What makes a love story even more dramatic? Adding another person. Love triangles have been a cinematic go-to since the days of silent films. These three-way love connections exist in everything from swoon-worthy classic romances to heartwrenching dramas to even thrillers and have the power to turn casual viewers into full-on stans or transform movie watching into a competitive experience.
From the good guy versus bad boy dynamic of movies like Titanic to edge-of-your-seat melodrama in YA franchises like The Hunger Games, we've rounded up some of the very best love triangle movies in cinema history. Get your popcorn ready and be prepared to go back and forth over who on screen you ship the most.
'The Apartment' (1960)
Love triangle: Calvin Clifford (CC) "Bud" Baxter, Fran Kubelik, and Jeff D. Sheldrake
This legendary, Oscar-nominated rom-com examines what unfolds behind the doors of one Upper West Side apartment. Jack Lemmon stars as insurance clerk Bud who thinks up a scheme to climb the corporate ladder by lending out his apartment to his coworkers for their affairs. In doing so, he finds himself caught in the middle of one of the romantic rendezvous, as he finds himself infatuated with the elevator clerk (Shirley MacLaine) in his building, who is already seeing his boss (Fred MacMurray).
'Beauty and the Beast' (1991)
Love triangle: Gaston, Belle, and the Beast
You know that feeling when the popular jerk wants to marry you, but you would rather be the prisoner/eventually wife of a literal monster? Belle does. The Disney princess was pursued romantically by two very different suitors in this Disney favorite and top-tier animated movie-musical.
'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001)
Love triangle: Mark, Bridget, and Daniel
Finally, a damsel in distress with real-life woes we can relate to. Insecure with her body, career, and imperfections, Bridget (Renée Zellweger) makes a resolution to journal the truth and nothing but the truth. Things soon get complicated when she must juggle the affections of her seedy boss Daniel (Hugh Grant) and the much-too-uptight Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). All ends well with Bridget's story, reassuring us that you don't have to be perfectly poised to find Mr. Right.
'Casablanca' (1942)
Love triangle: Rick, Ilsa, and Victor
Casablanca is one of the most romantic movies of all time. After roaming around Europe, expat Rick (Humphrey Bogart) has made himself a new life in Casablanca. Rick obtains some valuable war documents, which leads him to meet Czech resistance leader Victor (Paul Henreid). Accompanying Victor is his wife, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), who just happens to be Rick's former lover who abandoned him in Paris. Victor needs the documents Rick is entrusted with to escape Morocco, but Rick refuses to hand them over. We don't blame him—what kind of guy gives up both the girl and the goods?
'Center Stage' (2000)
Love triangle: Cooper, Jody, and Charlie
Lots of movies include love triangles (clearly), but how many turn them into epic ballet/hip-hop/interpretative dance hybrids for their finale? At least one. In Center Stage, unlikely ballerina Jody (Amanda Schull) is torn between professional dancer/bad boy Cooper (Ethan Stiefel) and nice guy (and also a fellow dancer) Charlie (Sascha Radetsky).
'Challengers' (2024)
Love triangle: Tashi Duncan, Art Donaldson, and Patrick Zweig
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers became a pop culture phenomenon—becoming a box office success, a social media phenomenon, and even influencing tennis-core trends. While the tennis sports drama elements are riveting, moviegoers couldn’t get this film written by Justin Kuritzkes off their minds in 2024 because of just how hot and tense the love triangle is at its core. Told over several timelines, Challengers documents the power dynamics between former tennis star Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), her now-husband and tennis pro Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), and Tashi’s former fling/Art’s former tennis partner Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor).
'Closer' (2004)
Love triangle: Anna Cameron, Dan Woolf, Alice Ayres, and Larry Gray
Closer, based on a play of the same name inspired by the opera Così fan tutte, isn’t just a simple love triangle; there’s a fourth person involved. After American ex-pat Alice (Natalie Portman) has been in a relationship with Londoner Dan (Jude Law) for a year and he publishes a book about her, he tries to pursue a relationship with photographer Anna (Julia Roberts)—going so far as meddling in her love life and unintentionally setting her up with Larry (Clive Owens), a doctor. Breakups, makeups, and trysts ensue in this delightfully nasty tale of seduction and games.
'Fight Club' (1991)
Love triangle: The Narrator, Marla Singer, and Tyler Durden
Like everything else about this memorable '90s movie directed by David Fincher, Fight Club's twist on the love triangle between Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, and Brad Pitt's characters is definitely unique.
'Gone With the Wind' (1939)
Love triangle: Rhett, Scarlett, and Ashley
Amid the Civil War, Scarlett (Vivien Leigh) is desperate (and may we add, a little selfish?) for the affections of two different men: new suitor Rhett (Clark Gable) and longtime love Ashley (Leslie Howard). Several years, marriages, children, and (sheesh!) deaths later, Rhett becomes fed up with Scarlett's indecisiveness and chooses to leave her with one of the most famous lines in movie history: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!"
'The Graduate' (1967)
Love triangle: Mrs. Robinson, Benjamin, and Elaine
Long before the term "cougar" entered the lexicon, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) was setting the standard for MILFs everywhere. College grad Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) finds himself in a sticky situation in this coming-of-age film when he begins an affair with the much older wife of his father's business partner. To make matters worse, he finds himself dating—and falling for—her age-appropriate daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). Talk about keeping it in the family. We're just glad Grandma wasn't thrown into the equation.
'The Hunger Games' series (2012–2015)
Released: 2012
Triangle: Peeta, Katniss, and Gale
The Hunger Games is proof that, even when characters fight for their lives, fans also want to see them fight for each other's hearts. In the Hunger Games series, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is caught between sweet, always-loyal Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and brooding, strong Gale (Liam Hemsworth).
'Match Point' (2005)
Love triangle: Nola, Chris, and Chloe
Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a former tennis pro turned instructor, is introduced to friend Tom's little sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer). She sparks Chris' interest but doesn't catch his eye quite like Tom's girlfriend Nola (Scarlett Johansson). Proving he's as skilled at juggling women as tennis balls, Chris carries on an affair with Nola soon after marrying naive Chloe. Nola then throws a curveball at her lover, resulting in a catastrophic ending for both. Put simply, this thriller makes us thankful for background checks.
'Mean Girls' (2004)
Love triangle: Cady, Aaron, and Regina
The classic '00s movie Mean Girls is a case study in girl-on-girl bullying—and proof that Aaron Samuels' hair looks sexy pushed back. In Tina Fey's iconic high school comedy, frenemies Cady (Lindsay Lohan) and Regina (Rachel McAdams) compete over, among other things, the affection of Aaron "Terrible at Math" Samuels (Jonathan Bennett).
'My Best Friend's Wedding' (1997)
Love triangle: Julianne, Michael, and Kimberly
My Best Friend's Wedding is a bit of an untraditional rom-com. Julia Roberts stars as Julianne, who realizes she has feelings for her long-time best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) when he announces he's getting engaged to a younger woman named Kimberly (Cameron Diaz)—calling off the BFFs' pact to marry if they were both single by 28. Hijinks ensue as Julianne tries to meddle in their wedding, including one of the most iconic karaoke scenes of all time.
'Never Let Me Go' (2010)
Love triangle: Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed 2005 novel, this sci-fi-inspired tearjerker follows three close friends and their shifting relationship dynamics from grade school to young adulthood. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy (played as adults by Carey Mulligan, Kiera Knightley, and Andrew Garfield) attend a mysterious boarding school, where it’s soon revealed that they are clones to be harvested one day for their organs. As they get older, they hope that the power of love can be what defies their planned fate. Wrestling with themes of what makes us human, this one’s beauty and tragedy will break you in more ways than one.
'The Notebook' (2004)
Love triangle: Noah, Allie, and Lon
The Notebook is a story of love almost lost. And no complicated and winding path to happily ever after is complete without a detour down Triangle Lane. Before Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) end up together, she comes very close to marrying nice guy Lon (James Marsden).
'Past Lives' (2023)
Love triangle: Nora, Arthur, and Hae Sung
In some ways, Past Lives is in conversation with Challengers, as it was written/directed by Celine Song, who’s married to Challengers screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes. Song’s semi-autobiographical stand-in Nora (Greta Lee) is forced to confront her past and mourn who she once was when her childhood sweetheart Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) visits her. While the two were close when growing up in Korea and reconnected in their early 20s, it’s been years since they’ve been apart, and now Nora is happily married to fellow writer Arthur (John Magaro). Less of a will-they-won’t-they and more of a story about reflecting on where fate lets our life lead, it’s a beautiful film about where we’ve been and allow ourselves to go.
'The Philadelphia Story' (1940)
Love triangle: Tracy, Dexter, Mike, and George
Talk about star power! This Old Hollywood classic is led by Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart, and John Howard, centering around Hepburn’s socialite character Tracy as she’s torn between her ex, a new man, and a nosy tabloid reporter who’s curious about her affairs. Fall in love with its fast-talking dialogue, Transatlantic accents, and wily screwball comedy.
'Reality Bites' (1994)
Love triangle: Troy, Lelaina, and Michael
Ah, the '90s: Lelaina (Winona Ryder) is an aspiring filmmaker documenting the lives of her roommates, including long-time friend Troy (Ethan Hawke). Although the unspoken attraction between the two once led to a drunken night together, Lelaina begins dating TV exec Michael (Ben Stiller) after he crashes into her car. The two soon fizzle and Lelaina finds herself in the unassuming arms of Troy yet again. But things get dramatic when Troy doesn't return her calls, proving to us even angsty, artsy types are guilty of bad-boy behavior.
'Sabrina' (1954)
Love triangle: Linus, Sabrina, and David
Ultimate bachelor David (William Holden) has ignored the affections of young, shy Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) for years. After a brief stint in Paris, Sabrina returns a new woman, catching the eye of her womanizing former crush. David's brother, Linus (Humphrey Bogart), recognizes the relationship's threat to David's upcoming wedding and business deals, so he decides to split up the two by making Sabrina fall in love with him. Easier said than done, especially in the case of bad boy versus Mr. (Kind Of) Nice Guy.
'She's Gotta Have It' (1986)
Love triangle: Nola, Jamie, Greer, and Mars
Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) is more or less in control of her romantic entanglements in Spike Lee’s directorial debut She’s Gotta Have It. An empowered, sexually liberated woman, the young, successful Brooklynite artist doesn’t know what kind of man she’s looking for—so she dates three. That being said, this love triangle is more of a love quadrangle as she discovers what exactly she’s looking for. (Inspiration, much?)
'Something Borrowed' (2011)
Love triangle: Rachel, Dex, and Darcy
Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) loves Dex (Colin Egglesfield), who happens to be engaged to her best friend, Darcy (Kate Hudson). Talk about inconvenience. But when Rachel and Dex realize their feelings for each other can't be ignored, Rachel wavers between playing the role of supportive friend and backstabbing temptress. While we don't condone actively ruining relationships, this is one instance where we're rooting for the other woman.
'Something's Gotta Give' (2003)
Love triangle: Harry Sanborn, Erica Barry, Marin Klein, and Julian Mercer
You can always count on a Nancy Meyers and Diane Keaton joint to be cozy perfection, and Something’s Gotta Give might be the breeziest and sexiest of their collaborations. it follows the enemies-to-lovers relationship of 56-year-old playwright Erica (Keaton) and 63-year-old record label executive Harry (Jack Nicholson), who she discovers is dating her 29-year-old daughter Marin (Amanda Peet) when she happens upon them at her beach house. Throw a handsome 36-year-old doctor in the mix played by Keanu Reeves, a charming Hamptons setting, a comedy of errors, and you have a rom-com for the ages.
'Spider-Man' (2002)
Love triangle: Peter, Mary Jane, and Harry
There's a lot to love about the original Spider-Man movie starring Tobey Maguire, from the practical effects to its quirky, pre-MCU superhero world. We're still not over the kiss in the rain and the love triangle that's a part of this film's web, as Peter Parker (Maguire) dukes it out with his friend/future nemesis Harry Osbourne (James Franco) for Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).
'Titanic' (1997)
Love triangle: Jack, Rose, and Cal
Titanic is one of the most epic love stories ever committed to film, so it's easy to forget sometimes that the movie is also a member of the love triangle society. Even though Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) are tragic soulmates, we can't forget that Jack is, technically speaking, a sidepiece, since Rose is officially with Cal (Billy Zane) when they meet.
The 'Twilight' Saga (2008–2012)
Love triangle: Bella, Edward, and Jacob
What’s the point of a YA romance book series if there isn’t more than one cute boy to pine for? Whether you were Team Edward or Team Jacob was the debate in the late ‘00s and early 2010s, as Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga and its book-to-movie adaptation saw Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) drawn into a supernatural romance and faceoff between factions of vampires and werewolves. The love triangle really comes into the fold with the second installment, New Moon, but it slowly plays out until an inevitable, fated end in the final film.
'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' (2008)
Love triangle: Cristina, Juan Antonio, and Maria Elena
Surprise! Yet another movie where ScarJo finds herself mixed up in a romantic trio. Risk-taker Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) and modest Vicky (Rebecca Hall) travel to Spain and meet artist Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). He boldly asks them to spend a weekend together, and the women agree. Juan's serious baggage—in the form of his psychotic, knife-wielding ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz)—joins the bunch and, naturally, complicates things further.
'While You Were Sleeping' (1995)
Love triangle: Lucy, Jack, and Peter
‘90s rom-com queen Sandra Bullock plays a woman unlucky in love and in a quirky predicament when she saves a man she’s been crushing on (Peter Gallagher) from being hit by a train. She continues to stay by his side as he’s left in a coma at the hospital, leading his family to believe they’re engaged—which becomes even more of a problem when she starts having feelings for his brother (Bill Pullman). Whoops! Even with its silliness, this one—with Bullock’s charm and the movie’s wintery setting—remains a cozy, feel-good watch.
'The Worst Person in the World' (2021)
Love triangle: Julie, Aksel, and Eivind
Julie (Renate Reinsve) is in her late 20s and uncertain about what she wants to do with her life, so when she falls into a relationship with Aksel, a successful comic artist 15 years her senior (Anders Danielsen Lie), she finds a sense of comfortability. As she feels their lives diverge, she deliberately throws it away by pursuing a man she serendipitously meets at a party (Herbert Nordrum), until tragedy brings her back to Aksel. Ultimately, this hilarious and moving Norweigan hit is about feeling like and embracing being a mess, but also learning to grow out of that notion prescribed to oneself to come into your own.
'Y tu mamá también' (2001)
Love triangle: Julio Zapata, Tenoch Iturbide, and Luisa Cortés
Few movies are as stunningly steamy as Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también. As two teenage boys (Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal) convince an older woman (Maribel Verdú) to join them on a road trip throughout Mexico, they become closer with each mile raked up by the odometer. You won’t want this cross-country drive to end, but the destination is worth it.