Diksha Sundriyal
According to multiple world religions, adultery or infidelity is a sin, and the people who commit it are bound for hell. It makes sense, given those same religions regard marriage as “sacred.” As religion influences society by serving as one of its cornerstones, adultery is also considered a social taboo. Even in modern times, where the progressive movement has made society, as a whole, more open-minded and accepting, adultery still has that negative connotation. Perhaps the main reason is that adultery is believed to be an embodiment of chaos as it threatens to break families, a collection of which makes up a society. If the families fall, society will inevitably follow suit.
It is this sense of illicitness that excites any artist most about adultery. It has found its way into every branch of art we produce — from painting to sculpture, poetry, prose, films, and TV. The artistic approach to infidelity has been quite diverse, and the following movies on HBO Max explore the topic from all angles: celebrating it, condemning it, or exploring the space between those extremes.
9. Love Affair (1939)
Leo McCarey’s ‘Love Affair’ centers on two strangers, both engaged, who meet onboard a transatlantic cruise bound for New York. Their short affair resumes 6 months later when they meet on top of the Empire State Building. However, fate has something else in store for them as an accident threatens their love. Co-starring Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, ‘Love Affair’ received 6 nominations at the 12th Academy Awards while the stars themselves became Hollywood’s No. 1 onscreen romantic couple. The film is a cult classic and the one to inspire ‘An Affair to Remember,’ featuring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. You can watch ‘Love Affair’ here.
8. Love in the Afternoon (1972)
‘Love in the Afternoon’ or ‘L’Amour l’après-midi’ (also known as ‘Chloe in the Afternoon’) is a French film by Éric Rohmer. It is the sixth and final entry in Rohmer’s ‘Six Moral Tales’ series. The plot revolves around Frédéric Carrelet (Bernard Verley), who, like Michael, is in a relatively happy marriage with his wife, Hélène. They have one child together, and Hélène is pregnant with the second. Frédéric often thinks about his life before marriage, and one day, he encounters a person he thought he would never see again. Chloé was the girlfriend of one of his closest friends when they were younger. She broke the friend’s heart. At present, Frédéric and Chloé form a unique relationship. She provides him with emotional comfort while he takes care of her financially, but neither actively pursues a sexual relationship, at least not initially. You can watch ‘Love in the Afternoon’ here.
7. Le Bonheur (1965)
‘Le Bonheur’ or ‘Happiness’ is a French film directed by Agnès Varda that received the Jury Grand Prix at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival. A horror film neatly wrapped in sunshine and rainbows, ‘Le Bonheur’ follows François, a happily married family man. He meets Émilie, and despite the limitless contentment he enjoys with his wife Thérèse and their two children, François begins an affair with Émilie, who physically resembles Thérèse, though the former appears to be more independent. You may watch the film here.
6. The Souvenir (2019)
Joanna Hogg’s Sundance Jury Prize-winning drama ‘The Souvenir’ centers on Julie, a film student, who falls for an attractive and enigmatic man named Anthony. In what is her first love affair, Anthony is revealed to be emotionally unstable, not knowing what he wants from her or himself, even taking money from her and breaking into her flat. At the center of it all is a secret that concerns infidelity and addiction, which is why it would do Julie good to stay away from Anthony, but that’s only if she realizes it. A compelling portrait of the human psyche as seen through the lens of sensibility, ‘The Souvenir’ is a must-watch independent drama starring Honor Swinton Byrne and Tom Burke. You can watch it here.
5. Disobedience (2017)
Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams foray into forbidden territory in Sebastián Lelio’s ‘Disobedience.’ Ronit and Esti were separated when they were young. Now, with her father having passed away, Ronit returns to her childhood home and meets Esti, who is married. There is clearly tension between the two, and it is soon revealed to be a sexual one that was left unattended. Can the two women get back at it? Perhaps the question is, can they prevent themselves from getting back at it? Steamy, intimate, and compelling, ‘Disobedience’ is based on Naomi Alderman’s 2006 novel and does a good job of addressing the titular motif in romance. You can watch the film here.
4. Brief Encounter (1945)
A cult British tragic romance directed by David Lean, ‘Brief Encounter’ is based on the 1936 one-act play ‘Still Life’ by Noël Coward. Starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, the narrative follows Laura Jesson (Johnson), a suburban wife in a dull marriage, who meets Dr. Alec Harvey (Howard), a general practitioner, and the two become friends. Slowly, their friendship blooms into romance, but there is always an underlying hesitance that comes with the fear of their infidelity affecting their family lives. Will they give in to the temptation, or will they let go of it? ‘Brief Encounter’ addresses the human truth that underscores love and the consciousness of it. Judgment seeps in one way or another and brings down the urge of passion and desire, thereby making life what it is. ‘Brief Encounter’ is a recipient of the Palme d’Or at the 1st Cannes Film Festival (1946) and received 3 Oscar nominations. You can watch it here.
3. Babygirl (2024)
In Halina Reijn’s ‘Babygirl,’ Nicole Kidman stars as sex-deprived married woman Romy Mathis, who gets into a steamy affair with Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a young intern at her company, of which she is the head. Despite knowing how it will affect her relationship with her loving husband and overall family life, Romy finds herself surrendering to sexual pleasure. The question is: What if someone finds out about the affair? Should she open herself up to her husband before he learns about it from someone else? Kidman’s performance is the prime reason to watch ‘Babygirl’ as she shines bright while pulling off the double-edged role that is as vulnerable as it is seductive. You can watch the movie here.
2. Blood Simple (1984)
Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, the events of the film take place in Texas. We meet bar owner Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya), who hires the services of a shady divorce detective Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh), to kill the former’s wife Abby (Frances McDormand) and her lover Ray (John Getz), who is a bartender at Marty’s bar. This is the second time Marty hires Visser after having used him to get photographic evidence of Abby and Ray being together. But this time, Visser has a plan of his own that he intends to carry out for his own “profit.” This leads to a string of unexpected events, which are sometimes deadly, underscored by misunderstandings and wrong assumptions. To find out what they are, you can stream ‘Blood Simple’ here.
1. In the Mood for Love (2000)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai, ‘In the Mood for Love‘ is a cinematic masterpiece that delicately examines the themes of infidelity and repressed desire. Set in 1960s Hong Kong, the film’s plot revolves around two neighbors, played by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung, who suspect their spouses of infidelity and form a close bond while grappling with their own suppressed emotions. This tale of unfulfilled love is beautifully portrayed through stunning cinematography and evocative music, capturing its characters’ silent longing and restraint. Wong Kar-wai’s direction, along with the mesmerizing performances by Leung and Cheung, makes ‘In the Mood for Love’ an exquisite exploration of the intricate dance between fidelity and temptation. You can watch the movie here.
Read More: Best Infidelity Movies on Hulu
You must be logged in to post a comment.