Maudern Movies, a weekly series that curates films for your viewing pleasure.
Perhaps your love life could use a jumpstart—the byproduct of familiarity, whether with your partner or surroundings—sweatpants not helping. While there's always the option of going two feet out the door only to turnaround with a trench coat special, or attempting to play Clue with cocktails in the buff, the fact of the matter is, to mix it up with mystery is better with a bit of inspiration first.
Enter the romance thriller. From an 80s classic starring a bombshell Jessica Lange to a love-on-the-run film with the talented Daniel Kaluuya, this particular genre provides the enigmatic and erotic escapism that lays the scene for a romantic reset.
Here are 40 years of our favorite films to get your heart pounding and mind racing. What you do after is up to you. Enjoy.
The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1981
Directed by: Bob Rafelson
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Jessica Lange, John Colicos
Considered a neo-noir erotic thriller, this film follows the torrid romance between Frank Chambers (Nicholson) and Cora Papadakis (Lange). Chambers, a traveling miscreant, stops at a roadside restaurant for a meal, the plot quickly changes when the owner's wife Papadakis, impulsively offers him a job. Wildly infatuated with one another, the two begin to plot her husband's murder.
Where to watch: Vudu, Amazon
Out Of Sight, 1998
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames
Notorious bank robber Jack Foley (Clooney) is on the run after breaking out of jail, sharing an intimate moment with Federal Marshall, Karen Sisco (Lopez) as he escapes. He continues his plan and heads north with one thing on his mind: uncut diamonds. With Sisco close on his tail, the unlikely pair start to catch feelings and have to decide if they're willing to risk it all.
Where to watch: Vudu, Amazon
Mulholland Drive, 2001
Directed by: David Lynch
Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux
Left amnesiac after a car crash, Rita (Harring) drifts through Los Angeles in a daze. After finding refuge in a random apartment, she encounters Betty (Watts), a wholesome mid-westerner with dreams of becoming a big-time star. After their eventual friendship develops, they embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind Rita's memory loss. Though, what they uncover along the way is a mesmerizing mystery riddled with lustful surprises.
Where to watch: Vudu, Amazon
Inception, 2010
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page
Whether considered a blessing or a curse, Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) has the ability to enter dreams and the subconscious. While this has granted him a life of wealth in the world of espionage, he has had to sacrifice everything in the process. When he's presented with the opportunity to redeem himself and commit the perfect crime, his skills are put the test when an enemy is anticipating his every move.
Where to watch: Netflix, Vudu, Amazon
Queen and Slim, 2019
Directed by: Melina Matsoukas
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine
While driving back from their first Tinder date, Slim (Kaluuya) is pulled over for a minor traffic violation. The situation quickly escalates when the policeman points a gun at Queen (Turner-Smith) and Slim grabs the gun and shoots in self-defense. The pair leaves town as the media spins the story and paints the two as cop killers. The film highlights a larger systematic problem at hand, with the couple becoming symbols for terror, grief, and pain for people across the country.
Where to watch: Vudu, Amazon
