A Journey from Whips to Whimsy
Ah, "Secretary" (2002). It's the film that gave us the much-needed education on BDSM before "Fifty Shades" swooped in with its vanilla fantasies. With its unique blend of quirky romantic comedy and, let's say, 'unconventional' office dynamics, it redefined how we view relationships, both on and off the desk. If Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader's unforgettable performances left you craving for more of those peculiar love stories that make you go "aww" and "ohh" in the same breath, then you, my friend, are in luck.
Put on your seatbelts (or handcuffs, no judgments here) as we dive into a world where love often comes wrapped in latex and served with a side of existential dread. Here are 12 movies like "Secretary" that will make you rethink your romantic wishlist, or at least your Netflix queue.
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
25%
46
4.2Oh, let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first. "Fifty Shades of Grey" is like the generic store-brand soda compared to "Secretary's" vintage cola. If "Secretary" is a craft cocktail, "Fifty Shades" is the beer you settle for at a dive bar when you're already too tipsy to care. Though it attempts to emulate the BDSM romance, it barely scratches the surface. But let's be fair, it's entertaining, and sometimes, that's all you need.
CAST
Dakota Johnson
Jamie Dornan
Jennifer Ehle
Eloise Mumford
Victor Rasuk
Luke Grimes
Marcia Gay Harden
Rita Ora
Max Martini
Callum Keith Rennie
The Piano Teacher (2001)
73%797.5For those who like their love stories to be as unsettling as their morning alarm on a Monday, "The Piano Teacher" is just the ticket. This film explores a twisted relationship between a piano teacher and her student. It tackles sexual dysfunction and deviant desires with such gritty realism that you may want to give your piano lessons a miss for a while.
CAST
Isabelle Huppert
Annie Girardot
Benoît Magimel
Susanne Lothar
Udo Samel
Anna Sigalevitch
Cornelia Köndgen
Thomas Weinhappel
Georg Friedrich
Philipp Heiss
Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)
60%5.9Talk about old but gold! "9 ½ Weeks" is the granddaddy of BDSM cinematic outings. Starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, this film takes you through a steamy and tumultuous affair that unfolds over, you guessed it, roughly 9 and a half weeks. Its emotional depth may not be as intricate as "Secretary," but the chemistry is electric—think of it as a one-night stand that lasts just long enough.
CAST
Mickey Rourke
Kim Basinger
Margaret Whitton
David Margulies
Christine Baranski
Karen Young
Dwight Weist
Roderick Cook
Victor Truro
Justine Johnston
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
92%817.7If you liked the emotional depth in "Secretary" but could do without the whips and chains, "Silver Linings Playbook" is your jam. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence dazzle as two individuals struggling with mental health issues. It’s like your typical rom-com, but with more dancing and less predictability. A fun flick to laugh, cry, and get strangely attached to.
CAST
Bradley Cooper
Jennifer Lawrence
Robert De Niro
Jacki Weaver
Chris Tucker
Anupam Kher
John Ortiz
Shea Whigham
Julia Stiles
Paul Herman
Blue Velvet (1986)
95%767.7David Lynch's twisted tale of love and crime in small-town America is dark, surreal, and, well, a bit kinky. If "Secretary" was a gentle introduction to the darker shades of romance, then "Blue Velvet" is a full-blown graduate course. It's not for the faint-hearted, but then again, neither is love.
CAST
Kyle MacLachlan
Isabella Rossellini
Dennis Hopper
Laura Dern
Hope Lange
Dean Stockwell
George Dickerson
Priscilla Pointer
Frances Bay
Jack Harvey
Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
88%907.7The film that made eating spaghetti seem sexy. "Blue is the Warmest Colour" offers an intimate look at the ups and downs of a lesbian relationship. While the kinky factor isn't as high as "Secretary," the emotional intensity certainly is. A must-watch if you enjoy movies that offer a buffet of feelings.
CAST
Adèle Exarchopoulos
Léa Seydoux
Salim Kechiouche
Aurélien Recoing
Catherine Salée
Benjamin Siksou
Mona Walravens
Jérémie Laheurte
Alma Jodorowsky
Anne Loiret
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
80%707.1Two women in Barcelona exploring love and lust with a suave Spanish painter—what could possibly go wrong? Woody Allen's take on love is as complicated as assembling IKEA furniture after a few glasses of wine. A delightful choice for those who think love should be as intricate as a Picasso painting.
CAST
Scarlett Johansson
Rebecca Hall
Javier Bardem
Penélope Cruz
Christopher Evan Welch
Chris Messina
Patricia Clarkson
Kevin Dunn
Julio Perillán
Juan Queseda
Black Swan (2010)
85%798Ah, the love story that isn't. "Black Swan" is more about self-love and self-destruction than romance, but its intense scenes, starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, bring a kind of psychological kinkiness to the table. It's like "Secretary," but if you replaced the red pens and typo corrections with pirouettes and ballet shoes.
CAST
Natalie Portman
Mila Kunis
Vincent Cassel
Barbara Hershey
Winona Ryder
Benjamin Millepied
Ksenia Solo
Kristina Anapau
Janet Montgomery
Sebastian Stan
The Shape of Water (2017)
92%877.3Ever thought of finding romance in a government laboratory? Me neither, but Guillermo del Toro makes it work. A love story between a mute woman and an aquatic creature, it’s unconventional, to say the least. It’s like "Beauty and the Beast" for adults, if Beast were a fish-man and Belle was super into sign language.
CAST
Sally Hawkins
Doug Jones
Michael Shannon
Richard Jenkins
Octavia Spencer
Michael Stuhlbarg
David Hewlett
Nick Searcy
Stewart Arnott
Nigel Bennett
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
94%747.6For fans of the older classics, "Dangerous Liaisons" is a saucy period drama that explores manipulation and desire among French aristocrats. Think of it as "Secretary" in corsets and powdered wigs, but with a heavier dose of deception and betrayal. Ah, the lengths people went for love before Tinder.
CAST
Glenn Close
John Malkovich
Michelle Pfeiffer
Swoosie Kurtz
Keanu Reeves
Mildred Natwick
Uma Thurman
Peter Capaldi
Joe Sheridan
Valerie Gogan
Wild at Heart (1990)
65%527.2David Lynch strikes again with "Wild at Heart," a bizarre yet captivating road-trip love story. This one is less about the BDSM and more about, well, wild love. If "Secretary" was a well-prepared dish with exotic spices, "Wild at Heart" is a food fight with all your favorite flavors thrown in.
CAST
Nicolas Cage
Laura Dern
Willem Dafoe
J.E. Freeman
Crispin Glover
Diane Ladd
Calvin Lockhart
Isabella Rossellini
Harry Dean Stanton
Grace Zabriskie
My Own Private Idaho (1991)
80%777Last but not least, "My Own Private Idaho" gives you River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves as two street hustlers in a unique friendship. It's edgy, raw, and shakes up the traditional love story format. Think of it as "Secretary" without the office but with a lot more life lessons on the open road.
CAST
River Phoenix
Keanu Reeves
James Russo
Rodney Harvey
Chiara Caselli
Michael Parker
Jessie Thomas
Flea
Grace Zabriskie
So there you have it, a dozen films that will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps venture into the slightly darker corners of your Netflix library. If "Secretary" made you curious about unconventional love stories, this list is your treasure map. Happy watching! 🍿