February Fourteenth is not the worst day of the year, but sometimes that overwhelming feeling of love in the air makes it almost hard to breathe. It’s not like I hate the day, I just think it leaves no room for imperfection and prioritizes the literal romanticization that is love. Love itself is a complex dynamic with even more complex steps to the process. Without a valentine this year, it’s much easier to see the reality of it all. However, visual representations are an even better way to face the complexity. Whether you have a significant other you’re willing to face the music with or a platonic valentine you’ve hesitantly settled for this Valentine’s Day, anti V-Day films are the ones that’ll keep it real. Here are five of the most heartbreaking films to watch this lovely season:
1. 500 Days of Summer
Starring my personal heartthrob, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and girl crush, Zooey Deschanel, this film depicts the highs, lows, and narcissism of any breakup. All told from the perspective of Levitt’s character, he reflects on his relationship that any bystander could see was doomed from the start. However, the narcissism and ignorance out of each character scream real-world relationship; essentially, it isn’t you, it’s me.
2. Blue Valentine
Love is romance, passion, and vulnerability, but when the going gets tough and it’s just not meant to be unconditional forever, love is ending. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams portray a romantic couple going through the motions of adoration with the typical stages, first the honeymoon phase then slowly but surely the flaws going noticed. Of course, they make it to the journey of marriage, but the falling out of love guiding one character’s tolerance.
3. Her
Though romantic for its majority, Her is a film of eccentrics but normalizes falling in love behind a screen in the age of modern technology. Lead Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with a hyper-intelligent operating system (Scarlett Johansson) during his sadness induced divorce. The film tells two stories of love: a honeymoon phase on the road to formality and the inevitable heartbrokenness. Wherever you stand on the spectrum of love, you’ll find yourself here.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
An indie classic starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, the film takes “getting over your ex” into a literal sense with a trippy twist beginning from start to end. While their first date might bring memories of innocence and newness, their scenes of arguments and hurtful honesty might also bring back why you broke up with your ex in the first place. Love is not at all like their first date, but that’s the heartbreaking beauty of it all.
5. Marriage Story
Sorrow from beginning to end brings light to the end-all of the end-all: divorce. Married for enough years to build careers together and one child, Scarlett Johansson (her second appearance on this list) and Adam Driver shadow their dying love to go their own ways. While they might have fallen out of love prior to their filing for divorce, they finally reckon with love lost. Too young for marriage and divorce, this film will surely bring you down off cupid’s bow.
Despite all the sadness and candidness, it’s just a reminder that not everything is the way it may seem sometimes. Valentine’s Day can hurt those that aren’t in the best place with their significant other. While these films might be resemblances to your past relationships, they could also be reminders to maintain your boundaries and spaces to have those tough conversations as a preventable measure for doom. Whatever your story might be this year, Happy Valentine’s Day and feel the love!