Romance on screen tends to follow a pattern. Two people meet, face an obstacle, overcome it, and end up together. Netflix hosts a collection of films that refuse this formula. The relationships here involve sugar daddies and their married lives crashing into family gatherings, age gaps that spark online outrage, open arrangements tested by distance, and immortal warriors whose love spans centuries. These films present connections that fall outside traditional boundaries, and they do so without apology or excessive explanation.
Between the Temples
Jason Schwartzman plays Ben, a cantor in his 40s who has lost both his voice and his faith. His former grade school music teacher, played by Carol Kane, walks back into his life as an adult bat mitzvah student. The relationship that forms between them is warm and complicated. Nathan Silver wrote and directed the film, which arrived on Netflix on December 21, 2024.
The age gap between Ben and his former teacher has sparked conversation. Variety noted that the film “gives a cheerfully flippant middle finger” to the heated debates Generation Z propagates about people socializing outside their immediate age group. Rotten Tomatoes shows 85% of 119 critics reviewed the film positively, with an average rating of 7.1/10. Kane won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work here.
Shiva Baby
Emma Seligman’s 2020 debut follows Danielle, a directionless bisexual college senior played by Rachel Sennott, who attends a shiva with her parents. The gathering turns suffocating when her ex-girlfriend Maya shows up, followed by Max, the married man Danielle has been seeing, along with his wife Kim and their infant. Danielle had no idea he was married until that moment. The film holds a 96% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site noting it “transcends its sitcom setup with strong performances and satisfying insights.”
Netflix added Shiva Baby on December 7, 2024. The film became a quiet hit during the pandemic’s later stretch, released simultaneously in theaters and on VOD in April 2021. Director Emma Seligman spent roughly a year securing the $200,000 micro-budget, as reported by Yahoo Entertainment. The premise hinges on Danielle’s sugar daddy relationship colliding with her family obligations and romantic history, all within the tight confines of a mourning ritual. Collider called it “an absolutely unsettling coming-of-age film,” and that description fits.
Emilia Pérez
Jacques Audiard made a musical crime thriller about a cartel leader’s transformation. Karla Sofía Gascón plays Emilia, who enlists an underappreciated lawyer named Rita, played by Zoe Saldaña, to help fake her death. The film moves through song and dance sequences while telling an unapologetically trans story.
Out Magazine highlighted “possibly the best trans lesbian romance” in recent film. The love story between Emilia and a woman named Epifanía adds tenderness to an otherwise heavy plot. The film collected 4 Golden Globe wins and 13 Oscar nominations. GLAAD noted that trans critics have raised concerns about the portrayal since the film became available on Netflix, pointing to issues that initial Cannes reviews, written by non-trans critics, did not address.
The Half of It
Alice Wu wrote and directed this 2018 film about Ellie Chu, a smart teenager with limited funds who agrees to write love letters for a jock. She becomes his friend. She also falls for the same girl he likes. Leah Lewis plays Ellie, with Daniel Diemer and Alexxis Lemire in supporting roles.
Rotten Tomatoes shows 97% of 104 critics reviewed the film positively, with an average rating of 7.8/10. Screen Rant described it as “an incredibly well-crafted arc about a queer teenager” that handles the material with more care than typical mainstream films about LGBTQ youth. The film won the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the 19th Tribeca Film Festival. Wu received a nomination for Best Screenplay at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards.
Cora Bora
Megan Stalter plays Cora, a struggling musician in an open relationship. She makes a surprise trip to Portland to win back her girlfriend Justine, played by Jojo T. Gibbs. The arrangement they had allowed casual sex, and Cora has used that freedom as a coping mechanism for trauma she carries but rarely discusses.
GLAAD reported on the bisexual and gay performers at the film’s center. Rotten Tomatoes described it as “a low-key comedy with an ample dose of pathos” that “can be as aimless as its heroine but gets considerable lift from Megan Stalter’s stellar star turn.” The film is available on Netflix with and without ads.
Anne+
Valerie Bisscheroux directed this Dutch drama that continues a 2018 television series. Hanna van Vliet plays Anne, a 20-something writer in Amsterdam about to reunite with her girlfriend Sara, played by Jouman Fattal. Before their separation, they agreed to see other people while apart.
Anne meets Lou, a non-binary drag king played by Thorn De Vries. That connection forces Anne to examine what she wants. The Cinemaholic called it “a feel-good coming-of-age flick that does a good job summing up the emotions that any 20-something person feels while figuring out life’s choices.”
Single All the Way
Netflix produced its first queer holiday romantic comedy with this 2021 release. Michael Urie and Philemon Chambers play gay best friends. One pretends to be the other’s boyfriend during the holiday season. Feelings emerge. Jennifer Coolidge and Kathy Najimy round out the cast.
Parade noted the familiar premise but praised the cast for making it work. The film follows a structure common to holiday romantic comedies, but the central relationship being between two men distinguishes it from the genre’s typical output.
Alex Strangelove
Craig Johnson directed this 2018 teen film. Daniel Doheny plays Alex Truelove, a high school student dating his best friend, played by Madeline Weinstein. Then Alex meets Elliot, an openly gay teen played by Antonio Marziale. The attraction surprises him.
Netflix Tudum described the film as embracing how first love can turn a person’s assumptions upside down. The story follows Alex as he works through confusion about his sexuality while maintaining a relationship with someone who expects things to continue as they have been.
The Old Guard
Charlize Theron leads a team of immortal mercenaries in this 2020 action film. Among them are Joe, played by Marwan Kenzari, and Nicky, played by Luca Marinelli. These two have fought together and loved each other for centuries. Their relationship spans lifetimes.
Q+ Magazine highlighted the centuries-spanning love story as a key draw. A sequel, The Old Guard 2, directed by Victoria Mahoney, will continue the story. Joe and Nicky return, their bond intact across whatever years pass between installments.
Always Be My Maybe
Nahnatchka Khan directed this 2019 romantic comedy starring Ali Wong and Randall Park. Sasha, a celebrity chef, returns to her hometown after 15 years. She reconnects with Marcus, a struggling musician and her old friend. Their original spark remains, but their lives have moved in opposite directions.
What’s on Netflix reported the film holds an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The tension between two people who care for each other but live in incompatible worlds drives the plot. Wong and Park co-wrote the screenplay, shaping characters who feel familiar despite their specific circumstances.
