The course of true love never did run smooth. Especially on the big screen.
Considering the perils of dating in the age of the internet, the version of romance conjured by the Valentine's season increasingly feels irreconcilable with how messy relationships can be—even when the people involved are deeply in love. This series explores great cinematic representations of forbidden desires, difficult power dynamics, unrequited affections and romance gone wrong.
From the comedy of getting stuck in a love triangle with your ex (The Philadelphia Story) to your romantic history repeating itself (Vertigo), to a special 35mm screening of David Lynch's Mulholland Dr., the classics in this series all deserve a second look. The new cinema in this series includes a fresh look at famous couples (Priscilla, Napoleon), the joys and challenges of navigating same-sex relationships within a culture that still considers this taboo (All of Us Strangers, Portrait of a Lady on Fire), embarking on a journey of radical sexual subjectivity (Poor Things) and discovering strength in familial love (The Color Purple).