Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and many of us are feeling the “aura of love” in the air. For some, the holiday is a day to celebrate the love of their life. For others, it can feel a bit lonesome.
Whether you are in a relationship, situationship, or just single, there is no better way to spend Valentine’s Day than by watching a cute, romantic movie. It can be an excuse to cuddle with your partner… or to bawl your lonely hearts out.
Here are five recommendations you should consider, in order of when you should watch them.
She’s All That
First up, a classic 2000s romcom to warm the soul. Inspired by the play “Pygmalion,” written by George Bernard Shaw, “She’s All That” follows the concept of opposites attracting. Featuring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Racheal Leigh Cook, the film is about high school hotshot Zach Siler as he struggles with his popularity.
Desperate, he decides to complete the challenge of transforming an outcast, Laney Boggs, into the school’s prom queen. Little did he know, he would fall head over heels in love with her. The movie has a sweet ending, although a little immoral, but it has that cheesy, cliché feel that we all know and love.
La La Land
Next, a movie that will make your heart flutter – all while simultaneously crushing it. “La La Land” is a musical, drama, and comedy all in one. It features A-list actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone who play two aspiring artists whose paths cross.
Stone plays an ambitious actress who grapples with landing auditions. Gosling plays a jazz musician who desperately wants to keep the genre alive. Through fate, they end up falling in love, but their dreams force them to make decisions that may push them apart.
Past Lives
Now, if you thought the heartache from the last movie was bad enough, just wait for this next one. Starring Greta Lee and Teo Yoo, “Past Lives” is a film about two childhood friends who, for one fateful week, meet again as adults in the big metropolitan city of New York. They talk about the choices they have made in their lives and what has led them to the lives they have now. It is a story about love, loss, and change.
It tugs on your heartstrings because it doesn’t end the way you want or expect it to. It is Celine Song’s directorial debut, which has impressed critics because of how mature her directing feels. Beware, it will take you days to recover.
Bottoms
Moving on, here is a film to cheer you up from the past heartbreaking movies. “Bottoms” is a hilarious rom-com featuring comedians Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edibiri. It follows two high schoolers who struggle with getting girlfriends. Greatly wanting to lose their virginities, they start a fight club to get closer to the cheerleaders at their school. The club ends up gaining popularity, and for a while, it seems these high schoolers may actually achieve their goal. But soon, events occur that make the outsiders realize they are in over their heads. It is a lovely movie that will make you literally laugh out loud.
Before Sunrise
Finally, a movie to reaffirm your belief in love. The film stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as two strangers who meet on a train in Europe and fall in love at first sight. They spend the day adventuring together around Vienna, one of the most romantic cities in the world. Unlike most features, this masterpiece mostly centers around the conversations between the characters and how their pasts led them to their present moment with each other. Unfortunately, both characters know that that will most likely be their last day together, forever.
What is your favorite Valentine’s Day movie? Let us know at @HerCampusSJSU!