Movies that prove it’s better to be single

Romantic comedies and dramas celebrate love, suggesting that it’s better to have a partner than be alone. But this feature is about precisely the opposite, as we salute those movies that prove it‘s preferable to be single.

Being in a relationship is nice. Marriage is great. All you need is love. But what if you can’t find that special someone? Or are simply happier being on your own?

Hollywood is rarely interested in such stories; instead, it is obsessed with romance largely because execs know that a good date movie can make a mint at the box office off a pretty meager budget.

But what about the movies where the guy doesn’t get the girl (or guy)? Below, we’re exploring those tales via films that take a more realistic approach to life and love.

Movies that prove it’s better to be single

These nine films aren’t in order of merit – rather, we are listing them chronologically.

As for how we’ve assembled the following, there are no hard-and-fast rules to our picks, other than the fact that they can’t end with the couple kissing and running/sailing/flying off into the sunset. We’ve also decided to include Love Actually, even though it’s awful.

Casablanca (1940)

Set against the backdrop of WWII, Casablanca is one of the greatest love stories ever told. Rick loves Ilsa. Ilsa loves Rick. But Ilsa also loves her husband, Laszlo. So Rick insists she boards a plane to Lisbon with him, thereby ending their illicit romance.

He makes this difficult decision because Rick knows that the world is too complicated for their union, and if Ilsa doesn’t leave, she will regret it. “Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon, and for the rest of your life.”

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Thelma is married to a horrible husband. Louise works in a diner and isn’t happy with her lot in life. One weekend, the pair embark on a vacation, which turns violent when Thelma is sexually assaulted. What follows is one of the best films of the 1990s.

Thelma & Louise isn’t just a great road movie; it’s also one of the finest films about friendship. Shirtless Brad Pitt very nearly comes between T&L, but no one can break their bond, the title characters sticking by each other through life and remaining together in death.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

My Best Friend’s Wedding focuses on stalker Jules (Julia Roberts), who decides to sabotage the love of her life’s wedding to a woman who is much nicer than her, which makes for a very strange rom-com.

One that’s made weirder by the fact that Jules has much more chemistry with her gay best friend (Rupert Everett), the film ending with the pair dancing, and Jules remaining resolutely single.

Love Actually (2003)

Love Actually is full of horrible love stories, mainly revolving around some form of sexual harassment in the workplace. But the very worst subplot concerns being in love with your best friend’s wife.

In reality, you should probably keep quiet about this fact. But in Richard-Curtis-land, you ruin their wedding video by literally focusing on her. Then stop by their house, and while your friend is innocently watching telly, silently reveal your obsession before buggering off, deservedly alone.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Yes, he’s old enough to be her Dad, making Lost in Translation a bit dodge. But Sofia Coppola’s film about unrequited love is also utterly beguiling, thanks to two crackerjack performances from Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.

The connection they form feels real. But also ultimately impossible, making Lost in Translation something of a celluloid tragedy. We don’t know what Bob says to Charlotte when they part ways at the end of the movie, but part ways they do.

The Hangover (2009)

The Hangover revolves around Doug’s Las Vegas bachelor party. Which is somewhat disastrous thanks to a baby, Mike Tyson, and a tiger. Still the movie ends with Doug getting happily married.

Stu, however, is in a loveless union. So the real ending is Stu telling his wife, “Whatever this is, ain’t working for me… since you f**d that waiter on your cruise last June… you’re such a bad person, all the way through to your core.” And with that, Stu is gloriously single again.

Wild (2014)

Written by Nick Hornby, and based on the moving memoir of the same name, Wild is the inspiring tale of Cheryl Strayed’s journey across the Pacific Crest Trail.

In June 1995, Strayed traveled from Minneapolis to Sierra Nevada, where she hiked more than 1,000 miles. In spite of no actual hiking experience. On the trail, she considers the traumas of her past – including the breakdown of her marriage – and ultimately finds herself.

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Creepy age difference aside, Call Me By Your Name is one of the great coming-of-age movies. As well as one of the great coming-out movies. Timothée Chalamet plays Elio, a 17-year-old who falls in love with his father’s 24-year-old assistant.

Through their relationship, Elio comes to terms with his own sexuality. But their love doesn’t last, the film ending with the couple’s emotionally charged final phone call, one that readies Elio to move on with his life.

Barbie (2023)

Barbie and Ken like each other; they just don’t know why. But a lack of love – and genitals – comes between them. They enter the real world, and Ken discovers toxic masculinity, while Barbie becomes an empowered feminist.

The movie ends with Barbie leaving Ken, becoming ‘Barbara Handler,’ and visiting her gynecologist. So, for a character who traditionally represented the reverse, this is very much a case of independence achieved.