Polyamory TV shows and movies worth watching
The best-known polyamory TV shows and movies include the series You Me Her, Trigonometry and Wanderlust, the reality series Polyamory: Married & Dating, the documentary Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family, and films such as Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Splendor, Design for Living and Jules and Jim. Some portray polyamory thoughtfully; others are love triangles or open marriages that only brush against it.
Every title below is real and listed with its creator or director and year. For each one, we say what it gets right and where it falls short. Availability on streaming services changes often and differs by country, so check your local services.
TV dramas and comedies
You Me Her (2016 to 2020)
Created by John Scott Shepherd and first shown on Audience Network, this comedy-drama follows a married couple in Portland who both fall for the same young woman, forming a three-way relationship over five seasons. What it gets right: it treats the throuple as a real relationship with jealousy, logistics and family reactions, rather than a punchline. Where it falls short: the drama leans on secrecy and soap-opera twists, and the early premise involves an escort, which some viewers find off-putting. Our guide to throuples covers the reality.
Trigonometry (2020)
Written by Duncan Macmillan and Effie Woods for BBC Two, this eight-part drama follows a London couple who take in a lodger and gradually fall in love with her. What it gets right: it is quiet, tender and careful about consent, showing three people working out a relationship that none of them planned. Where it falls short: it focuses on how a triad forms more than how one lasts, so it ends where many real challenges begin. Our guide to triad relationships picks up from there.
Wanderlust (2018)
Written by Nick Payne for BBC One and starring Toni Collette, this six-part drama follows a long-married couple who decide to explore relationships with other people. What it gets right: it is honest about desire in long relationships and the awkwardness of renegotiating a marriage. Where it falls short: it is closer to an open marriage story than polyamory, and the arrangement is often messy. Our guide to polyamory vs open relationships explains the difference.
Reality and documentary
Polyamory: Married & Dating (2012 to 2013)
A Showtime reality series that followed polyamorous households in Southern California over two seasons. What it gets right: it showed real polyamorous people at a time when few were on television, including family dinners and difficult conversations. Where it falls short: as a reality show, it emphasised sex and drama, and it featured a narrow range of people. Most of its households were built around an established couple, so if you want to compare that with other approaches, our guide to hierarchical vs non-hierarchical polyamory explains the options.
Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family (2004)
Directed by Susan Kaplan, this documentary follows three people, two men and a woman, who build a household together over several years and have children. What it gets right: it covers a long stretch of time, so you see the relationship change, strain and adapt. Where it falls short: it is one family's story and was made more than two decades ago, so some of its social context has dated. Our guide to polyamory and family covers families today.
Films
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)
Written and directed by Angela Robinson, this film tells the story of psychologist William Moulton Marston, his wife Elizabeth and Olive Byrne, whose three-way relationship coincided with the creation of Wonder Woman. What it gets right: it presents the relationship as loving and mutual, and gives both women real depth. Where it falls short: it is a dramatisation, and some historical details are disputed by Marston's family.
Splendor (1999)
Written and directed by Gregg Araki, this bright comedy follows a young woman in Los Angeles who falls for two very different men and invites both to live with her. What it gets right: it is playful and affectionate, with a relationship that mostly works. Where it falls short: the men are not involved with each other, the story is more screwball than realistic, and its ending retreats toward convention.
Design for Living (1933)
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch, this pre-Code comedy follows a woman in Paris who cannot choose between two friends and decides to live with both. What it gets right: for its era, it is remarkably frank about a woman refusing to pick one man. Where it falls short: it is a comedy of manners, not a portrait of polyamory, and its rules come from 1930s Hollywood.
Jules and Jim (1962)
Directed by François Truffaut, this French classic follows two friends and the woman they both love over many years. What it gets right: it takes seriously the idea that love for more than one person can be real. Where it falls short: it is a tragedy, built on jealousy and instability rather than consent and communication, so it shows what polyamorous people try to avoid.
What to look for in polyamory on screen
Most screen stories involving more than two lovers are not really about polyamory. They are love triangles, affairs or open marriages in crisis. A few questions help you tell the difference:
- Does everyone know? Polyamory depends on consent. If the plot runs on secrets, it is about cheating.
- Do the characters talk? Good portrayals show negotiation, check-ins and mistakes being repaired.
- Is anyone treated as an accessory? Stories where a third person exists only to serve a couple's fantasy miss the point.
- Does it end with a choice? Many stories end with someone choosing one partner. Real polyamory rarely requires that.
Using films and shows as conversation starters
Watching something together can be an easy way to start a conversation with a partner or relative about polyamory. Trigonometry and Three of Hearts tend to work well for this, because they are gentle and grounded. Afterwards, ask what felt realistic and what did not. For something to read instead, see our list of polyamory books, and for vocabulary you will hear on screen, the polyamory glossary.
Frequently asked questions
What TV shows are about polyamory?
You Me Her, Trigonometry and the reality series Polyamory: Married & Dating focus on polyamorous relationships. Wanderlust is closer to an open marriage story.
Is there a documentary about polyamory?
Yes. Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family (2004), directed by Susan Kaplan, follows a three-person household over several years.
What movies feature polyamorous relationships?
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Splendor, Design for Living and Jules and Jim all feature relationships involving more than two people.
Which show portrays a throuple most realistically?
Many viewers find Trigonometry the most grounded portrayal of three people falling in love, while You Me Her covers a throuple over a longer period.
Where can I watch these titles?
Streaming availability changes often and differs by country, so check the services available where you live.
Is Wanderlust about polyamory?
Partly. It follows a married couple opening their relationship, which is closer to an open marriage than to polyamory.