Never Cared for ‘50 Shades of Grey’? Then Stay Away From These 6 Nonsense Dramas

The movie industry is flooded with movies of all genres, yet we always talk about the same few films. This is mostly because they were so good that the impression will last forever. But sometimes even bad movies become the topic of conversation.

If you're a hate-watcher like me, you've probably tuned in to And Just Like That and definitely rewatched the Fifty Shades franchise from time to time. However, it turns out there are many more unbearable romance-related movies to add to the list of unwatchable dramas. And they all have dull plots, terrible acting and poor character arcs in common.

Here’s the list of 6 movies to steer clear from.

1. ‘After’ (2019)

IMDb: 5.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 18% from critics, 64% from audience

Based on a fanfiction-turned-novel (with the main character based on Harry Styles), After attempts to recreate the intense and often troubled-romance formula, but fails miserably. The story follows the predictable dynamic of a “good girl” falling for a “bad guy” who has many secrets about his true personality.

As the story goes, we learn absolutely nothing about them, see no depth in their personalities, as there’s no such thing as emotional growth in their lives. The movie was supposed to be about the magic of intimacy, but instead gave us the most surface-level drama ever.

2. ‘365 Days’ (2020)

IMDb: 3.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 0% from critics, 36% from audience

This Polish erotic drama makes the Fifty Shades franchise look like something profound and deep. With a plot that follows a man kidnapping a woman and making her his prisoner, and therefore showing us Stockholm syndrome under the guise of romance, 365 Days is a textbook on what a toxic relationship looks like.

The only reason to watch that is if your therapist shows it to you with the warning “do not repeat, it is a matter of life and death”.

3. ‘The Boy Next Door’ (2015)

IMDb: 4.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 12% from critics, 35% from audience

The Boy Next Door is a sort of psychological thriller that soon enough turns into melodramatic absurdity, and even Jennifer Lopez being the main star of the movie didn’t help it. The film desperately tries to talk about temptation, betrayal and obsession, but comes out with cringeworthy scenes instead.

It’s sad when a movie wants to be a provocative drama, but ends up being a funny flop (unintentionally).

4. ‘Endless Love’ (2014)

IMDb: 6.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 16% from critics, 59% from audience

Endless Love, a remake of the 1981 film, is a sugarcoated fantasy of forbidden romance where characters fall deeply in love without ever having at least one meaningful conversation. The only things this movie has are cliché musical cues and long stares between David and Jade.

5. ‘The Kissing Booth’ (2018)

IMDb: 5.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 17% from critics, 56% from audience

If you are a diehard Jacob Elordi fan and need an excuse to watch him in whatever – then sure, tune in this teen drama with absolutely no logic and sense of art. What surprises me is the fact that while we are used to toxic relationships shown in adult movies, this one is aimed more at a younger crowd, but is still almost obvious hard love propaganda.

Elle and Noah’s whirlwind romance in The Kissing Booth has it all: emotional manipulation, possessiveness, and zero accountability. Of course, all under the guise of teen passion.

6. ‘Addicted’ (2014)

IMDb: 5.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 7% from critics, 51% from audience

This erotic thriller about a woman caught in a web of infidelity aims to explore sex addiction but ends up bringing up every tired trope about women and desire. Overacted, oversexed, and… sadly, underwritten. Addicted also tries to be sassy, but lands somewhere between soap opera and 60+ melodrama.