5 Best Fantasy Melodramas for Those Tired of Rewatching 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the gold standard for fantasy melodrama. It's a movie you'll want to watch again and again, even if you know every frame by heart. But what if you're looking for something new?

We've chosen five movies that adhere to the genre's finest traditions: here, love confronts the paradoxes of time, travels between universes, dies, and gets resurrected.

1. 'Three Thousand Years of Longing', 2022

IMDb Score: 6.7/10

Alithea, a mythology specialist, arrives in Istanbul for a conference. While strolling through the city, she buys an antique bottle from a merchant. Upon opening the bottle, she frees an ancient genie who has been imprisoned for three thousand years.

Alithea hesitates to use the genie's abilities, but instead asks him to tell her a story – one of lost freedom and the eras he has lived through. Their captivating tales bring the two closer together.

Enchanted by the genie, Alithea takes a risk and wishes for eternal, mutual love. However, happiness proves fragile, and the woman must choose between her feelings and her beloved's fate.

2. 'About Time', 2013

IMDb Score: 7.8/10

Tim is lucky – he can travel through time. This ability is a hereditary trait passed down through the male line of his family.

Tim decides to use his unique gift to impress a charming girl. However, as we know, constant time travel can have unpleasant consequences.

This fantastic story has a simple message: appreciate the present moment and never look back. It was directed by Richard Curtis, who gave the world the iconic Christmas rom-com Love Actually.

3. 'The Lake House', 2006

IMDb Score: 6.8/10

After a breakup with her boyfriend, Kate decides to move. She leaves a letter for the next tenant in the mailbox.

Soon, architect Alex moves into the lake house. After reading the letter, he notices several oddities in Kate's writing. They begin corresponding and gradually realize that they are living in different years. Alex reads the letters in 2004 and Kate reads them in 2006.

The mailbox becomes a bridge between the two time periods, allowing them to maintain contact.

4. 'City of Angels', 1998

IMDb Score: 6.7/10

Seth lives in a world where angels invisibly accompany people. He accompanies souls on their final journey and asks them about the most precious things in life. However, he is deprived of simple human joys: he feels no pain, doesn't taste food, and cannot love.

His life changes when he meets cardiac surgeon Maggie. Her desperate fight for a patient's life, her sincere pain at loss, and her unwavering faith in her work captivate the angel.

Seth gradually breaks the heavenly laws. First, he simply observes Maggie. Then, he decides to become visible.

5. 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', 2008

IMDb Score: 7.8/10

Benjamin was born looking and acting like an 80-year-old, but with each passing year, he grows younger. His unusual life story prompts reflections on time, love, and fate's inevitability.

He meets a woman named Daisy, and their relationship defies the laws of nature: while Benjamin grows younger, Daisy grows older.

Their incredible romance lasts a lifetime, but they are destined to share only a brief moment together.