Not all romance movies are sunshine and rainbows — even if the title is “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” The mildly mind-bending love story begins with a breakup and a reconciliation that begs more questions than it answers. Of course, it poses a query as old as time: Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?
For main character Clementine (Kate Winslet), the answer is most certainly the latter … at first. The heartbroken woman decides to undergo a procedure that extracts all memories of her ex Joel (Jim Carrey). Not to be outdone, he opts to follow in her footsteps, though his regret over the operation is nearly immediate and he tries hiding the memory of her within other unrelated moments of his life.
The story unfolds in a haze of memories while fans are left to decipher what happened when, what’s real, and determine whether or not history is doomed to repeat itself. At the same time, the couple has to decide if a fresh start can lead to a happy ending without the baggage that the duo carried on their first go-around.
Naturally, the film isn’t the only entry in the romance department that experiments with memory, deep concepts, and murky timelines. Here are the seven best movies like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” to stream.
'Her'
Hey, Siri, let’s define the relationship. With the rise of AI comes the growing trend of robotic romance movies featuring artificial intelligence. Spike Jonze's 2013 film “Her” features a mustachioed Joaquin Phoenix (Theodore) whose breakup has him turn to an unlikely ally: his phone. Except there’s not another person on the other end of the line. Scarlett Johansson plays Samantha, the AI who strikes up a relationship with the lonely almost-divorcee.
Though there isn’t necessarily a mind-bending component to the movie, like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Her” poses philosophical questions about the nature of love and relationships in a sci-fi-tinged world with a dash of ethereal vibes.
Watch on Max
'500 Days of Summer'
We love a good nonlinear storyline. “500 Days of Summer” naturally focuses on … 500 days of the life and love of Summer (Zooey Deschanel). While she initially has no intention of settling down and entering into a serious relationship, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character Tom is relentless and won’t leave her alone until she goes out with him.
Though Summer makes her boundaries abundantly clear, Tom continues to push for the kind of relationship he wants. As is the case with “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” you question more than once why these characters are even together in the first place as the memories of their budding relationship and its demise play out concurrently on-screen. “500 Days of Summer” also has some trippy components to it while a clueless Tom tries to figure out exactly what went wrong.
Watch on Hulu
'Blue Valentine'
In “Blue Valentine,” domestic bliss isn’t exactly something that Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Michelle Williams (Cindy) are experiencing years after entering their marriage. The movie kicks off in the present when it’s clear that the couple is having marital issues while trying to hold it together for their daughter Frankie (Faith Wladyka).
Early on, the film plays with flashbacks of the development of their relationship, which is interwoven with their present-day marital issues plagued with unfulfilled dreams, arguably too much alcohol, and built-up animosity. While there was clearly a lot of love at the start of their courtship, they certainly rushed into things and their compromises caught up with their attempts at happiness. There were also a hefty number of red flags given that Dean has trouble accepting the word "no" from start to end. As the memories of their lives together play out on-screen, the couple has to decide if their marriage is worth fighting for or if they should throw in the towel.
Watch on Peacock
'The Last Five Years'
There’s something particularly gut-wrenching about watching a love story progress from the beginning and end simultaneously. In “The Last Five Years,” Anna Kendrick’s character Cathy’s recollection of her relationship with Jamie (Jeremy Jordan) begins during their divorce while Jamie kicks things off chronologically. The devastation from Cathy’s point of view starkly contrasts the utter joy Jamie has at the beginning of their courtship, resulting in a film choc full of emotional whiplash that explores the impact of memories and alternate points of view.
Of course, “The Last Five Years” is a musical that offers some of the most infectiously fun love songs (“Shiksa Goddess, The Schmuel Song) showcased alongside the most devastating ballads (“Still Hurting,” “See I’m Smiling”) that the genre has to offer. When you listen to the love songs, it’s easy to forget that the relationship is doomed and when the heartbreak numbers come on, it’s hard to remember that these two people used to be incredibly happy. Despite knowing the punchline, you still want things to work out.
Watch on Prime Video
'Flashback'
When it comes to confusing indie movies with wacky timelines, Dylan O’Brien’s film “Flashback” is just about as trippy as they come. The movie focuses on O’Brien’s character Fredrick Fitzell, who goes from corporate American drone to getting plagued with visions of Cindy (Maika Monroe) — a girl who went missing when they were in high school. In this case, her identity just might be a little too close to home (literally) than he could have realized.
The 2020 film plays with time travel, intertwined timelines, and the dissection of memory. Of course, O’Brien’s compelling and intense acting choices make it a worthwhile watch on its own, even if people criticized the confusing nature of the movie.
Watch on Prime Video
'Requiem for a Dream'
Found family relationship dynamics are just as important as romantic ones, and Darren Aronofsky's “Requiem for a Dream” plays with that concept. However, it’s not a happy movie by any means. The ensemble film is just as trippy as the characters’ own addictions and mental health conditions that prevent them from escaping poverty and realizing their dreams.
Like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” the film broaches the concept of inevitability and how relationships (platonic or otherwise) help make us who we are. We also get a heavy dose of unreliable narrators and memories that we can’t fully trust.
Watch on Prime Video
'Vanilla Sky'
Sometimes, we learn someone’s history from a procedure that erases an ex’s memory and other times an inmate tells his life story to a psychologist in prison. There’s nothing like a lover scorned, which David (Tom Cruise) learns the hard way in Cameron Crowe's “Vanilla Sky.” when his girlfriend Julie (Cameron Diaz) intentionally crashes a car and leaves him permanently disfigured.
Yet there’s more than meets the eye to this mind-bending movie that also features a mildly shady company that messes with people’s minds. As David parses between what is and isn’t real, so does the audience. At times, it’s not abundantly clear whether this is a sci-fi or fantasy movie.
Watch on Paramount Plus
