Most of us know the traditional romantic comedy formula: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. The familiar rhythm of a romcom is what makes it so appealing—it is as comforting as listening to a favorite song or slipping into a well-worn sweater. But for those of us who have ever been in a real-life relationship, who know that love doesn’t fit neatly into a three-act structure, romcoms can sometimes feel disingenuous.
But the genre of romantic comedies covers far more than the basic “romcom.” For those who crave something a little more honest, there is its sharper, acerbic sibling: the comedy of romance.
While romcoms follow a set formula, comedies of romance explore the darker, more complicated sides of love while still (hopefully) making us laugh. Billy Wilder cracked the mold with “The Apartment” and “Some Like It Hot,” paving the way for New Hollywood directors like Mike Nichols, Hal Ashby, and Elaine May to tear it apart with films like “Carnal Knowledge,” “Harold and Maude,” and “The Heartbreak Kid.”
Writers and directors were looking for ways to subvert expectations long before then, too. Even relatively tame classics like William Wyler’s “Roman Holiday,” which plays at The Triplex this Valentine’s Day, pushed the genre’s boundaries. It is a simple story that dares to acknowledge a truth many comedies of its era avoided: Sometimes, life—with all its obligations, responsibilities, and timing—gets in the way of love.
Which is what these movies are all about: They may break your heart, but they also lift you up. They capture the highs and lows of love in one cinematic experience, making you laugh, cry, cringe, and seethe in equal measure. They remind us that there is no single formula for love—a lesson worth embracing (and celebrating) this Valentine’s Day.
Now Playing
“Wild at Heart”
A stylized romance from David Lynch.
The Triplex is honoring the legacy of visionary director David Lynch with “Time to Wake Up,” a new series celebrating the swirl of darkness, romance, and Americana that made Lynch one of the greatest to ever step behind a camera.
We kick things off on Valentine’s Day weekend with “Wild at Heart,” Lynch’s Palme D’Or-winning love story starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern and featuring Willem Defoe, Diane Ladd, Isabella Rossellini, and more in supporting roles. When young lovers Sailor (Cage) and Lula (Dern) hit the road to escape Lula’s domineering mother (Ladd), they become entangled in a violent criminal underworld that will test the strength of their love.
February 15, at 8:30 p.m.
“Harold and Maude”
Hal Ashby’s cult-classic dark comedy.
Our members voted on their favorite fractured romance and picked “Harold and Maude” as our next Member Appreciation Screening! Join us on February 20 for Hal Ashby’s cult-classic romcom that follows a death-obsessed Harold (Bud Cort) as he gains a new appreciation of life from his relationship with the carefree 79-year-old Maude.
February 20, at 7 p.m.
“Captain America: Brave New World”
Harrison Ford hulks out in the latest entry in the MCU.
Anthonie Mackie picks up the shield in “Captain America: Brave New World,” the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Drawing on inspiration from conspiracy classics from the 1970s, “Brave New World” finds Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the one man who can stop a shadowy cabal from provoking a hot-head president (Harrison Ford) into bringing the world to war.
Starts Friday.
“Paddington in Peru”
Everyone’s favorite bear returns for a new adventure!
The very best bear returns for another adventure in “Paddington in Peru”! The third installment in the beloved family franchise follows Paddington and the Browns as they travel to Paddington’s native Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, only to discover that she has gone missing. Featuring an over-the-top Antonio Banderas and Olivia Colman in supporting roles, “Paddington in Peru” is a heartwarming adventure that is as sweet as marmalade.
Starts Friday.
Oscar Nominated Live Action and Animated Shorts
Innovative short films from around the world!
Check out bursts of imagination from all over the world in the 2025 Oscar Nominated Live Action and Animated Shorts, which cover everything from humanity in the age of AI to standing up to fascism and the yuckiness of kissing.
Part of our Limited Engagement series, these shorts are only at The Triplex for one week! Starts Friday.
“The Brutalist”
Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Director Brady Corbet (“Vox Lux”) creates a towering cinematic tribute to the immigrant experience in “The Brutalist.” The story follows brilliant architect László Tóth (Oscar winner Adrien Brody), who comes to America after surviving the Holocaust and struggles to achieve the American dream while realizing his architectural masterwork. A Golden Globes winner for Best Picture, Actor, and Director, “The Brutalist” is a sweeping cinematic epic that needs to be seen on the big screen.
Ends Thursday!
Coming Soon
“Nickel Boys”
An innovative adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “Nickel Boys” comes to The Triplex as part of our Limited Engagement series!
An Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, “Nickel Boys” tells the story of Elwood and Turner, two African-American teenagers sent to an abusive reform school in the Jim Crow South of the 1960s. Shot entirely from the point of view of its protagonists, director RaMell Ross immerses you in a cinematic experience unlike any other in this tale of friendship and survival.
Starts February 21.
“Shampoo”
In 2025, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of movies from 1975 in our monthly series 1975 at 50!
We kick things off with Hal Ashby’s biting satire “Shampoo,” a darkly comedic look at the complications of the free love movement as it ran headlong into the Watergate era, sponsored by Michele’s Salon & Day Spa. Starring Warren Beatty as a hairdresser who uses sex to help advance his career, “Shampoo” follows Beatty’s George over the course of Election Day 1968 as he juggles his girlfriend (Goldie Hawn); his client (Lee Grant, in an Oscar-winning role); her husband (Jack Warden); and his mistress (Julie Christie), who just so happens to be George’s ex-girlfriend.
Just announced: Director and educator Deborah Reinisch joins us to introduce Shampoo and discuss the significance of 1975 in film history! February 23.
