Joanna, About Time (2013).We loved Vanessa Kirby from the start. Her casually unhinged Joanna isn’t just a friend, she’s a gatekeeper. Joanna screens Mary’s (Rachel McAdams’s) suitors before they waste her time. She’s why Mary never walks into a blind date alone. Joanna is already there, reading the room, spotting red flags, and stepping in as the designated rejector. Don’t we all need her?
Spike, Notting Hill (1999). William’s (Hugh Grant’s) weirdo flatmate (Rhys Ifans) is the fellow who wanders around the place in his underwear, leans in to the paparazzi when they camp at his doorstep, and made Will wear prescription scuba goggles to the cinema because he was sitting on Will’s specs the entire time. This is how most friendships are: Messy but not malicious.
Shazzer, Jude & Tom, Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001). The Greek chorus of bad advice. The trio convinces Bridg (Renee Zellweger) that she’s better off with the sexy rake, not the stable crush. They show up for her, even when her homecooked dinner is a blue disaster. Shazzer brings a charcuterie board of profanity to every meeting. Jude either offers affirmation, or has a meltdown over a guy. Tom drinks every problem away. They like her: “Just as you are”.
Goh Peik Lin, Crazy Rich Asians (2018). Peik Lin (Awkwafina) is the gem you want when everyone around you is dripping in diamonds. She’s ten steps ahead of the social dynamic (“Chinese sons think their mums fart Chanel No 5”), and has all the dirt on who has money, power and bad intentions. She’s basically Rachel’s (Constance Wu’s) ultimate hype-girl. Plus, she stocks outfits for all occasions in the car boot!
George Downes, My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997). This man is the reason ’90s women put Gay Best Friend on their life-goal list. George (Rupert Everett) is devastatingly handsome, impeccably dressed, more British than Shepherd’s Pie. He’s gay, but so loyal a friend, he helps Jules (Julia Roberts) sabotage a wedding. Watch him charm all the in-laws by getting them to chorus Say A Little Prayer over a posh lunch.
Sydney Fife, I Love You Man (2009). Guy besties rarely get screen time in romcoms. This bromance salutes the bond. Peter (Paul Rudd) only reaches out to Sydney (Jason Segel) because he needs a best man for his wedding. Sydney, however dives in with a rambling voicemail, a too-honest toast, and an obsession with the band Rush. He’s needy but somehow also playing hard to get. It’s exactly what grooms need.
Harriet Smith, Emma (2020). In every retelling of Jane Austen’s novel, Harriet is the awkward, impressionable lamb, so enamoured of Emma that she rejects a proposal from a man she likes, because Emma disapproves. In this version, Mia Goth plays her so delicately, so daftly, you want to give her a good shake and say, “Babe, stop it”. And yet, Harriet’s step towards maturity is what makes Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy) grow up too.
Becca, Set It Up (2018). Harper’s (Zoey Deutch’s) roommate Becca (Meredith Hagner) is the generous, wise buddy we all need. She picks up on Harper’s chemistry with Charlie (Glen Powell) early, and graciously disappears so the two can have a pizza date. When Harper freezes up about a reporting assignment, her speech includes: “Just write, you dummy!” When Harper is unsure about a guy, she has the best advice of all: “You like because; you love despite.”
Arthur Abbott, The Holiday (2006). Who says romcom besties have to be young and flippant? Iris (Kate Winslet), adrift in Hollywood, befriends Arthur (Eli Wallach), her ageing-but-still-sharp neighbour. If you’ve ever felt like the second fiddle in your own life, think of Arthur reminding Iris that she’s acting like the “best friend” when she’s meant to be the “leading lady”. Iris pays him back with a film festival in his honour. Heart-squeeze!
Lolo Chen, Joy Ride (2023). Audrey’s (Ashley Park’s) artist BFF, Lolo Chen (Sherry Cola), walks into a room and immediately makes it worse. She says the thing you were hoping wouldn’t be said, usually in front of the wrong people. She makes sex noises. She describes a Chinese grandma as “super long hair coming out of a mole and refuses to pluck it cause it’s bad luck”. No filter; all heart. What a bestie should be.
From HT Brunch, February 14, 2026
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