Top 5 WEIRD Romance Films
A list of the top 5 "weird romance" films as defined by Beth & Mike.
Today, we write about our top film picks for WEIRD romance.
Caveats: Because “weird” is somewhat subjective, we’ve further broken down the weird romance list into sub-genres. They should be self-explanatory, but just in case, we’ll define the category when necessary. Also, sometimes categories overlap. This happens, especially when you have “Interspecies” as one category and “Forbidden Romance” as another.
Let us know your top WEIRD romance films and which of our picks resonate with you.
Interspecies Romance
Defined as: A romance, sexual or otherwise, between two different species.
Beth’s Pick: The Shape of Water | (2017) | [Trailer] Dir. Guillermo del Toro
Iconic Quote: “Unable to perceive the shape of you, I find you all around me. Your presence fills my eyes with your love. It humbles my heart, for you are everywhere.” - Excerpt from a poem narrated at the end of the film
The “Why”: Del Toro’s knack for beautiful cinematography and detail in storytelling, the ability of every actor in this film to fully embody their characters and hold space for such rich emotion, and the questioning of convention and values as a running theme.
Honorable Mentions: Splash (80s Tom Hanks as himself, pretty much, and Daryl Hannah as a mermaid), Three Thousand Years of Longing (a human played by Tilda Swinton and a genie, Idris Elba, fall in love), and Hotel Transylvania (animated vampire film with Adam Sandler)
MM: Interspecies to start? YIKES. Is AI a species? If so, my first weird romance film would be (in that category).
[Beth nods her head to denote “Yes, AI counts.”]
Mike’s Pick: Her | (2013) | [Trailer] Dir. Spike Jonze
Iconic Quote: “Sometimes I look at people and make myself try and feel them as more than just a random person walking by. I imagine how deeply they’ve fallen in love, or how much heartbreak they’ve all been through.” —Theodore Twombley
The “Why”: To think this film was even MADE is amazing but even more so that it’s emotionally engaging (kudos to Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, and Rooney Mara for adding to that). I need to rewatch it ASAP!
Honorable Mentions: Local Hero (scientist chasing mermaid love), Liquid Sky (aliens harvesting orgasms), A Boy and His Dog (sci-fi and a bit with a dog?)
Romance Featuring Notable Age Differences
MM: OK here you go, Beth: Age differences in romances! Here’s my choice that’s by far a critic’s choice and cult classic:
Mike’s Pick: Harold and Maude | (1971) | [Trailer] Dir. Hal Ashby
Iconic Quote: “A very common neurosis, particularly in this society, whereby the male child subconsciously wishes to sleep with his mother. Of course what puzzles me, Harold … is that you want to sleep with your grandmother.” —Psychiatrist
The “Why”: This was a brave, brave film for Hal Ashby and Colin Higgins to make, but it was the early 1970s and producers were hot to take chances in a post-1960s psychedelic world. There’s a ton of wisdom about aging and family, friendship, and magic—it’s almost as if Colin Higgins channeled Ray Bradbury’s early magic into his writing. I truly love it.
Honorable Mentions: As Good As It Gets, Melody
BL: I can get behind this choice, Mike. Maude’s Holocaust tattoo on her arm is an indelible sign of her pain and resilience. It encapsulates all that she’s lost and yet feeds into her will to live and find love, even if it’s with a man young enough to be her grandson.
MM: And you’re right, Beth. Maude’s reminder of the Holocaust is a powerful statement about resiliency and the will to live and love another day.
Beth’s Pick: The Lover or L’Amant | (1992) | [Trailer] Dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud
Iconic Quote: “It's me. I am always a little sad. I'm like my mother.” - The Young Girl
The “Why”: As a French major who watched a ton of colonial period cinema, this loosely based fictionalized account of famed 20th Century French writer, Marguerite Duras detailing her affair with a wealthy Chinese man twice her age during her childhood in 1920s Vietnam is a standout. Every scene is intricately staged and choreographed to the effect of a cinematic cornucopia of desire and human vulnerability. Not to mention March’s beauty. I realize this choice is controversial, but there ya go.
Honorable Mentions: Lost in Translation (my favorite Sofia Coppola movie - Japan, Johansson, and Murray was the working title for the film- jk), As Good as It Gets (though this one hasn’t aged particularly well!)
Quirky/Forbidden Love
Defined as: A romance between two individuals that is opposed by family, friends, or society, as their relationship may defy cultural, religious, or societal norms* but has a bit of whimsical or quirky thrown in**
Think Romeo & Juliet, the Baz Luhrmann version.
Beth’s Pick: Moonrise Kingdom | (2012) | [Trailer] Dir. Wes Anderson
Iconic Quote: “We're in love. We just want to be together. What's wrong with that?” - Suzy Bishop
The “Why”: Suzy Bishop and Sam Shakusky are precocious preteens in love. As such, they form a plan to escape and live together. These winsome characters are easy to root for based solely on their sheer determination to be together at all costs. The interwoven thread of kids being wiser than adults harkens back to 80s Spielberg films and the heyday of coming-of-age films thoughtfully depicted in such films as The Goonies, ET, and Stand by Me.
*Defined by BetterHelp/**Defined by Beth
Honorable Mentions: Walk on Water (Love between the granddaughter of a Nazi and an Israeli Mossad agent hired to track him down), Atonement (WW2 and sibling deceit getting in the way of love) The Policeman (Harry Styles and Emma Corrin in a love triangle. Styles’ character is gay in 1950s England)
MM: Forbidden/Quirky Love. One of my favorites (I own the DVD and had to get it from Korea!) is also in my previous honorable mentions…
Mike’s Pick: Melody | (1971) | [Trailer] Dir. Waris Hussein
Iconic Quote:
Daniel (Mark Lester): I’ve got to dance with her.
Ornshaw (Jack Wild): You're mad! What do you want to do that for? She'll only say ‘Buzz off.’ She's like that. This whole girl nonsense is rubbish. Girls are a bunch of snot-nosed little so-and-so's.
The “Why”: In the spirit of Moonrise Kingdom (which I have on DVD and adore, along with Rushmore), this gem of a young love film from producer Sir David Putnam (Chariots of Fire) is about a 13-year-old girl (Melody, played by Tracy Hyde) and a 14-year-old boy named Daniel (played by Mark Lester) who want to get married and be together all the time. It has some lovely heartbreaking moments about the impossibility of their accomplishing that.
Honorable Mention: Rushmore
BL: Interestingly, both our top pick choices centered around young love. Director Wes Anderson found his way into the mix here too for both of us.
Dystopian/End of the World Romance
MM: OK, upping the ante, Beth! It’s tough to make a quirky weird romantic movie about “The End of the World” but I think I’ve got my lead choice for that sub-genre. Will be curious to see what you come up with!
Mike’s Pick: Miracle Mile | (1988) | [Trailer] Dir. Steve De Jarnatt
Iconic Quote:
Julie: Third date, Harry, I'm gonna screw your eyes blue.
Harry: Yup! Just your basic old-fashioned girl.
The “Why”: From IMDB: “A young man hears a chance phone call telling him that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit his city in 70 minutes.” I would add…”Oh, and he just met the girl of his dreams and was late for their date.” It’s a dark romantic comedy, but you can’t look away. It’s been decades and I’ll never forget it.
Honorable Mentions: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, What Dreams May Come
BL: Dystopian/end-of-the-world romances are a favorite of mine so this one is tough, but not nearly as rough of a choice as the color palette worn by Winningham and Edwards in this photo. The 80s are calling. I haven’t watched this one Mike, but I’m compelled to see Winningham and Edwards acting together as they are now a real-life couple.
Ok, back to gloomy dystopian romances, the one I picked I read as a novel first and loved it. I felt the film adaptation was nearly as good which is high praise.
Beth’s Pick: Never Let Me Go | (2010) | [Trailer] Dir. Mark Romanek | Novel by Kazuo Ishiguro
Iconic Quote: “It was like there was some ambiguity between us, and because there was this space between us, it wasn't clear exactly what we were to each other.” - Kathy, the narrator
The “Why”: If ever there was a story that dealt with the enduring nature of love in the face of uncertainty, and eventual despair, it’s Never Let Me Go. Ishiguro, its author and the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature recipient is no stranger to grief and has mastered the language of complex, uncomfortable human emotions. Starring Millennial British stars, Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, and Keira Knightly, the film is expertly acted and elicits the right amount of distrust of authority to make it a proper end-of-the-world saga.
Honorable Mentions: The Lobster (single people turn into animals after 45 days unless they couple up), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Don’t Worry Darling (the end reveal is explosive)
Zany Rom-Drams or Rom-Coms
Mike, we’re down to our last sub-genre pick and I’m choosing Zany Rom-Drams or Rom-Coms. When I think “zany,” it’s Tim Burton so this pick is easy for me. The film I’ve chosen stars Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp. “Wino forever” wasn’t just a tattoo that Johnny Depp used to declare his undying love for his former real-life paramour, it was a mantra for their love. You can feel its ripple effects in my pick.
Beth’s Pick: Edward Scissorhands | (1990) | [Trailer] Dir. Tim Burton
Iconic Quote:
Kim: Hold me.
Edward: I can't.
The “Why”: A grotesque “monster” with scissors for hands and therefore an inability to touch and know people intimately (without disfiguring them) couples up with the most popular, pretty girl at school. In what universe is this a possibility? In a Burton-verse - a magical, inventive, and inspired world that defies societal norms. The visual splendor of this film and its characters fits the “zany” bill to a tee, and the story, a tragic fairy tale, binds viewers to this film. The scene where Ryder as Kim dances enraptured by the ice shavings Edward creates, is an unforgettable one.
Honorable Mentions: Amelie (the epitome of whimsy and zany meet-cutes), Secretary (Spader in a kink film and dark comedy with Maggie Gyllenhaal), Groundhog Day, 10 Things I Hate About You (for Kat’s delivery of this poem which is at the same exalted level in my books as the Four Weddings and a Funeral Auden eulogy by John Hannah)
MM: I can do Zany Rom-Dramas or Rom-Coms (and I love your final choices)! My final Weird Romance pick has been a longtime favorite for many reasons. As you know I’m a fan of ensemble pieces and this one has a lot of layers, from brother and sister relationships (Benny and June—or as Johnny Depp’s Sam spells it “Joon”) dealing years later with the loss of their parents in a car crash (I love the light touch the director uses for introducing that backstory) to the cascading love stories of Benny and Ruthie and June and Sam. I’ll say more about that in the “Why.”
Mike’s Pick: Benny & Joon | (1993) | [Trailer] Dir. Jeremiah S. Chechik
Iconic Quote:
Benny (played by Aidan Quinn) to Ruthie (played by Julianne Moore): D’ya ever get to the point in your life where nothing makes any sense?
AND
June/Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson): You’re out of your tree.
Sam (Johnny Depp): It wasn’t my tree.
The “Why”: Somewhere, I can’t recall where there was a lively commentary about this film’s depiction of mental illness. It’s a valid argument, but certainly not the point of a romantic comedy, which this is. Another take, this also isn’t a movie about grief and loss, although it is in a way but for the same reason about mental illness, those topics are a back note and not the main thrust of the narrative—which underscores how powerful love is in healing a lot of problems: isolation, loneliness (Benny is certainly alone in caretaking his sister) and it delivers that message so damn well.
The slow burn of Benny and Ruthie’s relationship is a marvel in pacing—Barry Berman and Leslie McNeil’s story is a wonderful puzzle well-constructed and, again, director Chechik’s light touch is golden. Production design and cinematography are also great: I LOVE their house and can tell it was probably their late parents’ and they’ve modified it to suit June’s art projects and Benny’s connection with the past.
Art is sensual and sexy. Benny & Joon gives us that in spades.
Honorable Mentions: Lars and the Real Girl, Pump Up the Volume, Untamed Heart
Let’s Discuss
What films are on your list for “weird romance”?
Did we miss a category? Which one?
Have you seen all of these? Any you’d want to see now that you’ve read this?
Till next time, thanks for joining us!
 | A guest post by
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@mike - I need to rewatch “Untamed Heart” and thank you for your proper inclusion of Christian Slater in the weird romance category with this add and also “Pump up the Volume.” Dare I say “Heathers” could have made it in an honorable mention for “Teen love” for me
Lots to investigate some of Michael’s titles. I love your interspecies pics.
Would Juno be weird? Maybe YA angst weird.