Movies & TV Shows About Polyamory & Open Relationships

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For as long as movies have been made, story tropes have formed. From the enemies to loves arc, to the classic opposites attract, there are some storylines viewers see over and over again. But, in a topic that receives much less attention than it should, many movies and TV shows have begun dealing with an important topic: polyamory and open relationships.

From TV shows like Easy and Couple to Throuple, to movies including Vicky Cristina Barcelona and 5 to 7, only a handful of shows and movies out there have dived deep into the topic.

“That’s something that is really exciting to explore,” Good Trouble star Zuri Adele told TVLine of her character’s unexpected throuple in the show. “It’s something that I know I needed and wanted to see on television, and I’m really glad to be a vessel for that, for those who need to see it now… this exploration without needing to know how that means I label myself or what that means society or my family or my communities will label me. That’s something that I’m really excited that we’re normalizing.”

Find out more shows and movies that are normalizing polyamory and open relationships below!

‘Easy’
Starring Elizabeth Reaser and Michael Chernus, Netlix’s Easy tells the story of a married couple who hope to ignite their spark by bringing one more person into their relationship. To do that, however, they need to navigate dating all over again.
'Easy'
$6.99/month
‘You Me Her’
You Me Her, starring Greg Poehler and Rachel Blanchard, follows a similar storyline: a couple with a dimming chemistry who decide to bring someone else in to spice up their sex life. That is, however, until feelings for the hired escort, Lizzie, begin to develop.
‘Couple to Throuple’
In the most recent addition to this list, the Peacock show Couple to Throuple is the ultimate binge for those curious in polyamory. The reality show follows four couples as they meet and date singles in the hopes off adding a third member to their relationship.
'Couple to Throuple'
$5.99/month
‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’
Oscar-winning movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona tells the story of two friends (Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall) as they become involved with the same man (Javier Bardem). That is, however, until his semi-estranged with (Penélope Cruz) reenters the picture and makes the dynamic all the more complicated.
'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'
$14.99/month
‘Cable Girls’
Spanish drama series Cable Girls tells the story of four young women who work for Spain’s first national telephone company in the 1920s. One of these women, Carlota (played by Ana Fernández) enters a polyamorous relationship when she falls for Sara (Ana Polvorosa) while in relationship with her boyfriend Miguel (Borja Luna).
'Cable Girls'
$7.99/month
‘She’s Gotta Have It’
Created by Spike Lee, Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It follows main character Nola (DeWanda Wise) as she balances her career, her ambitions, and her three lovers.
'She's Gotta Have It'
$7.99/month
‘The L Word: Generation Q’
In The L Word: Generation Q, main characters Alice and Nat embark on a three-way relationship when they have a drunken threesome with Nat’s ex-wife Gigi. And while this relationship might not last long, it provided a much-needed awakening for Nat as to what’s she’s looking for in relationships.
'The L Word: Generation Q'
$9.99/month
‘Good Trouble’
In another series that is not about polyamory, but has it sprinkled in is Good Trouble. In season 3, for example, Malika (played by Zuri Adele) enters a poly relationship with Dyonte (Marcus Emanuel Mitchell) and his primary partner Tanya (Liisi LaFontaine).
'Good Trouble'
$7.99/month
‘Big Love’
Set in Salt Lake City, Big Love follows Bill Henrickson (played by the late Bill Paxton), a polyamorist who struggles to balance his three wives, seven kids and three separate homes.
'Big Love'
$7.99/month
‘Design for Living’
The 1933 movie Design for Living was way ahead of its time. The story follows painter George (Gary Cooper) and playwright Thomas (Fredric March) as their love interest Gilda (Miriam Hopkins) moves into their apartment. What then unravels is a funny, romantic and intimate relationship between all three.
'Design for Living'
$Free
‘5 To 7’
Starring the late Anton Yelchin, 5 To 7 follows an unconventional romance between a married French woman and an aspiring American writer. The catch? She’s in an open marriage an can only see her new love interest from 5 pm to 7 pm.
'5 To 7'
$9.99/month