As per several world religions, adultery or cheating is a sin, and its perpetrators are headed to hell. It is understandable, considering the same religions deem marriage as “sacred.” With religion having an influence on society as one of its pillars, therefore, adultery is also a social taboo. Even today, when the progressive movement has made society in general more open-minded and accepting, adultery carries with it that negative stigma. Maybe the

foremost reason for this is that adultery is thought of as a reflection of disorder inasmuch as it has the potential to destroy families, groups of which constitute a society. If the families collapse, society by necessity will also collapse. It is this feeling of wrongness that thrills any artist the most about adultery. It has permeated every department of art that we create — from painting to sculpture, poetry, prose, films, and television. The artistic response to infidelity has been rather varied, and the below movies on HBO Max cover the subject from all possible perspectives: embracing it, reviling it, or navigating between those two poles.

8. Love Affair (1939)

Leo McCarey’s ‘Love Affair’ follows two strangers, both engaged, who accidentally meet on a transatlantic cruise heading to New York. Their brief affair rekindles 6 months later when they coincidentally bump into each other on top of the Empire State Building. Nevertheless, destiny has other plans in store for them as an accident puts their love at risk. Starring alongside Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, ‘Love Affair’ earned 6 nominations at the 12th Academy Awards while its stars were made Hollywood’s No. 1 onscreen pair of lovers. The movie is a cult favorite and the one that gave birth to ‘An Affair to Remember’ with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. ‘Love Affair’ can be streamed here.

7. Love in the Afternoon (1972)

‘Love in the Afternoon’ or ‘L’Amour l’après-midi’ (also known as ‘Chloe in the Afternoon’) is a French film by Éric Rohmer. It is the sixth and final entry in Rohmer’s ‘Six Moral Tales’ series. The plot revolves around Frédéric Carrelet (Bernard Verley), who, like Michael, is in a relatively happy marriage with his wife, Hélène. They have one child together, and Hélène is pregnant with the second. Frédéric frequently reflects on his life before marriage, and one day he sees a person he thought never to see again. Chloé was the girlfriend of one of his best friends when they were young. She broke the friend’s heart. Currently, Frédéric and Chloé share an odd relationship. She gives him emotional support while he financially caters to her, but none of them makes the other’s desire for a sexual relationship explicit at least in the beginning. You can see ‘Love in the Afternoon’ here.

6. Le Bonheur (1965)

‘Le Bonheur’ or ‘Happiness’ is a French movie directed by Agnès Varda that won the Jury Grand Prix at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival. A horror movie tastefully packaged in rainbows and sunshine, ‘Le Bonheur’ tells the story of François, a contentedly married family man. He encounters Émilie, and though he has endless happiness with his wife Thérèse and their two children, François has an affair with Émilie, who is physically similar to Thérèse, but the latter seems to be more self-sufficient. You can view the film here.

5. The Souvenir (2019)

Joanna Hogg’s Sundance Jury Prize-winning drama ‘The Souvenir’ is all about Julie, a film student, who becomes infatuated with a handsome and elusive man called Anthony. In her first ever love affair, Anthony is shown to be emotionally imbalanced, not knowing what he wants from her or from himself, even stealing money from her and burgling her flat. At the heart of everything is a secret related to addiction and infidelity, and for that reason, it would do Julie some good if she kept away from Anthony, Infidelity Movies  but that’s only if she knows. A riveting image of the human psyche through the prism of sensibility, ‘The Souvenir’ is a must-see independent drama featuring Honor Swinton Byrne and Tom Burke. You can see it here.

4. Brief Encounter (1945)

A cult British tragic love story by David Lean, ‘Brief Encounter’ is an adaptation of the 1936 one-act play ‘Still Life’ by Noël Coward. Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard star in this drama about Laura Jesson (Johnson), a suburban matron in an unfulfilling marriage, who encounters Dr. Alec Harvey (Howard), a general practitioner, and the two strike up a friendship. Gradually, the friendship develops into a romance, but there’s always a lingering reluctance that’s associated with fear of their infidelity corrupting their family lives. Will they succumb to the temptation, or will they release it? ‘Brief Encounter’ Infidelity Movies  deals with the human reality that underlies love and awareness of it. Judgment finds its way somehow and destroys the desire and passion urge, thus turning life into what it is. ‘Brief Encounter’ won the Palme d’Or at the 1st Cannes Film Festival (1946) and earned 3 Oscar nominations. You may watch it here.

3. Babygirl (2024)

In Halina Reijn’s ‘Babygirl,’ Nicole Kidman plays sex-starved married woman Romy Mathis, who engages in a sizzling affair with Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a young intern at her firm, of which she is the head. Regardless of being aware of how it will impact Infidelity Movies  her life with her loving husband and overall family life, Romy gives in to sexual pleasure. The question remains: What if someone learns about the affair? Ought she expose herself to her husband before he hears about it from another? Kidman’s performance is the best reason for seeing ‘Babygirl’ as she lights up the screen performing the dual-edged role which is as fragile as it is sensual. You may view the movie here.

2. Blood Simple (1984)

Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, the action of the film occurs in Texas. We are introduced to bar owner Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya), who engages the services of a corrupt divorce detective Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh), to murder the former’s wife Abby (Frances McDormand) and her boyfriend Ray (John Getz), a bartender at Marty’s bar. This is the second instance in which Marty employs Visser after having employed him to obtain photographic proof of Abby and Ray spending time together. But here, Visser has his own scheme in mind that he is going to execute in his own “profit.” This results in a series of unexpected circumstances, which are sometimes fatal, which are highlighted through misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions. To know what they are Infidelity Movies  , you can stream ‘Blood Simple’ here.

1. In the Mood for Love (2000)

Directed by Wong Kar-wai, ‘In the Mood for Love’ is a masterful piece of cinema that gently explores the topics of infidelity and pent-up desire. Filmed against the background of Hong Kong in the 1960s, the movie’s story follows two neighbors, Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung, who suspect their wives and husbands of cheating and enter into a deep friendship as they navigate their own unrequited feelings. This unrequited love story is vividly captured by lyrical cinematography and poignant music, conveying the tearful longing and restraint of its characters. Wong Kar-wai’s masterful direction and the mesmerizing acting by Leung and Cheung are what turn ‘In the Mood for Love’ into a masterpiece of the subtle dance between loyalty and enticement. You can stream the film here. Read More: Best Infidelity Movies on Hulu