8 Of The Worst Movie Couples With Literally Zero Chemistry on Screen

Anna and Aleksei, Anna Karenina, 2012

On-screen lovers Keira Knightley and Aaron Taylor-Johnson clearly lacked passion. Though the characters' love was so great, it was meant to scorch everything around them, the actors' performance could hardly light a match.

Film critic Peter Howell recalls the ball scene where Karenina and Vronsky's dance makes everyone around them freeze for no reason. Was there any magic, really? The audience also trashed the couple in their reviews.

Daisy and Jay, The Great Gatsby, 2013

The original novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald beautifully describes Gatsby's love for Daisy: he adored her, he idolized her, he carried his love for her through his entire life, and everything he ever did was only to come closer to his beloved Daisy.

What did we see in the movie, though? There isn't a single scene with Leo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan that would make you go, "Wow, I get it now!"

Remember the same actor as Jack in Titanic saying goodbye to Kate Winslet? That's a sort of love scene you can rewatch over and over again, and it'll make you cry every time.

Trinity and Neo, The Matrix, 1999–2003

With all due respect to the Wachowskis' innovative and groundbreaking film, we must say they screwed up the love story. There was no chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, as many fans and critics noticed.

In an internet review, one of the viewers shared her surprise at the scene where Trinity said she loved Neo — even though the characters didn't even act like they were friends and never trusted each other! Others commented that the two were more like siblings than a couple. Neo probably has more chemistry with Morpheus than he does with Trinity!

Mary Jane and Peter, Spider-Man, 2002–2007

Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson have one of the strongest and most beautiful love stories in comic books, and the couple have to go through a lot of trials to be together. But in the movies, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst fail to convey their characters' deep and complex feelings.

Their love is boring and uninspired, and it feels like the two are only friends. Even the famous kissing scene with Peter hanging upside down is perhaps commendable for the character's acrobatics — but certainly not for Maguire and Dunst's depiction of love.

Owen and Claire, Jurassic World, 2015

Though Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard's characters don't get along at the beginning, they eventually fall in love and become a couple.

That's according to the script, but in the actual film, the actors fail to convince viewers of their feelings. The two share the most awkward kiss, and that scene almost screams they were paid to do it.

Aquaman and Mera, Aquaman, 2018

It's hard to imagine a hotter couple than Jason Momoa and Amber Heard — I mean, seriously, just look how sexy they are!

Still, Aquaman left many critics and viewers dissatisfied, and one of the reasons for that was the complete lack of chemistry between the main character and Mera. Fans commented that watching their love story was more boring than watching paint dry.

Carl and Allison, Yes Man, 2008

Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel are both sweet and super talented — but even great actors don't always get it right.

In Yes Man, they look cute as a couple, but that isn't enough to make the audience believe their characters are truly in love. This weakness is especially obvious if you compare Carrey's performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (hey, there's Kate Winslet again… she probably knows the secret).

Katniss and Peete, The Hunger Games, 2012–2015

As noted by many critics and fans of the saga, these talented young actors also failed to convey romantic feelings for each other.

Katniss looks at the boy with pity, as if he's a stray kitten in need of a caring hand. And Peete, well… he does look like a kitten in fact.