The five best movies to watch after a break-up
Break-ups are practically a universal experience. Whether you’ve been broken up with or had to do the breaking up, it’s never easy going back to being single, even if you know that the separation happened for the best. Sometimes, readjusting to doing things alone can be immensely challenging, but the comfort of a good movie can often be the remedy you need.
However, there are certainly films that you should avoid once you’ve exited a relationship – unless you want to find yourself crying into your pillow and despairing at the world. When the wounds are still fresh, it is wise to avoid movies like the gut-wrenching Blue Valentine by Derek Cianfrance, which depicts the idealistic beginning and traumatic end of a relationship. You might want to avoid Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind until you’re feeling more mentally stable, too.
Instead, the best films to watch post-break-up are those that inspire a sense of hopefulness within you, which is certainly something you might need. While it can be hard to go back to what feels like square one, there are films out there that will remind you that, really, this is just the beginning. We should take break-ups as a fresh start, a chance to rediscover ourselves and fall back in love with life, and these five films will inspire you to do just that.
So, from the proto-Fleabag charms of Shirley Valentine to the difficulties of grappling with loneliness in The Green Ray, here are five perfect post-break-up movies that won’t send you into a spiral.
The five best movies to watch after a break-up:
‘The Worst Person in the World’ (Joachim Trier, 2021)
Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World is an unconventional blend of drama and romantic comedy, with the film utilising many unique techniques, like when the main character, Julie, runs through the street while everyone remains static around her. It’s a movie about life in all of its celebrations and challenges, and we get to witness Julie navigating adulthood’s many big obstacles, specifically in terms of romance and career choices. Played by Renate Reinsve, Julie is a relatable figure, and whether you’ve recently experienced a break-up or not, the film will certainly resonate with those who feel somewhat adrift.
The Norwegian film sees Julie experience her fair share of relationship dilemmas, going through break-ups, intense loves, and earth-shattering moments, like discovering she is pregnant. This isn’t your average coming-of-age tale, and while it might use some rather surreal techniques, there is a strong sense of messy realism at the film’s core, which makes it a comforting and honest piece of cinema.
‘Frances Ha’ (Noah Baumbach, 2012)
Frances Ha is a film more about a friendship break-up than a romantic one, although the movie does begin with Greta Gerwig’s titular protagonist splitting up with her boyfriend. Whether you’ve faced a romantic or platonic break-up (both can be as intense as each other) Frances Ha is the perfect form of comfort. Played beautifully by Gerwig, Frances is a chaotic and quirky character, navigating life with a delightful sense of whimsy, as much as she sometimes finds things challenging. When her best friend, Sophie, moves out, the pair’s relationship deteriorates, and suddenly, Frances feels as though she has to navigate adulthood alone.
She stumbles through life with passion and optimism, and as she dances through the street and gives beautiful monologues about friendship, love, and life, the character makes it feel as though everything will turn out alright if you just persevere. Frances knows how much love is out there – she’s experienced it – and she lets this drive her towards achieving her desires, eventually realising how important it is to look out for herself.
‘An Unmarried Woman’ (Paul Mazursky, 1978)
Sometimes, break-ups are unnecessarily cruel; it’s hard enough to navigate being alone, but what if you also have to reckon being left for someone else? That’s what happens to Erica in An Unmarried Woman by Paul Mazursky, which sees Jill Clayburgh play a woman whose husband leaves her for a much younger woman. This might seem like a familiar cinematic trope, but the film affords us a compassionate and hopeful insight into Erica’s life in the aftermath, which proves to be a defining period of transformation.
For the first time in over 15 years, Erica is forced to be single again, finding herself struggling to embrace life without another person tied so closely to her identity. Yet, as the film unravels, Erica finds excitement and nourishment in new relationships and the re-establishment of older ones. Mazursky explores Erica’s new chapter in life with grace and humour, reminding viewers that no matter your circumstances, there is always a chance to rediscover yourself and enjoy new experiences that you never even thought possible.
‘The Green Ray’ (Eric Rohmer, 1986)
When we meet Delphine at the start of The Green Ray, Eric Rohmer’s fifth movie in his excellent Comedies and Proverbs series, she is reeling from a break-up. The summer has just begun, and what’s worse, her friend has ditched her plans to go on holiday with her, leaving Delphine feeling more alone than ever. She subsequently spends much of the movie struggling to find a place to fit in, and the fact that she is the only one of her friends without a partner makes her feel like she is somehow incomplete.
Delphine is emotional and spends much of the movie wandering around idyllic holiday locations, searching for connection and companionship, but she can’t help but continue to feel alienated. However, this holiday proves to be a transformative moment in Delphine’s life, and she eventually learns the beauty of experiencing her emotions and soaking up the natural world, and she inevitably reaps the rewards.
‘Shirley Valentine’ (Lewis Gilbert, 1989)
In Lewis Gilbert’s Shirley Valentine, we follow a middle-aged housewife as she finally escapes the trappings of her domestic life following years of an unhappy marriage to an inconsiderate husband. Laced with British humour, Shirley addresses the audience as she explains how she often gets so bored that she talks to the walls, fed up with cooking and cleaning for a man who simply doesn’t care for her like he used to. When she is offered the chance to go on holiday to Greece with a friend, she accepts, jetting off to a world far removed from her usual routine.
Here, Shirley discovers a sense of freedom for the first time in years, allowing herself to indulge in pleasures she would usually deny herself. It’s a charming film, full of poignant lines that will certainly stick with audiences. “I’ve fallen in love with the idea of living,” Shirley tells us, and you can’t help but admire her bravery as she rejects what is expected of her, no longer bowing down to the demands of her careless husband.
