6 Movies That Start Out As Love Stories But Actually Aren’t

Movie marketing has often been tricky, and so some films have been released that seem to be love stories but are actually far from them. Romance has been a core element in all forms of storytelling for a long time, especially in movies. Relationships in films have helped with character development, engaged audiences, and even motivated entire plots. However, romantic storylines have also distracted from a film’s overarching theme in the past. A great example of this was in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which was often overshadowed by the tension between Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley).

Not every film has needed to focus on relationships, although many have. Just because a movie included a romantic plotline doesn’t necessarily mean it was a love story, and many TV shows and films have unconventional romances on purpose because of this. In recent years, there has been so much focus on these kinds of storylines that audiences have become accustomed to seeing them. However, this also means that it was a surprise when certain titles, that appeared to be movies about love stories, ended up being about something completely different.

6

(500) Days Of Summer

Released In 2009

Even though audiences were warned at the beginning of (500) Days of Summer that the film wouldn’t be a love story, it was still a surprise to find that this was the truth. (500) Days of Summer chronicled the story of Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel) who both had drastically different approaches to relationships. Hopeless romantic Tom believed that Summer was the one, but she wanted something casual instead and to just enjoy one another’s company. Through the use of a brilliant non-linear narrative, audiences watched the events of their relationship play out in the incorrect order.

Although the primary focus of (500) Days of Summer was Tom and Summer’s relationship, that wasn’t what the story was really about. The film was truly about how Summer impacted Tom as a person when they were both in different stages of their lives and wanted different things for themselves. It was also about how they grew and changed as people throughout the film. For example, when Tom discovered that Summer was engaged, he found it hard to understand, as she’d previously claimed that she had no interest in being someone’s girlfriend, let alone wife.

(500) Days of Summer also highlighted topics other than love, such as mental health and heartbreak through Tom’s efforts to get over Summer. (500) Days of Summer was the opposite of a romance story, and not only reflected on modern relationships, but also how easily someone can mistake love for admiration and contentment. Tom and Summer got their happy endings, however, but both the pair and the audience had learned an interesting but important lesson from (500) Days of Summer as the credits rolled.

5

Mr. And Mrs. Smith

Released In 2005

Mr. and Mrs. Smith famously launched the relationship between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who portrayed lead characters John and Jane Smith. At a glance, Mr. and Mrs. Smith appeared to be about a pair of married spies, but the opening scenes established that their relationship wasn’t as strong as it appeared. In fact, their union was a cover-up to keep their real identities a secret from each other. Amazingly, the two somehow managed to hide their jobs as professional assassins from one another for years, but both complained to their marriage counselor that they found their relationship stale.

Eventually, the pair find out the truth when they were both assigned the same target, but were then quickly directed at one another by their respective employers. During the events of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, John and Jane developed feelings for each other, but their relationship was not the film’s main story. In reality, the film was ultimately about conflict. John and Jane had two opposing agencies after them, battled with the decision to tell the truth, and even whether to pull the trigger on each other.

At the end of the film, the two told their counselor that their marriage was now thriving. Although they had agreed to make things work after sharing details of their assassination style, it was still unclear whether the relationship was legitimate or not. Whether it was another ruse to protect them from danger or not, John and Jane had definitely found some peace with each other.

4

Saltburn

Released In 2023

The movie Saltburn, at first, appeared to offer an interesting take on LGBTQ+ relationships in films when Oliver (Barry Keoghan) took an interest in his fellow Oxford student, Felix (Jacob Elordi). However, once Oliver reached the country estate and met its residents, there was a sudden shift in tone and atmosphere that told audiences that romance would not be the primary focus in Saltburn. Although there were several moments that implied a relationship between the two, such as the iconic graveside scene, Oliver’s voice overs proved that even he couldn’t tell whether he was in love with Felix or not.

However, Oliver was definitely obsessed with the Catton family in Saltburn, and this was what motivated the entire film. Oliver was so focused on the idea of being seen in the same league as Felix’s family, especially because of Farleigh’s (Archie Madekwe) repetitive comments about him being working class, that it consumed him. The lines between love and obsession were blurred, and Oliver’s intense need to either be Felix or be with him was what led to his unfortunate fate.

3

La La Land

Released In 2016

When La La Land was first released, audiences believed they’d be watching a film about two aspiring performers who fall in love. While this was still true, there was so much more to the film, and the relationship between Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) wasn’t the same as the typical love stories in musical movies. In fact, La La Land did a brilliant job of subverting romance tropes in Hollywood, which was even more impactful because of Mia’s rise to stardom.

La La Land instead focused on the difficulties in relationships when both people are incredibly aspirational yet execute their lives in vastly different ways. Although Mia and Sebastian did fall in love, their long-lived dreams were more important, which caused them several issues. A big theme throughout the film was compromise and the realistic expectations of pursuing a career in the spotlight. Although Mia has moved on, got married, and had a child, she was able to look back on her time with Sebastian fondly and appreciate the good parts of their love story.

He was also able to do the same, which was what made their final scene together so impactful. The look Mia and Sebastian shared as he performed was filled with happiness and contentment and required no dialogue. They both knew, ultimately, that they weren’t supposed to work out, yet their lives would have never been the same if they hadn’t met. While love was incredibly important in La La Land, it was more of a bonus theme to the film rather than the driving force.

2

Silver Linings Playbook

Released In 2012

Silver Linings Playbook had a fascinating take on making new friends, especially between two very complex people with their own baggage and difficult pasts. The film focused on Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) and Pat (Bradley Cooper), who competed in a dance competition together. However, rather than it being a story about the two falling in love, Silver Linings Playbook instead told a tale about mental health and the complicated nature of life as a whole. This was mainly displayed through Pat, who had bipolar disorder, and his attempts to win back his ex-wife, Nikki (Brea Bee).

Tiffany also had an unspecified mental illness and used this common trait to try and connect with Pat. Both characters related to each other because of this and discussed their medication usage, and how they managed their health on a day-to-day basis. However, no two people or their mental health conditions are the same. While it could be assumed that Tiffany would know exactly how to help Pat during his anxiety attacks, that wasn’t the reality. This added to the emotional impact of the film, as they’d formed a tight bond but, at the same time, were still essentially strangers.

Although the film focused on the two preparing for the competition, which Pat used as a way to try and pursue Nikki again, Silver Linings Playbook was primarily about how they viewed life in a world that didn’t want to adapt for them. Even though Pat and Tiffany became a couple at the end of the film, it still wasn’t about their love story. The true meaning of Silver Linings Playbook was about having a fresh start in life while also embracing the fact that the past cannot be rewritten, and all Tiffany and Pat could do was move on.

1

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Released In 2011

Crazy, Stupid, Love stood out in the rom-com genre for several reasons, but especially because it used brilliant humor to highlight the realistic elements of relationships. After his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) announced she’d been having an affair and asked for a divorce, Cal (Steve Carell) stumbled into the world of singledom with his new confidant, Jacob (Ryan Gosling). While Crazy, Stupid, Love‘s light-hearted comedic story focused on Cal’s disastrous attempt at life without Emily, the film’s true purpose was to have its characters discover what they really wanted out of their lives.

The biggest example of this was with Jacob’s character. When he first met Cal, he was still a womanizer who spent every night at the bar having random sexual encounters, but this changed when he met Hannah (Emma Stone). Even though he disapproved of their relationship, Jacob understood Cal’s feelings, admitted to being in love with Hannah anyway, and was ready to say goodbye to his lifestyle. Although the film didn’t clarify whether Cal and Emily got back together at the end or not, they were on good terms, which was what both characters ultimately wanted.