There is nothing better than curling up with a significant other on the couch, bathed in the light of the television, as you watch a romantic movie and take it easy for a nice night in. It’s a shame, however, that most romance films nowadays are cliché–ridden bore–fests that don’t stimulate your brain or … other things.
For those more adventurous and who want a more entertaining movie night, here is a little guide into the weird, wild and “what the hell” choices.
The Night Porter (1974)
It might be hard to relate your relationship to the depraved sadomasochistic exploits of an SS officer and his concentration camp captive, but Liliana Cavani’s controversial film sure tries to expose you to it. As complex as its morals are, the relationship that guides the film is, at the very least, fascinatingly deep and grotesquely enthralling in a “I can’t believe what they are suggesting” sort of manner.
If you ever needed proof that people can make it work, no matter how outrageously different they may be, you won’t find a better example than in this salacious pseudo-nazisploitation film.
I’m a Cyborg but That’s Okay (2006)
More known for his disturbing revenge dramas, master director Park Chan-Wook took a swing at the romance genre the only way he could: by setting it in an insane asylum between a schizophrenic kleptomaniac and a delusional, self-destructive woman who thinks she is a cyborg. Quirky and off-putting, the film is his most uplifting, despite the narrative hinging mostly on the cyborg lady attempting to massacre the orderlies of the hospital, it remains sweet and heartwarming with its inexplicable way of looking at love. By offering the most ostracized and mistreated elements of society (the mentally ill) and their chance to seek out meaningful connections with other people, the film transcends its peculiarities and becomes quite a touching love story.
Crash (1996)
It is important for any healthy relationship to be open with one another in terms of sex, no matter how idiosyncratic, unique or downright implausible. So if you’re having a problem bringing up a kink with a loved one, why not break the ice with a little David Cronenberg sex thriller?
A psychologically twisted tale of desperate individuals who derive sexual pleasure from taking part in automobile accidents, it is a nice reminder of the many ways you can express your affection for one another. Or if all else fails, it will at least make whatever kink you’re harboring seem harmless by comparison.
In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
Okay, come on, there is something undeniably romantic about two people so driven by their lust for one another that they lock themselves away from the world to practically “sex” each other to death. In Oshima Nagisa’s engrossing and amorous true-to-life art porn, you will become very, very familiar with the two brave actor’s bodies as they engage in a myriad of sexual activity again and again, progressing further and transgressing more boundaries until things turn affectionately violent. For some, this could just be an excuse to watch porn with their loved ones under the guise of culture. If you know what you’re getting into though, this could be the best way to test how comfortable you are with each other when a more extreme example is made apparent.