Summary
- Love stories between humans and monsters have a long history of inspiring various films in the history of cinema.
- Del Toro's masterpiece, The Shape of Water, is a modern take on the Beauty and the Beast tale that has won praise for its romantic storyline.
- Lisa Frankenstein and Warm Bodies each offer unique twists on the human-monster romance genre with their own charm and appeal.
Guillermo del Toro's beloved dark tale The Shape of Water features a romance between a human and an amphibian, but few other films will fulfill those looking for human-monster love stories. Well reviewed and highly rated, The Shape of Water Packed with all Guillermo del Toro's trademarks: touches of horror, fairy tale elements, gothic romance, prosthetic creature and darkly cute visuals.The Shape of Water It won Best Picture along with three other categories at the 2018 Oscars. Still, it's the romance that people remember.
Love stories between humans and wolves they are much older than the film medium. Tales of succubi seducing men, creatures abducting beautiful maidens, or supernatural beings and forbidden love blossoming between humans have been around for as long as humans have been telling stories. There's something about seeing terrible love stories on screen that gives them extra power. The Shape of Water firmly rooted in the cinematic tradition of beauty and the beast tales. Here are 10 other monster love stories to watch after you've finished del Toro's masterpiece.
There's something about seeing terrible love stories on screen that gives them extra power.
The Shape of Water
firmly rooted in the cinematic tradition of beauty and the beast tales.
10 Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Director: Zelda Williams
When Lisa Frankenstein Released earlier this year, it largely flopped at the box office, but its 81% Rotten Tomatoes audience score belies its poor box office performance. A few months later and Lisa Frankenstein has all the makings of a cult classic thanks to its irreverent tone and comparisons Edward Scissorhands.
Although It's certainly more comedy and tongue-in-cheek than dramatic romance The Shape of Water, Lisa Frankenstein In this modernized, gender-reversed retelling, it still features a delicious love story between a woman and a wolf. Frankenstein. Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse have sweet chemistry together, and those looking for a nostalgic throwback to the comedic monster comedies of the 80s will find a lot to love in the new installment.
9 Hot Bodies (2013)
Director: Jonathan Levine
Unlike its current vague cult classic status Lisa Frankenstein, Warm bodies is a bona fide cult classic. It came out at the tail end of the last wave of zombie movies, so it missed the boat in terms of financial success. Still, the film, based on Isaac Marion's novel of the same name, is beloved for its sharp writing and darkly funny observational humor.
This humor zombie R by Nicholas Hoult. in one of his first performances, showcasing the impeccable comedic timing for which he is known. Indeed, the delivery of some of his lines is laugh-out-loud because he is so committed to straight-talker comedy. When he falls in love with zombie hunter Julie (Teresa Palmer), that's just the beginning. Romeo and Juliet The story between a zombie boy and a human girl is as surprising as it is heartfelt.
8 City of Angels (1998)
Director: Brad Silberling
Nicolas Cage isn't often known for romance these days, but City of Angels is one of the few pure romantic films in his extensive career. It helps that she stars alongside veteran rom-com actress Meg Ryan, who plays Los Angeles-based surgeon Maggie. As an angel known as the Watcher, Nic Cage's Seth slowly falls in love with Maggie while watching over humanity.
City of Angels, A rough remake of Wim Wenders' 1987 film Wings of desirea weepy tearjerker that can be overused at times. But Cage uses his expressive face to bring out all the emotion in Seth's angelic awakening to humanity, and his chemistry with Ryan is earned, giving the lovers a magnetic quality rarely seen in a big-screen love story.
7 Spring (2014)
Directors: Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead came out and became lovers of the indie horror genre, with hits like V/H/S Viral and SynchronousBefore parting ways with Marvel as a director Loki 2 seasons, several episodes Moon knightand upcoming Daredevil: Reborn. They had a dark and beautiful monster love story before the MCU debuted, but in 2014 Spring.
The story revolves around a young man named Evan who leaves the US for Italy after he begins to spiral and fall apart. While there, he quickly falls in love with the mysterious Louise, who is hiding a terrible secret. Spring gets lots of credit for every shot worthy of a beautiful postcardjuxtaposes the beauty of the love story with the film's darker horror elements. Less well known than some of the other films on this list, but well worth a look.
6 Ondine (2009)
Director: Neil Jordan
These days, Colin Farrell is better known for his quirky, more experimental roles lately, but he still has some great romantic films in his past. One of the most highly rated is the 2009 romantic drama On and on by acclaimed writer-director Neil Jordan. The title is taken from European folklore; Undine is a female mermaid who can transform into a mermaid when she falls in love with a man.
Jordan's romance is lyrical and beautifully filmed in Ireland. skillfully weaves together a story of mystery and love against the beautiful natural backdrop of a seaside village. As a heartbroken fisherman who gives up on love, Farrell embodies his performance On and on with a subtle pathos tempered by flickering moments of hope in one of his most acclaimed roles. Along the way, there's a big mystery that makes the ending worth waiting for.
5 Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Director: Tim Burton
A movie on this list that doesn't need much context Tim Burton's 1990 classic, Edward Scissorhands. It was the role that, if not both of them, cemented Johnny Depp as a movie star and confirmed Winona Ryder's charisma. Beetlejuice two years ago was not just a coincidence.
revised version of Frankenstein It follows Depp's titular character, a gentle soul who has never been outside the mansion where he was created. The quiet love story that blossoms between him and the human girl, Kim, is sweet and fragile, but with a solid seriousness. With candy-colored construction and Burton's signature whimsical style, Edward Scissorhands Despite being over 30 years old, it is a modern tale.
4 Stardust (2007)
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Stardust is one of those mid-2000s films that flew under the radar. but there's an absolutely stacked cast of A-listers – Robert De Niro, Claire Danes and Michelle Pfeiffer – and the current stars before they were stars – Charlie Cox, Henry Cavill, Sienna Miller and Ben Barnes. Based on the book by Neil Gaiman, the story tells the story of Ivaine (Danish), a star that fell to Earth. Meanwhile, a nervous young man named Tristan Thorn (Cox) promises to cross the forbidden wall into the magical world to return the star and prove his love to the girl he loves.
The story goes like this A throwback to the 80s fantasy epics of colorful characters, young love and swashbuckling adventures. My favorite part Stardust it's that he doesn't hide or express his seriousness or his belief in true love under a veil of cynicism. As love blossoms between Yvaine and Tristan, they face all sorts of dangers straight out of legend and adventure tales: evil witches, flying airships, unicorns, castles and enchanted forests. For those who like a little more magic in their monster romances, this is the perfect movie.
3 The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Director: Rupert Julian
The Phantom of the Opera has been told and retold in movies and on Broadway for the past 100 years, whether through direct adaptations or inventive reimaginings. Such is the staying power of Gaston Leroux's 1909 story – a century and several decades later, we're still finding ways to bring his timeless story to life. It's a classic of Gothic horror and romance, and while many film adaptations have done their fair share, the best is still the 1925 adaptation starring Lon Chaney, also known as The Man of a Thousand Faces.
Chaney's performance as the tortured, disfigured Eric, the titular Phantom, and a stage magician who falls in love with Christine Daae, a young opera singer. As he secretly gives her music lessons, their love intensifies after she tears off his mask and learns his secret. Music and passion swirl together in a tale drawn from it FrankensteinThe story of Hades and Persephone, real historical events and classic ghost stories related to the Paris Opera House. TThe theatricality and richness of the 1925 version make it stand up todayeither the silent version or the reissued version with sound.
2 Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Director: Jack Arnold
In the most directly analogous film The Shape of Water in this list, Creature from the Black Lagoon not a love story in the traditional sense, but nevertheless it is a love story. When Kay, a cute young scientist, unknowingly disturbs his lagoon, the titular Gill Man becomes fascinated by the beautiful creature swimming in its waters, unaware that he is below. similar The Phantom of the Operait's a one-sided love story, and like Eric, the Gill Man is violent when thwarted, but his naivety and willingness to step back and pretend that Kai comes from a more primal, animalistic place.
Like the best monster movies,
the creature
draws from older traditions, in this case European folktales of river and lake monsters and the almost universal tales of mermen.
Creature from the Black Lagoon's water scenes have a certain eerie, dreamlike quality to some of the visuals not usually found in a creature feature. Like the best monster movies, the creature draws from ancient traditions, in this case European folktales of river and lake monsters and the almost universal tales of mermen. Like those creatures, the Gill Man may not intend harm, but his intent to trap his bride forever in the dark depths does not tend to mix well with humanity. Although she knows that a one-sided romance will not end happily, Creature from the Black Lagoon It's still a lot of popcorn fun in the tradition of the greatest B-movies.
1 Meet Joe Black (1998)
Director: Martin Brest
Young audiences who know him from his eclectic contemporary filmography of mostly quirky comedies and big dramas may not know, or at least don't remember. Brad Pitt used to be the king of romantic movies. Earlier in his career, Pitt was best known for his romantic leads, though some of the more gritty entries in his filmography hinted at what was to come. Meet Joe Black it was the last of these romantic films that came out a year ago Fight club put his career on a new trajectory.
Meet Joe Blackdirected by eclectic filmmaker Martin Brest, It is a loose remake of the 1934 film Death celebrates. Pitt plays Death incarnate, who wants to live life, so he takes on the form of a recently deceased young man in order to live among people and learn to feel and love like them. Naturally, he falls in love with Claire Forlani's character Susan. Pitt imbues his performance with such magnetic intensity that you can practically see the connection between him and Susan. It's not quite a love story with a happy ending – Death is also very inhuman other for that – but it's an ending that stays with you like an ending The Shape of Water does.