Tired of the usual, cheesy romantic comedies or melodramatic love stories that flood your screens every Valentine’s Day? Thankfully, there are quite a few love stories out there that don’t play by the rules. Some stories break the mold, giving us unconventional yet deeply moving romances that challenge traditional narratives. Whether it's unexpected pairings, strange plotlines, or love that defies logic, these five films prove that romance comes in many forms.
If you’re looking for romantic films that skew a little more unconventional—whether it’s an interspecies romance, an AI-driven love affair, or a dystopian take on relationships—these films will add a unique twist to your date night.
1. The Shape of Water
Love truly knows no boundaries in Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning magical, modern fairy tale. Mute janitor Elisa, who works in a top-secret government lab, discovers a mysterious amphibian creature being held captive. Drawn to its loneliness, she forms an intimate connection with the creature. As their bond deepens, Elisa devises a daring plan to save her otherworldly love from harm. The film highlights the importance of accepting those who are different and nurturing that connection despite those differences.
2. Her
“I think anybody who falls in love is a freak. It's kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity,” says one character in Spike Jonze’s beautiful sci-fi rom-com Her. In this film, lonely and introverted writer Theodore Twombly develops a relationship with Samantha, his artificial intelligence software. The film cleverly explores themes of isolation, what it truly means to love someone (or something), as well as our ongoing reliance on technology as a means to connect. Her questions the very nature of love, intimacy, and human connection in an increasingly digital world. Is their love real? Does it matter? As a character states in the film, “We're only here briefly. And while I'm here, I wanna allow myself joy. So f-ck it.”
3. Bones and All
Love and death go hand-in-hand in Luca Guadagnino’s dark but enchanting horror-romance. The film follows Maren, an 18-year-old abandoned by her father, as she navigates a life all on her own. She meets and falls in love with Lee, a rebellious drifter. The two, however, share a terrible secret – they’re both cannibals who eat to survive. As they journey across the fringes of America, Maren comes into her own power and learns to accept herself. This gory romance may sound off-putting, but under the bloody surface, it’s a raw and powerful study about identity, generational trauma and guilt, and finding a place to belong.
4. The Lobster
Yorgos Lanthimos’ twisted dark romantic-comedy The Lobster imagines a dystopian world where single people must enter into a romantic relationship within 45 days or else they will be turned into an animal of their choice. Recently single, David checks strict matchmaking hotel where relationships are based on superficial traits like nearsightedness or frequent nosebleeds. This entertainingly offbeat film cleverly critiques modern dating culture, societal pressures, and the arbitrary rules we impose on love. Unpredictable, darkly funny, and deeply introspective, The Lobster asks: what lengths will we go to for companionship?
5. WALL-E
One of the most touching love stories in film doesn’t even involve humans. In Pixar’s WALL-E, a lonely trash-compacting robot spends his days cleaning up an abandoned Earth. His world changes when he meets EVE, a sleek, high-tech probe searching for signs of life. Their love story, told mostly through gestures and electronic chirps, is surprisingly deep and heartfelt. While WALL-E critiques consumerism and environmental destruction, at its core, it’s a poignant reminder that love can thrive even in the most desolate of worlds. WALL-E and EVE’s bond shines as a beacon of hope, proving that connection is essential to existence
From bloody soulmates to robots falling in love, these five great, unconventional romantic films all show that no matter what society tells you, love is for everybody – even for the eccentric outcasts and oddballs out there. Remember, love is love!