Top 10 Alternative Romantic Films

**1. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)** _FTJ_

If Nick Cage did a “Lad’s Holiday”…

It would consist of going to Las Vegas, holing up in a motel room, falling in love with a prostitute (Elisabeth Shue), all achieved whilst drinking himself to death.

(Before winning the Oscar for Best Actor)

**2. Harold and Maude (1971)** _FTJ_

Sensitive young guy meets untamable older woman. Romance ensues…

Hal Ashby delivers one for those who consider an “age-gap” to be a relationship issue.

**3. Badlands (1973)** _FTJ_

In another life, long before such bloated epics as The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick directed two of the best films ever made. Period.

One of these was Badlands.

Kit (Martin Sheen) “combs his hair like James Dean”, whilst Holly (Sissy Spacek) “takes music lessons and twirls a baton”.

They meet. They fall in love. He murders her father, grabs a shotgun and the pair proceed on a cross-country killing spree.

**4. Wild At Heart (1990)** _FTJ_

“Did I ever tell you that this here jacket represents a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom?” asks Nick Cage in his best Elvis impersonation.

In Wild At Heart David Lynch provides us with romance, sex, violence, more sex and violence to speed metal, Harry Dean Stanton (!), Willem Dafoe (!), various allusions to The Wizard of Oz…

What more does Valentine’s Day need?

**5. Bitter Moon (1992)** _FTJ_

Sultry and mysterious Emmanuelle Seigner dominates (hint) this psychosexual drama from acclaimed and controversial auteur Roman Polanski.

It also has Hugh Grant, in an unusual turn, playing a floppy-haired, loveable Englishman.

**6. Oldboy (2003)** _FTJ_

The South-Korean production Oldboy depicts two entwined yet unconventional romances in deft comic style.

If you’re a fan of The Rebound, Love Actually, Knocked Up or just like seeing a claw hammer used creatively this is the film for you.

**7. Skyfall (2012)** _HAS_

Feminists around the world would cry out in horror if I dared to mention the womanizing, perennially misogynist James Bond as romantic figure worthy of making a genuine list of the top 10 cinematic romances. However, Daniel Craig’s interaction with Javier Bardem in last year’s Skyfall was one of my favourite sections of the critically acclaimed film and an area I wished they’d explored.

For Bond to utter the lines “what makes you think it’s my first time?” in reference to a homosexual experience, my jaw dropped at the endless possibilities such a narrative development could have. Had the film explored it even for 5 minutes Bond would’ve become an even more interestingly complex character than I ever could’ve imagined.

Perhaps the next Bond film could be a buddy movie with a possible Sean Bean cameo? Eh Mendes? Eh?

**8. Teeth (2007)** _HAS_

A film that features a number of unconventional romantic encounters and makes the thought of sexual intercourse with a virgin even more nerve racking for the man in question.
Teeth is a dark comedy about an attractive young girl trying to come to terms with her changing body. It makes for enjoyable if silly viewing, be careful though, she bites.

**9. The Crying Game (1992)** _HAS_

A psychological thriller and complicated story of betrayal, love and race all set in the backdrop of a potential IRA assassination attempt. Nothing says I love you darling, like a night watching The Crying Game.

**10. Crash (1996)** _HAS_

People often describe a bad relationship as a ‘car crash’ yet in Cronenberg’s 1996 psychological drama, the film’s protagonists can seemingly only find pleasure from horrible road accidents as well as discussing a number of other rather unusual sexual desires.
A highly divisive film that makes for arguably the most challenging of watches, if your other half sits through this with you, they’re undoubtedly a keeper.

Let us know what you think if you decide to watch a film from our list, though be prepared, you’ve been warned.

HAS – Hari’s picks

FJT – Fred’s picks