How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Journalist Andie Anderson writes an advice column and needs a fresh story, so she decides to test a theory: she will intentionally drive a man away within ten days and report the results. Meanwhile Ben Barry, an advertising executive, wagers he can make any woman fall for him over the same period to land a high-profile account. Neither tells the other why they are courting, and their strategies escalate into a series of exaggerated dates, miscommunications, and sabotaged moments. As the deadline approaches their initial games collide with real attraction, forcing each to reconsider how much of romance is performance and how much is genuine. The film keeps the tone light while letting the two leads spar and connect more.

Released in 2003, the movie was directed by Donald Petrie and written by Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, and Burr Steers. Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey lead the cast, supported by Kathryn Hahn, Annie Parisse, and Adam Goldberg with lively support.

The film was a mainstream commercial success, drawing large audiences and boosting its stars' profiles. Its box office performance helped make it one of the more visible romantic comedies of the early 2000s, ensuring continued studio interest in similar projects.

It left a clear mark on early 2000s pop culture, shaping rom-com expectations around witty banter and opposites attract setups. Kate Hudson's wardrobe and the film's promotional catchphrases became shorthand for the genre, and many later comedies echoed its mix of workplace stakes and relationship testing and dating advice columns.

Critics gave mixed to favorable reviews, reflected by a 6.853 out of 10 user vote from 4330 votes. Reviewers praised the leads' chemistry while noting predictability. Major themes include the performative nature of modern dating, media influence on relationships, and the tension between authenticity and image and romantic self-awareness themes.