Both surreal and oddly absurd, Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster creates an image of a dystopian society where everybody is forced to find someone to pair with. Nobody can stay single, and if they choose to do so, the only way to be safe is by joining those hiding from authorities and the unavoidable probability of either being hunted down and killed or being turned into an animal.
And yet, at the core of The Lobster lies a dark, twisted romance which perfectly fits the kind of tone the movie is going for. Luckily for the fans of the picture, there are other movies to check out that also feature unusual, dark romances.
Swiss Army Man (2016)
If someone started explaining Swiss Army Man by saying it is full of farts, the listener would probably think that it is a stupid comedy with an abundance of fart jokes. But even though the farts are indeed played for laughs here, there is a much deeper meaning to this black comedy.
As the story progresses, the protagonist, who was left on an abandoned island and found an unusual dead man’s body, starts developing genuine feelings towards the corpse. At some point, their relationship even looks more like a romance.
The One I Love (2014)
A very unusual thriller about doppelgangers, The One I Love cleverly combines the wicked with the romantic and the frightening with the dramatic.
In the movie, a married couple finds themselves visiting a therapist to help them keep their marriage intact. The therapist tells them to visit an estate where they can rest and try to fix their relationship. There, they encounter their own doppelgangers who play tricks on them.
Thirst (2009)
Park Chan-wook’s Thirst is a dark romance movie both in its story and in its look. A lot of the events take place at night, creating the kind of atmosphere perfect for a horror romance like this.
The story follows a Catholic priest in South Korea who is secretly in love with his friend’s wife. He undergoes a medical experiment, but something goes wrong and he starts turning into a vampire.
Corpse Bride (2005)
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride is one of the many collaborations between the director and his two favorite actors – Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (who voice the lead characters in this stop-motion masterpiece).
Having the kind of Gothic aesthetic Burton is known for, the movie tells the story of a young man named Victor who goes into the woods to practice his wedding vows. Unbeknownst to him, a deceased young woman hears him doing so and now considers herself his bride.
Dogtooth (2009)
Another one of Yorgos Lanthimos’ works, Dogtooth is very similar in tone to The Lobster with its absurdist black humor and a way of bringing out the terrifying aspect in something mundane and “normal”.
Though it doesn’t focus on its romantic storyline as much, it still has one and combines it with its dramatic elements. The story focuses on a married couple who keep their children inside their home for their entire lifetime, so even as they become adults, they are ignorant of the world outside.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive is both similar to The Lobster and to Thirst. It has a slow-paced, somewhat removed-from-this-world narrative that expertly integrates horror and supernatural elements into its storyline.
The story follows two vampires named Adam and Eve who have been married for years but have parted for some time. Adam is a famous musician currently depressed and extremely happy to see Eve returning to him after their time apart.
Dracula (1992)
Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula is yet another vampire story that is the perfect kind of dark romance movie to watch for fans of the genre. Gorgeous visuals, stylish costumes, and historical elements elevate this Gothic horror movie.
Based on Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, it follows the ancient vampire Count Dracula who arrives to England with the goal to seduce his barrister’s fiancée and pursue his personal goals.
Blue Velvet (1986)
David Lynch’s Blue Velvet is rightfully considered a classic like no other, perfectly capturing the image of the small American town its story takes place in. Its neo-noir atmosphere enhances its mystery storyline providing a firm ground for a dark romance to develop.
The story follows a young student who finds a severed human ear lying in the field. As he investigates where the ear came from, he uncovers a criminal network and develops a romance with an unusual lounge singer.
Mr. Nobody (2009)
Starring Jared Leto in the lead role, Mr. Nobody can be confusing at times with its narrative jumping from one possibility to another, but its weird romantic storyline is always at the center of it all.
In a not-so-distant future, people have found a way to stay immortal. The only mortal man left on Earth is the 118-year-old Nemo Nobody whose past is unknown. Before he dies, he is asked to tell his life story, so Nemo recounts his life in the different ways it could have happened by focusing on the three most important moments in his past – at age nine, fifteen, and thirty-four.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind also has a non-linear narrative which allows the audience to fully immerse themselves into the relationship happening between the two main characters.
The story follows a couple who decide to erase memories of each other after falling out. As the memories get erased, the person to whom they belong has to experience the memories all over again.
