Conventional love stories or mainstream romance is not my jam. Instead, I prefer unconventional love stories — those that test limits, push boundaries, and question “normal.” Stories that run the gamut from quirky to alternative lifestyles to the experimental to mind-bending… I like to watch something that centers a voice I haven’t heard, a world I haven’t seen before, or a subject I didn’t know about.
And anyone who knows me IRL knows: the weirder the better. You have been warned. 🤓
These are listed in no particular order.
Secretary (2002)
Plot summary: A young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary to a demanding lawyer, where their employer-employee relationship turns into a sexual, sadomasochistic one. source
You should watch this movie if you like (or you’re curious about): Closer-to-reality BDSM (i.e., partners not like Christian Grey); Alternative lifestyles; Dark comedies; Finding one’s agency through self-exploration and self-acceptance; A romantic partnership based on respect, acceptance, love AND chemistry.
Visit IMDb for the trailer and more.
Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006)
Plot summary: A film set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide. source
You should watch this movie if you like: Dark comedies; Absurdist stories; Romance in the after-life; Self-discovery while stuck in purgatory; Second chances; The Good Place but want something less “polished” and slightly creepy.
Visit IMDb for the trailer and more.
TiMer (2009)
Plot summary: If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know? source
You should watch this movie if you like: The idea of soulmates; Sci-Fi mixed with Rom-Com; Concepts that are fun to think about; Unexpected “happy” endings.
Visit IMDb for the trailer and more.
Spring (2014)
Plot summary: A young man in a personal tailspin flees from US to Italy, where he sparks up a romance with a woman harboring a dark, primordial secret. source
You should watch this movie if you like: Sci-Fi mixed with Horror mixed with Romance; Movies set in Italy; Thale (2012); Siren (2013); Star-crossed lovers.
Visit IMDb for the trailer and more.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Plot summary: Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel. source
You should watch this movie if you like: Aubrey Plaza; Mark Duplass; Numb, apathetic adults finding something to believe in, something that makes them feel alive again; Trying to figure out if the person’s nutballs or for real.
Visit IMDb for the trailer and more.
The above list is by no means complete. I’ve fallen in love with dozens of movies I’d classify as “unconventional love stories.” Stay tuned for Take 2.
Post history notes: Drafted 9/17/2019; First published on my blog 2/14/2020; Last updated 5/28/2020