Sometimes, the drama off screen is even juicier than the drama on it. That’s the case with “It Ends With Us,” which has given gossip lovers plenty of fodder. We won’t dive too deep into the cast drama, but the TL;DR is that star/producer Blake Lively and star/director Justin Baldoni seem to be feuding.
The controversy hasn’t hurt “It Ends With Us” at the box office. The movie, based on Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, opened to a better-than-expected $50 million haul at the domestic box office and added $24 million more in its second weekend.
That success is likely due more to Hoover’s popularity than any off-screen controversy. Another possible driver is the general dearth of romantic dramas amid a multiplex filled with superhero flicks and sequels. If you’re craving more of the genre, here are five movies like “It Ends With Us” you can stream now.
‘Safe Haven’
Like “It Ends With Us,” “Safe Haven” is an adaptation of a bestselling novel. Before Colleen Hoover, there was Nicholas Sparks (“The Notebook,” “A Walk to Remember”). And like “It Ends With Us,” “Safe Haven” tells a story of a female protagonist dealing with domestic abuse. After fleeing her abusive husband, Erin (Julianne Hough) moves to a small town on the North Carolina coast to make a new life for herself. She’s determined to lay low, but she’s soon drawn to Alex (Josh Duhamel), a widower with two kids. They begin to fall in love, but their happiness is threatened by the arrival of Erin’s ex.
Streaming now on Max
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’
Also based on a popular book, “Where the Crawdads Sing” has more of a mystery/thriller vibe than “It Ends With Us.” Still, it features many of the same elements: a female protagonist with an abusive father, a love triangle and violence. Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) lives alone in the North Carolina marshland after she was abandoned as a girl and raised herself to adulthood. When her teen sweetheart Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith) doesn’t return from college, she gets into a relationship with local playboy Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson). But he turns out to be engaged and later tries to rape her. When Chase turns up dead, fingers point to Kya and she’s arrested.
Streaming now on Hulu
‘Blue Valentine’
Attraction and passion are necessary to begin a relationship, but they aren’t enough to sustain one. Like Lily and Ryle in “It Ends With Us,” Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling) have an undeniable spark. They get married and have a daughter, but over time, their chemistry curdles into toxicity. They engage in explosive arguments and Dean exhibits flashes of rage. Cindy, like Lily, grew up with an abusive father, and must consider whether she wants a similar environment for her own daughter.
Streaming now on Peacock
‘A Star Is Born’
![A STAR IS BORN | Official Trailer | 2018 [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cAht08yu5fM/maxresdefault.jpg)
A fairy tale becomes a nightmare in both “It Ends With Us” and the 2018 version of “A Star Is Born.” Lily meets a handsome doctor who sweeps her off her feet; Ally (Lady Gaga) meets a handsome country music star who sweeps her off her feet and helps her become a world-famous singer. Ryle struggles with rage and violence; Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction. What begins as an incredible love story for Ally and Jack soon turns tragic when he can’t conquer his inner demons.
Streaming now on Max
‘Fried Green Tomatoes’
A best friend can be the other side of a love triangle. Lily relies on Atlas, her high school sweetheart, when leaving her husband; in “Fried Green Tomatoes,” Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker) has Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) as her ride-or-die. Their story is told by nursing home resident Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy) to visiting volunteer Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates). In 1920s Alabama, the free-spirited Idgie helps pregnant Ruth escape from her abusive husband. They return to their hometown to run the Whistle Stop Cafe, but when Ruth’s ex comes looking for his child, the two women must find a way to stop him by any means necessary.
More from Tom's Guide
