Many great movies involve a basic love story between two characters, set in the genres of comedy, action, drama, mystery, or a mix of genres. But regardless of genre, these films bring two characters together in an intimate way.
But in these love stories, there are stories of a husband or wife leaving their spouse and their relationship, be it happy or unhappy. Things usually take a dark turn when the spouse finds out or the affair turns sour. When that happens, the film instantly switches gears and takes the viewer on a rollercoaster ride.
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The Invisible Guest (2016)
An intense and gripping story, The Invisible Guest follows Spanish businessman Adrián Doria who is accused of murdering his lover Laura. As Adrián tries to defend himself with his lawyer, the audience is taken back to the beginning of Adrián and Laura’s affair as Adrián recounts everything that happened before Laura’s murder.
The acting in the film is superbly done, and the characters bring all the elements to the plot that give the viewer a sense of both the antagonist and the protagonist of the story.
Adulterers (2015)
There really is no telling how someone will react when they find out their spouse is cheating on them. Adulterer follows the story of Samuel, Ashley and Damien. When Samuel comes home on his wedding day to surprise his wife, Ashley, he finds that she is cheating on Damien.
The film moves into a “what if” scenario, with Samuel emotionally torturing Ashley and Damien as the death threat looms over their heads. Adulterers does a great job showing the feelings of a cheating spouse, and Sean Faris does an amazing job as a dumped husband. The film asks viewers, “What would you do if your significant other cheated on you?”
The Attic (2014)
In the film The Loft, five married friends (Luke, Chris, Vincent, Marty, and Philip) decide to share a loft as a “private haven” to house their extramarital affairs. The five men enjoy their double life until they find the body of a young woman named Sarah in the apartment. As the friends try to figure out which one of them killed this young woman, the secrets between the friends surface.
This film was a great crime thriller and the mystery and suspense imposed on each character keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and puzzled. The Loft is truly a visual glimpse into the notion that “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side” that friends have to find out the hard way.
Perfect Stranger (2007)
Perfect Stranger follows journalist Rowena Price (Halle Berry) as she goes undercover against Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis), who she believes is responsible for the murder of her best friend, with whom Harrison was having an affair.
Released in 2007, the film was not well received by critics, earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 10%. The film wouldn’t be considered one of Halle Berry’s greatest roles, but that hasn’t stopped viewers from taking the film well. The film features a plot twist that surprises viewers, and Halle Berry’s acting is believable and well-crafted, executing the film’s storytelling to perfection.
What Lies Below (2000)
In What Lies Beneath, Claire Spencer investigates one mystery when another searches for her. In the film, she is a former cellist and housewife of Dr. Norman Spencer, who begins experiencing supernatural events at her home and the lake behind her home. These events soon lead her to the mysterious case of Madison Elizabeth Frank, who has gone missing.
Through this exciting supernatural plot twist, the viewer learns that Madison was Norman’s student with whom he was having an affair. The film then explores the case of manipulation and gaslighting involving a man in power and the women in his life who are the victims of his actions. The film is a must-see psychological thriller.
Chloe (2009)
Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. With Amanda Seyfried, Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson, Chloe follows suspected wife Catherine who believes her music professor husband is cheating on her. To lure him into a trap and prove it, Catherine hires a young woman named Chloe to seduce her husband. Catherine’s plan soon leaves her family vulnerable when Chloe becomes obsessed with her instead.
On her quest to win Catherine’s love and tear her marriage apart, Chloe embarks on a quest that is tearing this family apart and trying to pick up the pieces. The film really kept the suspense and anticipation alive in every scene, leaving viewers wondering what would happen next.
A Perfect Murder (1998)
After finding out his wife is having an affair, Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) decides to take advantage of the situation and hires his wife’s lover to murder her. Faced with financial troubles, Steven sees this as his chance to turn his wife’s infidelity against her, steal her fortune, trick her lover and get away with it. However, unexpected factors take shape that jeopardize his plans.
The film stars are Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Douglas and Viggo Mortensen. Not only is it sexy and exciting, but it also has a tremendous element of tension. The characters all have their own agendas and secrets, which makes it difficult to really relate to them, but that’s what makes the movie so great.
A Simple Favor (2018)
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively really made A Simple Favor their own. The crime follows Stephanie Smothers, a widowed mother who runs a parenting vlog, and her friendship with Emily Nelson. Because of this friendship, Stephanie’s life and cheating past are exposed, revealing fraud, manipulation, money, and murder.
Although the film is dark in its plot, it also threw aspects of humor into some of the scenes. This add-in takes the movie to another level and makes it more than one-dimensional.
The Girl on the Train (2016)
The Girl On The Train is a film with a number of twists and turns that can emotionally drain viewers, but it’s beautifully made. The film follows Rachel Watson, a lonely alcoholic who rides the train aimlessly while pursuing her ex-husband Tom and his new wife Anna.
On one of these train rides, Rachel witnesses Megan, Tom and Anna’s neighbor, cheating with an unknown man, and Megan later goes missing. The mystery that ensues opens the floodgates for deceit, secrets and lies to come out, not only about Tom, Anna, Megan and her husband Scott, but also about Rachel herself. Although some consider the book better than that Thriller would hold up, there’s no denying that Emily Blunt’s performance was phenomenal.
Bygone Girl (2014)
Featuring a star cast including Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry, Gone Girl is a gripping thriller/mystery that has mesmerized audiences and critics alike. The film follows writer Nick Dunne and his wife Amy as their lives come under scrutiny when Amy goes missing on the couple’s wedding day and Nick becomes the prime suspect.
The film delves into the couple’s lives, establishing that Nick had an affair with one of his students, Amy’s diary revealing that Nick was allegedly abusive, and many more mysteries in the couple’s marriage that make Nick an even more likely suspect make in his wife’s disappearance. Gone Girl keeps the plot really gripping as viewers question each character’s motives and who to believe. Rosamund Pike gave an amazing performance that put her on the fan list of one of the best female movie villains with her role as Amy Dunne.
About the author
Courtney Reed
(32 published articles)
Courtney Reed is a freelance list writer for Screen Rant based in Atlanta. She mainly pursues film and television with a passion for action and sci-fi films.
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