What Is Love In Film Anyway

Love, our most powerful emotion, filters through all parts of our lives and is expressed in songs, books, art and films. Yet do we really understand it? However much we absorb stories and anecdotes regarding this powerful emotion, love is not always predictable. There can be love that is healthy, obsessional, angry, sweet, manic, familial, twisted, passionate, and so much more. Love is not always healthy or easy, and it’s probably why we revisit it so often in multiple forms of art. But pondering and exploring others’ experiences and thoughts, do we navigate it better? And who is to say the way we love is good or not? Cinema offers us some off-kilter romance stories, should you feel like a more left-field exploration. Find out more in What Is Love In Film Anyway

Films exploring love often delve into its complexities, from romantic passion and heartbreak to self-love and platonic bonds. Some leave us with a happy ending, whilst others may be a little bit disturbing.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife.

Boys Don’t Cry 1999

The film is a dramatisation of the real-life story of Brandon Teena (played by Hilary Swank), an American trans man who attempts to find himself and love in Nebraska but falls victim to a brutal hate crime perpetrated by two male acquaintances.

In the Mood for Love, 2000

Two neighbours form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.

Silver lining playbook 2012

After the male lead, Pat, is released from a mental institution, he meets Tiffany, who suffers from depression. She tells him that she will help him reunite with his wife if he becomes her partner in a competition.

A great, famous one from Silver Linings Playbook captures its theme:

“The only way you can beat my crazy was by doing something crazy yourself,”

Pat to Tiffany

Secretary 2002

A timid young woman starts working for a demanding lawyer and finds a new way to deal with her self-harming urges.

Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)

A raw, intense look at the passion and heartache of a first lesbian relationship.

I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK

A girl who thinks she is a combat cyborg checks into a mental hospital, where she encounters other psychotics. Eventually, she falls for a man who thinks he can steal people’s souls.

Lars and the Real Girl 2007

A delusional young man strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.

Brokeback Mountain 2005

 A poignant story of forbidden love between two very ‘masculine men’ and the constraints of the society they live in.

Wristcutters: A Love Story 2006

A film set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.

Shopgirl 2005

A film adaptation of Steve Martin’s novel about a complex love triangle between a bored salesgirl, a wealthy businessman and an aimless young man.

The latest film to explore the weird and wonderful world of love is Twinless. Now this is a dark comedy that takes you on a twisted, surprising, funny, tender and horror-filled journey. As entertaining as it is, the viewer knows that the ‘shit-is-going-to-hit- the-fan, at some point soon, but gets to travel the journey of the film with both characters wondering when it’s going to happen. A little insider knowledge helps the pace of the film be a little thrilling and also chilling.

As much as it is about messy emotions, it also messes with your emotions. Interestingly, one of the lead characters is also the director  James Sweeney, but this doesn’t distract from the great relationship between him and the other lead character, played by Dylan O’Brien (who also plays his twin). The two gentlemen’s relationship drives the film forward.

The story explores two young men who meet in a twin bereavement support group and form an unlikely bromance. It won the Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic), Audience Award and Special Jury Award for Best Acting in a US Dramatic for Dylan O’Brien at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Other films out now which explore the trials and tribulations of love include:-

A Beautiful Breakup, directed by Ajithvasan Uggina,  is an atmospheric storytelling with mystical undertones and sweeping orchestral sound. With a majestic symphonic score by legendary composer ‘Maestro’ Ilaiyaraaja, recorded with the internationally renowned Bow Tie Orchestra, A Beautiful Breakup weaves cross-cultural romance with atmospheric suspense and emotional depth. The orchestral music subtly elevates the film’s tender moments and supernatural undertones, adding a sense of scale and resonance to the cinematic experience.

Based on some true events, a couple’s final breakup getaway planned as a peaceful, mutual farewell takes an unexpected turn when an unseen presence within an isolated estate quietly reshapes their journey, drawing buried feelings into the open and challenging everything they believed about endings and letting go.

Love takes many forms, traverses many winding roads, but there is no right or wrong; the power of it is far stronger than rules. Maybe, though, watching a love story a little offbeat helps with understanding your own love story.

TWINLESS is in UK & Irish cinemas now. For cinemas visit: PARK CIRCUS

A Beautiful Breakup will be in UK Cinemas from 13th February

If you enjoyed reading What Is Love In Film Anyway, then why not read A Stunning Anniversary here.

Cent Magazine London. Luxury Mindset