Toeing the line between romance and sci-fi isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind perfectly blends the two genres with its exploration of how futuristic technology affects human relationships. The Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet film was widely praised when it was first released in 2004, and nearly two decades later it remains an absolute classic — and upon a rewatch, it’s easy to see why. Unique, interesting, and ultimately a bit heartbreaking, if you’ve just seen the film and want to devour more content like it, or are a long-time fan and are searching for something similar, then read ahead for our guide to the 10 best movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Being John Malkovich
Weird, wild, and surreal, Being John Malkovich blends sci-fi and the psychological like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but definitely packs in a lot more laughs. It follows the story of Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), an unemployed puppeteer who ends up discovering a door that leads to the mind of John Malkovich, allowing whoever passes through it to occupy the body of the famous actor. Things take an increasingly bizarre turn as Craig, his wife, his boss, and his love interest all end up using the door to settle their own personal scores with each other, culminating in Schwartz being stuck in the mind of a young girl. If it sounds insane, it’s because it kind of is, yet the film works well.
her
This futuristic drama has similar themes to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in that it’s about how technology and love intersect in what could be considered a disturbing way. Written and directed by Spike Jonze, her chronicles a relationship between introverted copywriter Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) and his AI virtual assistant, known as Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johannson). As Theodore becomes increasingly entangled with Samantha, and Samantha grows more human-like emotions, their relationship is tested, before there’s an eventual schism as reality hits for both parties. Sad yet somewhat sweet in parts, this exploration of the limits of AI and human emotions is a great watch that garnered plenty of critical acclaim upon its release.
About Time
While Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is about using a newfound technology to make it seem like a relationship never happened, About Time flips the script on its head, and delves into the use of time travel and how it can potentially be used to make a relationship that would have never happened actually exist. The movie follows Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), a man who discovers that he can go back in time to moments he’s lived and change certain aspects of his life in the process. Tim uses it to eventually marry his wife, Mary (Rachel McAdams), and along the way suffers several mishaps and strange twists of fate. Not quite as powerful as some of the other films on this list but still a good watch, it definitely has something of Eternal Sunshine about it, and blends sci-fi and romance well.
Ruby Sparks
A bit more charming and humorous than Eternal Sunshine, Ruby Sparks offers a new spin on an old tale: what if you could create your own perfect partner out of thin air? Paul Dano stars as Calvin, a novelist who is struggling with severe writer’s block and in his love life. As an exercise, he writes about “Ruby,” only to find a version of her standing in his kitchen the next day (Zoe Kazan, who also wrote the film). Ruby believes they’re in a relationship, but doesn’t know that Calvin wrote her into existence, and can control her through writing more pages. The partnership eventually devolves to the point where Calvin writes a passage where he sets Ruby free. After some time has passed, they run into each other again, although Ruby has no idea who he is. The pair then appear to go on a date — so, in terms of playing with memory and how that interacts with relationships, it’s similar to the Jim Carrey movie.
Safety Not Guaranteed
Beautifully sad yet charmingly funny, this time travel romance comedy could have fallen apart if it weren’t for brilliant performances from Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass. Plaza stars as Darius, a bored magazine intern who’s sent to investigate a strange ad in the local classifieds that reads:
“Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED.”
She soon discovers it was placed by a store clerk named Kenneth (Duplass), who believes he can time travel and wants to use the power to stop his former girlfriend being killed in a car accident. Although sceptical at first, Darius begins to fall for Kenneth, at which point the movie spins into a strange plot involving Darius’ co-workers and government agents — yet it somehow all works. Weird and wonderful, much like Eternal Sunshine, this movie uses technology to dive into how we relate to each other, and figure out what love really is.
Stranger Than Fiction
A quirky and somewhat underrated fantasy comedy, Stranger Than Fiction melds the line between reality and make-believe for its protagonist, giving it a very similar vibe to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in terms of characters struggling to distinguish between what’s fake and what isn’t. It chronicles the tale of Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), an IRS agent who starts hearing a disembodied voice in his head that’s narrating his life. He soon realizes that it’s actually the text from a novel in which he’s the main character, only to learn that in the story he’s about to die. He spends the rest of the film trying to avoid that ending, delving into questions of fate, reality, and if we really are masters of our own destiny.
The Science of Sleep (La Science des rêves)
This surrealist French flick begins with us entering the world of a depressed young man (Gael García Bernal) just after the death of his father. He begins a job as a graphic designer but finds the lack of creativity unfulfilling, and soon intense dreams begin taking over his life. He increasingly falls into his fantasy world, which interferes with his burgeoning relationship with a beautiful neighbour (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Again, like Eternal Sunshine, this wonderfully loose film delights in its blending of what is real and what isn’t, and succeeds in doing so by being totally confident in its themes. Possibly one more for cinephiles than the average viewer, but still an excellent all-round watch if you let yourself dive into it.
The Lobster
Absurd, dark, yet surreally comic, The Lobster was the first English-language film from the eclectic and brilliant Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, and follows a newly single man who’s forced to move into a hotel with other partnerless people, only to discover they need to get together with someone within 45 days or they’ll be transformed into an animal. Like Eternal Sunshine, it dives into the darker aspects of romance by using an absurd and extreme premise, but does so brilliantly, buoyed by performances from its leads. Well worth a watch even if you prefer your films a little more straightforward.
The Fountain
Trying to figure out what genre The Fountain fits into is nigh-on impossible, as the movie mixes fantasy, historical fiction, sci-fi, and romance. There are three main storylines that all have immortality and lost love at their heart, all including characters played by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, who are linked across space and time regardless of what they do. Like Eternal Sunshine, the notion of fate and being “the one” is delved into, and with the additional fantasy elements, it becomes a truly epic story. A bit confused in parts, Jackman and Weisz carry the film at points, but it will definitely scratch an itch if you’ve just watched Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet try and forget each other.
Leaving Las Vegas
While the other films on this list have all had elements of sci-fi or fantasy in them, Leaving Las Vegas is about as gritty and real as it gets, but like Eternal Sunshine it explores the problems with intense relationships, and how people learn to live with and without each other. Nic Cage won an Oscar for his performance as an alcoholic screenwriter who becomes entangled with a sex worker, and as we see their burgeoning relationship unravel it’s impossible not to shed a tear. Dark, depressing, but ultimately a story about how even love can’t save us all, it’s a fantastic watch.