Creed IIIcan’t come to the silver screens fast enough and fans only have to wait one more day before it premieres on March 3. This highly anticipated sequel was directed by and starsMichael B. Jordanas the rising boxer Adonis Creed. The premise of the movie essentially depicts old friends becoming enemies, which is a trope very commonly used in film.
Despite the trope being not completely new – it’s an age-old topic – it still often attracts a lot of viewers. It seems that these kinds of stories are either relatable or interesting to watch as they portray humanity in realistic ways. IncludingCreed III, many movies include family and friends creating a rift between each other, which escalate to dramatic, exhilarating, and often heartbreaking scenarios.
1’Creed III' (2023)
The highly anticipated sequelCreed IIIis coming to theaters soon, and it’s bound to be a hit. Not only is it one of Michael B. Jordan’s best roles to date, but it’s also his directorial debut. It seems like his taking directorial reins was a good choice, as Adonis Creed is a character he’s been playing for nearly a decade.
RELATED:Great Boxing Movies To Watch While You Wait For ‘Creed III’
Adonis Creed has a great family and an established career, but it all becomes shaky when he’s faced with a threat that’s also a blast from the past - another boxing prodigy and his old friend Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors). They used to be friends early in life, but Damian seemingly has unresolved issues with Adonis. This movie is also highly anticipated because rising star Jonathan Majors plays another antagonist this year (afterAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania).
2’Warrior' (2011)
Following the theme ofCreed III, another boxing movie makes the ranks - but this one is highly underrated. It doesn’t seem like many discussions include this fantastic feature, butWarrioris a highly emotional exploration of broken families, regaining trust, facing old wounds, and overcoming suppressed anger.
The film featuresincredible performances fromTom HardyandJoel Edgerton, who play Tommy and Brendan, estranged brothers that used to be close in childhood; their family was torn apart by divorce and their father, former boxing legend Paddy (Nick Nolte). When both brothers end up participating in an MMA tournament, they’re forced to face these conflicts and mend the broken relationship while also fighting each other in the ring.
3’The Prestige' (2006)
When people reminisce about their favorite friends-to-enemies story, many refer toThe Prestige. Surely,thisChristopher NolanclassicstarringChristian BaleandHugh Jackmanis among his most beloved features; it also depicts a decay in a friendship that festers across decades.
Alfred Borden and Robert Angier are assistants of a professional magician; the two, including Angier’s wife Julia, were inseparable for a long time. When Julia participates in a magic trick that goes wrong, Robert blames Alfred for it – making him a sworn enemy. Besides being a visual spectacle, this movie explores how processing grief can turn into something deadly and destructive.
4’Captain America: Civil War' (2016)
Nolan’s fans think ofThe Prestigewhen the friends-to-enemies trope is mentioned, but Marvelfans can only put their minds to one feature –Captain America: Civil War. Often placed at the very top ofAvengersmovies,Civil Waris a political thriller and some of the best Marvel could offer. It follows the events ofAvengers: Age of Ultronwhen the destruction of Sokovia happened.
RELATED:The Highest-Grossing Superhero Movies of All Time
The government decides to push a Hero Registration Act, which would regulate the actions of superheroes and ultimately prevent further mass destruction. Tony Stark aka Iron Man is all for this, but Steve Rogers aka Captain America disagrees – he finds heroic acts to be beyond governmental measures. This conflict doesn’t simply make sense, but it’s emotionally heavy and full of fantastic twists.
5’Spider-Man 3' (2007)
Spider-Man 3didn’t just provide the best-ever footage ofTobey Maguiredancing, but it’s also a fantastic friends-to-enemies story example.James Francoreturns as Harry Osborn, who is now fully turned against Spider-Man since he blames him for the death of his father - The Green Goblin. Harry and Peter used to be great friends, but Harry’s blinded by revenge, and he knows Peter is Spider-Man.
Additionally, Peter becomes possessed by the entity that later becomes Venom. Next to having Harry Osborn as a newly sworn enemy, Peter has to face his other self, who is changing and corrupting him. The struggle becomes intense for Peter Parker and Spider-Man alike.Spider-Man 3is beloved, although often criticized asa sequel for being too much all at once.
6’X-Men: First Class' (2011)
Who could ever forget how great of friends Magneto and Professor X were? InX-Men: First Class, this relationship was explored from its origins, and although the result was a bit clumsy and disliked,First Classis a decent depiction of the rift between the two mutant leaders.
Charles Xavier aka Professor X believes in the equality of mutants and humans and works on integrating his mutant disciples into human society. However, Erik Lensherr aka Magneto believes these groups can never co-exist and that mutants need to establish an independent society. This is a very interesting debate and one that could divide fans as much as it did Professor X and Magneto.
7’The Social Network' (2010)
The Social Networkis among the most rewarded and acclaimed social dramas, and being based on real-life events gives it extra spice. The story describes the creation of Facebook and howMark Zuckerberg(played byJesse Eisenberg) rose to prominence with this social media platform.
RELATED:The Most Rewatchable Movies Ever Made
This feature also revealed the role ofEduardo Saverin(played byAndrew Garfield), the co-founder of Facebook. He was ultimately forced out when Facebook became big, leading to a division and animosity between former best friends Zuckerberg and Saverin.The Social Networkis a must-see – written byAaron Sorkin, directed byDavid Fincher, and scored byTrent ReznorandAtticus Ross– the ultimate combo.
8’Fight Club' (1999)
It seems David Fincher is an expert at flawlessly delivering friends-to-enemies stories;Fight Clubis another of his creations that warrants accolades and high praise. The narrator, played byEdward Norton, works at a dead-end office job without much excitement and spark. On a flight, he meets a carefree soap maker Tyler Durden, one ofBrad Pitt’s best characters.
The two men become great friends and join forces in creating an underground fight club where people can take out their frustrations with the mundaneness of life. Putting this forward as a friends-to-enemies type of film might be a spoiler, but there’s a lot to uncover in this visual masterpiece.Fight Clubwas based on the novel of the same name byChuck Palahniuk.
9’Mean Girls' (2004)
Mean Girlsis thequintessential 2000s teen comedyand a cult classic that’ll never go out of fashion.Tina Feyprobably didn’t expect this legendary status when writing a story about being a mean high school girl, but her creation made the colorful 2000s comedy collection much better.
Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is a newly arrived student in a high school where The Plastics rule the social scene. The Plastics consist of the confident Regina George (Rachel McAdams), the chatty Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert), and the slightly dim Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried). Cady befriends The Plastics while alienating the people that first accepted her, but that takes a turn for the worse after she falls for Regina’s ex-boyfriend.Mean Girlsfunnily and cleverly explores superficial friendships, envy, and ambition.
10’Do Revenge' (2022)
The spiritual successor to numerous revenge-based teen cult classics,Do Revengeturned out to be a much better comedy than most viewers expected; it seems that lately, content in this realm keeps falling flat. This Netflix original starsCamilla MendesandMaya Hawkeas enemies-turned-friends-turned-enemies… turned friends?
Some may expect the twists and turns ofDo Revenge, but for those who don’t, it’s a clever exploration of how people’s actions can often come back to bite them on the behind.Do Revengeis also funny and filled with fabulous outfits. Both Mendes and Hawke are true fashion icons in the movie, and their style changes throughout to follow their character progression.
