Independent of your feelings on Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of “Wuthering Heights,” watching a story of heartbreaking, fated love can be a therapeutic experience. It’s no wonder we return to “Titanic” nearly 30 years after its release, just as we revisit Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet.” If you, too, enjoy crying in the cinema or simply immersing yourself in emotions at home, here are five more films about doomed love – more or less tragic – that are worth watching after “Wuthering Heights.”
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
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Michel Gondry’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” can be watched multiple times, and each time you might find yourself holding back tears (or letting them flow – depending on whether you have company). Although many label the film a “romantic comedy,” this surreal story about two lovers erasing their relationship from memory strikes right at the heart. The most poignant scenes are those where Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) recall tender moments, only for their memories to be abruptly snatched away from their consciousness. It’s devastating.
“500 Days of Summer”
Whether this film moves you deeply or strikes you as mere light entertainment largely depends on where you are in your own romantic journey. Regardless, it’s a classic of the noughties. The film depicts a doomed relationship without a label (even before the term “situationship” existed) and flawlessly captures the feeling of being infatuated with someone who cannot or will not commit – and then easily moves on with someone else. However, it is a rom-com, so the ending isn’t entirely bleak; some might even call it happy – in a bittersweet sense.
“Carol”
Another film you’ll want to rewatch again and again – simply to feel something. “Carol,” often hailed as one of Todd Haynes’s finest works, tells the story of two women – Carol (Cate Blanchett) and Therese (Rooney Mara) – who fall in love in the 1950s, a time when same-sex relationships were illegal. One of the film’s greatest strengths is its hopeful ending; the most tragic events unfold in the middle, which was quite unusual for its time (before “Carol,” most films about lesbians ended in tragedy).
“Call Me By Your Name”
There are many things to fall in love with in this film. The hazy, sun-drenched Italian landscapes. The euphoric scene where Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) dance to Psychedelic Furs’ “Love My Way.” And, of course, the peach scene. If you were fortunate enough to experience a painful yet life-affirming romance in your teenage years – preferably during a hot summer – many moments in this film will resonate with your heart. The central love story is doomed, yes, but the best stories often are.
“Romeo + Juliet”
Speaking of wild adaptations of classics with chaotic mise-en-scène, Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 version of “Romeo and Juliet” is worth mentioning – a story of first, doomed love. We all know how Shakespeare’s play ends. But before the finale, this version explodes with surreal shootouts, angel wings, parties, and declarations of love. Plus, a young Leonardo DiCaprio stars in his romantic prime – and the film is worth watching for that alone.