7 Greatest love triangles in film

Benjamin is a recent graduate who’s found himself in a summer fling with an older married woman, Mrs. Robinson. The true collateral damage of this affair comes when Benjamin falls in love with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter.

Benjamin decides to take the high ground and tells the beautiful Elaine, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, the truth but her mother’s version of the story puts him in a negative light.

A love triangle featuring a mother and daughter was never going to go smoothly which gets audiences gripping at the edge of their seats.

The film also features the timeless hit Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel, which was written for the film.

US Marine Captain Sam Cahill is assumed dead at war, however, after months of captivity he returns home to find out that his wife, Grace, may have had a relationship with his brother. Not the “welcome home” he expected.

Grace believed that her husband was gone forever but now she’s stuck with the realisation that he’s alive whilst she has feelings for another man. Sam’s PTSD combined with his brother’s constant presence results in a gripping finale.

Brothers is a remake of the 2004 Danish film Brodre, following the original closely but with a much bigger budget.

Bridget Jones’s life is full of cringe worthy moments from bottom flashing on live TV to accidental fancy dress at formal garden parties. These moments increase as she starts an on-again, off-again romance with both her boss and an old family friend.

The situation’s complexity increases when Bridget finds out that both men already know and hate each other. A literal fight for Bridget between the men to the soundtrack of “It’s Raining Men” is a memorable highlight.

Bridget’s involvement in love triangles continues throughout her film trilogy with new and old flames adding to the loveable Brit’s tragic love life.

Whether you love or hate the series, Twilight was an undeniably popular franchise for teens and adults alike. A popular element throughout is the romantic battle between Jacob and Edward for Bella's affections.  

Guys fighting over a girl is a common trope in love triangles but the fact that one is a vampire and the other a werewolf makes the conflict somewhat unique.

The popularity of the Twilight series even led to the last book being split into two films which gave fans a little longer to wear their Team Edward and Team Jacob hoodies.

Classic cinema icons, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, star in this noir drama as past lovers, Rick and Isla. If your ex-partner appeared with their husband, asking you to help them escape the Nazis, would you help them? Probably, but when you both have undisclosed feelings for each other, it becomes a harder choice.

Rick is left with the decision to either keep Isla with him in the dangerous city of Casablanca or to push her away to a life that would be better for her in the long run.
This film is remembered for its incredible cinematography and amazing dialogue which is still referred to in pop culture today.

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine”

Even as a super-powered mutant, getting the girl can be tough, specifically when two arrogant men fall for the telepathic Jean Grey.

Logan is a savage animal of a man with limited memories of his past. Scott is a proud yet egotistical leader of a group called “The X-Men”. Their personalities don’t blend well, especially as they admire the same woman. Jean Grey is caught in the middle of these rivaling men, which isn’t easy to avoid as she can literally read their minds. 

The original X-Men trilogy focused on this quarreled triangle throughout its six years but the original X-Men comics that started in the 1960s still refer to the topic. The mutants just can’t get enough of this fiery red head.

Ben Stiller's Ted can't help but think that his high school crush, Mary, is the one that got away. After hiring a private detective to find her, he inadvertently creates more admirers for the newly single Mary, making the task of winning her over even tougher.

The love triangle quickly grows with a vast number of the film’s characters revealing their love for Mary and doing anything they can to win her over. I guess there really is something about Mary.

Moments throughout the film are enough to make anyone squirm, especially the infamous “hair gel scene” and the horrendous zipper incident in the opening. The scary fact is that the zipper incident actually happened to the director’s family friend.

Read more from Ben Stanley 

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more film stories

Enjoyed this story? Share it!

*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.