Warning! This article contains descriptions of violence and abuse.A good romance movie is often a little controversial, as depictions of love onscreen are told through metaphor or involve extreme situations for the sake of drama. However, just because a film is controversial doesn't mean that it will age badly. Some of the older movies that feature taboo love stories or intense sexual situations have become cult classics with time. How audiences and critics respond to an onscreen relationship that could be deemed controversial is always impacted by the story, the performances, and the direction. Additionally, some romance movies tackle these subjects to make a comment on them.
While this isn't always the case, overwhelmingly, romance movies are called out when they have particularly graphic sex scenes. What audiences and critics deem graphic has changed over time, as the boundaries of what can be shown onscreen have evolved with cultural opinion and the open forum on the internet. Recently, The Idea of You have gained traction, exploring age gaps in contemporary relationships. This opens the door for frank conversations about sexuality and romantic discovery. Making room for uncomfortable situations onscreen must be done gracefully, giving romance movies the space to be open about their flaws.
10 Don't Look Now (1973)
John & Laura's relationship
Don't Look Now
- Release Date
- November 18, 1973
- Runtime
- 110 minutes
- Director
- Nicolas Roeg
Cast
Julie Christie
Donald Sutherland
Clelia Matania-
Hilary Mason
WHERE TO WATCH
Grieving parents John and Laura Baxter travel to Venice following the accidental drowning of their daughter, Christine. While in Venice, they encounter two elderly sisters, one of whom claims to be a psychic who can communicate with Christine's spirit. As Laura becomes increasingly convinced of the psychic’s abilities, John begins experiencing eerie visions of a small figure in a red coat, reminiscent of what Christine was wearing when she died.
- Writers
- Daphne Du Maurier, Allan Scott, Chris Bryant
- Producer
- Peter Katz
- Budget
- $1.5 million
Though not a typical romance movie, Don't Look Now is fueled by the interpersonal relationships at the heart of the story, particularly between the two leads. John (Donald Sutherland) and Laura (Julie Christie) are ravaged by grief in the wake of the death of their young daughter, and this takes a heavy toll on their romantic relationship. Ahead of its time in many ways, Don't Look Now shocked audiences with a sex scene between John and Laura that showed a lot more than audiences were used to seeing in the 1970s.
While this moment might seem comparatively tame by today's standards, it was what audiences ed most about the film at the time.
While this moment might seem comparatively tame by today's standards, it was what audiences ed most about the film at the time. The flames of this controversy were fanned by the unsubstantiated rumor that the sex scene was unsimulated (via Donald Sutherland's best movies, Don't Look Now is ed as a vital addition to the erotic-thriller genre and deserves to be ed for much more than its sex scene.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Don't Look Now (1973) |
93% |
76% |
9 It Ends With Us (2024)
Lily & Ryle's relationship
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It Ends With Us
- Release Date
- August 9, 2024
- Runtime
- 130 Minutes
- Director
- Justin Baldoni
Cast
Lily Bloom
Justin BaldoniRyle Kincaid
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel, It Ends With Us is a drama-romance film directed by Justin Baldoni. The film follows a recent college graduate named Lily, who meets a man named Ryle and falls in love with him. However, a traumatic incident compounded with her former high-school sweetheart re-entering her life complicates her plans.
- Writers
- Christy Hall, Colleen Hoover
- Studio(s)
- Columbia Pictures, Wayfarer Studios, Saks Picture Company
The recent film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's popular novel, It Ends With Us, has been a source of intense drama and publicity since the production was announced. While the off-screen legal battles between the movie's stars, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, have been a significant source of controversy, the subject matter itself has also sparked discussion (via ScreenRant). How the material grapples with domestic abuse has been widely discussed, especially in combination with how the film was marketed.
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After the success of 2024’s It Ends With Us, author Colleen Hoover is having even more of her romance novels adapted to the silver screen.
There's little question that It Ends With Us ultimately condemns domestic violence and sees its protagonist break free of the cycle of abuse. However, there's an argument to be made that the seriousness of the story wasn't fully communicated by the press materials leading up to the movie's premiere. Additionally, It Ends With Us has been accused of glamorizing abuse, largely because the promotional trailers and discussions frame the relationship as one that would be found in a classic rom-com rather than an interrogative drama.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
It Ends With Us (2024) |
55% |
89% |
8 Love Actually (2003)
Many relationships throughout the film
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Love Actually
- Release Date
- November 14, 2003
- Runtime
- 135 minutes
- Director
- Richard Curtis
WHERE TO WATCH
The 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually follows various couples as they explore their relationships throughout the Christmas season. With a star-studded cast composed of Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Rowan Atkinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Freeman, and Martine McCutcheon, Love Actually has since become a Christmas staple for rom-com lovers.
- Writers
- Richard Curtis
- Budget
- 45million
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
This Christmas-themed rom-com is a beloved but dated addition to the romance genre, and every holiday season, its controversies are rehashed. Following its ensemble cast traversing many tales of love and loss during the time of year when everyone is looking for a connection, there's a reason why Love Actually is such a classic film. However, this doesn't mean that there aren't parts of it that have stirred critical conversations, especially as it ages and audiences become more willing to talk about its flaws.
Mark makes his declaration of love to Juliet after she marries his best friend, and she ends up kissing him, making the viewer question both of their characters.
Of the many couples who appear in Love Actually, two of the most problematic are between the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) and Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) and Juliet (Keira Knightley) and Mark (Andrew Lincoln). The Prime Minister and Natalie's storyline features a body-shaming storyline and is an abuse of power on the part of the Prime Minister since Natalie is his employee. Additionally, Mark makes his declaration of love to Juliet after she marries his best friend, and she ends up kissing him, making the viewer question both of their characters.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Love Actually (2003) |
64% |
71% |
7 Fifty Shades Of Grey (2015)
Anastasia & Christan's relationship
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Fifty Shades of Grey
- Release Date
- February 13, 2015
- Runtime
- 125 Minutes
- Director
- Sam Taylor-Johnson
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on the book by E.L. James, Fifty Shades of Grey is the first film in the trilogy that follows naive literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), whose life changes upon meeting the complicated and tormented billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dorman). Drawn to each other, the two start a romantic relationship where Steele uncovers Grey's secrets - and explores her own personal desires.
- Writers
- Kelly Marcel
- Budget
- $40 Million
- Studio(s)
- Focus Features, Michael De Luca Productions, Trigger Street Productions
When it was announced that E.L. James' explicit romance book, Fifty Shades of Grey, was going to be adapted into a movie, it sparked both excitement and uncertainty. Onscreen depictions of BDSM relationships have always been a bit taboo, even if this has started changing in the past few years. However, when Fifty Shades of Grey premiered, there were plenty of people who opposed the film, not just for its graphic content but because of the toxic elements of the central relationship.
Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) is a young and inexperienced woman who gets caught in the web of the rich and powerful Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Through their dynamic and Christian's obvious power in the situation, the viewer questions if both of the characters are fully in control of their behavior. Plenty of movies like Fifty Shades of Grey show positive examples of BDSM, but Fifty Shades of Grey has been criticized for showcasing this kind of romantic dynamic incorrectly.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) |
25% |
41% |
6 The Piano Teacher (2001)
Erika & Walter's relationship
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The Piano Teacher
- Release Date
- September 5, 2001
- Runtime
- 131 Minutes
- Director
- Michael Haneke
Cast
-
Isabelle HuppertErika Kohut
-
Annie GirardotThe Mother
-
Benoît MagimelWalter Klemmer
-
Susanne LotharMrs. Schober
WHERE TO WATCH
The Piano Teacher is a psychological drama directed by Michael Haneke that chronicles the life of Erika Kohut, a strict piano instructor portrayed by Isabelle Huppert. Living with her domineering mother, Erika's repressed desires manifest in disturbing ways when she becomes involved with her student, Walter Klemmer, played by Benoît Magimel. The film delves into themes of control, obsession, and the complexities of human relationships.
- Writers
- Michael Haneke, Elfriede Jelinek
Though there isn't much true romance in The Piano Teacher, this erotic thriller is one of Isabelle Huppert's best movies and pushes the boundaries of depictions of sadomasochism onscreen. Benoît Magimel stars alongside Huppert's Erika as her student, Walter, and the pair embark upon a violent and sexually provocative relationship. Grappling directly with repression and deeply uncomfortable imagery onscreen, The Piano Teacher is critically lauded but not for the faint of heart.
There's little question that The Piano Teacher is unapologetically disturbing, touching upon power dynamics in sexual relationships and never shying away from the complexities of its relationships.
There's little question that The Piano Teacher is unapologetically disturbing, touching upon power dynamics in sexual relationships and never shying away from the complexities of its relationships. Highly influential and well-known today, The Piano Teacher centers on Erika's experience of her relationship with Walter and her mother, which informs how she expresses her hidden desires. Without the anchoring performance from Huppert, The Piano Teacher wouldn't be half as successful. While it's difficult to watch, there's a reason why so many contemporary filmmakers were inspired by it.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
The Piano Teacher (2001) |
74% |
81% |
5 Blue Is The Warmest Color
Adèle & Emma's relationship
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Blue is the Warmest Color
- Release Date
- October 9, 2013
- Runtime
- 180minutes
- Director
- Abdellatif Kechiche
Cast
Adèle Exarchopoulos-
Salim Kechiouche
-
Aurélien Recoing
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on a graphic novel, Blue is the Warmest Color stars Adèle Exarchopoulos as Adele, a teenager whose ionate relationship with an older female artist is documented over the course of several years. Léa Seydoux stars alongside Exarchopoulos as Emma, the blue-haired freespirited artist that Adele falls in love with at 15.
- Writers
- Julie Maroh, Abdellatif Kechiche, Ghalia Lacroix
- Budget
- $4 million
Boundary-pushing and highly controversial, Blue Is The Warmest Color is one of the most famous LGBTQ+ movies of all time, but many viewers in LGBTQ+ circles have major issues with the film. Known for its raw and graphic sex scenes and challenging portrayal of an emotionally abusive relationship, Blue Is The Warmest Color has a complicated legacy. Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos star as Emma and Adèle, two young women who embark on a tumultuous and sexually explosive relationship.
The director, Abdellatif Kechiche, was criticized for his lack of awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community and the fact that the sex scenes felt as if they were created for the male gaze rather than for women. This was particularly controversial because Blue Is The Warmest Color was so popular and lauded because of its depiction of a lesbian relationship when it felt disingenuous to many of the community. Blue Is The Warmest Color makes critics and audiences question the difference between good representation and any representation at all.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013) |
88% |
85% |
4 Adore (2013)
Ian & Roz's and Tom & Lil's relationships
Adore
Cast
-
Naomi Watts
Robin Wright-
Xavier Samuel
-
James Frecheville
WHERE TO WATCH
- Release Date
- April 3, 2013
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
- Director
- Anne Fontaine
The complex relationship between two best friends and their adult sons unfolds in the 2013 movie Adore. When Lil (Naomi Watts) and Roz (Robin Wright) begin having affairs with the other's 18-year-old sons, Ian (Xavier Samuel) and Tom (James Frecheville). While both women it to each other that they believe their relationships to be wrong, they can't stop themselves from becoming entangled with the young men, even as time es and they start families of their own.
Though films that touch upon older women having affairs with younger men have become more popular in recent years, it was still more controversial when Adore first premiered.
Though films that touch upon older women having affairs with younger men have become more popular in recent years, it was still more controversial when Adore first premiered. Adore was ahead of its time in tackling the issue of women remaining sexually fulfilled and desirable as they age. Conversely, the inappropriate dynamic between the two families quickly becomes uncomfortable in Adore, as the lines of familial love blur, and the two men are very young when the affairs begin.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Adore (2013) |
33% |
42% |
3 My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
Julianne & Michael's relationship
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My Best Friend's Wedding
- Release Date
- June 19, 1997
- Runtime
- 105 Minutes
- Director
- P.J. Hogan
Cast
Julianne Potter
Michael O'Neal
WHERE TO WATCH
Upon hearing of her friend Michael's engagement, Julianne Potter realizes she loves him and schemes to disrupt his wedding to win his heart.
- Writers
- Ronald Bass
- Studio(s)
- TriStar Pictures, Zucker Brothers Productions, Predawn Productions
Though Julia Roberts is giving a fantastic performance in My Best Friend's Wedding, it's easy to hate her character, Julianne, as she tries relentlessly to sabotage the titular wedding. While Julianne and her best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) have excellent chemistry, this doesn't make it easier to stomach the fact that she's pursuing a man about to marry someone else. It's almost remarkable how determined My Best Friend's Wedding is to push Julianne to her limits and make her an anti-hero.
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Cameron Diaz plays Kimmy, the young woman who Michael is marrying, who does nothing to warrant the terrible treatment she receives from Julianne. Fortunately, Michael goes on to marry Kimmy, and Julianne ends up accepting this, even if it takes the entire movie and Michael physically running away from her for the fact that he doesn't love her to sink in. While some viewers might want Julianne and Michael to end up together, My Best Friend's Wedding ends up softening Julianne's resolve, allowing the movie to age well.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
My Best Friend's Wedding |
74% |
73% |
2 Me Before You (2016)
William & Louisa's relationship
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Me Before You
- Release Date
- June 3, 2016
- Director
- Thea Sharrock
- Writers
- Jojo Moyes
Cast
Janet McTeer
WHERE TO WATCH
Me Before You is a romantic drama directed by Thea Sharrock and based on the bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes. It follows the story of Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke), a quirky young woman who becomes a caregiver for Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), a wealthy, paralyzed man. As they grow closer, their relationship transforms both of their lives, exploring themes of love, loss, and personal growth.
Me Before You was more heavily criticized for its depiction of living with a disability rather than the romance between Lou (Emilia Clarke) and Will (Sma Claflin). Based on the book by Jojo Moyes, Me Before You touches upon serious themes and has a bittersweet, tear-jerker ending. The plot revolves around Will's decision to be euthanized following an accident that paralyzes him. Around that time, Lou enters his life as a caregiver, and they fall in love.
The choice to cast a non-disabled actor, Claflin, in the role of Will also sparked discussions about representation onscreen.
One of the biggest complaints about the story is that it could be interpreted to promote the idea that the disability of a loved one is a burden that holds others back. This is because Will frames his decision as a way to ensure that Lou lives her life to the fullest as if she couldn't do this in a relationship with him. The choice to cast a non-disabled actor, Claflin, in the role of Will also sparked discussions about representation onscreen.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Me Before You (2016) |
54% |
73% |
1 engers (2016)
Aurora & Jim's relationship
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Set on a colony ship carrying hibernating human engers to a distant alien world, engers stars Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt as Aurora and Jim, two engers on the ship who are awakened from their induced sleep almost a century too early. As the two begin to come to with their isolation and start to form a bond, Aurora begins to suspect that Jim is not as innocent in the accident as he claims to be.
- Writers
- Jon Spaihts
- Budget
- $110 million
- Studio(s)
- Sony
Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt star in the sci-fi romance engers, a movie that takes a dark turn halfway through the story. When Aurora (Lawrence) awakens early on a spaceship destined for a new planet, she only has Jim (Pratt) for company, as his pod also seemingly malfunctioned. The pair start a relationship as the only two people awake on the ship, and though their connection seems real, Aurora discovers that Jim purposefully woke her up so he wouldn't be alone, dooming her to die on the ship.
Despite this, after teaming up to prevent the spaceship from being destroyed, Aurora forgives him and chooses to stay awake with him, living out the rest of her life on the ship. This happy ending to this complex romance film put many viewers and critics off, as Jim's actions could easily be considered inexcusable. It's difficult to root for the pair to be together after learning that Jim selfishly woke Aurora up because he thought she was beautiful, not caring about the consequences.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
engers (2016) |
30% |
63% |
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