Kissing Cousins 2008

Amir is an Indian American professional heartbreaker—a man who is hired to end relationships for clients who’d rather not do it themselves. At his 30th birthday party, his childhood friend Charlie announces he’s getting married, but the couple decide Amir shouldn’t be the best man because of his infamous relationship karma. The mood is a mix of wry humor and quiet self-doubt, reinforced by a stack of gift-wrapped relationship-advice books that arrive with the party favors.

During a Thanksgiving visit to his family, he reconnects with his striking British cousin, Zara, whom he hasn’t seen in twenty years. His mother nudges him to bring Zara back to sunny Southern California, where she is passing through on her travels.

Zara decides to help with Amir’s karma by presenting herself as his girlfriend, a ruse that adds comedy and tension to their dynamic. While she’s staying with him, she also nudges him toward a more compassionate approach when he ends relationships for others. After a Christmas party, they share a kiss under the mistletoe while a little too much holiday cheer flows, and they end up regretting the moment—yet Amir starts to think he might be falling for Zara. She, however, doesn’t feel the same spark.

Back at the family home, Zara reveals she fled a British boyfriend who proposed at the Grand Canyon, and her ex remains in the family circle while she tries to keep her distance. After Christmas, Amir returns to Los Angeles alone, still sorting through mixed signals and a complicated new dynamic with Zara. On New Year’s Eve, at Charlie’s wedding, Zara briefly stops by on her way to the airport, and the lovers drop a surprising truth to their friends: they are cousins. At the reception, Amir and Bridget—the single woman in their circle—realize they could be more than friends and decide to start dating.