Have you ever heard the phrase “Love is a drug”? I am not talking about cringy love movies for teens but about the real and mostly unknown. But before talking about the films, what is love? Movies and books have made us believe that love is when two people meet and fall in love so intensely that they can’t be apart from each other. They portray it as something magical, perfect, and occasionally complicated because love has to have drama, or it won’t sell anything.
Well, my dear, welcome to the real world. In reality, love is a chemical or hormone that the body produces when we feel attraction called oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. This combination of hormones makes the body act differently. A good example is those butterflies in the stomach or the inability to think straight. So, to all of you who say that love does not exist because your partner messed up, this is the proof that it does, but not in the way that Prince Charming is going to come to your door with a white horse and take you to his castle to live happily ever after together. That, my friend, is the thing that doesn’t exist.
Love is often categorized as being only for couples, but it is not like that. The following list of movies will show you how love exists all around us and how difficult it can be to let go of someone you care about.
- Beautiful Boy (2018)
(PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING: SPOILERS BELOW – If you are interested in watching the movie and don’t want spoilers, please skip this part until you get to watch the film. Additionally, please refrain from spoiling the movie in the comments. If spoilers are posted, I will have to delete your comment. Thank you!)
“Beautiful Boy” is a true story written by journalist David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff. David and Nic lived an ordinary life; Nic was perhaps the child any parent would want. A straight-A student, editor of the school’s newspaper, actor, artist, and athlete. But Nic had a minor issue; he loved to smoke weed in the school parking lot. David starts worrying when he discovers this and talks to him like any average parent, but Nic doesn’t listen and continues consuming stronger and more potent drugs each time until he tries meth. Nic becomes addicted to meth, and the story begins.
You may be asking yourself, “Mica, what the fuck? I thought we were talking about love.” Yes, the love of drugs; okay, I am joking. Where does love get involved in the story?
David starts to journal about everything he is living with Nick’s new drug addiction. Nick keeps falling and falling again, and each time, David feels like the only one who is there to pick him up. But David is so worried about Nick that he leaves his new wife, kids, and even his life behind. He starts changing and even tries the drugs Nick consumes to understand his feelings. David is desperate because his beautiful boy is going down the wrong path, and it hurts him to see him like this because he loves his child. His love closes his eyes to his child’s actions, and he suffers as Nick takes more drugs. When his wife talks to him, he finally realizes what he is doing. With all the pain in his heart, he tells his son that he can’t help him if he doesn’t help himself first, and finally moves on with his life, sharing his story with the world.
- The Black Swan (2010)
(PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING SPOILERS BELOW: If you are interested in watching the movie and don’t want spoilers, please skip this part until you get to watch the film, also no spoilers on the comments, or I will be forced to delete your comment. Thank you!)
If you are sensitive to horror or psychological films, this might not be a movie for you. “Black Swan” is the story of Nina, a sweet and innocent woman whose life is devoted to ballet thanks to her mom, Ericka, who wanted her to be just like her. She dances for a company called New York’s Lincoln Center and also auditions for “Swan Lake”. The director believes that Nina is perfect for the white swan but too “perfect” for the black swan as she dances with technique and no feelings. Coming out of the theater while crying, she crosses paths with a curious woman. This woman is dressed all in black and walks with a confidence that Nina has never seen. Nina’s personality starts to change, creating a dissociative identity disorder (a mental disorder that disconnects you from your thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and even identity) for herself as she projects a “perfect version” of herself. I am not going into much detail about this movie as I believe it would be a crime to spoil this movie masterpiece.
How does love participate in this thriller movie? Why is a thriller like this about love? What is wrong with you, Mica?
Many people appreciate film as the art of losing yourself in your art. Everybody has a passion that they want to pursue and grow to become the perfect version of themselves that they have in mind, including me. If you have a real passion for something, I can assure you that you would go to great lengths to achieve your goals. And before you comment, yes, this type of love is common. How do you think all the celebrities became famous? Most of them haven’t harmed anyone, but they faced numerous challenges to reach the level of success they have now. The downside of love is that it doesn’t prompt you to pause for a moment and reflect on what is happening around you. And often, by the time you realize and want to stop, it’s already too late.
- A Dog’s Purpose (2017)
(PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING SPOILERS BELOW: If you are interested in watching the movie and don’t want spoilers, please ship this part until you get to watch the film, also no spoilers on the comments, or I will be forced to delete your comment. Thank you!)
A Dog’s Purpose is a book by W. Bruce Cameron, adapted into a movie in 2017. The story begins around the ’60s. It is the story of a puppy rescued by a boy, Ethan, who instantly falls in love with him, naming him Bailey. Bailey has many adventures, always staying by Ethan’s side, including when he finds his first love as a teenager. But something happens when Ethan is about to leave for college. He suffers an accident that takes away his football scholarship, and he takes care of his grandparents’ farm.
Meanwhile, Bailey grew old and died from natural causes. Around the early ’70s, Bailey was reborn as a German Shepherd named Ellie. In the mid-80s, he was reincarnated as a Corgi named Tino, and finally as a St. Bernard mix puppy in 2014. At this point, Bailey, who is all these puppies, starts wondering why he keeps being reborn again and again until finally, he finds something that reminds him of a particular person he used to know. He understands that his purpose is to be with his original owner, Ethan, who is an old man still living on the same farm.
How does love to participate in this movie?
Well, it’s easy to explain. I will use destiny as an example here. Bailey doesn’t realize it until the end of the movie, but there is a connection between the principal characters that people usually refer to as being meant to be together. This concept is more commonly portrayed in couples in rom-com movies, but I chose this movie as an example of being meant to be together because it shows that you can be meant to be with anyone or anything.
We can see different examples of love that are not necessarily a story of a couple that meant and then are happily ever after. Love works in other aspects that can be beautiful but, at the same time, can suck. The point of the blog is to analyze more deeply those movies we don’t realize have love because of the story.
Don’t forget to pass by my other post about Wolfwalkers and give it some love there. Also, I am on YouTube as Cinema_byMD and TikTok with the same username; there, you can watch some of the short videos I make. Don’t forget to subscribe so you can get notified every time I upload a new blog. I want to be as connected as possible with everyone, so if you have any movie suggestion reviews or want to talk about movies, be welcome to send me a DM by TikTok or contact me via E-mail which you will find in the Contact Me section. Thank you for supporting the blog. I am excited to initiate this new adventure with everyone.
See you next Sunday!
Resources & Credits:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dissociative-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20355215
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dogs-purpose-w-bruce-cameron/1100356887
Cinema by MD 
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