Photo: Relativity Media
Action movies are for guys, romance movies are for girls. That’s the accepted standpoint, and for the most part, it’s true. Yet there are some movies regarding love and relationships that even special forces members and hitmen can enjoy for various reasons. There are still no romantic movies to watch with guy friends without making things weird between you, but in the solitude of your home, you’ll surely enjoy these romantic stories. And we won’t tell anyone.
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Romance Movies for Guys
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'Perfect Sense' (2011)
This is definitely one of the most underrated movies of the decade despite its renowned cast of Ewan McGregor and Eva Green. Perfect Sense is a mellow, unique movie. It deals with a science-fiction theme through romance as two people fall in love as the human race starts losing sensory perceptions due to an epidemic.
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'500 Days of Summer' (2009)
This is a rare romantic comedy that is both strong on the comedic moments and on the romance vibe while remaining realistic. Rom-coms have the tendency to showcase women in very gentle, innocent, passive roles, yet in 500 Days of Summer both protagonists (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel) display all sides of human emotion in relationships. Thanks to its unique direction, it's a love story that doesn't feel like a love story.
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'Flipped' (2010)
We’re sort of cheating with this one as it is a love story of a couple of kids, yet that is the thing that makes it enjoyable, even for guys. Since the movie is about a couple of eighth-graders, there’s no jadedness, everything seems truly pure, as it was when we were kids. It’s another thing when a movie tries to sell you that idea with adults, as we all know it’s not true. Proven director Rob Reiner brought out great performances from his two young stars, and the movie’s setting in the early 1960s gives it an additional layer of depth.
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'Definitely, Maybe' (2008)
The most chick-flicky of the rom-com movies and romantic dramas on this list, somehow this film does all the mushy stuff with dignity and without getting cheesy. It stars our man-crush Ryan Reynolds, and since he’s sharing the story of his most important relationships with his young daughter, the movie is grounded, dear, and relatable. Explaining the implications of adult relationships to a child is entertaining and puts a different light on the familiar type of story.
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'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a huge success when it came out and its themes of painful breakups, baggage, and memories will always be relevant. A romance movie with a strong tone of sci-fi and an infinitely alluring premise of erasing memories of your former lovers, Eternal Sunshine is a mature movie that is wild in its visual representation and dialogue. Jim Carrey stunned audiences by stepping out of his comfort zone and displaying a haunting drama performance, while Kate Winslet is unrecognizable as his kooky love.
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'High Fidelity' (2000)
Like most of these rom-coms fitted for guys, High Fidelity offers something more than just a romance movie. John Cusack’s character is obsessed with list-making, music, and direct-talking to the camera while he recapitulates his top five breakups. Based on a pretty successful ’90s novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity is perhaps too relatable, yet it doesn’t become burdensome thanks to amazing delivery by Cusack and the well-timed comedic relief, mostly by Jack Black.
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'Don Jon' (2013)
Yes, it's the second appearance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt on this list of romantic movies, but this film is all him: he wrote, directed and starred in this movie, and surprised people with its depth in the process. Paired with Scarlett Johansson, Gordon-Levitt plays a Jersey Shore type of womanizer who suffers from a very modern problem: porn addiction. Dealing with both sides of a relationship, Don Jon is funny, realistic, and relatable enough for guys across the world, not just in Jersey, to enjoy it.
What are some other romance movies burly men like yourself might enjoy?
