Just Awkward: 12 Unconvincing Love Scenes That Made Us Cringe

1. "Showgirls" (1995)

"Showgirls," a film that proved you could take a good actress like Elizabeth Berkley and somehow make her performance more wooden than the pool in the infamous "love scene." Between Berkley and Kyle MacLachlan, it's like watching two mannequins trying to figure out human intimacy. There's splashing, there's writhing, and an inexplicable moment of apparent dolphin possession. While the film has gained a cult following, its infamous scene is still awkward enough to make you physically recoil. Despite grossing a pitiful $20 million at the domestic box office against a $45 million budget, it's become a so-bad-it's-good classic, though that's little consolation to the actors who still seem embarrassed about their involvement.

2. "The Room" (2003)

I mean, is there even a list of cringeworthy love scenes that wouldn't include "The Room"? Tommy Wiseau, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film, gave us not one, but several uncomfortable love scenes. They're so robotic, it feels like they were choreographed using an IKEA assembly manual. The film scored an abysmal 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the real rating should be for how many times you cringed during these scenes. Despite its disaster status, "The Room" has garnered a cult following, with audiences relishing in the unintentional comedy of Wiseau's cinematic disasterpiece. Yes, disasterpiece. It's a thing.

3. "Twilight " (2008)

Let's take a walk down memory lane to the tween saga that divided a generation into 'Team Edward' and 'Team Jacob.' The film's climactic love scene between Bella (Kristen Stewart ) and Edward (Robert Pattinson ) was more laugh-inducing than heart-throbbing. It's essentially two minutes of intense staring, a little light wrestling, and the romantic culmination of Edward biting a pillow. Stewart and Pattinson's off-screen romance gave the franchise a boost, but not even their real-life chemistry could save this scene. Despite the cringe, "Twilight" became a box office smash, grossing over $393 million worldwide.

4. "Daredevil " (2003)

Here's a superhero flick that's far from super. Ben Affleck as the titular hero and Jennifer Garner as Elektra share a love scene that's better described as a playful fight in a children's playground. It's supposed to be flirtatious and cute, but it's more cringe than anything else. Sadly, despite their later real-life marriage, on-screen, their chemistry felt as believable as a politician's promise. Critics at Rotten Tomatoes agreed, giving it a measly 43%. The film made a decent $179 million at the box office, though, so there's that.

5. "Howard The Duck" (1986)

This film could fill an entire list of awkward moments on its own. Still, the love scene between Lea Thompson's Beverly and Howard, a talking alien duck, is a thing of infamy. You know a scene is awkward when you're watching a woman try to seduce a puppet, and it's played straight. The film was a commercial and critical failure, and Thompson has since joked about the embarrassment of the scene. Even with a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a box office draw of only $37 million against a budget of $37 million, this bizarre love scene still stands out for all the wrong reasons.

6. "The Specialist" (1994)

Despite the combined star power of Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone, "The Specialist" is mostly remembered for its truly uncomfortable love scene. Amid strategically positioned shower curtains and awkwardly fervent passion, it feels more like a B-movie melodrama than a blockbuster. It's the kind of scene that makes you wish you could commando roll out of the room. The film may have scraped by at the box office with $170 million, but with a10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it's clear the audience and critics weren't too impressed.

7. "Gigli" (2003)

We really can't discuss awkward love scenes without paying tribute to the turkey that is "Gigli". In this infamous flop, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, who were a real-life couple at the time, have a scene where Lopez's character discusses her...ahem...nether regions in a bizarrely detailed monologue. Their supposed chemistry on-screen was about as convincing as a 3-dollar bill. With a shocking 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, this box office disaster is still considered one of the worst films of all time.

8. "The Snowman" (2017)

"The Snowman," a thriller starring Michael Fassbender, attempted a love scene that left audiences more cold than anything else. Despite Fassbender's usual prowess, his romance with Charlotte Gainsbourg felt stiff, and their love scene was about as heated as a snowball fight. The lack of chemistry was so palpable, it made the snowman seem cuddly in comparison. Critics agreed, and the film holds a dismal 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the star-studded cast, the movie only managed to scrape $43 million at the global box office.

9. "Fifty Shades of Grey" (2015)

No list of cringey love scenes would be complete without mentioning this much-hyped adaptation of E.L. James' novel. Despite being billed as an erotic drama, the love scenes between Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan were about as steamy as a cold shower. Their chemistry, or lack thereof, resulted in a series of scenes that felt more like a manual on how not to do BDSM than a passionate romance. Regardless of its lukewarm reception (24% on Rotten Tomatoes), the film was a box office success, grossing over $570 million worldwide, proving that cringe can sell.

10. "Wild Wild West" (1999)

This Will Smith-starring film isn't remembered fondly for many things, and its love scene is certainly one of them. Smith's character, Jim West, and Salma Hayek's Rita Escobar have a night-time tryst that's about as exciting as watching paint dry. It was the kind of scene where you could practically see the director yelling, "More passion!" and getting nothing in return. The film was critically panned, earning a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while it earned $222 million at the box office, it's generally remembered as a missed opportunity.

11. "The Boy Next Door" (2015)

This thriller, starring Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman, has a love scene that feels more awkward than anything else. Despite Guzman's character being presented as an irresistible temptation, their tryst feels forced and about as passionate as a schoolyard crush. Lopez later admitted she felt uncomfortable during the filming, and frankly, it shows. The film holds a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and barely scraped by at the box office, grossing $52 million worldwide.

12. "Obsessed" (2009)

"Obsessed" presents us with a love scene that's more "yikes" than "yowza". In the film, Idris Elba's character has an unwelcome encounter with a temp worker, played by Ali Larter, in a bathroom stall. The scene is meant to be intense and thrilling but ends up feeling more like a lesson in personal space. Elba himself admitted that the scene was a struggle to shoot, and it's evident in the final product. Despite this, the film managed to gross $73 million worldwide and holds a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.