While watching a movie or series, do you ever notice how much leg workthe supporting charactersput in to ensure that the main characters' storylines are not dull? This group often includes the protagonist’s friends, family, neighbors, classmates — really, the list could go on forever. These people often root for the star of the show to succeed, but sometimes, their support and cheerful demeanor can shift when they feel that they have been wronged in some way. This feeling then results in the friends-to-enemies trope we often see across genres.
Friends becoming strangers is something more people can sympathize with, but an event occurring between two people that turns them into actual enemies is more dramatic and entertaining for audiences. In these instances, there is usually a mixture of emotions as no one wants to see the destruction of a great friendship, but things are not always repairable.
Here are the 10 best movies where friends become enemies, ranked.
10The Fox and the Hound (1981)
The Fox and the Hound
The Fox and the Houndis one of the most sorrowful films that teaches a myriad of lessons — and willmake you cryin the process. A young fox pup named Tod makes friends with a puppy named Copper, but given their natural species rivalry, audiences know things are not going to end well. Several animals attempt to explain to Tod that he and Copper are supposed to be enemies, and their friendship will not last. Tod brushes this off and believes they will defy all odds. After Copper’s master’s other hunting dog gets severely injured, Copper blames Tod, and the two become what everyone expected: enemies.
What Makes It Great
The reason this movie makes the list is that it shows how an innocence between friends dies when others' opinions interfere. Children don’t know how to hate; it is a learned behavior, and through two animated animals, all audiences are able to see how a friendship can easily waver.Stream on Disney+
9Do Revenge (2022)
Do Revenge
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Riverdale’s Camila Mendes andStranger Thingsactress Maya Hawke team up in the teen comedy,Do Revenge, as new friends, Drea and Eleanor, who are seeking social justice for each other. Drea believes her ex-boyfriend leaked an intimate video of her, and Eleanor has lived in the shadow of a rumor about her forcing herself on another student. As the two try to work things out, Eleanor has an ulterior motive against her new friend.
Just about any teenager can sympathize with the “frenemy” storyline. Kids are mean, and, for better and worse, girls are often made to be catty in teen films. Both actresses were praised for their performances, as Gen Z is slowly but surely making its way into the film industry with successful and relatable storylines that do not feel forced or cheesy.Stream on Netflix
8The Social Network (2010)
The Social Network
Based on thetrue story of Mark Zuckerberg’s creationof Facebook,The Social Networkfollows three perspectives of how the social media platform was initially created and how it rapidly expanded. Viewers, critics, and those who were actually involved in the process back in 2004 have many opinions about the facts and the fictional elements added, but one thing is for certain: friendships wavered into enemy territory.
In the film, Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) finds himself butting heads with his friend, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), as their creation of the new social network takes off. Zuckerberg becomes so obsessed with expanding and perfecting The Facebook that he believes Saverin’s contributions are no longer needed, and he significantly drops his role in their shared project. This results in a lawsuit where former friends stare one another down as they have their own truths to tell.
David Fincher’s direction and Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay are a match made in heaven here.The Social Networkis a taut drama that wrestles with ambition and ego in the face of friendships and human connection. Of course, the cast’s performances, particularly those by Eisenberg and Garfield, transcend the real history they’re playing with.Stream on Netflix
7Mean Girls (2004)
Mean Girls
As a generation-defining movie,Mean Girlsexplores and exaggerates the stereotypes found in the average high school in such a way that many fans can still accurately quote several characters. Cady (Lindsay Lohan) is the typical new girl in school who becomes the popular leader of the mean girl group, The Plastics. She ends up clashing with the former leader, Regina (Rachel McAdams), and the school ends up resembling a zoo as every female student goes on a rampage.
The friend-to-enemy plot between Cady and Regina is a bit of a stretch, but things like “Burn Books” and two-faced friendships really do exist. The message to be learned is that everyone fits in somewhere, and people should be accepted for who they are.Stream on Paramount+
6Creed III (2023)
Michael B. Jordan not only agreed to reprise his role as Adonis Creed inCreed III, but he also made his directorial debut with the film. Jordan’s character, Donnie, has since retired from boxing to focus on his family, but after an old friend, Dame (Jonathan Majors), causes some trouble with Donnie’s fighters, the latter makes the choice to get back in the ring.
The two engage in a brutal fight. Donnie feels as if he needs to prove himself to Dame, and Dame unleashes a lot of built-up tension because of an incident that got him arrested years ago. Neither man really seems to want to hurt the other, but they are bothhurting in their own wayswhere they don’t know how else to express themselves.
Creed IIIdeftly continues the legacy started byRockyin 1976. Whenever an actor tries their hand at directing, it can often be a hit-or-miss, but, here, Jordan demonstrated himself to be promising new talent behind the camera. He takes his character to emotional corners we haven’t turned before, and his chemistry with Tessa Thompson and the rest of the cast underscores the film’s overall themes of love, regret, grudges, fighting with all you’ve got.Stream on Prime Video
5X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Classtells the origin story of how the X-Men came to be after a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) parted ways due to differing opinions about how mutants played a role in the humans' world.
Erik, having watched his mother get killed in a concentration camp, grew up believing humans were beneath him. Charles, on the other hand, grew up feeling accepted by those without powers. The two are friends until their philosophies come to a head, and then they become one another’s ultimate enemy.
The relationship between Professor X and Magneto is one of the most storied in superhero cinema. At once loving and antagonistic, it’s no wonder they were at the center of the originalX-Mentrilogy. The prequel, here, gives audiences a further glimpse into how the characters first met and, of course, fell apart. It was well-received by fans as it shed light on the relationship between two brilliant characters with their own ideals.Stream on STARZ
4Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Spider-Man 3
After accepting his new responsibilities as Spider-Man inSpider-Man 3, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finds that it is harder to keep his friends and family safe. In fact, he knows that his very own best friend, Harry (James Franco), has been holding a grudge against Spider-Man, assuming the superhero killed his father. When Harry discovers Peter is Spider-Man, he takes on his late father’s persona, The Green Goblin, and decides to still avenge his death.
Seeing these two characters go from goofy teenagers with their whole futures ahead of them to enemies that have their own reasons for doing things is heartbreaking. When Harry finally learns the truth about his father’s death, it is too late to reconcile with his former friend.Stream on Netflix or Disney+
3Captain America: Civil War
captain america 3
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) have always had two very different personalities, so it is no surprise when the two finally went toe-to-toe inCaptain America: Civil War. After the mass destruction that was caused a year ago by the Avengers bringing down Ultron, the government has decided to create a panel that oversees the work of the superheroes. Stark agrees with the extra oversight, but Rogers is opposed to the government interfering and calling shots. The two end up on opposite sides when brutal fights occur.
Pinning two of themost popular Marvel characterstogether is both exhilarating and devastating as fans can understand the arguments of both sides. Nevertheless, a showdown is what fans received, and as the two will continue to work together in the future, there will always be tension.Stream on Disney+
2Get Out (2017)
To be in a relationship, you have to be friends with your significant other, right? Well, inGet Out, Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) certainly needs to choose better friends as his girlfriend, her family, and all of their friends are horrible people who quickly become Chris' biggest enemies. While meeting Rose’s family and their friends for the first time, he is already suspicious that something is not quite right. Then, he discovers a horrifying secret that reveals that nearly everyone associated with the family is an enemy towards all black individuals.
Jordan Peele is a master at creatingdistorted and terrifying social concepts. InGet Out, Peele methodically destroys a relationship and pins the two individuals against one another without any hope of redemption. The stakes are high for both characters in this situation as Chris wants to live, but Rose wants to continue expanding and preserving her family.Stream on Netflix
1Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Perhaps one of the most disheartening scenes in theStar Warsfranchise is the battle between Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and his longtime friend and mentor, Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), after the former has turned to the dark side, inRevenge of the Sith. Anakin’s reason for turning — believing his wife, Padmé (Natalie Portman), would be safe during her childbirth — makes the betrayal worse.
Anakin’s acceptance of his new role was the ultimate shifting point in the series, and it won the Empire Award for Scene of the Year (as did Yoda’s dual scene fromStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clonesin 2003). With newStar Warsprojects likeAhsokaandObi-Wan Kenobirecently coming out, this conflict inRevenge of the Sithmaintains a pivotal moment in the franchise.Stream on Disney+
