Three movies on Netflix that prove love isn’t easy
Love, like all other things, has evolved as an emotion and a concept. Although the layers, obstacles, and complexities are carried forward generationally, from gaslighting and ghosting to catfishing and situationships, dating these days comes with its own vocabulary. So, for those tired of the never-ending scrolls on dating apps or simply done taking a chance, here’s a Netflix watchlist to make you feel better about yourself.
Considering the season of love is officially upon us, this may not be the wisest recommendation to go with. But if you think you’re bad at love, you can always watch others in the same or worse situation for the catharsis you crave. As we mentioned, it may not be the wisest thing to do, but it works!
While the hardships of love have always been one too many, here are three movies on Netflix that prove love isn’t easy.
If anything, they’re messy, bumpy, hurtful, sometimes all-consuming yet fulfilling, and in worst cases, downright dangerous, to say the least.
Three movies on Netflix that prove love isn’t easy
Crazy, Stupid, Love (Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, 2011)
Nothing explains the messiness of love and relationships like Crazy, Stupid, Love, making it automatically the best starting point to kick off this marathon. The romantic comedy follows Cal Weaver, a family man with a good job and a beautiful, loving wife, named Emily. But just when viewers think Cal has it all, his life comes crashing down as Emily confesses to infidelity, demanding a divorce.
Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal finds himself struggling in the fickle world of dating. But that’s only until the arrival of Jacob Palmer, a Casanova who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a ladies’ man. While it’s not long before Cal begins to turn everyone’s heads, including Emily’s, Crazy, Stupid, Love also reserves a layered plot twist with the accidental collision of two romantic storylines – the other being between Cal’s daughter and Jacob, clearly not a favourite of Cal’s.
Holidate (John Whitesell, 2020)
In some cases, families are far more concerned about us not finding a date, and the concerns are particularly heightened during the holiday season. Holidate follows the story of 30-something Sloane Benson, who completely hates holidays because of the judgment she receives over her single status. The fact that she recently had a breakup doesn’t help the case. In fact, makes it far worse with her mother trying to set her up with a stranger at every opportunity she gets.
But when her promiscuous aunt introduces her to the concept of a “holidate,” a person she can bring to holiday functions without the headache of commitment, Sloane meets someone with a similar predicament, Jackson. And they begin something fake that eventually starts to feel like something real.
Woman of the Hour (Anna Kendrick, 2023)
Woman of the Hour chronicles the worst-case situation when it comes to dating, not even love, which hinges on a thin line between life and death. The crime thriller is based on the true story of Rodney Alcala, a real contestant who appeared on an episode of the dating reality show, The Dating Game, in 1978, who was later identified as a serial killer.
Woman of the Hour tracks two parallel stories – one of Alcala’s ongoing killing spree and that of Cheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actress’s struggle to find work in 1970s Hollywood before their encounter on the set. In the show, Cheryl chooses Alcala as her bachelor, knowing little about his true identity. But the film unfolds as Cheryl begins to sense danger, making an unlikely example of a dating story gone wrong.