Henry & June

Henry & June has built a devoted following among viewers who want their romance taken seriously. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. With 231 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. You will have strong feelings about it by the finale. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Henry & June arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. What makes Henry & June work is that the obstacles feel real, not manufactured for the plot. While traveling in Paris, author Henry Miller and his wife, June, meet Anais Nin, and sexual sparks fly as Nin starts an affair with the openly bisexual June. When June is forced to return to the U.S., she gives Nin her blessing to sleep with her husband. Then, when June returns to France, an unexpected, and sometimes contentious, threesome forms. Fred Ward and Uma Thurman lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1990. What makes Henry & June work is that the leads feel like people first, a couple second. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Henry & June is ideal for viewers who want romance served with real character development. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. The chemistry Fred Ward brings to it is the engine that drives everything. A rarer quality than it sounds — earning the romantic beats rather than assuming them.