Top 10 autumn romantic leads
Cozy up to these fall hotties compiled by our very own Kiran Duggal.
The best season of the year is finally here, though as a Libra I am biased. Nonetheless, it is the perfect time to cosy up with blankets, scented candles, and anything pumpkin-spice-flavoured to watch a good ol’ autumnal film. Some romantic leads can be insufferable, but I’ve rounded up a list of the best ones to whittle out the wet and whiny from the legendary.
*Spoiler warnings for all films below*
#10 Neve Campbell - Scream (1996)
Even though the typical genre when one thinks of autumn is usually a romcom, there are plenty of films that have romantic leads in a spooky sense. Everyone’s favourite final girl, Sidney Prescott (Campbell), comes in at number ten. Set in the fictional town of Woodsboro, Sidney and everyone she loves is being killed off by the serial killer, Ghostface.
What gains her a spot on this list is that she loses her virginity to her boyfriend, Billy Loomis (90s heartthrob Skeet Ulrich), but after finding out he’s the deranged killer, has no trouble shooting him. And then again, to make sure he’s really dead.
Boss ass bitch if you ask me.
#9 Robert Pattinson - Twilight (2008)
Whenever you mention Twilight, an eyeroll is the expected response, but there is a lot more to be said about the saga than a cheesy, vampire vs werewolf love affair. And that comes in the form of Robert Pattinson.
A romantic lead who clearly does not want to be there.There is one scene where he looks in pain/constipated due restraining himself from sucking all the blood out of Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) body. I don’t think he was acting, I think he was genuinely in pain from being cast in this role.
Even when he delivers lines like, “This is the skin of killer, Bella”, you can almost hear the undertone of cringing laughter. Pattinson’s performance, alongside the backdrop of a foggy Forks and an over-blinking Stewart, makes this a great nostalgic choice to watch while sipping a hot drink.
#8 Lily Collins - Love, Rosie (2014)
Spanning across a lot of seasons because it covers a lot of years, Love, Rosie makes for a heartwarming, autumnal film. Collins excels as the relatable Rosie spending/wasting years without realising that the love of her life, Alex Stewart (Sam Claflin) is right in front of her.
With stellar supporting performances from Suki Waterhouse and Tamsin Egerton, this film makes for nostalgic viewing. Rosie is on this list because she is a fool in love. She doesn’t see what she has before her when she has it, and when she realises it, it’s too late and he’s remarried. She is a stark reminder that life moves quickly, and if you are in love with somebody, tell them before it’s too late.
She also comes higher on this list because her daughter found her handcuffed to her bedframe, making her late for her first day of school. Iconic.
#7 Johnny Depp – Edward Scissorhands (1990)
It would be wrong to not have another Halloween-themed addition to the list. Depp as Edward Scissorhands is a lovable titular character, whose on-screen (and off) chemistry with Kim (Winona Ryder) marked the walls of every tumblr girl in the 00s/10s. Scissorhands’s childlike wonder is what evokes empathy from the viewer as he’s cast out by his peers due to his ‘abnormal’ appearance.
Knowing that Kim would have a better life without him, he casts himself away creating ‘snow’ from his ice sculptures in solitude – a bittersweet ending that proves sometimes if you love someone, you have to let them go. And if the starring actor turns out to be a predator, maybe let him go as your heartthrob, too (but enjoy the film all the same).
#6 Ryan Phillippe – Cruel Intentions (1999)
Another 90s heartthrob to add to the list – Ryan Phillippe as Sebastian Valmont. This sexy thriller features a young Reese Witherspoon as innocent Annette Hargrove who clashes with Sarah Michelle Gellers’ Kathryn. With iconic scenes such as Geller and Selma Blair’s heavy makeout session and the poignant ending credits as Bittersweet Symphony plays, this film is perfect to watch for back to school blues.
Sebastian ranks highly on this list in part to the scene of him waiting at the top of an escalator, and also to the way he sheds his villainous exterior by falling in love. The perfect anti-hero.
#5 Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
As a Hunger Games fanatic, JLaw has been one of my favourite actresses for a long time. Therefore I was overjoyed when she won an Academy award for her performance as Tiffany Maxwell, and rightly so.
Tiffany is bold and unconventional, yet fierce and vulnerable all at once. This film places fifth as it’s set in the middle of Autumn in Pennsylvania. However, instead of engaging in typical activities such as pumpkin picking, Tiffany vows to help Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) get back together with his ex-wife – as long as he is her dance partner for a competition. What unfolds is a heartwarming romantic comedy, where both characters face their inner demons.
It’s Lawrence’s raw emotion that she pours into this film, mixed with the amazing storyline, that makes it an instant autumn classic.
#4 Renee Zellweger – Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Perhaps one of the most iconic films of the 21st Century, Bridget Jones’s Diary set the blueprint of the frazzled English woman. A hopeless, cringe romantic that we all can’t help but relate to. As a journalist myself, I find the parallels embarrassingly striking. But Zellweger’s Bridget earns a deserved fourth spot on the list due to her realism, her humour (albeit mostly self-deprecating), and her growth in the film.
She is not a stereotypical lead, but that’s what makes this such a great film. And who can forget the scene of her sliding down the firepole? Makes anyone feel better about their work mishaps. Most importantly for her to have enough willpower to say no to toxic Hugh Grant and choose nice guy Colin firth –she deserves a medal, because could never be me.
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#3 Alabama Worley – True Romance (1993)
Now, I know it’s not a traditional autumn film, but stick with me.
This action-packed, gritty thriller is largely a road trip film, but the emotional core of Patricia Arquette’s Alabama’s Worley and Clarence’s (Christian Slater) whirlwind romance is really reflective of the autumn feelings of transition – their relationship reflects the last of autumn warmth before a cold winter. Abstract but it works.
To top it all off, Alabama makes an inspiring female lead in being fiercely bold and unafraid to be her authentic self. Exactly the reminder that we need as the cold and vulnerable months roll around!
#2 Hugh Grant - Notting Hill (1999)
It would be criminal to not include Hugh Grant in a romantic lead list. His character as the lovable, simple bookshop owner William Thacker in Notting Hill makes him a modern-day Prince Charming. His kindness and vulnerability in loving Julia Roberts’ Anna Scott, while also respecting her boundaries and appreciating her great career success, sets the standard for dating green flags.
#1 Meg Ryan - When Harry Met Sally (1989)
At #1 it of course has to be Meg Ryan as the iconic Sally Albrightt in When Harry Met Sally. She is unapologetically herself in all of her emotional glory; a headstrong, complex character that is loved for her vulnerability.
Ryan’s performance as Sally truly brings her to life, with her witty and endearing humour that makes her one of the most likeable characters in the romance genre. And who could forget the infamous scene where she loudly fakes an orgasm in the middle of a diner?! Simply iconic.