10 Incredibly Tense Romantic Movies

Oftentimes, entering into a romance-focused movie can mean a breezy, perhaps even light-hearted viewing experience awaits. This is especially the case when it comes to romantic comedies, which are, by and large, very entertaining and mostly charming films that are unapologetic about providing escapism and romantic fantasies. Such rom-coms – and some romantic dramas – may have some more serious or emotional moments, but they’re rarely films that could be described as intense.

That makes the occasional tense romance movie all the more worthy of praise and attention, because some films that largely revolve around romantic relationships can also serve as disquieting dark comedies or even thrillers. The following romantic movies are all quite intense and disquieting in their own ways, whether that be because they get dark in places, they aim to thrill/unnerve, or because they get truly psychological. Such films might not be easy to watch, but they are all gripping.

10 ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ (2002)

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Adam Sandler’s best-known non-comedy role is probably that of a man dangerously addicted to gambling in the tense and unnerving Uncut Gems, though another well-regarded (semi) dramatic performance of his is found in Punch-Drunk Love. Like Uncut Gems 17 years later, Punch-Drunk Love also has a disquieting energy to it and can prove quite stomach-churning to watch, though in a more subtle way than the more crime/thriller-focused Uncut Gems.

Punch-Drunk Love is a romantic comedy of sorts, though the comedy is darker than you’d expect from most rom-coms. Sandler plays a very awkward and sometimes very angry man who finds little success in life, until he meets a woman (played by Emily Watson) who he feels genuine feelings for. It’s got the sort of unpredictable tone and distinctive style to it that you’d expect from Paul Thomas Anderson, and though such an approach might not be for everyone, it does ensure Punch-Drunk Love is, at the very least, hard to forget.

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9 ‘Titanic’ (1997)

Directed by James Cameron

There’s an argument to be made that James Cameron was already king of the (blockbuster) world before the release of Titanic, but this 1997 epic was a step above anything he’d done before when it came to things like the box office and awards recognition. Much of its first half plays out like a relatively straightforward romantic story set on the doomed titular ocean liner, with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio playing characters from different social backgrounds who nevertheless fall in love.

Regrettably, the film is called Titanic, though, which means that at a point, the ship’s going to hit an iceberg and the film will feel more like a disaster movie than a romance one. The second half largely deals with the Titanic sinking, and it pulls surprisingly few punches when it comes to depicting the physical and psychological impacts of being involved in such an event. It’s to Cameron’s credit that the film somehow works and packs an emotional punch, despite – or perhaps because of – having two rather different halves.

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8 ‘Waves’ (2019)

Directed by Trey Edward Shults

One of many great small-scale films released by A24, Waves is oddly comparable to the aforementioned Titanic in the way that it functions like a film of two halves. Without giving too much away, the first half centers mostly on one pair of people who find their relationship tested after a series of harrowing events, and the second half pivots to focusing on a different pair of people who find themselves drawn to each other, and slowly falling in love.

Unlike Titanic, however, Waves has most of its truly intense moments take place in the more explosive and haunting first half, with the second being emotional, sure, but certainly not as nerve-wracking. It’s also perhaps more of a drama than a romance film, but it does still qualify as something that crosses over into both genres, largely because each half of Waves has a prominent relationship that gets showcased, with the first half being about the end of one relationship and the second half being about the potential beginning of another.

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7 ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)

Directed by Michel Gondry

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is quite remarkable, as it manages to be an iconic romance film, a harrowing psychological drama, and something of a sci-fi movie all at once. It also has a remarkably original premise, as it revolves around two people who were once in love, but then both turned to having a strange procedure that aims to erase all memories of an ex-partner from one’s mind. It’s this concept that makes Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind feel distinctly sci-fi in nature.

It’s also one of those romance movies that’s more about a break-up than something more traditionally lovely and romantic, though the procedure does lead to both characters feeling conflicted and doubtful of their decisions. It’s a surreal, harrowing, and sometimes challenging film, but also a hugely impressive and haunting one that’s likely to leave a mark on anyone who watches it, particularly those who feel as though they’ve loved and lost (allegedly, that’s better than having never loved at all).

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6 ‘The Handmaiden’ (2016)

Directed by Park Chan-wook

Park Chan-wook has made numerous great films, with many of them definable as psychological thrillers or gritty action/crime movies. The Handmaiden sees him playing to his strengths while also directing a movie with a more romantic story than most of the things he’d made before, with the plot here centering on two people who aim to swindle a Japanese heiress to get her fortune in the 1930s.

However, genuine romantic feelings arise between two people involved in the scheme, which naturally throws off the plan in a series of thrilling and intense ways. The Handmaiden is certainly a passionate and oftentimes tense movie, with love being found in a complex and dangerous place, leading to a good deal of suspense throughout. It’s a unique ride of a film where the less said about the plot, the better, though it’s safe to say The Handmaiden can be both romantic and nerve-wracking.

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5 ‘Blue Valentine’ (2010)

Directed by Derek Cianfrance

While Blue Valentine is centered on a relationship, it’s much more of a drama film overall, and a particularly riveting and sometimes even stomach-churning one. The two people at the center of Blue Valentine are Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), and it becomes clear early on that their relationship has seen better days. They get married, but each has personal flaws that complicate their relationship and put it in continual jeopardy as the story goes on.

As a romance film, Blue Valentine is an exceptionally dark and uncompromising one, with the drama here feeling raw and uncomfortably believable at times, thanks to Gosling and Williams both delivering spectacularly authentic performances. This all makes it far from a breezy or easy watch, but those who want to see something that feels undeniably real and brilliantly acted ought to give this 2010 film a shot, so long as they’re prepared for things to get full-on.

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4 ‘The Graduate’ (1967)

Directed by Mike Nichols

Even though Mike Nichols directed many memorable movies, there’s a strong argument to be made that one of his earliest – 1967’s The Graduate – was always his very best. It’s an intentionally awkward coming-of-age dramedy about a young man who’s recently graduated from college and has little idea of what to do with his life. He then proceeds to make a bad situation worse by entering a strange relationship with the mother of a young woman his parents would like him to have a relationship with.

Its dark sense of humor and willingness to be brutally honest about certain things means The Graduate might not be a romantic movie, but it is a romance movie, as relationships are a key part of the narrative here. It gets more intense as it goes along, with certain parts getting awkward enough that they have the potential to unnerve viewers and make them feel surprisingly uncomfortable.

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3 ‘Miracle Mile’ (1988)

Directed by Steve De Jarnatt

Miracle Mile is certainly an eclectic and somewhat strange film, as it dips its toes into many seemingly disparate genres all at once. It manages to be both a comedy and a thriller at the same time, with its dark sense of humor pairing well with an anxious story about the end of the world. Beyond being a comedy/thriller, Miracle Mile’s also a drama, romance, and sci-fi movie, in various ways, having a narrative about two people in L.A. who fall in love right when the world’s about to end, thanks to nuclear war.

There’s a ticking clock element to the narrative, with the doomed lovers trying to have a first date while the human race is facing imminent extinction. It’s a very odd but ultimately quite engaging movie, with the stakes being so high that it’s hard to watch it without feeling nervous throughout, even though the relationship at the film’s center is sweet and endearing.

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2 ‘Scenes from a Marriage’ (1974)

Directed by Ingmar Bergman

Ingmar Bergman was a fascinating and exceptionally talented filmmaker whose work generally couldn’t be described as “easy to watch.” As such, when he made a movie all about a married couple in 1974 called Scenes from a Marriage, it ended up being an unsurprisingly harrowing viewing experience. It’s about a relationship, sure, but one that’s continually less happy with every passing sequence, making this one romance film that wouldn’t be good for a date night.

Scenes from a Marriage is largely made up of extended, sometimes even grueling sequences where the married couple argue in increasingly full-on ways, and the film plays out over close to three hours. Further, there’s a longer miniseries cut that was actually released the year before the theatrical cut, with that one running for close to five hours. It also got an American adaptation in 2021, with Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac playing the roles that Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson respectively played in the original 1973 and 1974 versions.

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1 ‘Breaking the Waves’ (1996)

Directed by Lars von Trier

It’s fair to say that Breaking the Waves is a romantic movie by Lars von Trier standards, though the infamous Danish filmmaker is known for his harrowing and disturbing movies. As such, it’s also fair to say that Breaking the Waves is not a fun movie and gets expectedly depressing throughout, with its premise centering on a man who, after getting paralyzed in a work accident, insists his wife should have extramarital affairs to “keep” the sexual side of their relationship going, in a way.

Complications naturally arise from this situation, with Breaking the Waves ultimately feeling equal parts tragic and emotionally intense. Still, for as difficult as parts of the film can be, it’s also quite absorbing and genuinely moving, and benefits greatly from having two strong performances at its center, courtesy of Emily Watson and Stellan Skarsgård.

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