Romance movies can be very hit-or-miss, especially when you’re a thriving singleton and can’t stand the sight of others in love. But what’s better than seeing two people in love? Two people being torn apart in a messy heartbreak.
There are plenty of movies on the best streaming services that are perfect for an anti-romance movie night – or even if you’re in a relationship and still can’t stand the sight of a romantic movie.
Heartbreak comes in all shapes and sizes, and I’ve had a browse through all of the biggest entertainment libraries out there from Netflix, Max, Hulu, and more, and trust me when I say there’s more than meets the eye. From tragic break-up stories to graphic and violent revenge journeys, there are plenty of movies out there for those who despise the notion of romance.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Director: Ang Lee
Length: 134 minutes
Age rating: R
Where to stream it: Peacock (US); Prime Video (UK); Paramount Plus (AU)
If there’s one thing that Brokeback Mountain tells us about romance it’s that the feeling of love grows stronger in a forbidden relationship. At the same time, it’s a documentation of two lovers who are forced to pursue heteronormative relationships despite their admiration for each other.
Starting in 1963, Brokeback Mountain follows two cowboys Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) who are recruited as sheep herders. Now working in the sticks of Wyoming, the two are stuck in each other’s company. One night when Jack makes an unexpected advance on Ennis, a sexual relationship sparks between the two of them and despite having girlfriends whom they eventually marry, the two men continue to pursue their forbidden love affair for the next 20 years.
Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 (2003)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Length: 110 minutes
Age rating: R
Where to stream it: Hulu, Peacock (US); ITX (UK): Netflix (AU)
Love is a theme that’s almost completely absent from Tarantino’s ’00s graphic martial arts double-part flick, but its incredible revenge story is one stemming from a toxic partnership igniting one woman’s determination to reclaim her rightful position as a mother. As far as Tarantino movies go, Kill Bill has always come out on top for me.
Known as The Bride (Uma Thurman), the former assassin wakes from a four-year coma following a murder attempt organised by her ex-partner, Bill (David Carradine), and team of assassins with whom she used to work. Greedy for revenge, she embarks on the ultimate rampage to take down those who attempted to avenge her, showing them no mercy. As she ticks them off one-by-one, she gets closer to the person who started it all; Bill.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Length: 132 minutes
Age rating: R
Where to stream it: Max (US); Netflix, (AU)
‘Heart breaking’ doesn’t come close to describing Guadagnino’s coming-of-age drama. I’d say ‘soul shattering’. If you’ve ever experienced heartbreak at a young age, then you can totally relate to Timothee Chalamet’s character and the painful torment of being ripped away from someone you’ve grown to deeply admire, and then being left in the dust on your own to pick up the pieces.
Andre Aciman’s 2007 novel of the same name serves as the base to the film’s story. Set in 1983 at an Italian villa, 17 year-old Elio (Chalamet) spends his summer vacation with his family where he meets Oliver (Armie Hammer), a 24 year-old student and intern for Elio’s father. As their summer vacation pans out Elio unlocks an admiration for the older Oliver and a mutual attraction is sparked. Set against the backdrop of a bright and romantic Italian landscape, their bond is one of the most powerful depictions of on-screen love, but all affairs end, and someone always gets hurt in the process.
Marriage Story (2019)
Director: Noah Baumbach
Length: 136 minutes
Age rating: R
Where to stream it: Netflix (US, UK & AU)
Raise your hand if you’re a child of divorce. You can’t see it, but you can bet both of my arms are in the air. Baumbach’s marital drama is more than just an account of the breaking down of a family unit, but enters new territory with its depiction of how to keep a family together in the wake of a messy and complicated divorce.
Stage director Charlie (Adam Driver) and his actor wife Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) have reached an un-retractable breaking point in their marriage which has resulted in them seeking a divorce. Though the stress of the divorce pushes them both to the extreme, one priority remains mutual and that’s the wellbeing of their son Henry (Azhy Robertson). Not only does the movie follow their journey to ending their fizzled marriage, but it succeeds in acknowledging their respect for each other and the love that had been a constant throughout their marriage – despite how things may have turned out.
Baby Driver (2017)
Director: Edgar Wright
Length: 113 minutes
Age rating: R
Where to stream it: Netflix (US); Netflix, Binge, Foxtel Now (AU)
First and foremost, Baby Driver is an incredible action-thriller flick, but the journey its main character embarks on to seek freedom from a crime-ridden life through romance is truly what makes it an engaging watch and therefore, one of the best Netflix movies.
Baby (Ansel Elgort) suffers from tinnitus years after he’s involved with a car crash that killed his parents, using his favorite music to fuel his skills as a getaway driver. His view on his life working for organised crime is flipped when he meets Debora (Lily James), in whom he sees the perfect chance to escape his current life and start afresh. When he’s pressured to carry out dirty work for crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey), his chance to escape seems a little more complicated than he had anticipated.
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
Director: Marc Webb
Length: 95 minutes
Age rating: PG-13
Where to stream it: Hulu (US); Disney Plus (US & AU)
(500) Days of Summer is one of the more age-appropriate romance stories for younger viewers, but still manages to stray from depicting romance in all its hope and wholesomeness.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Tom, an aspiring architect, greetings card writer, and hopeless romantic. His world comes suddenly crashing down when his long-term girlfriend Summer (Zooey Deschanel) ends their relationship. Now he’s getting used to single life, Tom uses this time to reflect on their relationship (all 500 days of it) and pinpoint what went wrong, and where their seemingly perfect and unbreakable romance came to an end.
In The Mood For Love (2000)
Director: Wong Kar-wai
Length: 97 minutes
Age rating: PG
Where to stream it: Max (US)
Never has a movie depicted gut intuition like this before, resulting in a heart-breaking watch that makes you want the very best for its main characters. Juxtaposed with its anti-romantic narrative is a rich and seductive color palette, but still, it’s not enough to distract from the movie’s pain.
Set in the early ’60s, Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his wife move into a new apartment in Hong Kong where he meets neighbor Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) and her husband. Both Chow and Su’s spouses are preoccupied with their respective jobs and spend most of their time away from home, and the two discover that their partners are out there having affairs. In the wake of this gut-wrenching news, Chow and Su start to fall in love, however both of them refuse to commit the same act and do all they can to keep their relationship purely platonic.
