You know those horror movies that don’t give you any practical, logical fears, like all of those films about the undead that have you out buying zombie apocalypse-proof supplies for your bug-out bag? If you’re dating or on the market, those are horror movies you don’t need in your life, as they won’t leave you with any great take-away life lessons. Movies about crazy exes, however, will serve you a purpose, and though they may leave you wanting to stay single forever, they can give you a great little dose of rational fear. Because when you’re dating, the truth is, you always need to be on your toes and looking out for something weird in your partner– it can happen (and maybe already has happened) to you! Read on for the top 5 most entertaining “crazy ex” movies to make you forever paranoid (in a way that will benefit you!). Forget zombie apocalypses, this is the stuff of nightmares!
1. Addicted
This 2014 thriller based on the book by the same name (written by Zane, famous for her erotic fiction novels) is about a businesswoman/nymphomaniac (Sharon Leal) who gets in a bit of trouble when she cheats on her husband (Boris Kodjoe) with an unstable, albeit, hot artist (William Levy). You will never have the fantasy of being painted by some buff, emotionally torn man ever again, guaranteed.
2. Gone Girl
This 2014 mystery/drama is about a broken marriage, lots of lies, and a psycho hell-bent on ruining their partner’s life (using gender-neutral terms to avoid any major spoilers). Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike give captivating performances that will make you fear marrying anyone with an above-average IQ. Seriously, it’s the work of a sick genius.
3. Temptation
If you’ve ever thought about cheating (hopefully you haven’t) this movie will definitely make you think otherwise. Tyler Perry doesn’t fail to bring the drama in this 2013 thriller about a woman who starts an affair when she begins to feel neglected by her husband. Throughout the movie, the husband appears to be the victim, but in the end, your heart will be breaking for another person entirely. It’s a rollercoaster of gasp-worthy and jaw-dropping moments.
4. The Boy Next Door
This is a cautionary tale of fooling around with someone you know very little about. Claire (played by Jennifer Lopez), tries to rebound after a nasty divorce with her cheating ex, but makes the mistake of picking the clearly mentally-ill friend of her son, Noah (who is of legal age, but still attends high school). Their fling ends badly, and somebody dies, but you’ll have to watch for the other unbelievable moments that will leave you swearing off any future life of being a cougar.
5. The Perfect Guy
This recent (2015) thriller starring the very handsome Michael Ealy is about another businesswoman who breaks up with her boyfriend when they disagree about marriage plans. Carter (Ealy) soon meets her and schmoozes and charms her into thinking he’s the perfect man, but when she realizes he’s seriously unhinged, she breaks it off, only to have him stalk her and hunt down everyone she loves. It will teach you to never find love in a coffee shop, which hopefully you already knew.
This list is of course not inclusive, and there are thousands of other great crazy ex movies out there to check out. But whatever you watch, take notes. The guy you think is Mr. Right could be one weird quirk away from being Mr. Wrong.
