth” (2009)
Everyone’s a sucker for those makeover montage scenes. You know, with the music pumping and the quirky time-lapse and the funny jokes? We love that stuff – except for one scene in The Ugly Truth. The guy there is such a jerk, and he treats Katherine Heigl’s character like she’s just a piece of meat. It’s not funny at all. He just keeps saying these stupid things about how guys only pretend to be interested in girls so they can get in their pants and how girls should always laugh at guys’ jokes even if they’re not funny. And then he casually tells her that her breasts need to say “hello.” What a creep.
5. “Love Actually” (2003)
Remember the cards scene in Love Actually? Isn’t it a bit awkward when you really think about it? Mark is basically telling his best friend’s wife that he’s in love with her. Sure, it’s a fabulous and very touching scene, but when you look at it from the side, it’s kinda cringe.
6. “The Kissing Booth 2” (2020)
Elle got into an awkward situation when she was caught on the school intercom drooling over a new student’s workout video. She accidentally went long monologue about how hot he looked and what she’d do to him, which made the entire school laugh. Let’s face it, if this incident didn’t make you cringe, nothing will.
