10 Spicy Romance Movies That Aren't Cringe

When you think of romance films, the first thing that pops to mind is clichéd stories, predictable narratives of ‘will-they-won’t-they,’ and happy endings with couples sailing off into their new lives. While some of great romance movies have been released in 2024 and some are exceptionally well-executed, many other aspects of this genre often go overlooked. Films that push the boundaries of what it means to be in love, gritty, action storylines, or spicy romantic films that take a sinister turn are anything but the normal tropes.

Darker, more intense romance films such as the thrilling, action-packed ride of Quentin Tarantino-written True Romance or the erotic roleplay and power dynamic relationship of Secretary often produce some of the best romance films of all time. Films that don’t fully turn their backs on every cliché but twist, elevate, and put their own unique spin on them. Combined with unique narratives and intensely passionate relationships, create romance films that aren’t just happy ever after but gritty, real, and explosive.

10 Original Sin (2001)

Starring Antonio Banderas And Angelina Jolie

Set in late 19th century Cuba, Original Sin is a dark and unique romance starring the electric Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas. A rich Cuban plantation owner masquerades as a poor clerk and sends for a mail-order bride who, in turn, lies about her appearance, pretending to be a plain-looking woman, so her would-be husband would be someone not just interested in looks. Deception and betrayal run rife in this tale before a climactic ending straight out of a Shakespeare play.

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Based on the novel Waltz Into Darkness by Cornell Woolrich, this film is the definition of ‘spicy’ romance, with many passionate scenes between the leads, and while it can be argued the dialogue fell a bit short, the chemistry literally jumps from the screen. The acting and relationship were so intense it led to heavy rumors that Jolie and Banderas engaged in a real-life relationship after the shooting ended. Original Sin is a romance that is packed with action, sex, and intrigue, making it a great watch for any romantic film fan.

9 Secretary (2002)

Starring James Spader And Maggie Gyllenhaal

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Secretary (2002) explores the complex relationship between a dominative lawyer, played by James Spader, and his submissive secretary, portrayed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film addresses themes of power dynamics and self-discovery within an unconventional romantic setting. Directed by Steven Shainberg, the narrative delves into the psychological intricacies of the main characters, setting it apart from traditional romantic dramas.

Director
Steven Shainberg
Release Date
September 20, 2002
Runtime
107 Minutes

Directed by Steven Shainberg, Secretary is a film about a unique and unconventional romance involving a shy woman called Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who starts working for an eccentric yet demanding attorney, E. Edward Grey (James Spader). Starting off as employee-employer, the relationship quickly takes a turn when it’s clear they are both turned on by the submissive-dominant relationship they are forming during work, and the two start a BDSM relationship with power play dynamics that continues to escalate throughout the film.

The screenplay for
Secretary
by Erin Cressida Wilson was adapted from the 1988 short story of the same name by Mary Gaitskill.

While on the surface, it may seem like a relatively straightforward story about a sub-dom relationship, the film is exceptionally well-formed, with even the smallest details being taken into account. Every scene in the office was created to feel as flourishing and natural as possible with all natural colors, bamboo, and indoor plants to give a sense of freedom, while the outside world was made to represent the opposite, cold, plastic, and unnatural. The film chose to explore deeper meanings and into the complexities of a BDSM relationship and created an iconic film that stands the test of time.

8 Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

Starring Tilda Swinton And Tom Hiddleston

In this Palme d’Or nominated film at the 2013 Cannes Festival, Only Lovers Left Alive tells the story of a gothic vampire love story that focuses on two ancient vampires, Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton), who have been in a loving relationship for many centuries. The film centers on their relationship dynamic, their supernatural elements, and the explosive sequences they get into on their immortal, intertwined journey.

Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, the film is masterfully conceived and shot, withsStar Tilda Swinton remarking, “Jim is pretty much nocturnal, so the nightscape is pretty much his palette.” The use of darkness, light, and exquisite cinematography ramp up this fantastic romance film, and the chemistry between the two leads is a thing to behold, with passion and enthusiasm between them dominating the screen alongside a razor-sharp script, creating a vampire love story that will be celebrated centuries from now.

7 The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

Starring Pierce Brosnan And Rene Russo

The Thomas Crown Affair is a gripping and intricate romantic tale about a billionaire who steals a painting before falling in love with the investigator looking to find him. Pierce Brosnan stars as Thomas Crown, a wealthy man who secretly masterminds the theft of a Monet painting from the MMOA before a detective and the museum’s insurance investigator, Catherine Banning (Rene Russo), attempt to catch the criminal responsible. What unfolds is a gripping and daring cat-and-mouse game between the two, filled with palpable chemistry and intense sexual tension.

Split image showing characters from The Mask of Zorro and Knight and Day.

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The film has been described as sleek and stylish, and for good reason. It is perfectly paced throughout the 114-minute runtime, and the action sequences are intense and engaging. Brosnan plays his part perfectly as the suave businessman who outsmarts his enemies and wins the heart of the girl along the way. It is very much a criminal heist movie as well as a romantic one, and the trick ending scene is the cherry on top of a film that painlessly subverts the usual expectations.

6 Blue Valentine (2010)

Starring Ryan Gosling And Michelle Williams

Written and directed by Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine is about a married couple, Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), and their relationship told in two clear linear narratives, one at the beginning of their relationship when they first start dating and then their life and marriage together several years later. The story unfolds in a bittersweet way with many heart-breaking moments and delivers a film that is far from the normal romance movie.

The 10 Best Non-Cringe Romance Films On This List:

IMDb Rating:

Original Sin (2001)

6.0/10

Secretary (2002)

6.9/10

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

7.2/10

Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

6.8/10

Blue Valentine (2010)

7.3/10

Before Sunrise (1995)

8.1/10

Cruel Intentions (1999)

6.8/10

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)

8.1/10

Natural Born Killers (1994)

7.2/10

True Romance (1993)

7.9/10

The film was critically acclaimed, with Williams and Gosling nominated for Best Actress and Actor at the Academy Awards. The chemistry between the two is electric throughout the film, even in the most heartwrenching moments. It is an emotionally resonant exploration of the dynamics of a relationship that seems to be fading out, and when contrasted with the early days, is truly uneasy to watch. Critic Roget Ebert put it best: “Dean seems stuck… Can you see the difference between (1) ‘He loves me as much as he always did’ and (2) ‘He loves me exactly like he always did?“.

5 Before Sunrise (1995)

Starring Ethan Hawke And Julie Delpy

The first installment of the famed Before trilogy, Before Sunrise, is another deep dive into romance in a unique and special take on the start of a ‘would-be’ romance between two strangers. In the film, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) meet on a train and spend the night talking with one another. While the film is stripped back, with none of the action or suspense in some of the other movies, it is captivating in a different way: the authenticity and potential between two people meeting and finding connections through their conversation.

Before Sunrise,
according to Richard Linklater, was inspired by a woman named Amy Lehrhaupt, who he met in a toy shop in Philadelphia in 1989. They walked around the city, getting to know each other and talking into the night.

Before Sunrise is a minimalist and thought-provoking masterpiece that lets the chemistry of the two leads and the perfectly constructed dialogue lead the way. The film explores so many themes in its relatively short 101 minutes, from self-fulfillment, mortality, opportunity, and self-discovery through another’s eyes. Hawke and Delpy let the outside world fall away around them as they become intertwined in their own story, and as the viewers, it’s easy to feel the same, watching the two suspend time and fully embrace their moments together. It’s a beautiful and intelligently formed story that elevates the romantic genre in so many ways.

4 Cruel Intentions (1999)

Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe And Reese Witherspoon

Set in New York City in a wealthy high school, Sebastian (Ryan Phillipe) and his stepsister Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) agree to a salacious bet that Sebastian can seduce an innocent girl (Reese Witherspoon) into bed. If he loses, he forfeits his vintage Jaguar; if he wins, he gets to finally have sex with his stepsister. The premise is based on a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Cruel Intentions is intricate and exploitative and captivates the audience from the opening scene.

Cruel Intentions
spawned two sequels,
Cruel Intentions 2
and
Cruel Intentions 3,
neither of which featured the original cast or performed as successfully.

A dark and twisted comic romance, it has electric performances from the leading trio, with each playing their part in the devious plot perfectly. The film has been regarded as a cult classic in recent years, and it has more than outperformed its ‘made-for-TV’ origins. It shows characters and scenes that are intense, cruel, and manipulative, making a corrupt sequence of events brimming with sexual tension that is a far cry from the usual rom-com clichés and storylines.

3 Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)

Starring Noémie Merlant And Adèle Haenel

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire

Marianne is a young painter in 18th century France who is given the task of painting a portrait of Héloïse for her wedding, without her knowing. Spending her days observing Héloïse and her nights painting, Marianne finds herself getting closer and closer to her model.

Director
Céline Sciamma
Release Date
September 18, 2019
Cast
Adèle Haenel , Noemie Merlant , Valeria Golino
Runtime
120 minutes

A 2019 French historical romantic drama film written and directed by Céline Sciamma, it focuses on Marianne, a painter who is commissioned to produce a wedding portrait for wealthy and honored aristocrat Héloïse. The two spend time together as Marianne works on her painting, and the passion and sexual chemistry between the two blooms from a spark to an inferno, and they are soon connected and embroiled in a full-blown sexual affair. The film continually explores themes such as loyalty, boundaries, class, and sexual orientation and creates a thought-provoking and moving narrative.

Collage of Héloïse and Marianne in Portrait of a Lady On Fire

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The performances throughout the film are incredible, with special mention to the two leads, Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, who play a believable and authentic, passionate courtship. It’s equally thrilling for its examination of class boundaries and the forbidden nature of their love across many taboos. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is an intelligent and erotic look at a relationship that was never meant to be. It bypasses a lot of the usual tropes in favor of a slow-burning narrative that turns expectations on their head and is a must-watch for anyone looking for a fantastic period romance.

2 Natural Born Killers (1994)

Starring Woody Harrelson And Juliette Lewis

This 1994 film by Oliver Stone tells the story of Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis) Know, two victims of childhoods filled with trauma who become lovers and embark on a gruesome mass murdering rampage across America. Far from your typical romantic story, it is packed with action from minute one, and the violence and graphic assaults are as chaotic as the tortured love between the two lead roles.

Throughout the film, mass media coverage is parodied, focusing on the obsession with crime and almost being seduced by the charisma of the two killers.

The film is based on an original screenplay by Quentin Tarantino (who also wrote True Romance) and explores themes of crime, abuse, and the mass media reporting on violent murders. Throughout the film, mass media coverage is parodied, focusing on the obsession with crime and almost being seduced by the charisma of the two killers. The chemistry and love between Mickey and Mallory add an emotional component to the film that really heightens the rest of the film. A beautiful story, only equaled by the horrific nature of the characters and content involved, creates a truly unique and jaw-dropping romance.

1 True Romance (1993)

Starring Christian Slater And Patricia Arquette

This classic romantic film follows Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette), a man and a woman who meet in a film theater before leaving and having sex. It is then revealed Alabama is a call girl hired by Clarence’s boss as a birthday present, but she admits she has genuinely fallen for him, and the two get married the next day. That is the calm part of the narrative before chaos ensues and everything goes off the rails after Clarence, led by a vision of Elvis, shoots and murders Alabama’s pimp, Drexl, and accidentally steals a bag of cocaine.

Split image of Patricia Arquette, Christian Slater and Gary Oldman in True Romance

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Slater and Arquette’s portrayal of newlyweds on the run from the Mafia is intensely captivating. The chemistry between the two is expectedly explosive, and the narrative goes 100 miles a minute. The energy and style of the film are exhilarating, with many scenes of violence punctuated with witty dialogue, snappy cuts, and perfectly orchestrated dialogue. Amid the chaos, at its heart, it is still a romantic film about two broken people caught up in an incredible and intoxicating relationship that is doomed to fail. Ultimately, it’s an incredible romantic crime movie that goes against every expected, cringeworthy cliche.

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