Personally, I’m tired of searching “Valentine’s Day movies” and getting the same results every time: very similar, and often, very basic romantic comedies. Now don’t get me wrong, I love rom-coms as much as the next person, but they usually represent one specific type of love, and there are so many kinds of love to be celebrating on Feb.14. With that in mind, I made this list of movies, representing many types of love across many different types of stories, for whatever/whoever you want to celebrate.
“The Princess Bride”
Based on the novel, “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman, this fairytale adventure follows Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) and her one true love (Carey Elwes), separated by fate. He must find her, defeat the evils of the kingdom and save her to be finally reunited.
This is one of my top ten movies of all time, so transparently, I will take any opportunity to recommend it, and it is typically the movie I end up watching on Valentine’s Day. Both the romance and the comedic aspects are done exceptionally well, the fantasy plot offers a different storyline from a traditional rom-com and, of course, we all love a happy ending.
“Eternity”
Joan (Elizabeth Olson), recently deceased, is placed in an afterlife where she has seven days to choose where — and more importantly, with whom — to spend eternity. The man that she spent her life with, Larry (Miles Teller), and her first love who died young, Luke (Callum Turner), both wait for her, and she is forced to make a choice between the two.
While this is a newer pick, I wholeheartedly believe that it deserves a spot on this list. The concept breathes some new life into the classic rom-com. The emotions are strong, and it explores the idea of love in a unique way.
“But I’m a Cheerleader”
Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne) is shocked when, despite her perfect life as a cheerleader dating a football player, her parents send her to a conversion camp after deciding she’s gay. At this camp, she meets the rebellious Graham Eaton (Clea DuVall), and begins to develop feelings for her despite the confusion she initially faced.
“But I’m a Cheerleader” is the pinnacle of queer rom-coms. It’s campy, funny and surprisingly heartwarming with fantastic performances from Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall. This is one of the best lighthearted queer stories out there.
“Moonlight”
“Moonlight” explores the life of Chiron Harris (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes), a young black man, as he grows up in Miami. The story focuses on his community and the love and support he received throughout his life.
“Moonlight” is the cinematic definition of the exploration of love. It’s no rom-com, but it’s a different way to look at love. Everything feels so tangible, and it brings all of the emotions to a higher level — so maybe keep some tissues on hand.
“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”
Advice columnist Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) pitches a guide to her readers on how to lose a man in 10 days. She goes off to find a man for her experiment and meets Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey), a man set on proving that he can get a woman to fall in love with him in 10 days. Their plans, in obvious conflict, begin to fall apart as their relationship continues.
When I said I genuinely love rom-coms, I meant it, and everything I love about them is exemplified in this movie. “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” borders on a perfect movie for me: a fantastic cast, engaging plot and my personal favorite rom-com protagonist — she is a writer, so I might be biased. It’s fun, it’s cute and it will always make my list of recommendations.
“The Half of It”
Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) agrees to write a love letter for her classmate, Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer), to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), whom she is also in love with. As time goes on, her love for Aster grows, as does her bond with Paul.
I have such a soft spot for the Netflix teen rom-coms, and “The Half of It” is my favorite. It’s a solid coming-of-age story, very endearing and has great performances from the whole cast. I always walk away from this movie feeling more uplifted than I was before.
“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”
A group of four best friends, Bridget Vreeland (Blake Lively), Carmen Lowell (America Ferrera), Lena Kaligaris (Alexis Bledel) and Tibby Tomko-Rollins (Amber Tamblyn), plan to separate for the summer months for the first time in years. To stay connected to each other, they send a pair of jeans that fits all four of them back and forth.
This may be a very out-of-left-field suggestion, but I promise I have a point. Female friendship is one of my favorite things to celebrate, especially on Valentine’s, or Galentine’s, Day, and this is a childhood favorite of mine. While it is kind of cheesy, the emotional journey and friendship is sweet and very nostalgic.
“We Live in Time”
Brought together by surprise, Almut Brühl (Florence Pugh) and Tobias Durand (Andrew Garfield) fall in love and build a family, and through the moments of their lives, a hard truth is revealed. Limited by time, they begin to explore their love in different ways, growing their romance and cherishing one another.
I will preface this by saying that if you are not prepared to cry on Feb. 14., you should probably go in a different direction for your movie night. Despite the tears, I rewatch this movie often; the chemistry and love is so beautiful, and the movie as a whole is incredibly well done.
“Mamma Mia!”
Donna Sheridan-Carmichael (Meryl Streep) is preparing her Grecian hotel for the wedding of her daughter, Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried). Sophie reveals to her bridesmaids that she has crafted a plan for her wedding: she has secretly invited three men from her mother’s past, hoping to discover the identity of her father so he can walk her down the aisle.
Mother-daughter love, of course, cannot be left out! This movie is one of the best ways to celebrate that. “Mamma Mia!” is full of so much joy and love, it always leaves me feeling uplifted and happy: exactly how I want to feel at the end of a great holiday.