10 Rom-Com Men Who Were Honestly Trash And 10 Who Deserved More Of Our Love

Some of your faves are...not so great.

1. Yuck: Austin from A Cinderella Story

Warner Brothers / courtesy Everett Collection

OK, first, he's basically emotionally cheating on Shelby by messaging Sam, and then he doesn't stand up for her at the pep rally, and THEN he doesn't even apologize or anything until AFTER the game is almost over, despite her confronting him before. "Sorry I waited for the rain" is a bullshit excuse. He did not deserve to be with Sam and tbh, I don't think he deserved to go to Princeton.

2. Yum: Miles from The Holiday

Sony Pictures Releasing

Look, Jude Law is great and all, but Jack Black from The Holiday is my dream man. He is so sweet and hilarious and wholesome, and his only flaw is loving the wrong people — something Iris can relate to. I feel like I would trust his character with my unborn children.

3. Yuck: Tom from 500 Days of Summer

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Summer TOLD him exactly what she was looking for and that she didn't believe in love from the start!! He still got invested, which is fair — we've all been there — but then it felt like he got all pissy just because he couldn't change her and force her to love him. And THEN he basically shut down, and then STILL thought he could push Summer back into a relationship with him!! Ugh.

4. Yum: Aaron from Trainwreck

Universal Pictures

Aaron is so pure, but also funny and straightforward. I love his persistence with Amy, and also how he respects who she is — the only time he doesn't is when she isn't able to respect who he is. He doesn't try to get her to change — in the end, Amy changes because she wants to, and that's really what a relationship and love should make people want to do: be better.

5. Yuck: Jake from Sixteen Candles

Universal Pictures

I don't think we even need to go over this one. Jake Ryan literally gave his unconscious girlfriend to an underclassmen to "have his way with her." Completely disgusting — he belongs in jail. Next!

6. Yum: Kumail from The Big Sick

Photo By Nicole Rivelli /Lionsgate/courtesy Everett Collecton

I really, really love this love story (and the fact that it's based on the real-life Kumail and Emily's story makes it even better!). Kumail does sort of mess up when they break up, but it's understandable given the fact that his family would literally disown him (and does) for his relationship with her. He's totally there for her and her family during her hospital stay, and when she (understandably) tells him nothing has changed for her and she doesn't want to get back together, he completely backs off and respects her wishes. He also has a powerful personal arc with his family and career!

7. Yuck: Troy from High School Musical

Disney Channel

Are we ready to have this conversation yet? Boy tried to basically hide his relationship with Gabriella, and then he totally talked shit about her to the team ("locker room talk" is NEVER an excuse). Also, he's dumb — that webcam is so obvious. Honestly (and this is a controversial opinion), his actions in the sequel don't bother me (EXCEPT WHEN HE GIVES HER A "T" NECKLACE), but in the first he's just a fuckboi. Do better, Troy.

8. Yum: Hitch from Hitch

Columbia / courtesy Everett Collection

Honestly, I see Hitch as far more of like...a swag coach (as much as I hate that phrase, lol) than a "date doctor." He really is just teaching men social norms in dating and how to be their best selves, and I don't see anything wrong with that — so yeah, I think he's a good guy! He deeply understands romance, he's confident without being too cocky, and he's super intentional and romantic. True, he doesn't tell Sara the full truth about his job — but it's not like he's a hit man or anything! And I truly believe he would've told her.

9. Yuck: Sam from Never Been Kissed

20th Century Fox / courtesy Everett Collection

Y'all. HE WAS HER TEACHER. AND HE HAD FEELINGS FOR HER. And totally flirted with her and danced with her and everything!! That's creepy no matter what — he didn't know she was 25! Honestly, even being able to change track and kiss her at the end was gross — you know he probably would've done that anyway before finding out she lied. Gross.

10. Yum: Matt in 13 Going on 30

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I know, I know! He cheats on his fiancé with Jenna! But...this is the girl he's loved his whole life coming back as EXACTLY the girl he fell in love with. I think I can forgive one kiss. We don't even know — maybe he told Wendy about it! In the end, he was totally loyal to his fiancé. And Matty is just so sweet and down to earth.

11. Yuck: Jack from Yesterday

Jonathan Prime / Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

Would I do the exact same thing in his situation? Yeah (if I could sing and play guitar and knew more than like five Beatles songs), so I'm not gonna say he's awful. But as a romantic lead...he's totally clueless when it comes to Ellie's love for him, and he misses out on multiple opportunities to reciprocate, choosing his own false fame over the realest thing in his life. I know that's the point of his character arc, but it still makes me mad at him.

12. Yum: Todd from Easy A

Screen Gems

I kind of love that Todd is almost a footnote in this story, which really belongs to Emma Stone as Olive (and also, if we're being real, her parents). But he is presented as the one guy in the film (besides Stanley Tucci and Brandon) who isn't trash, and he lives up to that title. He doesn't believe or care about any of the rumors. He ASKS to kiss her, knowing what she's just been through, and at the end he makes her Say Anything dream come true.

13. Yuck: Aaron Samuels from Mean Girls

Paramount Pictures

This man is a total hypocrite. He judges Cady for being a "clone" of Regina, and even being friends with her, when he dated Regina!! TWICE! And he KNEW she was mean and fake. Cady's certainly not perfect either, but I just can't stand Aaron's holier-than-thou attitude, like he isn't the hottest guy in school that clearly saw Regina's allure firsthand. Also, he knew Cady liked him, and then AS SHE WAS LOOKING (which he totally knew, as they'd just looked at her), still kissed Regina right in front of her. I feel like he didn't need to shove that in her face.

14. Yum: Oliver from The House Bunny

Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Oliver is a babe, AND he works in a retirement home. I feel like he's basically Ted from Schitt's Creek, and his relationship with Shelley reminds me of Ted's with Alexis on that show. Oliver is sort of nerdy, but cute, and he also respects Shelley for who she is — she tries to change to impress him, but in the end it's clear he was always interested in her, and she never needed to pretend. He seems genuinely amused by her, and I love them together.

15. Yuck: Zack in She's All That

Miramax Films courtesy Everett Collection

Any dude who takes a bet like this and actively participates in a scheme to trick a girl is trash. I mean, I feel like this one isn't debatable. I don't care if he turns out alright in the end.

16. Yum: Nick from Crazy Rich Asians

Sanja Bucko / Warner Bros. Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

I mean, the man offered to leave his family behind for her!! Well, his family (besides Astrid) kind of sucked, but still. I'm glad that's not what it came to (because I feel like that could've led to an unequal partnership), but in the end Nick was willing to give it all up for love. He respected Rachel's wishes and dreams and, even though he didn't tell her the full truth about his family's reputation, I don't believe he realized quite what Rachel was going to have to go through.

17. Yuck: Kevin in 27 Dresses

20th Century Fox / courtesy Everett Collection

Kevin is really the ULTIMATE fuckboi. He humiliates Jane for his own gain, even after he gets to know her — but does that really matter? He tries to change the story, sure — but it was super misogynistic and gross to write about Jane as this character in the first place! So what if his initial impression was right — did she deserve to get embarrassed like that? I truly hate this man, and I have no idea why Jane goes back to him at the end like SHE was the one who messed up.

18. Yum: Andrew from The Proposal

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

He's got to be one of my fave rom-com leads, and not just because it's Ryan Reynolds. He's utterly hilarious, he's a family man, he cares about his job, and he isn't afraid to ask for what he feels is fair. He's practical but also romantic — his grand gesture at the end is one of my favorites from any rom-com. I love this man.

19. Yuck: Mark from Love Actually

Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

We can all agree on this one, right? He completely disrespects his best friend, he's super creepy toward Juliet, and the "To me, you are perfect" thing has got to be one of the cringiest things I have ever seen. So unrealistic that Juliet kisses him.

20. And finally, yum: Jesse from Pitch Perfect

Universal Pictures

I love this man. He's a cutie (plus he can sing!!) and he's patient with Becca while still pushing her to confront her own issues instead of brushing them under the rug. And he respects himself, knowing Becca's not ready for the kind of relationship he wants (at least at first). Besides, he's the only one who actually respects and encourages his roommate Benji instead of laughing at him.