Falling in love, making special friends, or developing crushes doesn't always turn out well for those involved. In fact, coupling can sometimes turn deadly. Look no further than the classic tale of the fugitives Bonnie and Clyde to see what happens when two volatile individuals join together in holy, murderous matrimony.
Bonnie and Clyde are far from any sane person's relationship goals, but they are the inspiration for numerous movie couples whose passions and desires are seemingly too much for this world. As the lust-filled fire rages between these cinematic characters, they burn down everything (and everyone) in their path.
Annie & Bart In Gun Crazy (1950)
Gun Crazy is a classic film noir about a pair of gun-obsessed drifters who fall madly in love. There's no denying Joseph H. Lewis's movie was a major inspiration for the 1967 Bonnie & Clyde film, as it set the standard for the past-faced, atmospheric drama centered around crime-spreeing lovers.
Peggy Cummins and John Dall play Annie and Bart, who resort to robbing banks in lieu of working odd jobs. Annie's bloodlust starts to rear its ugly head, and the two quickly find themselves on the run for more than just stealing.
Fantasia & Ray In One False Move (1992)
It doesn't end well for Fantastia and Ray in One False Move, a thriller that begins on a very gruesome note. After murdering and robbing six people over the course of a night, these lovers, joined by their cohort Dixon, flee to Houston with a cache of money and drugs.
Cynda Williams and Billy Bob Thornton play Fantasia and Ray, respectively, with Bill Paxton co-starring as Dixon. With the cops on their tails, the group begins to implode, and the love between Fantasia and Ray isn't enough to get them out of their collective mess.
McKayla & Sadie In Tragedy Girls (2017)
Tragedy Girls is a refreshing horror-comedy that seeks to subvert slasher movie conventions. In the film, two death-obsessed high school seniors who manage a popular true-crime blog decide to take their macabre fascination to the next level by capturing a wanted serial killer.
This opens the girls, McKayla and Sadie, up to a world of murder, mayhem, and social media infamy. Desperate for more recognition and fame, the girls rampage through their Midwestern town like a next-level Bonnie and Clyde.
Kit & Holly In Badlands (1973)
Terrence Malick's debut feature Badlands is a poetic and troubling rumination on youth, violence, and 1950s America. Based on the real-life case of Charlie Starkweather and his underaged girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate, it stars Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek.
In the film, Sheen's anti-social and psychopathic 25-year-old character Kit grooms and then seduces Spacek's 15-year-old character, Holly. Their relationship quickly escalates into a homicidal affair, and they run away together to the Montana Badlands.
Alabama & Clarence In True Romance (1993)
Unlike other couples on this list, Clarence and Alabama in Tony Scott's True Romance turn toward violence simply to protect themselves. The lovers, played by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, have to fend off drug dealers and mob bosses in order to create a happy life for themselves.
After Alabama, a sex worker, is hired by Clarence's friends on his birthday, a sweet romance quickly develops between them and they elope the next morning. Clarence's attempts to free Alabama from her past spiral out of control when he accidentally steals a suitcase full of cocaine from his new wife's former pimp.
Lula & Sailor In Wild At Heart (1990)
Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern play outlaw lovers Sailor and Lula in David Lynch's surreal road movie Wild at Heart. Lula's domineering mother Marietta, played by Dern's real-life mother Diane Ladd, can't stand Sailor, and she hires one assassin after the next to take her daughter's beau out - but Sailor always manages to defend himself against his would-be killers.
Sailor and Lula flee Cape Fear, North Carolina for greener pastures, but Marietta's conspirators follow suit. Sailor and Lula's journey gets increasingly violent, and their affection for each other soars with every obstacle.
Frank & Julia In Hellraiser (1987)
In Hellraiser, the illicit affair between Julia Cotton and her brother-in-law Frank is the catalyst for bringing audiences into an alternate dimension occupied by guides called Cenobites. In this world, the distinction between pain and pleasure doesn't exist, and anyone's wildest fantasies can come true - at a cost.
Julia engages in one bloody, deadly act after another in order to appease her lover's sadomasochistic urges. With these lovers, director Clive Barker takes the Bonnie and Clyde trope into the metaphysical, voyeuristic territory.
Crystal & Leo In Sun Don't Shine (2012)
Amy Seimetz is an independent filmmaker who deserves far more credit and attention for her intimate, groundbreaking movies that combine horror, dark comedy, and deep character studies. In Sun Don't Shine, Kate Lyn Sheil and Kentucker Audley play sweethearts, Crystal and Leo, traversing sweaty central Florida together.
There's one catch: Crystal's dead husband's body is in the trunk of their car. The film follows Cyrstal and Leo toward inevitable peril with a kaleidoscopic beauty that testifies to Seimetz's talent as a filmmaker.
Carter & Carol In The Getaway (1972)
Sam Peckinpah was at the top of his game when he directed The Getaway, which stars Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw as married criminal masterminds. McQueen's character, Doc, is serving a long prison sentence for armed robbery, and he convinces MacGraw's character, Carol, to make a deal with a corrupt tycoon to get an early release.
Doc is set free, but he must partake in a large-scale bank robbery to repay the businessman. After the heist backfires when one of Doc's henchmen tries to double-cross him, he grabs his wife and begins a precarious trek toward Mexico.
Slim & Queen In Queen & Slim (2019)
Issa Rae and Daniel Kayuula play Queen & Slim in Melina Matsoukas's provocative film that blends Bonnie and Clyde vibes with the reality of racist and brutal police practices. After going on a forgettable first day, Slim (Kayuula) drives Queen (Rae) home, but an encounter with a police officer over a minor traffic violation results in Slim killing the officer in self-defense.
Queen and Slim go on the run, but a video of the incident goes viral, making them the talk of the nation. One battle after another ensues with law enforcement until the movie reaches a savage conclusion.