While the romance movie genre counts on a generous number of worldwide fans (and for good reason), there are actually many moviegoers who’d rather watch a beautiful connection blossom when it isn’t the main point of a film.
Luckily for such viewers, whether action-adventure movies or enthralling dramas, countless films provide audiences with genuine bonds between characters outside the romance genre, shining a light on intriguing romantic sub-plots and providing moviegoers with beautifully-written relationships that sweep them off their feet. From Wes Anderson‘s dreamy The Grand Budapest Hotel to Barry Sonnenfeld‘s iconic The Addams Family, we look back at ten of the most treasured on-screen couples in non-romance movies.
10 Zero and Agatha in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)
Set in the 1930s, The Grand Budapest Hotel is, like many Wes Anderson films, a quirky little feature with a stunning color palette. It depicts the adventures of a lobby boy (Tony Revolori) in a high-class European hotel alongside a legendary concierge named M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes).
While the 2014 comedy-drama undoubtedly provides viewers with an exciting time as a whole — which has, too, to do with its absorbing, stunning cinematography — what makes it so memorable is Revolori’s Zero and Saoirse Ronan‘s Agatha’s wholesome relationship, which perfectly captures young love. There is no doubt that the two outcasts were a match made in heaven, and their mutual admiration and understanding just proved that.
9 Truman and Sylvia in ‘The Truman Show’ (1998)
Directed by Peter Weir, the mind-bending classic sci-fi film The Truman Show centers around the life of Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), a kind-hearted insurance salesman who discovers that his entire life is actually a reality show and everyone involved in it are actors.
Sending out an important message on breaking free from the limitations imposed upon us, The Truman Show featured a heartwarming relationship at its center that viewers could not help rooting for. The power that high-school sweetheart Sylvia had over Truman was beyond noticeable, especially considering that he never once stopped assembling her picture and that she never gave up trying to tell him the truth.
8 Lee and Evelyn in ‘A Quiet Place’ (2018)
In A Quiet Place, real-life couple Emily Blunt and John Krasinski (who directed the film) play a mother and a father who struggle to survive living in silence alongside their children (Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe) in a post-apocalyptic world haunted by monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing.
From the get-go, it is clear that the bonds between the characters are a crucial part of the horror movie, which is really no surprise considering how the film revolves around a family as they attempt to stay together in the face of evil. Evelyn and Lee’s relationship is easily one of the most genuine portrayals of true love on-screen, depicting how couples often rely on each other for strength and support.
7 K and Joi in ‘Blade Runner: 2049’ (2017)
Dennis Villeneuve‘s stunning second installment for the iconic Blade Runner franchise takes place thirty years after the events of the first movie and introduces audiences to Ryan Gosling‘s young Blade Runner, K, whose discovery of a long-buried secret leads him on a quest to track down former detective Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).
In addition to impeccable acting and alluring cinematography, Blade Runner 2049 features an unconventional, heartbreaking love story between Gosling’s character and Ana de Armas‘ Joi, an ultra-advanced A.I. designed by the Wallace Corporation to satisfy the desires of customers. Through an unusual plot, the 2017 movie reflects on loneliness and isolation, highlighting how a holographic girlfriend is everything that K has while questioning how genuine the feelings between the two are.
6 Sarah and Kyle in ‘The Terminator’ (1984)
The Terminator is one of the most referenced movies in pop culture to the point where it is almost impossible not to have at least heard of it. The first film in the franchise centers around a human soldier (Michael Biehn) sent from the year 2049 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine (Arnold Schwarzenegger) that is programmed to kill a young woman whose unborn son plays a crucial part in saving humanity’s future.
While the iconic James Cameron film provides audiences with a good amount of action-packed scenes, it also unveils a moving romantic sub-plot between Sarah (Linda Hamilton) and Biehn’s Kyle. Although the relationship between the two may be confusing to understand at first, it is undeniably romantic and almost poetic at times, especially considering all the time travel.
5 Vesper and Bond in ‘Casino Royale’ (2006)
Casino Royale is the first entry to the James Bond franchise starring British actor Daniel Craig, and it centers around Bond’s first mission as Agent 007. After acquiring the license to kill, the character goes on a mission to defeat a private banker who is funding terrorists in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro.
Though Craig’s charming character has never lacked company throughout the films, there is no doubt that the romance between Bond and Eva Green‘s charismatic Vesper is a fan favorite. Of all the relationships portrayed in the franchise, the two assuredly stand out thanks to their electrifying, almost palpable chemistry that made it hard for viewers to keep their eyes away. It’s also pretty clear that Vesper was Bond’s true love; proof of that is how he even considered leaving the service and marrying her.
4 Eve and Adam in ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ (2013)
While Only Lovers Left Alive does, in fact, feature a peculiar relationship between two vampires (Tilda Swinton‘s Eve and Tom Hiddleston‘s Adam), the film is categorized as a fantasy comedy-drama. The main focus of the movie is the arrival of Eve’s disruptive little sister, Ava (Mia Wasikowska).
Jim Jarmusch‘s movie analyses the immortality of art and culture while depicting an unconventional love story between two immortals stuck together for eternity. Eve and Adam have been together forever. Still, their relationship is authentic and honest, never lacks in passion, and gracefully stands the test of time.
3 Leia and Han in the Original ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy (1977 – 1983)
Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford bring lovebirds Leia and Han to life for the first time in the original trilogy of the franchise to exhilarating results. Although the couple acted as if they disliked each other in the first film — possibly falling into the so beloved “enemies to lover” trope — the two ultimately ended up getting together in Empire Strikes Back.
It is quite obvious that Han and Leia’s relationship (though it came to an end, as The Force Awakens led viewers to believe) was one of the most memorable in the film industry, and that is also given the fact that the two characters were polar opposites, complimenting and balancing each other through their differences.
2 Carl and Ellie in ‘Up’ (2009)
Up depicts the accomplishment of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen’s lifelong dream: a journey to Paradise Falls on his flying house lifted by thousands of balloons. However, there is a sudden change of plans when he discovers that a Boy Scout named Russell has hopped in on the adventure.
Dealing with loss, grief, and regret while reflecting on getting old, the 2019 movie makes for a very touching animated feature and quite possibly Pixar’s best. Still, the most memorable scene in the film is arguably the unforgettable flashback montage depicting Ellie and Carl’s relationship throughout the years, which provides viewers with a bittersweet sneak peek of what it is like to spend a lifetime next to the person you love.
1 Morticia and Gomez in ‘The Addams Family’ (1991)
Barry Sonnenfeld’s iconic movie revolves around one of the most spellbinding families on-screen, originally seen in Charles Addams‘ cartoons. The plot centers around con artists’ plan to defraud an eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long-lost Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd).
If there is a couple that just had to be on this list, it is definitely Morticia (Anjelica Huston) and Gomez (Raúl Juliá). Although the spooky movie does not solely rely on their relationship to tell a good story, there is no doubt that the two steal every scene they appear in. Morticia and Gomez’s bond is unmatched and remains one of the most beloved in pop culture, most recently having been portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán in the Netflix series Wednesday.
