Cinema has seen the release of countless romantic films, ranging from classic films like Titanic to contemporary hits such as Moonlight. However, as beloved as the romance genre is, its darker stories are often underappreciated. Whether they’re set in a dark fantasy world with gothic creatures, have elements of the thriller and horror genres, or explore the sinister side of affection, these films are known for pushing the boundaries of romance.

Although they are very different, films like Cruel Intentions And Jane Eyre share the principle of trust and distrust in a relationship. They both have complex characters who give in to forbidden love. In the meantime, both fantastic films Only lovers remain alive And Leave the goodIn Discover what vampire love looks like with two distinct narratives. The best dark romance movies can showcase the beautiful and the terrifying, adding much-needed nuance to one of the most popular film genres.

Updated August 13, 2024 by Fawzia Khan: Romance movies have both bright and dark sides. Sometimes, it’s important to explore sad, twisted, or haunting romances to appreciate the genre. This list has been updated with even more of the darkest romance movies.

15 My Policeman was a sad story of betrayal and lies

According to Bethan Roberts’ book, My policeman The film begins on a hopeful note as Tom, a young officer, and Patrick embark on a passionate romance. However, homosexuality was a crime in the 1950s, and they are still threatened by law enforcement and society. Under pressure, Tom pursues a heterosexual relationship with Marion and later marries her under false pretenses.

Patrick is prosecuted for homosexuality, leaving Tom and Marion to live their lives until they reconnect with him in their old age. However, My policemanThe ultimate betrayal of is revealed at the endwhich makes this already heartbreaking story of three lost people even sadder. It examines how love motivates people in the best and worst ways.

14 Don’t Worry Darling was a distorted version of an ideal relationship

While Don’t worry honey While the film may have left something to be desired with its lackluster ending, it will definitely appeal to those who enjoy twisted romances. The Victory Project was a utopia, and Jack and Alice’s relationship was full of love, desire, trust, and sweet moments. However, when Alice notices cracks in their reality, her love story begins to crumble as well.

As their town becomes a mere simulation, Jack’s selfishness and horrible imposition on Alice’s existence come to light. Don’t worry honey shows the inequalities in modern relationships, mixed with a dose of sci-fi horror. Florence Pugh’s performance as the confused and deluded Alice is spectacular.

13 Rebecca was a haunting story

The 2020 adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca was full of twists, turns and haunting surprises. Maxim de Winter remarries after the mysterious death of his first wife, Rebecca, but the new Mrs. de Winter faces new challenges at her Manderley estate. Mrs. Danvers, Rebecca’s loyal housekeeper, makes sure Mrs. de Winter looks bad in front of her husband.

When Rebecca’s decomposed body is discovered on a boat, the mystery deepens and Maxim’s innocence is called into question. Every relationship is twisted to the highest degree in Rebeccaand the ghost of the first wife looms over everything. This romantic thriller is the perfect Netflix movie.

12 The revolutionary road is full of sorrow and disappointment

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio return for another ill-fated love story in Revolutionary Road. But this time, the death of their love, their hopes and their dreams is slow and painful. The film shows the beginnings of their relationship, which turns into boredom, frustration and pain over time.

Frank and April’s relationship in Revolutionary Road suffers from the loss of his shattered dreams of living in Parisand their winding careers. Pregnancies and infidelities abound in their marriage until April decides she no longer has love for her husband. This story has an unexpectedly tragic conclusion, ending an already dark tale with a disheartening ending.

11 A marriage that falls apart beyond repair in Blue Valentine

With Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine’s Day is a critically acclaimed tale of the failing marriage of Cindy and Dean, and their daughter Frankie. It details the small, big things that can break a relationship in incredibly realistic ways. The festering of a toxic marriage and the resentment make for a heartbreaking film, but Cindy and Dean’s efforts to revive a dead relationship are even more heartbreaking.

The end of Blue Valentine’s Day is open, imploring the viewer to decide whether two imperfect people have successfully resolved their differences. and going through a rough patch. Conversely, it can also mean that they have decided to stop working on their relationship. It is a traumatic exploration of love, loss, resentment and fear.

10 Cruel Intentions is a sensual and forbidden love story

Cruel Intentions is a 1999 drama film centered on two wealthy teenagers, Sebastian and Kathryn, whose manipulative games and perverse desires shape the film’s narrative. Played by Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar, the taboo attraction between these two is enough to qualify this film as dark. Sebastian makes a twisted bet with his sister: he can take the virginity of the new principal’s daughter, Annette. If he wins, he can sleep with Kathryn. If she wins, Sebastian gives her his car.

Played by Reese Witherspoon, Annette becomes a bigger challenge for Sebastian than he anticipated. She’s too naive to see through his manipulation right away, but also too sure of her beliefs about love to give in to temptation. And despite their differences, Sebastian and Annette eventually fall in love. It’s a plot so compelling that an Amazon series based on it Cruel Intentions is under development more than 20 years after its release.

9 Letting the Right Person In Blurs the Line Between Good and Evil

Let the right person in is a 2008 vampire film about a lonely young boy named Oskar who befriends Eli, a centuries-old vampire forever trapped in a child’s body. The central romance is tender and unsettling, as Oskar and Eli experience the complexities of shared loneliness and the darkness of Eli’s nature. Their forbidden love affair carries with it an inevitable tragedy.

Let the right person in addresses dark themes such as isolation, violence and loss of innocence. It often blurs the lines between good and evil, one of the most morally ambiguous films in the dark romance subgenreIt’s also filled with beautifully haunting imagery in moody settings, like the interactions between Oskar and Eli in the snowy landscape.

8 Only Lovers Left Alive reinvents Adam and Eve

Only lovers remain alive is director Jim Jarmusch’s take on the epic love story of Adam and Eve. In this alternate version of the ancient tale, two vampires survive to witness the rise and fall of human civilization. Their enduring bond transcends time and space, and everything about the film (especially its music) helps to express this concept. Played by Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, these two eternal beings are portrayed with a sense of melancholic beauty.

Exploring human nature and the inherent desire for connection and meaning, Only lovers remain alive takes place in a declining society where the main characters do not fit in. The film is filled with moments of quiet introspection and deep emotion, an aspect it shares with other Jarmusch films like Dead manThere are also some well-timed comedic moments, mainly thanks to the character of Ava, played by Mia Wasikowska.

7 Jane Eyre is a poignant story of resilience

Jane Eyre is a 2011 adaptation of the 1847 novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. Starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, the story follows a resilient young woman who is orphaned and finds work as a governess. Her employer is Edward Rochester, a wealthy, moody, and mysterious man who cultivates a deep curiosity about Jane’s rebellious and independent nature.

Jane EyreThe central romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester is marked by its complexity and intensity. Their love is born of respect and mutual connection, but it also faces betrayal and sacrifice. Jane Eyre is imbued with a gothic atmosphere that reflects the troubled emotions of the main characterslike the sinister corridors of Thornfield Hall. It is a timeless tale of inequality and forbidden love that pays great homage to the legendary English novel.

6 The eternal sunshine of the spotless mind shows all the facets of love

The eternal sunshine of the spotless mind is a 2004 romantic science fiction film that shows all facets of love, from the romantic encounter to the moment when one wants to erase the memory of an ex-lover. The film follows the tumultuous love story between Joel and Clementine, two individuals who undergo surgery to erase each other’s memories after a painful breakup. With stunning performances from Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey, the two main characters are portrayed through Joel’s complex point of view.

As Joel’s memories are systematically erased, he realizes that the essence of who he is lies in his experiences, all of them, both joyful and painful. The eternal sunshine of the spotless mindThe film not only deals with the imperfect nature of love, but also with human ignorance towards the mystery of life. It is also creatively shot, with surreal sequences that make it even more thought-provoking.

5 Ghost is a classic dark romance

The ultimate forbidden love is that between the living and the dead. Ghost is a classic dark romance that depicts the love between Sam and Molly, tragically cut short when Sam is murdered. Sam’s spirit remains attached to this world, and he stays by Molly’s side to love her and protect her from danger.

Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze Share Electrifying Chemistry as the main couple. Beyond their romance, the film explores themes of redemption and justice as Sam seeks to unravel the mystery of his murder. His journey as a ghost leads him to confront unresolved issues from his past and find closure, ultimately allowing him to move on to the afterlife.

4 The Time Traveler’s Wife is a Story of Destiny

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a 2009 science fiction romance film based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger. It tells the story of Henry and Clare, a Chicago librarian with a paranormal genetic disorder that causes him and his wife to randomly travel through time. Played by Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, her entire life is shaped by the impermanence of her husband’s condition.

The Time Traveler’s Wife shows the tragedy of time travel through the character’s epic love story. Henry and Clare’s fates are intertwined, as his travels are involuntary and continually bring him back to her, while constantly pushing them apart. It’s a film that’s full of both heartwarming romantic scenes and heartbreaking dramatic moments.

3 Wuthering Heights is a timeless romantic tragedy

The 2011 film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights The film stars Kaya Scodelario and James Howson as a rebellious couple estranged from society’s norms. Catherine Earnshaw falls in love with Heathcliff, a boy her father finds on the streets of Liverpool and brings to Wuthering Heights. One notable aspect of this adaptation is the emphasis on the passionate and destructive nature of their relationship.

Wuthering HeightsThe cinematography is stunningly beautiful. and contributes greatly to its dark atmosphere. Andrea Arnold’s direction favors wide shots and natural light to immerse the viewer in the character’s environment. Their tumultuous relationship takes place in the misty landscape of the Yorkshire moors, where intense white fog and sturdy old manors reign.

2 The Lobster is a satirical take on modern relationships

The Lobster is a 2015 romantic science fiction film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and set in a dystopian future where people must find a romantic partner in 45 days or be transformed into animals. It explores the absurdities and pressures of dating through the awkward interactions between David and a woman known only as the Short-Sighted Woman, played by Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz.

The Lobster expresses how indomitable love is — people can find it, but it can’t be controlled. The film’s dark humor and surrealism match the absurdity of the premise, and their short-lived romance highlights the universal desire for love. The couple struggles to connect despite their deep commitment to starting a romantic relationship, a satire on the lengths people go to meet society’s expectations.

1 Edward Scissorhands is the story of an impossible love

Edward Scissorhands has a little bit of everything, boasting equal amounts of comedy, drama, and romance. Tim Burton’s 1990 gothic drama tells the story of a humanoid boy forced to use scissors for hands after his creator dies before finishing him. Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder deliver compelling performances as the iconic couple whose love is ultimately impossible.

An Avon saleswoman finds Edward abandoned in his castle and takes him to her home, where he meets her daughter Kim. Many people take advantage of Edward amid the tumultuous events unfolding in their small town. But Kim genuinely treats him with love and respect, and they grow closer. Their pure yet tragic love defines Edward Scissorhandsgiving birth to one of the most unique versions of the traditional romantic fairy tale of all time.