3 Romantic Comedies Where ‘She Fell First, But He Fell Harder’

If you’re like me, the “she fell first, but he fell harder” cliché is one of your favorite romance tropes.

This trope always starts with a crush–usually on a friend. The main character has the hots for the guy she’s closest with, but he doesn’t even consider her a romantic prospect. She’s just his friend! But as soon as she starts to give up all hope, that’s when we see a switch flip in the male protagonist. Suddenly he’s falling for her–and he’s falling so much harder. It’s a little fantasy so many of us love and, while it happens a lot in romance novels, it’s a little harder to find in rom coms. Luckily, I did the hard work for you and found 3 movies with the “she fell first, but he fell harder” trope. You’re welcome!

The DUFF (2015)

When Bianca needs help becoming more likeable to her crush, she asks for guidance from her neighbor, Wesley Rush. The jock is just in it for help with one of his classes–he’s not into her at all. But by the end, you’ll swoon just as much as I did when you see how hard he falls for her for her authentic self. Watch The DUFF on Peacock.

She’s The Man (2006)

Of course it would be Viola falling for Duke first. After all, Duke thinks she’s just a slightly awkward soccer-loving bro he has to share a room with. But by the end, after Duke has had to resolve some of the confusing feelings he may have had for his roommate all along, he’s down bad for her. And rightfully so! Watch She’s the Man on Paramount+.

Love, Rosie (2014)

Rosie and Alex have been best friends since they were kids. Although they may have developed feelings for each other early on, the time was just never right. Although it’s Rosie who reveals her feelings first–at about the worst possible time–it’s Alex who clearly feels this love the hardest. Watch Love, Rosie on Paramount+.