Movies about murderous couples often share many similarities. The films generally tend to be black comedies, but considering how they are about loveable characters committing heinous acts, it would be difficult to frame them any other way.
These kinds of movies also tend to be lots of fun, despite their dark subject matter. The characters are also rarely responsible for their actions, and for some reason, they are almost always road trip movies. And while these aren't exactly films for viewers looking to learn valuable life lessons, they are highly entertaining and endlessly rewatchable.
Heathers (1988)
Of all the great teen comedies of the 1980s, Heathers is one of the best and it doesn't get half the credit it deserves for being so unique. While all the John Hughes-esque comedies of the era are great, they all have the same coming-of-age schmaltz, but Heathers completely forgoes that typical heartwarming narrative.
Instead, it features a more dark and satirical depiction of high school, as J.D. and Veronica go around murdering all of the bullies. They get creative with the kills, as they make them look like accidents or suicides. But despite the dark humor, Heathers still tackles serious subjects, and the honest discussions of mental health are why Heathers still holds up today.
Available to stream on Prime Video and Hulu.
Badlands (1973)
Director Terrence Malick quickly became known for his long, drawn-out epics, whether it's the war movie The Thin Red Line or the millenniums-spanning The Tree Of Life. But the filmmaker's debut stands out from the others, as Badlands is a lean 90 minutes and is comparatively linear in its narrative.
The movie sees Kit and Holly, an anti-social and violent couple, bounce from one town to another murdering and stealing. What makes the film so fascinating is that the two crooks seem so innocent and childlike when they're together, and they even build a treehouse in the Badlands where they live happily. Though it's his debut and he has released nine movies that are epic in scope, Badlands is still Terrence Malick's best movie.
Available on iTunes.
Mr. Right (2015)
Sam Rockwell is never averse to strange roles, and that's no different when it comes to Mr. Right. The actor plays an idealistic former hitman who is trying to keep his past a secret from his new girlfriend.
But it doesn't take long after finding out for her to become an expert killer herself, and the two become a well-oiled murder machine. The movie might not have gotten rave reviews from critics and it wasn't commercially successful, but it's wildly entertaining and a hidden gem with a Grosse Pointe Blank feel to it.
Available to stream on Netflix.
True Romance (1993)
True Romance has become a classic and one of the best Tarantino-penned movies - even though he didn't direct it. Whereas most murderous movies couples are getting their kicks from what they're doing, Clarence and Alabama are mostly doing it for survival.
But they look cool doing it, and with them being so in love with each other, it makes for one of the best romantic crime movies. The movie owes so much to Badlands that it even pays homage to the 1973 film by recycling its main theme. Hans Zimmer reworked the Badlands theme into "You're So Cool," the song that plays throughout True Romance.
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Natural Born Killers has a lot of parallels to True Romance. Released just a year apart, they were both written by Quentin Tarantino and are about couples traveling the country on a killing spree. But as the script was changed so drastically, according to The Telegraph, that Tarantino hated the movie.
On the other hand, the post-modern movie is fun to watch due to the eccentric Mickey and Mallory and rapidly jumping between styles. It's one of the best Oliver Stone movies, which is interesting because it's the least Stone-like movie in his filmography. Where the director's movies are mostly political, historical, or both, Natural Born Killers is a straight-up stylish bloodfest.
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Eating Raoul (1982)
Eating Raoul is by far the weirdest of the movies about murderous couples. It sees couple Mary and Paul, who are both disapproving of sex, murder swingers in order to fast-track their purchase of a restaurant. They have a simple but mostly-working formula where Mary lures the men into her apartment, then Paul whacks them over the head with a frying pan.
The whole ordeal leads to one hilarious event after the next, and it remains absurd until the very end. But strangely enough, the title of the movie gives away the ending. Mary and Paul don't just end up killing Raoul, who attempted to bribe them, but they serve him for dinner too.
Available on HBO Max.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007)
What's interesting is that most movies about murderous couples are, for some reason, also road trip movies. But Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, is essentially the very opposite, as the titular barber murders his victims in the exact same spot every time.
The Broadway show turned movie musical sees Todd slit his victims' throats and then makes meat pies out of them in his basement. But he wouldn't be able to do any of that without the help of his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett. The movie sounds like a horror flick, but it's actually full of color and excitement, and, as is the case with so many Tim Burton-directed movies, it's full of catchy musical numbers.
Available to stream on Hulu.
Mr. And Mrs. Smith (2005)
John and Jane Smith are both skilled field operatives, meaning that they're both assassins and have dozens of kills under their belts. But what's unique for the sub-genre is that they aren't actually assassinating their targets together, and they actually work for two different agencies.
What makes a TV remake of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but with Phoebe Waller-Bridge having recently left the development, the project may be in jeopardy.
Available to stream on Starz.
Sightseers (2012)
Sightseers is like a humdrum British version of Natural Born Killers, but somehow more twisted. The film follows Chris and Tina who travel from one caravan campsite to another, leaving behind a trail of dead bodies along the way. But the movie is different because, though they are very much a couple just like in any other movie, Chris and Tina's relationship is wholly toxic.
Chris and Tina make up lies about people to convince the other one to kill them, such as Tina lying about being sexually assaulted. It's one of the most bizarre and entertaining black comedies of the past decade, especially when it reaches the point where the couple is casually running people over along their route.
Available to stream on Hulu.
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Thelma & Louise has become an iconic movie since its release 30 years ago, and it's best-known for its overly-dramatic ending where the two drive off a cliff when they're cornered by the police. What led to that point was a road trip full of murder. It was mostly vengeful, as they shoot a man attempting to rape Thelma, and after getting a taste for it, they shoot fuel tankers, hold misogynists at gunpoint, and lock them in their trunk.
But while the two women clearly loved each other as friends, whether they were actually in love with each other is open to interpretation. However, the kiss at the end of the movie before they drive off the cliff hints at it, and they are often seen as one of the most famous representations of same-sex romances in film.
Available to stream on HBO Max.
