Top 10 Movie Breakups That Didn't HAVE to Happen

James Bond and Madeleine Swann start off this film on a high note. They’re enjoying their relationship until a bomb goes off, followed by a tense car chase. Bond appears suspicious of Swann and breaks things off on the spot. He doesn’t stop to consider other solutions, or that one of his many enemies could be behind the attack. The two then spend five years apart before rekindling their partnership. The agent could’ve called somebody to find out the truth, but he quickly broke up with Swann instead. It’s unfortunate that the spy wasted so much time alone when he could’ve been happy. The tragic ending might be unavoidable, but this early mistake is almost unforgivable.

Colm and Pádraic are pals on an island off the coast of Ireland. One day, Colm chooses to totally cut ties with his friend. It’s a drastic choice that could’ve been solved by other means. He could just hang out with Pádraic less, rather than hacking off some fingers, but Colm refuses to budge from his original plan. They could also stay friends without having to meet at the pub. They could start writing letters to each other, or maybe meet up once a month instead. There are many solutions to this problem that would allow for both men to be happy. It’s a tragedy Colm wouldn’t even consider them.

Upon returning to Schenectady, stunt driver Luke Glanton learns that he has a child with former flame Romina. He chooses to stick around even though she’s moved on to another guy. If he took a normal job and settled down, Luke could easily hang around town and find a way to convince Romina to take him back. He instead chooses to rob banks in order to provide for his family and that doesn’t work out well. It’s clear that Luke and Romina have something special, with the anti-hero showing a genuine interest in both her and their child. He’s not exactly perfect, but he could’ve made a few lifestyle changes in order to save his life and their relationship.

At the start of this romance, Nate Davis breaks up with his longtime girlfriend Jenny Young. The latter spends the rest of the movie trying to make sense of her new life. But to do that requires getting closure on this unexpected breakup. Granted, Young is preparing to leave New York and move to San Francisco for a job. However, she is open to making any accommodation necessary for the relationship to continue. And rather than breaking up, such a move could have been the impetus for a marriage proposal or some other way of taking the relationship to the next level. A dream sequence shows what could happen if her former partner returns, taunting viewers with an alternate ending.

Will Hunting has his share of problems and struggles, but his budding relationship with Skylar is very promising. The janitor has great chemistry with the Harvard student, but it all comes undone after the hero breaks things off. Dealing with his trauma, Hunting builds a wall around himself and pushes people away. It’s only at the end that he finally realizes that he’s made a mistake. If the main character had accepted Skylar’s love, he could’ve planned to move out to California with her. This simple fix would’ve guaranteed a much happier and satisfying conclusion for the two. The intelligent hero isn’t done with therapy, but he could’ve been helped even more with his girlfriend’s support.

This sweet story of musicians in Dublin includes great songs and an unfulfilled romance. While playing music, the unnamed Guy and Girl also seem to be falling for each other. Each of them has their own lives and relationships to contemplate, but there’s an undeniable connection between them. Guy fails to convince Girl to be with him despite the latter showing some interest in the possibility. It’s sad to see them go off on different paths, but it really stings knowing that they could have at least stayed together to record more music - and maybe let something more develop. As collaborators or lovers, both heroes seem destined to reunite.

After learning that their spouses are having an affair with each other, Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen develop an unlikely bond. This slowly blossoms into a platonic romance. Chow even wants Su to follow him to Singapore, but sadly she misses her chance and their chance at happiness evaporates. Everything that happens afterward only serves to show how much they really blew it. Even though the film is a masterpiece, we wish we could’ve seen the two back together. The ambiguous ending features a mysterious secret, leaving audiences wondering what could’ve been.

Of all the interrupted romances of the 2010s, we’re still heartbroken over this one. Mia and Sebastian seem like the perfect couple. They’re both driven artists that pursue their dreams. Things don’t work out though, with the partners bending and then breaking. The two end up seeing each other one last time in a poignant finale. They imagine how their lives could’ve been in an extended dream sequence, proving that there’s potential for them to reunite. It might just be wish fulfillment, but the exes do still seem to love each other. Had they just waited a little longer, they could’ve made their lives together.

Through a series of misunderstandings, the younger Briony Tallis influences the separation of her sister Cecilia and a servant, Robbie Turner. This mistake dooms the couple for the rest of their lives. With World War II breaking out, the two heroes both die in separate incidents. It’s a shocking and sad end for people that just wanted to be together. If Cecilia’s sibling hadn’t gotten involved, the relationship could’ve at least continued until the global conflict began. And Briony lives to realize what she has done and regret her actions. While there are no guarantees in life, these characters deserved and clearly wanted much better for themselves.

Meeting on the tragic voyage, Rose and Jack aren’t exactly the luckiest couple. They both come from different worlds but their love overcomes this and they try to stick together after the ship strikes the iceberg. Unfortunately, Jack has a controversial exit from the film that could’ve been prevented. With arguments lingering for decades, many audience members feel that something could’ve been done to save him. On the other hand, it’s also clear that any jostling of their makeshift raft would be dangerous. Some people might say that the story only works if they can’t be together, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have tried a little harder.

Did we forget another breakup that shouldn’t have happened?