Wicker: 9 ‘Freakmance’ Movies To Watch While You Wait for the Year’s Weirdest Romance Film

When it comes to freakmances, Beauty and the Beast is arguably the OG.

The title is pretty self-explanatory, and I feel like we all know the story by now. If not, the Disney iteration basically tells the story of bookworm Belle (Paige O'Hara)  who, after taking her eccentric father’s place as prisoner in a fearsome beast’s castle, slowly learns to love him, and vice versa. If the cursed Beast (Robby Benson) is unable to get Belle to fall for him before the final petal falls from the enchanted rose, he will remain a Beast forever.

Some might call it Stockholm Syndrome, but honestly, who cares when the songs are damn catchy and, at times, romantic? While nothing can beat the animated version, the live-action remake isn’t too shabby either. If you have a chance, definitely watch both.

When I first watched Edward Scissorhands as a child, I remember being absolutely terrified of Edward (Johnny Depp). But when I got past his appearance, I came to appreciate the gentleness of his character and the movie as a whole. I guess that's the whole point of the film.

As the name implies, Edward, who is a humanoid-like being made by an inventor, has sharp scissor blades for hands because the inventor died before he could replace them. After a life of isolation, Edward is taken in by Avon lady Peg (Dianne Wiest), who lives a traditional white picket fence life. As Edward slowly integrates into the suburbs, he falls for Peg’s daughter, Lisa (Winona Ryder). What follows is ultimately something of a tragedy, but it’s an incredibly moving film for anyone who has ever felt like a misfit.

If there was ever a director that belonged on this list, it’s Tim Burton — so it only feels right that he appears twice.

The beautifully animated Corpse Bride tells the story of Victor Van Dort (Depp), who ends up accidentally ‘marrying’ Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), a corpse in a wedding dress who rises from the dead after he repeats his vows and unwittingly puts a wedding ring on what turns out to be her finger — you know, as you do.

Unlike the rest of the freakmances on this list, it’s established from the outset that Emily’s romantic feelings for Victor are unrequited; but despite that, the pair do develop their own kind of bond. Fun for all ages, this is a great film for freak novices.

Directed by the brilliant Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is unforgettable.

When I learned about the basic premise—a woman falling in love with a fish-like creature—I was sceptical. But the stunning visual effects that bring the creature to life and strong supporting cast really help sell the story in all its nuance and complexity. Sally Hawkins’ heartfelt leading performance is what really cements the film’s greatness to me, though. Its Oscars were well deserved — though Hawkins ultimately not winning one is criminal.

I’ve never been a fan of zombie movies, but what makes Warm Bodies stand out is its wit.

While Nicholas Hoult’s character, a zombie named 'R', is a man of few words, the voiceover he provides throughout the film, giving us access to R’s innermost thoughts, is comedy gold. There’s a lot of the usual brain-eating, post-apocalyptic zombie stuff, but the story feels really original at the same time, and it’s hard not to root for R and his human love interest Julie (Teresa Palmer).

Overall, it’s a well-rounded story and a worthy addition to this list.

Your Monster is an entertaining twist on the monsters-in-your-closet trope, as it involves Melissa Barrera falling in love, quite literally, with the monster who lives in her closet.

Primarily a comedy, Barrera does a great job as the long-suffering Laura. As if cancer and a breakup weren’t bad enough, she also has to deal with her horrible ex trying to cut her out of the play she helped him write. Fortunately, the surprisingly charming 'Monster' (Dewey) has her back.

Even if the plot twist felt a little too predictable, it's still enormous fun. 

After seeing Cole Sprouse in Riverdale, I knew he’d deliver as a dashing reanimated corpse in Lisa Frankenstein.

The very idea of being reanimated by a sunbed is incredibly chic. Still, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for just how campy this movie is, from its vibrant ‘80s aesthetics to the wonderfully over-the-top performance from Kathryn Newton, who carries the whole movie on her back as the titular character.

As Lisa and her undead beau quickly rack up a body count, this movie is an absolute riot, and while it is certified 'rotten' on Rotten Tomatoes, I think that kind of adds to its charm. 

As a wise man once said, Shrek is love, Shrek is life. Like many people, I first watched Shrek as a child, but it’s one of those movies that just gets better with age.

Voiced by Mike Myers (in a Scottish accent, for some reason), Shrek is an ogre in search of one thing: peace and quiet in his swamp. But the only way he can get that is to go and rescue a princess (Cameron Diaz) from a fire-breathing dragon with the help of a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy). When he finally rescues the princess, the pair surprise one another, and an unlikely bond forms.

As one of the best-known (though perhaps non-categorised) freakmances out there, Shrek definitely belongs on a list like this.

You better hold on tight, spidermonkey. When Twilight was first released in 2008, it completely altered my brain chemistry. Back before he became our favourite little freak, Robert Pattinson was Edward Cullen, a buff bloodsucker who glittered in the sunlight, who, for some indiscernible reason, was entranced by the socially inept Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart).

What followed was a pop culture juggernaut and a love story for the ages that, for many people, was their first proper exposure to the freakmance subgenre.