Two’s company and three’s a crowd–but boy, is it an entertaining one. Celine Song’s Materialists (2025) may be the latest high-profile release to pivot around a love triangle, but it certainly isn’t the first. The love triangle, in its purest form, sees two potential love interests compete (sometimes unwittingly) for the affections of an undecided protagonist. The resulting romantic, emotional and sexual tension practically writes itself. 

It’s no surprise, then, that love triangles have endured through the generations, from Homer’s Iliad to Stephanie Meyer’s sacred YA text Twilight. It’s a classic lens through which we can examine the tricky matter of relationships and ask the big questions while also providing buckets of scintillating drama; why do we pursue who we pursue? What pulls us down one path over another? Which are sexier, vampires or werewolves?

On the back of her hugely successful debut feature, Past Lives (2023), which, despite featuring three intertwined leads, is decidedly not a love triangle flick,  Song brings a textbook example to the screen in Materialists. Following a high-end matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) torn between a new flame (Pedro Pascal) and a ghost of her past (Chris Evans), it’s a star-studded love triangle that is injecting some much-needed romantic drama into the summer slate. Still hungry for more? Don’t worry–we’ve compiled some of the most thrilling love triangles in cinema to give you enough juicy relationship tea to last all summer long.

Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

Image Courtesy of Allstar / Working Title via The Guardian

Arguably the quintessential British rom-com, this Pride and Prejudice-inspired romp sees hapless heroine Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger, showcasing some legendary accent work) entangled with both the roguish Daniel Cleaver (a smarmy Hugh Grant) and impenetrable Mark Darcy (played with the stoicism of his namesake by Colin Firth). It has all the trappings of a classic romantic comedy, but the love triangle between Jones, Cleaver and Darcy is truly the beating heart of the film, with electric chemistry between the three leads and a thrilling push-pull dynamic that complements our leading lady’s personal growth. Though casting two devilishly handsome leads certainly helps, the film takes the time to ensure viewers can see why Bridget is drawn to both men and how it changes over time. In the end, though, it’s tough to disagree with her decision, and there’s a sweet sense that Jones’s journey brought her exactly where she needed to be–though perhaps just a tad underdressed.

Casablanca (1941)

Image Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

The enduring appeal of the 1941 drama Casablanca is owed in no small part to the captivating, timeless love triangle at its centre. In the thick of WWII, fate reunites American expatriate Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) with former lover Isla Lund (Ingrid Bergman) when she seeks escape from the titular Moroccan city with her husband, Czech resistance leader Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid). Sure, the film’s iconic one-liners have become a little hokey with overuse, but they still manage to strike a chord against a nuanced examination of the conflict between love and morality, passion and responsibility. Often touted as one of the most romantic films of all time, the high stakes and political backdrop help to compound the emotional impact of an already bittersweet love story, tied together with one of the most famous love triangles in cinematic history.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

Image Courtesy of Sony via Deadline

In a twist on the classic love triangle, My Best Friend’s Wedding subverts expectations by placing our protagonist not at the point of the love triangle, but in a rather jaded corner. Indeed, the triangle itself is disconnected and exists almost exclusively in the mind of Julia Roberts’ Jules. When a shock engagement announcement from best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) leads her to recognise her true feelings, Jules becomes hell-bent on foiling his wedding to sunny fiance Kimberly (Cameron Diaz). A charming performance from Roberts helps to keep proceedings entertaining, despite the unspoken acknowledgement that Jules is acting as the villain in this scenario. Of course, as in real relationships, things are rarely so black-and-white, and the film does a solid job of balancing the complexities of its central love triangle with its light-hearted rom-com trimmings. Genre sceptics may be surprised to find it offers more depth than expected, with a satisfying ending that steers clear of the traditional saccharine conclusion.

The Age of Innocence (1993)

Image Courtesy of Columbia Pictures / Photofest via The New Yorker

Though Martin Scorsese may be more associated with the trademark violence of films like Taxi Driver (1976), his portrayal of 1870s New York high society is no less brutal in The Age of Innocence, particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. In this classic Gilded Age drama, lawyer Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) finds himself torn between the affections of his virtuous fiance, May Welland (Winona Ryder), and the social pariah, Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer). As if a typical love triangle wasn’t complicated enough, the social expectations and conventions of the aristocracy bring a melting pot of emotions to a boiling point. Though lacking in graphic violence, the film pulls no punches when it comes to societal warfare, exemplifying the strain that our environment can have on our personal relationships.

Challengers (2024)

Image Courtesy of MGM via The Eagle

It would be remiss to conclude this list without a special mention for one of the hottest films of 2024–Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers. Part-sports-flick, part-romance, Challengers jumps back and forth in the intertwining lives of tennis players Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) across thirteen years of pure trianglement with a zippy pace worthy of centre court. By focusing almost entirely on the tennis threesome and their evolving relationships with each other, Challengers exploits the love triangle trope to craft a rich character study that is as sexy as it is fascinating. And the best part? It’s tethered to Materialists with a deeply personal string–Celine Song’s husband, Justin Kuritzkes, penned the script. Double feature anyone?

List Courtesy of Sadbh Boylan

Feature Image Credit to A24 Via Variety