Check all your favorite  movies or TV shows and share with us those you identify with from an  arospec perspective or the ones you think the community should avoid.

Send them our way and remember to add this info in order to get them included in the list:

Name

Release year

Does it contain romance? How important is it to the story?

How many stars do you rate it with from 1 to 5? (optional)

A short commentary about it (optional)

You can now visit the master list tag and follow our rec lists!

Important note: You can send your recommendations through our inbox or submit page. We only include those that come with the required info, so make sure you don’t forget it!

For AMM: Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye (2020). It's a 10-episode webseries you can watch on youtube about a brother and sister investigating a mystery in a small mining town. The show is completely romance free (except for a few married couples that do nothing for the plot) AND it goes along with a podcast you can also find on yt or spotify

Additional Information: Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery Trailer:

Added!

acearoagender submitted:

“Arthur Christmas” (2011)

A surprisingly fun family movie. No romance. The best review for it is one by the Nostalgia Critic here https://youtu.be/pGmVXtJUQ3Y?si=5SqzF6VP64aQJ2w8

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

Added

Check all your favorite  movies or TV shows and share with us those you identify with from an  arospec perspective or the ones you think the community should avoid.

Send them our way and remember to add this info in order to get them included in the list:

Name

Release year

Does it contain romance? How important is it to the story?

How many stars do you rate it with from 1 to 5? (optional)

A short commentary about it (optional)

You can now visit the master list tag and follow our rec lists!

Important note: You can send your recommendations through our inbox or submit page. We only include those that come with the required info, so make sure you don’t forget it!

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!

que submitted:

“Twelve Angry Men” (1957)

It’s a classic for a reason, folks. A jury of twelve meets to discuss the guilt of the young man whose court case they were called in for. Only one of these men believes in, not necessarily the innocence, but ‘room for reasonable doubt’ of the accused.

A fascinating film that is kind of like a bottle episode - most happens in one room, but it is still a lot.

No romance.

Currently free on Youtube and amazon prime

Additional Information: Crime, Drama Trailer:

Added!

‘Aro Movies Monday’: Master List ⇝ November / December 2023

[Completed 26/12/23]

❧ Romance-Free

The Big Lebowski (1998) — Movie [Link]

Weapon of Choice (2010) — Music Video [Link]

Safe (2012) — Movie [Link]

Tokyo Godfathers (2003) — Movie [Link]

Twelve Angry Men (1957) — Movie [Link]

Wayward Guide (2020) — Webseries [Link]

Arthur Christmas (2011) — Movie [Link]

❧ Aro-Friendly

Commando (1985) — Movie [Link]

C'mon C'mon (2021) — Movie [Link]

Voleuses (2023) — Movie [Link]

Cinema Therapy (2020) — Webseries [Link]

Harvey (1950) — Movie [Link]

Corner Gas (2004) — TV Show [Link]

Swing You Sinners! (1930) — Short Film [Link]

Betty Boop in Snow-White (1933) — Short Film [Link]

The Castle of Caliostro (1979) — Movie [Link]

A Patch of Blue (1965) — Movie [Link]

Candy Cane Lane (2023) — Movie [Link]

The Holdovers (2023) — Movie [Link]

The Boy and The Heron (2023) — Movie [Link]

The Goes Wrong Show (2019) — TV Show [Link]

Strange Bedfellows (2004) — Movie [Link]

❧ Aro-Negative

{ ALL ↺ } { ⬅ Previous | First ⬆ | Next ➡ }

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!

Harry submitted:

“Tokyo Godfathers” (2003)

A dramady that is little known outside of Japan, set around the December holidays.

The premise is three homeless people - Hana, Gin, and Miyuki - discover an abandoned baby while searching in a dumpster for presents, and their quest to find the parents.

If you’re tired of the usual holiday films this is a great one to experiment with. Everything these characters go through feels real, and their bond as a found family is touching.

There is also an ahead-of-its-time positively portrayed transgender main character here in Hana, which is nice to see.

No romance

Trigger warning for the violent death of a side character - though not a main character his murder is pretty disturbing

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

Added!

Check all your favorite  movies or TV shows and share with us those you identify with from an  arospec perspective or the ones you think the community should avoid.

Send them our way and remember to add this info in order to get them included in the list:

Name

Release year

Does it contain romance? How important is it to the story?

How many stars do you rate it with from 1 to 5? (optional)

A short commentary about it (optional)

You can now visit the master list tag and follow our rec lists!

Important note: You can send your recommendations through our inbox or submit page. We only include those that come with the required info, so make sure you don’t forget it!

The Holdovers (2023) for an aro-friendly Christmas movie? There is a small subplot about a character having a romantic crush on a co-worker but it gets wrapped up fairly easily and the film doesn't linger too long on it. The film is mainly about the developing friendships between a student, a teacher, and a school employee against a Christmas backdrop and it's very charming.

Additional Information: R | Comedy, Drama Trailer:

Added!

quinn submitted:

Candy Cane Lane (2023)

Holiday movie where stock character types are put into very unusual situations due to a curse. A lot of the humor comes from how these characters react to the bizarre situations, as well as the bizarre situations themselves. Other characters who have been transformed are in a lot of the film, and are my favorite parts. Their animation is pretty cool, with it almost looking like stop-motion, except with glass instead of clay.

Actually pretty fun, with subtle twists on a lot of tropes. For example, instead of hiding the magical happenings the main character not only tells his family after confirming its real, but also shows them evidence at the same time. Almost turned it off after the stock beginning, but things really pick up after arriving at Peppers store. While the main character is married, the focus is more about family and the spirit of the holiday (santa, the spirit of giving, focusing on what other people want/need instead of assuming, etc).  

There is a moment at the end where it seems like two side characters who have been arguing the whole time will hook up, but this trope is actually parodied in-universe with them both stopping the encounter before it starts. Part of it is due to them not recognizing each other for spoiler-y reasons, but upon doing so stopping the encounter and resuming their usual interaction.   

There is also a nice hint at the end that the character of Pip is going to be considered part of the Carvers family, if not already.   

Also nice moment where the Chris finally puts aside his rivalry with his neighbors across the street, which was preventing them from a genuinely nice friendship. It’s a small part of the film, but it’s there.

Slight Spoiler: Extremely subtle hint that Pip is the inspiration for the Scrooge character, which makes his character very interesting.

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

Added!