10 romance films with scary and disturbing plots

Most romance movies present an idealized view of relationships, but some of them are quite scary when examined closely. Society’s attitudes towards relationships are changing all the time, which means some old classic romance films are being re-evaluated. Things that seemed good years ago can now seem a little unsettling, especially if there are unequal power dynamics in a relationship.

Another thing that can contribute to romance films seeming scary is the tone. A fun, humorous film can often hide a story that is quite dark when taken at face value. It’s easy to get carried away when a film tells its story with charm and confidence, but sometimes there’s no ignoring the uncomfortable moments. If these films had a slightly different approach, they could easily be horror films about scary behavior.

10

Big (1988)

Josh and Susan’s Relationship Is Much Stranger in Hindsight

In the early years of his career, Tom Hanks did his best work in comedy films. Since then, he’s shown that he’s every bit as attractive as a dramatic actor, but it’s hard to beat the charm of films like Big, Sleepless in Seattle and A league of its own. Big follows a boy who magically transforms into an adult after making a wish with a mysterious arcade machine. As he spends his time as an adult, he begins a relationship with an adult woman.

Big is one of many films with an unnecessary romantic subplot, but it’s especially bad because the subplot detracts from the film’s good qualities rather than just being a pointless distraction. Although the two characters may look the same age, Josh has the mind of a 12-year-old boy.. With that context in mind, it’s a little strange that Susan is still interested in him. Even when she discovers the truth, her reaction is one of disappointment, not disgust.

9

Groundhog Day (1993)

Phil uses his time loop to learn everything about Rita

Groundhog Day is one of Bill Murray’s best films and allows the comedian to do what he does best. Murray plays Phil, a meteorologist who is somehow cursed to live the same day over and over again. Although the film explores its time loop premise in many fun and interesting ways, the romantic arc is an element that can seem a little scary. Andie MacDowell plays Rita, Phil’s co-worker and love interest.

Phil goes through periods of severe depression and loneliness, but he is also amused by his strange situation. By witnessing the events unfolding around him, he knows exactly when and where to be to save a child falling from a tree or to steal a bag full of money. He also uses his powers to have the perfect date with Rita through trial and error. Each day, he learns something new about her that he will use the next day. This is an unusual power imbalance and appears false and misleading.

8

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

The Disney classic uses its charms to hide its darkness

One of the best films of the 1990s Disney revival, Beauty and the beast infuses the classic fairy tale with a touch of magic. The beautiful animation, touching characters, and pleasant music make the story seem much brighter than it actually is. When these elements are eliminated, the relationship in Beauty and the beast is much darker and more disturbing than it first appears.

Beauty and the beast begins with Belle as a prisoner of the Beast, taking her father’s place. Although she and the Beast form a connection, it is based on the fact that she is unable to leave and he has all the power in their dynamic. Beauty and the beast could easily provide the framework for a horror filmnot because of the Beast’s appearance, but because of the way he traps Belle, and she develops a bad case of Stockholm syndrome.

7

Overboard (1987)

Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn’s chemistry barely distracts from a disturbing premise

Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn had already been in a relationship for a few years when they worked Overboard together. Although the on-screen chemistry is evident, the relationship between their characters is much less healthy than their real-life partnership. In truth, the entire film hinges on one huge lie that should land Russell’s character in prisonbut it’s all a joke.

Hawn plays Joanna, a spoiled socialite who gets amnesia after falling off her luxury yacht. Russell plays Dean, a carpenter who uses the incident to convince her that they are married. He then takes her home to his children and continues the ruse. Initially, he hatches this plan to get the money she owes him, but having so much commitment to such a disturbing deception is quite sinister. Joanna eventually remembers the truth, but still decides to stay with a man who essentially kidnapped her.

6

Twilight (2008)

Edward holds all the power in his relationship with Bella

Age gap relationships in films are always a controversial topic, and Dusk takes things to the next level. Although Edward Cullen has the appearance of a high school student, he was actually over 100 years old at the beginning of the century. Dusk saga. The fact that he continues to attend high school is completely bizarre, and his romantic attraction to 17-year-old Bella Swan is even stranger. If Edward looked half as old as he should, Dusk it wouldn’t be such a popular novel.

In addition to the frightening age difference and the inherent power imbalance that comes with it, there are several other warning signs in Edward’s relationship with Bella. He sometimes abuses his powers as a vampire just to get close to her. At one point, he tells her that he likes to hide outside her bedroom window and watch her sleep. This should seem romantic, but instead, it’s another example of why Dusk is a twisted portrait of love for its young adult audience.

5

True Love (2003)

Some of Love Actually’s plots have aged poorly

True love has become a holiday staple over the years, but some of the romances it depicts are a little uncomfortable to watch. True love follows several loosely connected love stories set in London over the Christmas period, and Richard Curtis wanted to capture all the different types of love. There are romantic relationships as well as love between families or friends. However, representing so many different types of love also means that Curtis inadvertently captures the darker side of relationships as well.

True love has been re-evaluated in recent years, with fans questioning several different storylines. One story that hasn’t aged very well is the relationship between Hugh Grant’s David and Martine McCutcheon’s Natalie, as the power imbalance and David’s handling of the workplace harassment incident with the U.S. President make surveillance difficult. True loveThe Most Iconic Moment Is Also A Little Scary In Hindsightwhile David goes behind his best friend’s back to declare his love for his wife.

4

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Robbie’s Suplot is disturbing in more ways than one

Crazy, stupid, love it ties together several different romantic narratives, and the dense knot is part of the fun. However, there is a plot that gets in the way of thingsand threatens to distract from the film’s strengths. Robbie is the 13-year-old son of Steve Carell’s character and spends most of the film pining after his 17-year-old nanny, Jessica, who repeatedly rejects his advances. His rude overtures to her only make her more uncomfortable.

Robbie’s pursuit of Jessica is sad, if not scary, to say the least. Crazy, stupid, love does it for laughs, as if his youthful innocence should allow him to repeatedly ignore Jessica’s boundaries. To make matters worse, Crazy, stupid, love ends with Jessica giving Robbie an envelope containing her nude photos as encouragement. This seems to validate Robbie’s creepy behavior and makes Jessica seem equally disturbing.

3

There’s Something About Mary (1998)

Ted doesn’t deserve his happy ending with Mary

There’s something about Mary often pokes fun at other romantic comedies. Cameron Diaz plays a woman who seems to attract admirers wherever she goes, although those admirers often go to great lengths to win her affection. Ted hires a private investigator to gather information about her, Pat spies on her to find out what she likes, Norm fakes a disability to get close to her, and Dom violates a restraining order to follow her around during the action.

There’s something about Mary pokes fun at the idealized version of romance that often appears in films, suggesting that this distorted view is more in line with how men look. However, the film still resorts to a “happy” ending for Mary and one of her many suitors. Mary decides she wants to be with Ted, despite knowing he is pursuing her. This seems to undermine the rest of the story, as Ted is just as bad as the other men in Mary’s life. A sad ending would have been more fitting, but probably more divisive.

2

Passengers (2016)

Jim destroys Aurora’s life for selfish reasons

In a way, Passengers It’s as disturbing as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien or any other horror film set on a spaceship. Chris Pratt stars as a spaceship traveler who awakens from his cryogenic sleep decades early due to a mechanical malfunction. After wandering the vast and empty ship alone for a while, he opts to wake up a passenger to keep him company during the journey.

Jim knows that by waking Aurora up, he is stopping her from living the life she should live. She must wake up when the ship reaches its destination, so she can live the rest of her life on a new planet with other people. Instead, she is forced to spend her life alone with Jim and Jim. When she discovers why she was woken up, she is rightfully horrified. It doesn’t seem natural when she later forgives him.

1

Grease (1978)

A notorious scene shows that Danny isn’t such a good guy

Grease provides evidence that a catchy soundtrack can distract many people from a questionable narrative. Sandy and Danny’s relationship is not the innocent teenage romance it appears to be. Grease sets the tone in “Summer Nights” when Danny ignores a problematic joke from one of his friends. Later, his actions with Sandy at the drive-in theater show that he is just as bad, if not much worse. Sandy repeatedly begs him to leave her alone, but he only gets the message when Sandy physically fights back.

The end of Grease It’s the other part that is notoriously discouraging. Even after Danny’s actions at the drive-in, Sandy changes her style in order to attract him. Changing so radically to be with someone else is already a bad sign, but doing it after Danny disrespected his boundaries is an even bigger red flag. On the other hand, the ending also shows the car flying into the sky, so it’s fair to say that Grease abandon logic at this point.