For Valentine’s Day this year, skip the candlelight dinner (or one of these other fun date ideas) and stay in with a particularly romantic movie instead. You may get ready for your big plans by checking out our list of the top 45 Valentine’s Day movies.
There’s a great film for everyone, whether you’re celebrating the holiday with your spouse, a new flame, your best gal pals, or by yourself. Feel like seeing something fluffy, corny, or hilarious? Countless comedies with a focus on romantic relationships exist for just such an occasion. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a movie that will make you cry your eyes out (no shame; sometimes you gotta feel your feelings), you’ll find more than your fair share of dramatic, emotional, and heart-wrenching fare here. There are a wide variety of love stories to choose from, including those about first kisses, disastrous first marriages, second chances, and even divorce.
1. Valentine’s Day (2010)
This aptly titled film takes place in Los Angeles on (you guessed it) February 14. The ensemble cast reads like the guest list at a splashy Hollywood event: Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, Shirley MacLaine, Bradley Cooper, Taylor Swift, Jamie Foxx, and Anne Hathaway, just to name a few.
2. The Half of It (2020)
Alice Wu’s take on Cyrano de Bergerac is set in a small Massachusetts town, where high schooler Ellie (Leah Lewis) writes her classmates’ essays for money. She agrees to help Paul (Daniel Diemer) out with his love letters only because she’s in love with the same girl and feels free to communicate with her in disguise. Defying conventional rom-com tropes, The Half of It celebrates all kinds of love—romantic, familial, and friendship bonds—without elevating one over the other.
3. Moonstruck (1987)
Moonstruck is a testament to the fact that you never really know when love will strike. Certainly, Loretta Castorini (Cher) doesn’t expect to fall for her fiancé’s brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage), when she invites him to the wedding. Watch Moonstruck for Cher and Cage’s magnetic performances (as well as the rest of the cast), memorable dialogue, and meditation on love.
4. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Prepare to fall in love with Johnny (Patrick Swayze) and Baby (Jennifer Grey)—two lovers from opposite sides of the tracks—as they fall in love with each other at a summer camp. Also of note? The dancing and that legendary lift!
5. Love & Basketball (2000)
The swoony story of how two next-door neighbors fall in love over years is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) connect over their passion for basketball—but, of course, their genders lead them on different paths through the sport. The film follows how they move in and out of each other’s lives…and whether they can eventually work out their relationship.
6. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
You’ll probably miss the late Heath Ledger while watching this teen flick, which is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. It’s beloved for the onscreen chemistry the actor shared with Julia Stiles while they portrayed Patrick and Kat. Plus, you won’t be able to look away when Stiles delivers a tear-jerking speech in which she confesses her love (and hate) for Ledger’s bad-boy protagonist.
7. The Princess Bride (1987)
Based on William Goldman’s novel of the same name, turn to this sci-fi love story when you’re tired of the typical rom-com (or Hugh Grant). Amid fanciful creatures, pirates, and sappy scenes, Cary Elwes’s and Robin Wright’s characters embark on an adventurous journey of true love.
8. Pretty Woman (1990)
In this ’90s, modern Cinderella tale, a romance develops between a wealthy businessman (Richard Gere) and a prostitute (Julia Roberts). Without a doubt, it’s Gere and Roberts at their finest.
9. Roman Holiday (1953)
Try not to get all the feels watching reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) sweep Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) off her feet during an adventure in Italy. If you’re in the mood for a timeless black-and-white film, press play.
10. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as Annie and Sam keep hopeless romantics restless throughout this classic thanks to their “will they, won’t they” dance. Spoiler alert: One of our favorite scenes is when Sam’s son calls the radio station where Annie works to help find his widowed father a partner. Plus, we’re obsessed with the sweet ending.
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