The 20 Best Age-Gap Romance Films to Watch After ‘A Family Affair’

Romance is complicated. The meshing together of two or more people isn’t designed to be a smooth process and art has reflected that for generations, most recently in the new rom-com “A Family Affair.” In honor of the film dropping, IndieWire has compiled a list of the best age-gap romance films to enjoy after watching Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron’s jaunt within the genre. From writer Carrie Solomon and “P.S. I Love You” director Richard LaGravenese, “A Family Affair” follows a self-absorbed movie star (Efron) who ends up in a whirlwind Hollywood romance with the relatively older mom (Kidman) of his 24 year-old assistant (Joey King). Efron returns to full heartthrob mode following a dark, dramatic turn in “The Iron Claw” and reunites with his “Paperboy” co-star to charming results. 

In addition to his directorial work, LaGravenese is also known for his romantic screenwriting work with “The Bridges of Madison County” and “Water for Elephants.” In our review of his film “A Family Affair,” IndieWire wrote,”The feature does slot right in with the recent trend of age gap romances. There definitely is something in the air for widows and divorcées finding love again, just as Efron and Cher belt out. Yet ‘A Family Affair’ doesn’t really stand up against even ‘The Idea of You’ (which has already become a rom-com classic of sorts), nor does it ever feel scandalous enough to merit comparison to the likes of ‘May December’ or Catherine Breillat’s ‘Last Summer.'”

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No doubt there will be some films on this list that don’t make audiences feel good about romance. That’s okay. That’s the beauty of cinema. We’re allowed to like different things. That’s a central throughline within all the films on this list in fact. What the age-gap film represents to cinema is the breaking of conformity, in ways formal — such as the use of reflection and dolly shots in Douglas Sirk’s melodrama “All That Heaven Allows” — and informal — like the sexuality on display in Alfonso Cuarón’s coming-of-age road movie “Y Tu Mamá También.” However, we do make space on this list for feel-good films as well. At the end of the day, we’re here to endorse love in all of its boundless forms, so sit back, open your mind, and enjoy all that love can be with this list of the best age-gap romance films.

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