If I could submit a book, Hopeless Aromantic (2023) by Samantha Rendle was an excellent nonfiction book about a wide diversity of aro experiences. I really appreciated that it fully acknowledged that most nonfiction books available about aromantics are more often than not books about asexuality with a few additional notes addressing aromanticism and that this book did truly focus on specifically the arospec experience.

Added!

thanksbutno submitted:

“Monsters Vs. Aliens” (2009)

A hilarious movie that manages to be a clever send-up of 1950s monster movies, full of great characters and an unusual plot. 

This film is one of my favorites, and part of that reason is it was the first film I saw (at least that I can remember) where there wasn’t a token romance thrown in at the end. I was sure that Susan (the main character) would be eventually set up with a love interest, and was very surprised that not only she was still single at the end, but that she had formed a found family with whom it was made clear they would have adventures with (kind of like a weird superhero squad). 

It should be noted that while this movie is aro-friendly, it is not romance-free as part of Susans arc is her realizing that her fiancé was not good for her. This is a somewhat small part of the plot, but it ties nicely into Susan discovering who she is as a person and what her new abilities are.

*Just recommending the film here, not the tv series

Additional Information: PG | Animation, Action, Adventure Trailer:

Added!

rainbowsparkle-cake submitted:

https://youtu.be/7U9VnzzsZRI?si=dJz9EKxbf11UU7kV

This commercial appealed to my very aro heart - parodies dating shows like The Bachelor by having the actress ignore the men she’s supposed to fall for and just gets a pet dog instead

Additional Information: 2022 | Parody Video:

Added!

theparallel submitted: FilmFilm & TV Monday

The “Cinema Therapy” (2020-now) webseries by Jonathan Decker and Alan Seawright.

This is a really interesting series where the hosts examine different movies and their characters through the lens of a therapist. They tend to focus on issues that impact relationships (all relationships, including friends and family), but will branch out into other topics regarding mental health as well.

It is fascinating to see how Decker not only deconstructs how romance is portrayed in the media, but has clearly done his research and is both aware of and casually accepting of the wide range of LGBTQIA+ relationships, including asexuality and aromanticism. In their video about “Megamind” they even specifically talk about aromanticism and asexuality, theorizing that Metroman may be on the aroace spectrum. This was so cool to see!

It is also pretty interesting to see them mention in a lot of their videos that it is perfectly fine to have sexual relationships with no dating, to be involved in poly relationships, and also how couples therapy can apply to friends. It is clear that Decker and Seawright have done their research into the big wide world of LGBTQIA+ gender and sexuality (even casually mentioning nonbinary and ‘they/them’ pronouns a few times), which is so nice to see.

Not a romance-free series, but definitely aro-friendly.

Additional Information: Trailer:  

Added!

Watched "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" (2023) literally yesterday and immediately wanted to submit it here for aro movies Monday.

No real on screen romance, much more focus on platonic relationships, with the protagonist and his female best friend literally raising a child together for over a decade. Made very clear throughout the film they're not interested in each other romantically and that's that, and I loved their friendship to bits.

They both have past relationships they're still getting over which are important to their motivations/growth, and two side characters end up together by the end (they really don't ever have any romantic moments though), but there's no current romantic relationships for anyone but minuscule side characters, just fantasy action shenanigans.

It uses D&D worldbuilding and has some references that people who enjoy the game might get more from, but is entirely watchable as just a fantasy movie for anyone unfamiliar. Plot is about a gang of misfit thieves trying to rob someone who once double crossed them, and also get our protagonists' daughter back. The ending made me cry, it was very sweet and heavily focused on their found family and how important it was.

Additional Information: PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Comedy Trailer:

Added!

I'd like to submit the following recommendation: Secondhand Lions (2003). There is some romance that's important to the story, but 99% is told from a 3rd-person perspective; the narrator of that part is the brother of the man involved in the romance and there's never any type of "I wish I could've found someone like that" sentiment that you sometimes run into. I'd give it 5 stars, it's one of my favorite movies, and my mom's favorite as well.

[I ran out of room about Secondhand Lions and I wanted to add a few content warnings: old-fashioned stereotypes of SWANA culture (but played in sort of a campy way like they're mimicking older movies, and mostly dispelled at the end), gun use (but no one gets shot iirc), physical violence including towards a child, animal death, major character death (off-screen), strongly implied DV (which is a separate "romantic" relationship this is so obviously bad idk if it counts)]

Additional Information: PG | Comedy, Drama, Family Trailer:

Added!

thankyouspock submitted:

Really interesting video by Overly Sarcastic Productions called “Trope Talk: Queer Coded Villains” (2022)

Talks about how certain character types were, well, coded as being on various levels of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and why audiences both appreciate and/or cringe at these characters. Discusses a surprising range of the LGBTQIA+ rainbow, including aromantic representation.

Might be potentially triggering due to how frustrating the Hays Code was, its lasting impact, and the rise of queer-baiting in media.

Video:

Added!

I think it was allowed to submit Mangas too the Aro Movies Monday, and if not, please forget about this one.

I submit ブルースカイコンプレックス or Blue Sky Complex. It's a yaoi or BL manga that revolves around two students Narasaki and Terashima. In the manga they start a relationship, (I know), but the important is that it's stated that Narasaki only is interested and has dated Terashima.

There's a part (at least in the Spanish translation) that when Terashima is asked about their relationship says that he has always known he's gay, but it's different for Narasaki. And it's also hows that the more time they spend together, the more interested Narasaki becomes in Terashima. It's not said aloud, but for me it reads as Narasaki is aromantic (probably demiromantic).

There are other relationships mentioned and others bond forming, but is pretty aro-friendly and interesting to read.

Added!

theparallel submitted:

“A Patch of Blue” (1965)

An excellent film where set in the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement, where an African American man Gordon meets a young blind white woman named Selena and realizes she is being abused by her mother.

While Selena and Gordon grow to love each other, I’m submitting this film here due to their conversation at the end. He tells her “Selena, there are many kinds of love. Most of them have nothing to do with marriage…You’ll meet many new people, men and women. You will see lots of things differently. And after a time, you’ll be able to tell - we’ll both be able to tell whether what we feel for each other has anything to do with marriage.”

Their discussion is so great. It is rare that a film will acknowledge, let alone examine, the wide spectrum of love that exists, and how romantic love is just one of many and just as important. It is also very wise that Gordon is aware that they need some time to think about what they have. They don’t necessarily need to define it, but he has a point that there is no hurry to marry and plenty of time to decide if that is what they really want.

Additional Information: Unrated | Drama, Romance Trailer:

Added!

@rainbowsparkle-cake submitted:

“Unlock my Boss” (2022-2023) tv show

Not going to lie, I avoided this show for a while because the title seemed dumb, and the plot easily guessable from the title.

However, after actually watching the series, it is now one of my favorite dramas. The general plot is about a young man (Park In-seong) who finds some evidence - though unfortunately not enough to just show to the police - that a businessman (Kim Seon-joo) has been kidnapped and possibly murdered. He manages to get a position high enough in Seon-joo’s company in order to find out what really happened. In the process he teams up with Seon-joo’s secretary Jung Se-yeo, and they spend the series finding out what is really going on in this tech company, why Mr. Kim was abducted, and if he is even alive.

Really good series that has some great friendships, terrible villains that you really want to get taken down, and a surprisingly insightful analysis of what makes a ‘person.’

Though the advertised plot point regarding the phone might seem a bit off putting, it ties in nicely to the theme that ““Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

It should be noted that there is a romance between Park In-seong and Jung Se-yeo, but it only makes up a very tiny portion of the show (maybe less than ten minutes altogether of a 12 episode show, each episode around an hour long). While they do like each other, they have their priorities straight and spend pretty much all of their time uncovering the conspiracy of what happened to Mr. Kim.

There is also a nice subversion of the 'love at first sight’ cliche, where Park In-seong specifically says later that when he met Jung Se-yeo he could tell she was a good person, with no mention of love.

Additional Information: TV-14 | Comedy, Fantasy Trailer:

Added!

For AMM: Barbie (2023) is incredibly aro-friendly. I don't want to get too deep into spoilers but there is an extended scene that discusses how a) romance doesn't solve everything and b) that for some folks, romance isn't really an option and that's ok. Also has a lot to say about people who define themselves solely by their romantic relationships and how that isn't healthy or good for anyone. Honestly one of the best films I've seen to challenge the concept of amatonormativity and compulsory romance in general. In terms of romance, there's a married couple, there are a lot of romantic partnerships, and a few discussions of romantic love. But it all pays off in a super aro-friendly way. 5/5 film

Additional Information: PG-13 | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Trailer:

Added!

thankyouspock submitted:

“The Goes Wrong Show” (2019-2021)

Hilarious sketch tv show. The premise is that an amateur theater troupe attempts thirty minute plays that, inevitably, go wrong, be it via bad line readings, problems with the set, and so on. One of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen, where the actors do such an amazing job that you almost wonder if the accidents are genuine.

No romance between the actor-characters. Some of the in-universe plays they perform have romance plotlines, but they are all made fun of. For example, in “A Trial to Watch” the two main lawyer characters are supposed to be having romantic tension, but the actors Dennis and Vanessa (intentionally) have absolutely no chemistry. This makes all of their interactions hilarious, especially the very last scene.

In other words, absolutely everything is made fun of, including romance. In fact, one of my personal favorites is their period romance parody “Harper’s Locket.”

The episodes can be watched in any order, but either “The Lodge” or “A Trial to Watch” are probably the best intro.

Currently free on Youtube

Note: this recommendation is only for the television show, not any of their other plays/films. While “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” and “A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong” are very good and genuinely funny, they both have romantic subplots between the actor-characters, not the characters they play.

Additional Information: TV-PG | Comedy Trailer:

Added!

Anonymous submitted:

“Strange Bedfellows” (2004)

Now, the movie is definitely not perfect and a product of its time, but there’s no denying that the core message is wonderful.     Earlier parts of this film have uncomfortable moments, but they’re intentionally uncomfortable, showing the mindset of this small town. These parts can be hard to sit through, but it helps to know this is intentional - the writers are tricking people into buying what they think is a ticket to a shallow film with Crocodile Dundee, but actually getting a story that is teaching a somehow both subtle and obvious lesson about prejudice, the importance of platonic love, and how you shouldn’t need to explain or reveal your private life to anyone, nor be forced to explain why/how you care about someone.    The two main characters, Vince and Ralph, are extremely close. The tiny town they live in starts to believe they are in a romantic relationship, and is not very welcoming. Vince and Ralph themselves are uncomfortable with this assumption, but undergo character development after facing this prejudice and meeting actual LGBTQIA+ people in the city. It all comes to a big confrontation at the films end, where Ralph gives an absolutely lovely speech.“Now, I know some of you are wondering what’s going on. And others have probably made up their minds already. But, for starters…I’d like you to welcome some friends of Vince and mine from Sydney. G'day. They’re all wonderful people…who I know you’re going to love when you get to know ‘em. OK. Now, I understand there’s been a bit of speculation around town about Vince Hopgood and myself. Well, it’s nobody’s business but ours, what goes on between Vince and I. We’ve been mates since we were kids. Most of you have known us all your lives. Crikey, we’ve… we’ve lived and worked amongst you for years. That’s what you should be judging us by. Not about what may or may not happen between us in private. Vince has been part of every important event in my life. He was my best man. He was there when my daughter was born and…when my wife, Helen, passed away. He was a tower of strength to me. See, it doesn’t matter who you are. If you have one real friend in this life one person you can truly trust then you’re very lucky indeed. Vince Hopgood has been the best mate a man could have. And, yes, for anyone out there who’s interested I love him. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.”Here are some more reviews:https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0916554/?ref_=tt_urv 

P.S. I actually found out about this film by reading an article about how a 2007 American film plagiarized it. Curious, I watched both of them. The 2007 film that plagiarized it was dumb, shallow, immature, and rather homophobic. In contrast, the original 2004 “Strange Bedfellows” was miles better (due to the above-written reasons). The world in 2004 had miles to go in regards to LGBTQIA+ issues and tolerance, and this movie was doing its part to help. As such it has become somewhat dated now, but what it was trying to do in the time period it was made is rather heartwarming.

Additional Information: R | Comedy Trailer:

Added!

Also, The Boy and The Heron (2023) is pretty aro-friendly. There's a subplot where the main character's dad gets remarried but the film doesn't really focus on the romance and focuses instead on how this kid is dealing with having a new mom. Other than that, there's zero romance.

Additional Information: PG-13 | Animation, Adventure, Drama Trailer:

Added!

thanksbutno submitted :

The Castle of Caliostro (1979)

The very first feature film by Hayao Miyazaki, and an amazing adventure/action film. Almost completely free of romance, with only a side character (mis?)believing at the end that Clarisse is in love with Lupin. It’s never actually confirmed by Clarisse, and it is very clear that though Lupin cares deeply for her he is not in love. In any case Clarisse never says she’s in love, and it felt more like she was reluctant to part with these people who experienced this dangerous adventure with her. Lupin and another character Fujiko have a complicated past, but whatever it was has evolved into a good friendship.

Additional Information: Animation, Action, Adventure Trailer: 

Added!

centipede's dilemma submitted:

“Abigail” (2024)

Great horror film with dark comedy mixed in. You can definitely tell it was made by the same people who did “Ready or Not”, another one of the films recommended to this site.

The villains are surprisingly complex, allowing for the audience to evolve their perception of who they’re rooting for throughout. It would be fun to write more about them, but don’t want to spoil the film for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet.

A romance-free film. Very brief mention to one of the characters having an ex-husband. There is also a very subtle hint that Joey and Rickles have romantic feelings for each other, but it is so subtle that most people might not even notice it. Also possible that it is just one-sided on Rickles part, or maybe just a high level of trust since they were both in the army.

Trigger Warning: While there is a lot of violence, it is intentionally over-the-top, similar to “Ready or Not” and maybe “Renfield” (the latter in terms of violence - the tone in “Renfield” is somewhat lighter).

Additional Information: R | Horror Trailer:

Added!