Unconventional romance movies break free from traditional fairy tale tropes and deliver something much more authentic. Despite what romcoms would have us believe, we all know that love is rarely straight-forward. It can be be messy, confusing, and ultimately heartbreaking.
If you’re chasing a warm and fuzzy feeling this Valentine’s Day, a reliable romcom is probably your best bet. But if you’re looking for something more grounded and raw, we have you covered. Here’s our pick of five of the best unconventional romance movies to add to your watch list.
5. Little Fish (2020)
While most romance movies dance around the question of “will they or won’t they”, Little Fish asks us to examine our own relationships to see how far we would go to protect our love. Set amongst the backdrop of a devastating memory loss pandemic, Jack O’Connell and Olivia Cooke star as a young couple who desperately try to tattoo their history onto their hearts.
Perhaps released at the wrong time (during the COVID-19 pandemic), Little Fish failed to reach wider audiences but was met with a wealth of critical acclaim. Although it is a horror story of love being corrupted, it never feels too heavy as we trace back and learn exactly how this young couple fell in love, taking us on a journey told through scents, songs, and shared jokes. By the end of the picture, we feel like we really know this couple.
4. The Break-Up (2006)
When it comes to unconventional romance movies, The Break-Up is as unconventional as it gets. Carried by a sizzling, volatile chemistry between Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, the plot follows a couple navigating their lives following a break-up whilst still living in the same apartment. Although the film is spliced with comedy throughout, this is perhaps the boldest viewing choice for a Valentine’s Day watch.
Although marketed as a romcom, what’s served up is a “rom-tragedy”. Throughout the whole movie, we’re rooting for them, hoping they will make the right next move that will rejoice them. Refusing to give the audience a traditional happily ever after, The Break-Up instead focuses on the petty friction that can come with a broken heart. This underrated flick can serve two purposes; help you feel better about your relationship, or help you feel less alone in your heartbreak from a split.
3. High Fidelity (2000)
High Fidelity is one of the finest cinematic representations of how painful the search for love can be. Littered with an eclectic soundtrack, and a unique blend of comedy and drama, this well-paced hangout movie flips the romcom genre on its head. The plot follows Rob Gordon (John Cusack), a meticulous record store owner with a penchant for top five lists. Breaking the fourth wall, Rob switches his list making from music to real life, recounting his top five breakups, including the one in progress.
Although it is comedic and charming in the right places to lift the mood, High Fidelity is more suited to the introspective viewer. What could be seen as cynical, is really a more realistic and raw take on love. This film nods to the possibility that the perfect partner doesn’t exist, we must instead learn how to manage our own egos and quirks to enable a true connection.
2. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Punch-Drunk Love certainly belongs on a list of unconventional romance movies. In particular, it stands out as one of the most twisted romcoms of all time. The plot follows Barry Egan (Adam Sandler), a socially awkward businessman who seeks human connection by calling a phone-sex line. When he falls victim to blackmail and abuse, his life spirals out of control as a burgeoning romance bubbles with the mysterious Lena (Emily Watson).
What Anderson crafts beautifully here is a bizarrely realistic love story. While the core elements aren’t typical of the beginning stages of a relationship, the nuances are. We feel uncomfortable throughout as this unlikely duo strike up a bond. It’s messy, unapologetic, and awkward, but utterly touching underneath. Punch-Drunk Love blends comedy, drama, romance, and thriller aspects to create one of the most unconventional romance movies of all time.
1. True Romance (1993)
Quentin Tarantino has been asked many times if he would ever make a romance movie, and his answer is always that he already did. While he didn’t directed 1992’s True Romance, the screenplay was untouched, making it feel like it belongs in his portfolio. Although we had seen violent takes on romance before with films like Bonnie and Clyde, True Romance focuses on two love-struck 20 somethings who tread murky grounds not for sinister reasons, but purely for themselves. For love.
At its core, it’s a true love at first sight movie. But of course, with Quentin Tarantino as the scribe, violence and mayhem will always ensue. The plot follows Clarence and Alabama, two newly-weds from Detroit who make off with a bag of cocaine and head to Los Angeles to sell it. However, they are tracked by vicious gangsters the whole way. The ultimate “us against the world” film, True Romance swaps meet-cutes for shootouts, panting the picture that love isn’t just a feeling; it can be a chaotic ride or die affair.
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