Which Open-Relationship Stories Became Films Or TV Shows?

I've made a habit of hunting down films and shows that treat non-monogamy as more than just a scandal—there's a surprising range, from indie art-house to earnest TV drama. One of the most famous is 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona', which plays like a sun-soaked, messy exploration of desire and transient pairings; Woody Allen's film leans into jealousy and romantic confusion rather than a clean affirmative portrait, but it definitely centers a kind of open, overlapping relationship. For a historical and surprisingly tender take, 'Professor Marston and the wonder Women' dramatizes the real-life polyamory of william moulton marston, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, and Olive Byrne, and it's based in part on research like 'the secret history of Wonder Woman'. If you like stories that push past conventional boundaries in a gentler, contemporary way, the BBC/Netflix series 'Wanderlust' starring Toni Collette thoughtfully examines a married couple experimenting with consensual non-monogamy and shows the emotional fallout in a very human way.

On the small-screen side, a show built entirely around a throuple is 'You Me Her'—light at times, but surprisingly steady in normalizing day-to-day logistics and emotions when three people share a relationship. Reality TV has also jumped in: the Showtime documentary series 'Polyamory: Married & Dating' follows multiple real poly households and offers raw, often practical insight. For depictions that are more erotic and anarchic, films like 'the dreamers' (based on 'The Holy Innocents') and 'Eyes Wide Shut' explore sexual freedom and group dynamics from very different angles—one youthful and experimental, the other claustrophobic and ritualized. And if you want polygamy in a serialized format, 'Big Love' gives you a show-length study of plural marriage with all the political and family complications that brings.

I love that these adaptations run the gamut: some romanticize, others critique, and a few try to map the messy work of jealousy, negotiation, and care that actually makes consensual non-monogamy possible. If you're curious, mix an art film, a thoughtful drama, and a documentary to get a rounded sense—each treats the theme with very different assumptions, and that contrast is part of what keeps the subject so compelling to watch. Personally, I find the historical real-life stories the most humane, but the TV shows are where the nuance really gets room to breathe.

If you want a quick, practical list that points straight at screen stories about open or consensually non-monogamous relationships, here’s what I reach for: 'You Me Her' (TV) — a long-form view of a committed three-way relationship and its complications; 'Wanderlust' (TV) — a realistic couple experimenting with non-monogamy and the messy emotions that follow; 'Professor Marston and the Wonder Women' (film) — a biopic about a real polyamorous household; 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' (film) — a rom-com-meets-drama about overlapping romantic entanglements; 'The Dreamers' (film) — an erotic, youthful ménage à trois adapted from 'The Holy Innocents'; 'Polyamory: Married & Dating' (doc series) — nonfiction perspectives on daily poly life; 'Looking' (TV) and 'The L Word' (TV) — both include open relationships and fluid arrangements as part of larger ensemble stories. These vary wildly in tone and intent—some sensationalize, others normalize—so I usually pick one documentary and one drama to get both the lived-in perspective and the narrative flourish. Personally, I find the documentary approach grounding, but the dramas are where the emotional textures live, and they’re great conversation starters for anyone curious.