A meet-cute is a scenario in a film, novel, or other storytelling medium where a future romantic couple meets for the first time in a charming, amusing, and memorable way.
The term “meet-cute” refers to the circumstances surrounding the initial encounter between the two potential love interests. These circumstances are crafted by the writer to be cute, quirky, awkward, comedic, or otherwise endearing, setting the stage for the characters to develop feelings for each other down the line.
Some key aspects of a classic meet-cute moment include:
- An unusual, comedic, or unique setting/situation that brings the characters together unexpectedly
- Humorous banter, misunderstandings, or awkwardness between the characters
- An instant spark or undeniable chemistry between the two
- A memorable or visually entertaining way they first lay eyes on each other
- Circumstances that allow their personalities to shine through right away
The meet-cute establishes the initial appeal and connection between the future couple for the audience to latch onto. It kicks off their romantic arc in a fun, attention-grabbing way. Iconic meet-cutes make audiences think “They just have to end up together after that!”
While meet-cutes are most commonly associated with romantic comedy films, they can occur in any story with a romantic subplot. The meet-cute is a beloved storytelling device to bring future lovebirds together in an unforgettable way.
There are several different types or categories of meet-cute scenarios that writers employ when introducing future romantic partners. Here are some of the most common kinds of meet-cutes:
The Comedic Meet-Cute: This involves the couple’s first encounter being humorous, awkward, or slapstick in nature. Examples include bumping into each other, spilling food/drink on one another, or getting caught in an embarrassing situation.
The Meet-Misunderstanding: Their initial meeting involves some sort of comedic misunderstanding or case of mistaken identity that brings them together unexpectedly.
The Meet-Ungrateful: One character does a kind gesture for the other (returning a lost item, helping out, etc.) but the other person responds ungratefully at first before warming up.
The Meet-Thrown-Together: Circumstances force the soon-to-be couple into an enclosed space (stuck in an elevator, caught in a storm, etc.) where they’re compelled to interact.
The Meet-Hate: The two initially clash, bicker, or seem to despise each other before realizing they have chemistry and a spark beneath the antagonism.
The Childhood Connections Meet-Cute: They met once before as children or attended the same school/camp, laying the groundwork for their eventual adult romantic reunion.
The Meet-Unique-Circumstance: They share an incredibly specific, unusual experience that hardly anyone else could relate to, immediately bonding them.
The Meet-Competition: The two are pitted against each other as rivals or opponents initially before being drawn together over time.
The Missed Connections Meet-Cute: Their paths keep crossing in near-miss encounters before they finally do meet at an unexpected time.
No matter which type is employed, the meet-cute should feel organic, display the personalities of the characters, and spark the interest and hopes of the audience for the couple’s future romantic potential.
Meet-cutes can serve several important narrative functions in a story beyond just being a cute way to introduce the future romantic partners. Here are some of the key roles that a well-crafted meet-cute can play:
- Establishing character personalities/traits
The meet-cute is often the audience’s first real introduction to the lead characters. How the characters act, speak, and respond in that initial encounter reveals crucial details about their personalities, quirks, senses of humor, etc. right away. - Showcasing chemistry/compatibility
A great meet-cute highlights the romantic potential between the two characters by displaying their undeniable chemistry and natural rapport, even if they don’t realize it yet themselves.Meeting “the one” should feel magnetic. - Injecting humor/entertainment value
Meet-cutes provide built-in humor, entertainment, and audience engagement value as these scenes are crafted to be funny, charming, and attention-grabbing by nature. - Setting up character arcs
The qualities, flaws, or personal baggage on display in the meet-cute lays the groundwork for the types of personal growth and arcs the characters will experience over the course of the story. - Justifying future complications
If the couple hits it off too smoothly in their meet-cute, it can undercut romantic tensions later. An awkward or antagonism-tinged meeting better motivates future roadblocks in their relationship. - Memorializing the origin story
For fans invested in the couple, the meet-cute takes on extra significance as the origin story and shared experience that kicked off their epic romance. - Fulfilling audience wishful thinking
Clever, unique meet-cutes allow viewers to live vicariously through the serendipitous ways the characters came together against all odds in a wish-fulfillment way.
When done well, the meet-cute accomplishes far more than just being a cute gimmick. It’s a pivotal early scene that shapes the entire perception and journey of the couple’s relationship.
Looking for the perfect way for your future fictional lovebirds to meet? Whether you’re a screenwriter stuck on Page 1 or just a hopeless romantic dreaming up your ideal meet-cute, you’ve come to the right place. A good meet-cute is the charming, often comedic first encounter between a rom-com’s future couple that kicks off their budding romantic journey. It’s the moment you as the viewer think “Aww, they’re so perfect for each other!” Get those lightning bolt feelings ready, because we’ve brainstormed 100 fresh, quirky, awkward and downright adorkable meet-cute scenarios to inspire your next romantic story. Spoiler alert: Expect lots of bumping into each other, mistaken identities, and witty banter!
Here are 100 meet-cute moment ideas for your next film:
- Bumping into each other on a crowded city street and dropping everything
- Reaching for the last item on a store shelf at the same time
- Getting stuck in an elevator together
- Sitting next to each other on a plane/train and striking up a conversation
- Having the same boring office job and bonding over hating it
- Waiting in the long line at a food truck and chatting to pass the time
- Competing for the same apartment/house and butting heads initially
- One character is a dog walker, the other’s dog gets away and they chase it together
- Neighbors who keep running into each other doing laundry
- Arguing over the same cab/Uber and ending up sharing it
- Meeting at a bad blind date – realizing they were set up with the wrong people
- Getting kicked out of a nightclub at the same time for a silly reason
- Battling for the same parking spot and having a confrontation
- Running into each other at the dog park while playing with their dogs
- Roommates whose friends ditch them so they end up hanging out
- Tourist asking a local for directions and getting helped out
- Spilling coffee/food on each other in a cafe line
- Getting sat next to each other at a wedding reception
- Competing on opposing teams in a trivia night
- Singing horribly at a karaoke night and bonding over it
- Working as co-volunteers for a charitable event
- A case of mistaken identity or misunderstanding
- Being in the same yoga/workout class and encouraging each other
- Sitting next to each other on a long bus ride and conversing
- Getting their pets confused at the vet’s office
- Working as baristas at the same coffee shop
- Waiters at the same restaurant who despise a rude customer together
- College classmates in a huge lecture hall
- One saving the other from choking at a restaurant
- Locking themselves out of their apartment/home on the same day
- Neighbors arguing over a property line dispute
- New employees at a company who get lost together on the first day
- Rivals fighting over a job promotion who are forced to work together
- Speed dating participants who only seem to click with each other
- Bickering strangers on a jury who slowly warm up over the trial
- One tutors the other for a subject they struggle with
- They meet in line for a hugely popular concert/event
- Competing for the same tutoring job and trying to one-up each other
- Volunteer Santa and elf at a holiday event
- Having the same take-out food delivery guy mix up their orders
- Geeky fans bonding over a mutual interest at a convention
- Neighbors having a noise/disturbance dispute that leads to friendship
- One is an author, the other is a reader who idolizes them
- Bickering apartment-hunters being shown the same place
- Riders on the same commuter train/bus every day
- Summer camp counselors assigned to work together
- Arguing over the check at a restaurant when their dates ditch them
- Meeting in an airport when their flights are delayed
- Neighbors who hit it off while collecting packages for each other
- Rival bakery/restaurant/shop owners who later bond
- Meeting at a high school reunion after being interested in high school
- Members of rival kickball/bowling/recreational sports teams
- Falling into a fountain or body of water and helping each other out
- Arguing parents at their kids’ little league game
- A cashier and a loyal customer who frequent the same shop
- Signing up for the same terrible dating service and getting matched
- Meeting at a disastrous bank robbery and bonding over the trauma
- Riding in the same Uber or taxi and realizing they know someone in common
- Running the same nature trail and bonding over the activity
- An accidental pocket dial that leads to an actual conversation
- Meeting while stuck overnight working late on a group project
- Getting their kids, dogs, belongings mixed up at a busy park
- Sharing an oversold hotel room on vacation due to a mixup
- Coming from very different backgrounds but finding common ground
- Taking a required workplace safety training class together
- Being set up on a blind date by meddling but well-meaning friends
- Pizza delivery person and a customer who keeps ordering
- Valet with a rude customer whose day they end up turning around
- New neighbors who constantly run into each other in the building
- Amateur actors cast as romantic leads in a community theater production
- Grabbing for the same book at a used bookstore sale
- Taking turns saving each other in an arcade shooting game
- One gives the other directions when they’re hopelessly lost
- Food truck vendors with competing businesses who fall for each other
- Gardeners at a communal community garden plot
- Each returns the other’s lost wallet or item, sparking a connection
- Vying for the same job at an interview then later connecting
- Regulars at the same bar who are there every night after work
- Adult education/learning annex class they randomly signed up for
- Members of the same gym who encourage each other’s fitness goals
- Art gallery attendees who debate over a strange modern piece
- Volunteer Santa and mall elf who spread the holiday cheer together
- Playing as opponents in a competitive rec sports league
- Moving in as new neighbors in an apartment building on the same day
- Joining the same book club and having a combative debate
- Sitting across from each other struggling with a crossword on the train
- Arguing about the politics behind their opposing protest signs
- Sharing an Uber and getting trapped in traffic, allowing them to connect
- Camping at the same site but on different camping trips
- Bonding over being the only adults at a children’s theme park
- Taking the same disastrous cooking class but sticking it out
- The only two jurors who see things differently during deliberations
- Getting caught climbing the same fence or trespassing somewhere
- One saving the other from getting mugged or victimized in the city
- Battling for the same apartment and trying to undercut each other
- New employees having to work a graveyard shift together
- Arguing over who had the restaurant reservation first that night
- Waiting in the long return line after holiday shopping and venting
- Taking the same awful part-time job but making the best of it
- One helping the other deal with a home repair emergency as a pro
Don’t be afraid to get creative and put a new spin on these meet-cute ideas. The best rom-coms bring something new to the table while scratching that nostalgic itch for the romantic and comedic tropes we all know and love. So go forth and craft an unforgettable, sparks-flying first encounter between your would-be couple! Lay the groundwork for an epic love story where they go through all the ups and downs before (hopefully) riding off into the sunset together. But it all starts with an adorably awkward, funny, only-in-the-movies meet-cute moment that makes your audience instantly invested in rooting for those two confused lovebirds to make their way to each other. The cutest of meet-cutes awaits!
