Shubhabrata Dutta
Diksha SundriyalNowadays, relationships seem to have gone for a toss everywhere we look. Broken marriages, adultery incidents, and short-term, attention-swaying romances seem to be the major reasons for failed, broken vows. Although we may frown at the first mention of infidelity, we do not mind a dose of flicks that deal with it. These films offer an insight into the complicated nature of relationships and present a raw, unfiltered perspective into human desire and how it manifests in different ways. Netflix presents a vast array of films that are focused on the subject of infidelity and the path it paves for people.
23. Faithfully Yours (2022)
A weekend getaway turns chaotic in this thriller directed by André van Duren. We focus on two friends Isabel (Elise Schaap) and Bodil (Bracha van Doesburgh), both married, who set off together for their respective secret affairs one weekend. They shall be each other’s alibis and protect each other in case anyone calls. But that doesn’t happen. Instead, Isa ends up dead and the only way for Bo to get help is to reveal to the authorities the truth and thus risk losing her family. But many questions need to be answered before that. Who killed Isa? For how long have the two women been involved in the affairs? Did either of the husbands find out and send a killer after them? To find out the answers and the truth, you can watch ‘Faithfully Yours’ here.
22. Private Life (2018)
‘Private Life’ is a poignant drama directed by Tamara Jenkins. The film follows Rachel (Kathryn Hahn) and Richard (Paul Giamatti), a middle-aged couple struggling with infertility. Desperate to conceive, they embark on a tumultuous journey through assisted reproductive technologies. As they face emotional and physical challenges, the couple’s resilience is put to the test. The film beautifully captures the complexities of marriage, the toll of fertility treatments, and the humor that arises amidst heartbreak. With compelling performances and Jenkins’ insightful direction, ‘Private Life’ navigates the delicate balance between hope and despair in the pursuit of parenthood. Feel free to stream the movie here.
21. The Weekend Away (2022)
Directed by Kim Farrant and adapted from Sarah Alderson’s 2020 novel, ‘The Weekend Away’ unfolds as a gripping thriller. Starring Leighton Meester as Beth, the narrative takes an unexpected turn when Beth’s planned weekend getaway to Croatia with her best friend Kate takes a sinister twist. As Kate mysteriously disappears, Beth is thrust into a suspenseful and ominous journey, compelled to unravel the enigma surrounding her friend’s vanishing act. The film promises a suspense-filled exploration of secrets and the complexities of friendship, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats as Beth navigates the unsettling circumstances in a foreign land. You can watch it here.
20. The Last Paradiso (2021)
Based on a true story, ‘The Last Paradiso’ follows the story of a man named Ciccio Paradiso. He has quite a reputation in society. People know him for being a good person, but one black mark on one’s reputation can be their downfall. For Paradiso, it all starts to spiral when he falls in love with Bianca. She is the daughter of a rich farmer who is known for being abusive and exploitative. Paradiso encourages the people to rise against him, but it also conflicts with his love for Bianca. What makes matters worse is that Paradiso is already married, and infidelity doesn’t help his reputation. You can watch the movie here.
19. Two (2021)
This might be the most unconventional choice for this list, but it nevertheless deserves a place here because, for most of the movie, infidelity is considered the driving factor behind the events that transpire in the story. It begins with two strangers, David and Sara, waking up next to each other, their bodies stitched together. It is a very disturbing predicament, one that neither of them can comprehend why and how they landed in. Sara realizes that this might be the doing of her husband, who suspects her of infidelity, even though she has never really been disloyal to him. As she starts to notice the things around them, some clues start to surface, which convinces her that she is being punished by her husband for the infidelity she never actually committed. You can check out ‘Two’ here.
18. You Get Me (2019)
Couples get into fights, and they often take a break to figure things out. If something happens with someone else during this period and can be considered infidelity is up for discussion (depending on whether you agree with Ross or Rachel.) In any case, an affair during this break, more often than not, complicates things between the couple, and this is what happens in ‘You Get Me.’ Tyler and Alison get into a fight and break up, though both of them get back together soon after. During this brief break, Tyler meets Holly and has a one-night stand with her. He doesn’t think much of it at the time and believes he’ll never see Holly again. But things get complicated when she shows up again with the full intention of sticking around. You may watch the film here.
17. The Four of Us (2021)
Directed by Florian Gottschick, ‘The Four of Us’ follows the story of two couples who try to strengthen their relationships by mixing things up. Janina and Ben decide to do a couple swap with Janina’s best friend, Maria, and her boyfriend, Nils. They decide to spend some time in the company of the other’s partner to get to know each other better. Sex is completely off the table here. However, by the time the swap ends, things have become so complicated that the four of them are caught up in an impossible situation. You can watch ‘The Four of Us’ here.
16. Catching Feelings (2017)
‘Catching Feelings’ is a South African film that revolves around an intellectual couple, writer and academic Max and his wife Sam, and their neurotic guest, Heiner, who imposes on them. Although Max navigates through his social circle effortlessly, he is riddled with insecurity as success as an author continues to elude him. He becomes more miserable when he meets Heiner, an older and successful author. Driven by his self-destructive fascination, Max grows close to Heiner, which inevitably leads the former to cocaine and infidelity.
The situation worsens when Max and Sam agree to serve as hosts for Heiner after the latter experiences a health-related emergency. ‘Catching Feelings’ is a biting satire on the intellectual class; it sheds light on their shortcomings and insecurities and underscores how self-aware these people are. You can watch the movie on Netflix here.
15. Deadly Illusions (2021)
‘Deadly Illusions’ follows Mary Morrison, a successful author with a loving husband and two wonderful kids. After accepting a two-million-dollar advance towards a new novel from her publisher, Mary decides to seek a nanny to help with the kid. Grace (the nanny) and Mary initially build up a wonderful friendship, but soon, the author begins having sexual fantasies involving Grace. Moreover, she even witnesses Grace and her husband making love in the kitchen, although she is unsure if it is her reality or just imagination. Such incidents cause a rift, but Mary soon forgives Grace and resumes their friendship. However, when the agency claims to have no record of Grace, things take a dark turn, and Mary is left fighting the evil that has entered her home. You can watch ‘Deadly Illusions‘ here.
14. Leyla Everlasting (2020)
Directed by Ezel Akay, ‘Leyla Everlasting’ is a Turkish comedy-drama film that follows Leyla and Adam, a couple whose happily married life slowly stagnates, and the two begin to drift apart. So, when the latter falls in love, he decides to end his decades-long marriage to get closer to his gorgeous mistress, Nergis. Unfortunately for him, Leyla is not the kind of person who gives up relationships that easily, so Adam realizes that he will have to figure out a way to get rid of her, or he will end up losing his forbidden lover, Nergis. The movie is available to stream here.
13. White Girl (2016)
Heaps of cocaine, nudity, colors, money, and twisted motives — ‘White Girl’ captures each of these elements of the addiction world quite aptly. But what happens when you introduce love into the midst of this chaos? When Leah, a college girl, seeks out intoxication in any form, she meets a Latino drug dealer, Blue. Within a couple of days, both of them start selling drugs and begin earning quite some bucks. However, one day, Blue is busted and arrested, leaving a bag of cocaine in Leah’s hands. Now, Leah tries her best to rescue Blue by crossing all boundaries. But does she mean it? Or is there any ulterior motive? After all, she had met Blue only for five days. Give it a watch, and you will find out.
12. 365 days (2020)
In the Polish crime thriller ‘365 Days‘, Laura Biel (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) is a high-achieving business executive whose relationship with her boyfriend has become tedious and boring. Following her 29th birthday, she gets kidnapped by Massimo Torricelli (Michele Morrone), the head of the Torricelli crime family. He explains to her that he first saw her five years ago and has been obsessed with her since. He also tells her that she will be his captive for the next 365 days until she develops genuine feelings for him. He further clarifies that he doesn’t intend to force himself on her. After an initial attempt to escape, she quickly realizes how futile it is and has no choice but to accept her current circumstances. Following the ‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy,’ ‘365 Days’ is another attempt to portray the BDSM subculture on the big screen. You can watch it here.
11. 6 Years (2015)
Directed by Hannah Fidell, ‘6 Years’ is a romance drama that documents a 6-year-long volatile relationship between two young individuals, Mel Clark (Taissa Farmiga) and Dan Mercer (Ben Rosenfield). It’s a raw and earnest depiction of some of the darker aspects of young love. Mel tends to turn violent during their arguments, which sometimes leaves Dan injured. He generally lies to people about these injuries, stating that they were caused by some accidents. Their relationship becomes even more turbulent after Dan cheats on her with one of his colleagues. The movie devotes equal time and effort to developing both characters. Both of them are deeply flawed human beings, but as the film progresses, the audience learns to appreciate that fact about them. You can check out ‘6 Years’ here.
10. A Fall from Grace (2020)
Tyler Perry’s ‘A Fall from Grace’ is a thriller movie that recounts the captivating story of second chances, heartbreak, betrayal, and crime. The film revolves around Grace Waters, a classy, strong young woman who has a rough time getting over her ex-husband’s affair. Luckily, she finds happiness to return to her life when she meets another man, but it does not take long for her to realize that her new husband is not the prince charming that she imagined him to be. A few months later, she finds herself in jail on the charges of murdering her husband. When there seems no hope for Grace, a rookie lawyer who thinks she is innocent decides to take the case. You can watch the movie here.
9. Haseen Dillruba (2021)
Featuring stand-out performances by Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, and Harshvardhan Rane, ‘Haseen Dillruba’ is a romantic mystery thriller film written by Kanika Dhillon. The Vinil Mathew directorial centers on a murder mystery of a man named Rishab Saxena. When law enforcement looks into the case, they narrow down Rishab’s wife, Rani, as a prime suspect. As the story unfolds, the harsh reality of their complicated relationship begins to surface. But the thin line between reality and fiction also begins to blur as the mystery behind Rishab’s death perplexes everyone. You can watch ‘Haseen Dillruba’ here.
8. The Girl on the Train (2021)
Based on Paula Hawkins’s novel of the same name and a remake of Tate Taylor’s 2016 movie, ‘The Girl on the Train‘ is a mystery thriller film. The Ribhu Dasgupta directorial centers upon Mira, a brave lawyer who takes the case against a powerful gangster despite the risks involved. With her own life falling apart, she finds some consolation in looking at a seemingly perfect couple from the train that she frequently takes for work. When, one day, she notices something shocking, Mira decides to get involved in their personal life and gets embroiled in a murder mystery. You can watch the film on Netflix here.
7. Tonight You Are Sleeping With Me (2023)
Directed by Robert Wichrowski, ‘Tonight You Are Sleeping With Me’ follows the story of a woman caught in a passionless marriage and trying to find a way to keep things good with her husband. However, trouble ensues when she reunites with her ex-boyfriend, who is a bit younger and a lot more interested in intimacy than her husband, who is loyal and loving but has grown distant over the years. The woman finds herself caught in a dilemma as her emotions complicate everything for her. You can watch the film here.
6. Fatal Affair (2020)
Starring Nia Long, Omar Epps, and Stephen Bishop, director Peter Sullivan’s Netflix thriller drama ‘Fatal Affair‘ tells the story of a woman named Ellie (Long), who has a brief, passionate encounter with David (Epps), a person she knew in college. But she ends the relationship before it becomes anything serious and goes back to her husband. Frustrated by this, David quickly inserts himself into her personal life by starting to date one of her closest friends and developing a friendship with her husband. As the film progresses, Ellie learns that David has likely murdered his former wife and her boyfriend. She must now do everything she can to protect the ones she loves. To find out what she does, you can watch ‘Fatal Affairs’ on Netflix.
5. Lust Stories (2018)
‘Lust Stories’ is a 4-part anthology movie that explores the turmoils of love, relationships, and sex in modern India. One story is about married college professor Kalindi, who engages in a sexual relationship with her student Tejas to discover her own sexuality. Things soon become complicated when Tejas starts dating his classmate Natasha, and Kalindi starts getting obsessively jealous of the two. Another story is about Ajit, who has a sexually passionate affair with his maid, Sudha. This soon changes when he decides to get married. The third tale is about homemaker Reena, who is cheating on her husband, Salman, by having a secret affair with his best friend Sudhir. You can watch this movie here.
4. The Last Letter From Your Lover (2021)
Starring Shailene Woodley, Callum Turner, and Joe Alwyn, ‘The Last Letter From Your Lover’ follows the story of Jennifer, who is caught in a marriage with a man who doesn’t seem to be in love with her. He is too caught up in his business and his reputation to pay any heed to his wife, who develops an attachment with Anthony, the man sent to interview her husband. It takes them a while to act on their feelings, but there’s still the fact that Jennifer is married to someone else, and they cannot be together until she gets out of that relationship. Things get worse for them when the timing doesn’t appear to be in their favor, and they are caught up in a well of miscommunication for a while until they are at the point of no return. You can watch the film here.
3. Loving Adults (2022)
Based on the novel ‘Kærlighed for voksne’ by Anna Ekberg, ‘Loving Adults‘ deals with familiar tropes such as cheating, marital problems, love, and crime in an unconventional manner. The Danish film revolves around Christian and Leonara, a couple who have been married for a while. Perhaps there was love and respect in their relationship at one point, but those things are long gone. Now, they actively seek ways to hurt the other person. Christian doesn’t even bother hiding the fact he has a mistress, Xenia. The plot takes a surprising turn when Leonara threatens Christian that she will expose him to the world as the fraud he is, prompting the latter to conclude that he needs to kill her. But making plans is one thing; executing them is another. Leonara survives and proposes to Christian that they should kill Xenia so he can return to his family with a clean slate. You can watch ‘Loving Adults’ here.
2. Marriage Story (2019)
This multiple award-winning drama has been written and directed by Noah Baumbach. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, it is an emotionally powerful portrayal of infidelity in the way it explores the different issues and emotions of a married couple, stage-director husband Charlie and his actor wife Nicole, who are undergoing divorce. Nicole files for divorce after realizing that Charlie is having an affair. While the affair itself isn’t showcased, it is what underscores and catalyzes the events of the film. You can watch the film here.
1. Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)
Based on the novel of the same name by D. H. Lawrence, ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ stars Emma Corrin (from ‘The Crown’) as Connie Reid, who marries the man she loves just a few days before he is shipped off to war. When he comes back, he is not the same man anymore. His injuries not only change him physically but also mentally. When Connie moves with him to his huge estate, she feels all the lonelier because her husband doesn’t seem interested in her at all. This is when she meets the gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors, and starts a passionate love affair with him, which changes everything for her. Apart from the themes of infidelity, the movie also focuses on the class difference that becomes an important factor in the story of Connie and Oliver. ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ is available to stream here.
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