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Miramax/Courtesy Everett Assortment; Anna Kooris/A24; Columbia Photos/Courtesy Everett Assortment
Much like Christmas film marathons in December (okay, additionally November), February requires a watch checklist stuffed with Valentine's motion pictures.
Whether or not you're within the temper for passionate interval romances like Pride and Prejudice, Shakespearean teen comedies like 10 Things I Hate About You, or odes to platonic relationships like Ready to Exhale, we’ve received you coated. And sure, we’ve included some unconventional picks — as a result of not each love story comes with a cheerful ending.
Listed here are Leisure Weekly’s picks for the 30 greatest Valentine’s motion pictures streaming proper now.
01 of 30
10 Issues I Hate About You (1999)
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Richard Cartwright/Touchstone Photos
Possibly the most effective Shakespeare-to-teen-comedy adaptation (and sure, there's a stunning quantity of competitors), 10 Things I Hate About You reimagines The Taming of the Shrew with sharp wit, hyper-articulate ‘90s dialogue, and endlessly charming performances.
Heath Ledger’s swoon-worthy rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” stays one among cinema’s most iconic romantic gestures, whereas Julia Stiles’ fiery portrayal of Kat Stratford culminates in her tearful, unforgettable recital of the titular poem. Plus, the solid is a treasure trove of future stars — Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, and even Allison Janney, who steals each scene because the wildly inappropriate steering counselor turned erotic novelist.
Where to watch 10 Things I Hate About You: Disney+
EW grade: B (learn the evaluation)
Director: Gil Junger
Forged: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Gabrielle Union
Associated content material: 10 things that are so '90s in 10 Things I Hate About You
02 of 30
(500) Days of Summer time (2009)
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Chuck Zlotnick/Fox Searchlight
500 Days of Summer is the last word anti-rom-com from the primary line (“This isn’t a love story”). Informed in a fragmented, non-linear construction, 500 Days of Summer time jumps by means of highs and lows, first dates and ultimate goodbyes, capturing how our minds romanticize relationships whereas glossing over inconvenient truths.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel shine as Tom and Summer time, and the movie is full of unforgettable sequences: the whimsical, Corridor & Oates-fueled dance quantity that captures the euphoria of recent love, the dueling IKEA journeys, and the devastating Expectations vs. Actuality split-screen scene. Screenwriter Scott Neustadter crafts a universally relatable narrative — a lot in order that even the real-life inspiration for Summer time admitted she noticed herself extra in Tom.
Where to watch 500 Days of Summer: Hulu
EW grade: A (learn the evaluation)
Director: Marc Webb
Forged: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel
Associated content material: Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt revisit (500) Days of Summer, 10 years later
03 of 30
Magnificence and the Beast (1991)
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Disney
Beauty and the Beast is likely one of the most enduring, romantic Disney musicals (to not point out the unimaginable music). The romance between Belle and the Beast unfolds by means of swoony songs just like the title observe and the criminally underrated “One thing There,” whereas Gaston struts by means of each scene as Disney’s most hilariously self-absorbed villain.
The film’s message — that true magnificence lies inside — nonetheless rings true, however the everlasting debate: Are we purported to choose the Beast or the Prince? (Workforce Beast, clearly.) Whereas the live-action remake gave it a noble shot, it couldn’t contact the pure magic of the unique.
Where to watch Beauty and the Beast: Disney+
Administrators: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Sensible
Forged: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury
Associated content material: The Evolution of Beauty and the Beast
04 of 30
The Massive Sick (2017)
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Sarah Shatz/Lionsgate
At first look, The Big Sick doesn’t seem to be your typical Valentine’s film — there’s a coma, hospital visits, and plenty of awkward small discuss with apprehensive dad and mom. However that’s precisely what makes it such a deeply tender movie.
Based mostly on co-writers’ Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon’s real-life love story, the movie follows Kumail, enjoying a model of himself, as he navigates the emotional upheaval when his girlfriend Emily (Zoe Kazan) falls right into a medically induced coma. The Massive Sick isn’t a fairy story — it’s about love that endures, adapts, and exhibits up, even in ready rooms. What could possibly be extra romantic than that?
Where to watch The Big Sick: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Michael Showalter
Forged: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter
Associated content material: The Big Sick writers Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani remembered their first date differently
05 of 30
Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)
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Alex Bailey/Miramax
It’s not the one Delight and Prejudice adaptation on this checklist, however it’s undoubtedly the funniest — and the one one the place Mr. Darcy rocks an aggressively festive reindeer sweater. On the heart is Renée Zellweger in her most iconic position, hilariously relatable because the chaotic Bridget, who stumbles her means by means of romantic disasters, costume get together mishaps, and really dedicated lip-syncing performances.
Colin Firth takes his second swing on the Darcy archetype, this time because the awkward however extremely dreamy Mark Darcy. If the “I such as you. Simply as you’re” speech doesn’t make you soften, verify your pulse.
Where to watch Bridget Jones’ Diary: Max
EW grade: N/A (learn the evaluation)
Director: Sharon Maguire
Forged: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones
Associated content material: Renée Zellweger joins Tinder, falls in love with Leo Woodall in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy trailer
06 of 30
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
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Kimberly French/Focus Options
Ang Lee’s masterpiece follows Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal), two ranch fingers who fall in love whereas herding sheep one summer season and spend years navigating their forbidden connection. Lee’s sweeping course captures each the huge magnificence and crushing isolation of the Wyoming panorama, and Ledger and Gyllenhaal have electrical chemistry.
Whereas it was typically diminished to jokes concerning the “homosexual cowboy film” when it got here out, Ledger famously refused to let anybody diminish its significance, saying merely, “No. That is about love.”
Where to watch Brokeback Mountain: Paramount+
EW grade: A (learn the evaluation)
Director: Ang Lee
Forged: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway
Associated content material: Brokeback Mountain heads to the stage with Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist as leads
07 of 30
Challengers (2024)
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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Photos
In Challengers, tennis is intercourse and intercourse is tennis. The movie follows Tashi (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy turned coach, as she pits her husband (Mike Faist) and ex-lover (Josh O’Connor) towards one another in a high-stakes tennis event.
All three actors give powerhouse performances, and Luca Guadagnino’s course is unapologetically erotic, creating no scarcity of viral moments, from the three-way kiss to that churro scene. However perhaps probably the most titillating second of all is the ultimate tennis set — a wordless showdown that feels extra like an emotional undressing than a championship match.
Where to watch Challengers: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A- (learn the evaluation)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Forged: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
Associated content material: Challengers cast and director explain that intense ending: 'Everyone's right and everyone's wrong'
08 of 30
Everlasting Sunshine of the Spotless Thoughts (2004)
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David Lee/Focus Options
The one movie on this checklist that takes place on Valentine’s Day, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind follows Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), two former lovers who bear a process to erase one another from their recollections after a painful breakup. Carrey successfully performs towards kind because the heartbroken Joel, however the film belongs to Winslet, who delivers one among her greatest performances as a personality who appears like a traditional manic pixie dream woman — however then turns the trope on its head. Emotional, uncooked, and deeply human, Everlasting Sunshine is a parable about why love is value remembering, even when it hurts.
Where to watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: MGM+
EW grade: N/A (learn the evaluation)
Director: Michel Gondry
Forged: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood
Associated content material: The real story behind the orange hoodie in Eternal Sunshine
09 of 30
Fireplace of Love (2022)
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Neon/Courtesy Everett Assortment
This beautiful documentary follows French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft, a married couple whose shared obsession with volcanoes led them to a few of the most harmful and awe-inspiring locations on Earth.
By way of breathtaking archival footage — a lot of it captured by the Kraffts themselves — we see the visible spectacle of volcanoes up shut and a relationship certain by affection and unrelenting curiosity. At its core, Fireplace of Love is a love story — not simply between two folks, however between these folks and the fiery, unpredictable scenes that formed their lives.
Where to watch Fire of Love: Hulu
EW grade: A- (learn the evaluation)
Director: Sara Dosa
Associated content material: The 22 greatest documentaries on Hulu for deep-dives into area of interest subjects
10 of 30
The Half of It (2020)
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KC Bailey/Netflix
The Half of It is like Cyrano de Bergerac with a heavy dose of stripling angst. Directed by Alice Wu, this tender coming-of-age romance follows Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), a whip-smart, introverted excessive schooler who agrees to ghostwrite love letters for the adorably clueless Paul (Daniel Diemer) to assist him win over Aster (Alexxis Lemire). The catch? Ellie’s in love with Aster, too. However this isn’t your customary love triangle — it’s messier, sweeter, and much more introspective, the place the love story isn’t solely within the romance between Ellie and Aster but in addition the unlikely friendship between Ellie and Paul.
Where to watch The Half of It: Netflix
EW grade: B (learn the evaluation)
Director: Alice Wu
Forged: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire
Associated content material: How The Half of It's director made a 'humanistic' teen queer romance
11 of 30
Her (2013)
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Warner Bros
Her is a young, melancholy have a look at loneliness and connection within the tech age that feels much more related at present than it did in 2013. Directed by Spike Jonze, the movie follows Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely author in a near-future world who falls in love with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), an AI designed to fulfill his each emotional want.
Their connection unfolds by means of weak late-night conversations and quiet moments of intimacy. Phoenix delivers a quiet, heartbreakingly uncooked efficiency, whereas Johansson achieves the near-impossible with solely her voice, making Samantha really feel heat, witty, and alive.
Where to watch Her: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: B (learn the evaluation)
Director: Spike Jonze
Forged: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams
Associated content material: Spike Jonze talks his new movie Her
12 of 30
Hit Man (2023)
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Brian Roedel/Netflix
Based mostly on an almost-too-wild-to-believe true story, Hit Man follows Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), a mild-mannered professor moonlighting as a faux hit man for the FBI. Written and directed by Richard Linklater, the movie crackles along with his trademark wit and sharp dialogue.
Powell, who additionally co-wrote the script, flexes his full vary as he dons an array of disguises, however the true shock is the electrical chemistry between Powell and fellow breakout Adria Arjona, who performs a lady initially trying to rent a gun however finally ends up tangled in a dangerously horny romance.
Where to watch Hit Man: Netflix
Director: Richard Linklater
Forged: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona
Associated content material: Hit Man star Adria Arjona explains the genesis of that intense Notes app interrogation scene with Glen Powell
13 of 30
How you can Lose a Man in 10 Days (2003)
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Michael Gibson/Paramount
How you can Lose a Man in 10 Days is the prototypical early 2000s rom-com. It’s all right here: the impossibly glamorous journal job, the wildly contrived premise (she’s writing an article, he’s betting), and a protagonist named Andie Anderson. However regardless of the clichés, this film has aged surprisingly properly, because of the plain chemistry between Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.
Their back-and-forth banter is enjoyable and playful, and, for as soon as, each leads are equally responsible of deception. Plus, it gave us iconic film moments: the cringe-perfect You’re So Useless karaoke scene, the legendary bullshit card recreation, and, in fact, Andie’s unforgettable yellow gown.
Where to watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Peacock
Director: Donald Petrie
Forged: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Bebe Neuwirth, Kathryn Hahn
Associated content material: Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey talk about their display screen chemistry: 'We do kiss properly'
14 of 30
The Thought of You (2024)
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Alisha Wetherill/Prime
Older ladies and youthful males are having a second, and The Thought of You is definitely probably the most swoon-worthy instance. The story follows Solène (Hathaway), a classy single mother who falls for Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine), a well-known boy band heartthrob, throughout an opportunity encounter.
Based mostly on the favored novel that was mainly Harry Kinds fanfiction, the film leans into each little bit of wish-fulfillment fantasy. Anne Hathaway is completely pleasant, channeling the identical rom-com attraction she had in The Princess Diaries, and her chemistry with Galitzine’s rocker is so intense that Hathaway gave him a memento of their kissing scenes.
Where to watch The Idea of You: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: B+ (learn the evaluation)
Director: Michael Showalter
Forged: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine
Associated content material: Anne Hathaway reveals why she almost couldn't film the most pivotal scene in The Idea of You
15 of 30
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
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Anna Kooris/A24
Lusty, violent, and unapologetically uncooked, Love Lies Bleeding stars a magnetic Kristen Stewart as Lou, a fitness center supervisor who falls in love with Jackie (breakout star Katy O’Brian), a bodybuilder with goals larger than their small desert city.
Their chemistry crackles with an natural depth, grounding the movie even because it takes a surreal flip that literalizes the concept love transforms every thing. It’s sex-positive, body-positive, and unafraid to indicate the feminine kind as one thing able to each tenderness and immense energy.
Where to watch Love Lies Bleeding: Max
EW grade: B+ (learn the evaluation)
Director: Rose Glass
Forged: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Ed Harris
Associated content material: Kristen Stewart is brutal and brilliant in the bloody lesbian thriller Love Lies Bleeding
16 of 30
My Massive Fats Greek Wedding ceremony (2002)
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IFC Movies/Courtesy Everett Assortment
Written by and starring Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding completely captures the chaos, heat, and suffocating affection of immigrant households whereas delivering one of many least poisonous relationships in rom-com historical past. No energy performs, no sabotage, simply Toula (Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) navigating cultural clashes with attraction and humor. It’s proof that you simply don’t want romantic drama to inform an excellent love story — generally, all you want is an enormous household, an enormous wedding ceremony, and an enormous bottle of Windex.
Where to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Max
Director: Joel Zwick
Forged: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett
Associated Content material: Nia Vardalos directing My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 in Greece: 'Much love and gratitude'
17 of 30
Within the Temper For Love (2000)
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Block 2 Photos/Jet Tone Manufacturing
Wong Kar-wai’s masterpiece In the Mood for Love is a slow-burn romance wrapped in lush visuals, aching silence, and the tender glow of neon lights. The story follows two neighbors, performed by Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Maggie Cheung, who kind a deep, unstated connection after suspecting their spouses of infidelity.
Each look, each almost-touch, and each quiet pause is charged with extra emotion than most grand declarations of affection. Within the Temper For Love is a traditional, and the most effective depictions of longing in movie historical past.
Where to watch In the Mood For Love: Max
EW grade: B+ (learn the evaluation)
Director: Wong Kar-wai
Forged: Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung
Associated content material: How to watch In the Mood For Love, Prince Henry's favorite movie in Red, White & Royal Blue
18 of 30
The Pocket book (2004)
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New Line Cinema
The last word Valentine’s tearjerker, this Nicholas Sparks traditional follows younger lovers Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) over a long time, together with a lot of preventing, a love triangle with James Marsden, and a rain-soaked kiss that’s turn out to be the stuff of rom-com legend.
Gosling and McAdams carry uncooked depth to their roles, with chemistry so fiery it virtually melts the display screen. That off-the-charts ardour didn’t come straightforward — they reportedly didn’t get alongside on set, although they later dated IRL (artwork imitating life, a lot?). However behind all of the drama, The Notebook stays an extremely romantic story about love conquering all — time, sickness, and particularly cussed personalities.
Where to watch The Notebook: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (learn the evaluation)
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Forged: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, James Marsden
Associated content material: The Notebook turns 20: Director Nick Cassavetes and author Nicholas Sparks reflect on the film's lasting legacy
19 of 30
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
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Courtesy Everett Assortment
Wedding ceremony hijinks? Examine. Sharp-tongued banter? Double verify. Impossibly glamorous wealthy folks inflicting chaos? Triple verify. The Philadelphia Story is a masterclass in romantic comedy, anchored by the incomparable pairing of Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, plus Jimmy Stewart rounding out the star-studded love triangle.
With a witty script and biting one-liners, the movie feels simply as recent at present because it did in 1940. The Philadelphia Story proves that romantic comedy doesn’t want grand gestures when it’s received chemistry, charisma, and Hepburn in a wonderful robe.
Where to watch The Philadelphia Story: Tubi
EW grade: B+ (learn the evaluation)
Director: George Cukor
Forged: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart
Associated content material: Cary Grant made our checklist of 10 greatest Oscar-snubbed performances
20 of 30
Portrait of a Woman on Fireplace (2019)
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Lilies Movies
Set on an remoted French island within the 18th century, Portrait of a Woman on Fireplace follows Marianne (Noémie Merlant), an artist employed to secretly paint a marriage portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), a fiercely unbiased noblewoman who refuses to be seen as another person’s property. What begins as quiet remark — lingering glances, shared silences — quickly blossoms into an intense, sensual romance, culminating in a devastating ultimate shot that may stick with you lengthy after the credit roll.
Where to watch Portrait of a Lady on Fire: Hulu
EW grade: A- (learn the evaluation)
Director: Céline Sciamma
Forged: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel
Associated content material: The 25 greatest romantic interval motion pictures of all time
21 of 30
Delight and Prejudice (2005)
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Alex Bailey/Focus Options
It’s a fact universally acknowledged that nobody in 2005 was ready for the sheer warmth of Pride and Prejudice. Joe Wright’s Jane Austen adaptation turned a cultural phenomenon yet again through the touch-starved pandemic, thanks largely to that hand flex from Matthew Macfadyen’s brooding Mr. Darcy.
Keira Knightley is flawless as Lizzie Bennet, bringing sharp wit and glowing intelligence to one among literature’s most iconic heroines, and her chemistry with MacFayden spawned one of the crucial enduring love tales ever put to display screen.
Where to watch Pride and Prejudice: Peacock
EW grade: A (learn the evaluation)
Director: Joe Wright
Forged: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Jena Malone
Associated content material: Matthew Macfadyen reveals why he felt he was miscast as Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice
22 of 30
Set It Up (2018)
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This Netflix Authentic gleefully ticks off the rom-com bingo card: an elevator meet-cute, a late-night pizza bonding session, and sure, even a dramatic run to the airport. With its completely contrived premise — two overworked assistants (Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell) scheming to arrange their nightmare bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs, delightfully chewing the surroundings) — it appears like a misplaced gem from the golden age of '90s romantic comedies.
Where to watch Set It Up: Netflix
EW grade: B (learn the evaluation)
Director: Claire Scanlon
Forged: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, Pete Davidson
Associated content material: How Lucy Liu became the charming boss-from-hell in the Netflix rom-com Set It Up
23 of 30
She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
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Island Photos/Courtesy Everett Assortment
Spike Lee’s revolutionary debut She’s Gotta Have It facilities Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns), a Brooklyn artist unapologetically navigating her romantic and sexual relationships with three very completely different males.
Set towards the colourful backdrop of Fort Greene, the movie was groundbreaking in its portrayal of Black feminine sexuality and company, all whereas portray the neighborhood as a thriving cosmopolitan hub for profitable creatives and professionals. It’s a narrative about love, but in addition a love letter to Brooklyn itself.
Where to watch She’s Gotta Have It: Netflix
Director: Spike Lee
Forged: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee, Raye Howell
Associated content material: She's Gotta Have It: How Tonya Lewis Lee creatively challenged her husband
24 of 30
The Spectacular Now (2013)
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A24 Movies
The Spectacular Now takes the traditional coming-of-age romance method — the charming well-liked man, the quiet, bookish gal — and turns it into one thing vivid and achingly actual. Based mostly on the YA novel by Tim Tharp, the movie follows Sutter (Miles Teller), a charismatic highschool senior with a ingesting downside, and his relationship with Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a considerate woman with a vibrant future.
Teller and Woodley ship fantastically nuanced performances, their chemistry natural and deeply felt. However what units this movie aside is its maturity — it’s unabashedly a teen film, however it feels prefer it’s being remembered by means of the lens of maturity.
Where to watch The Spectacular Now: Tubi
EW grade: A- (learn the evaluation)
Director: James Ponsoldt
Forged: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler
Associated content material: The Spectacular Now and other great coming-of-age movies
25 of 30
Titanic (1997)
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Merie W. Wallace/twentieth Century Studios/Paramount
It’s unattainable to speak about Valentine’s motion pictures with out mentioning Titanic — James Cameron’s sweeping, waterlogged epic that is still the gold customary for cinematic love tales. At its coronary heart are Rose (Kate Winslet), a fiercely unbiased lady suffocated by societal expectations, and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a free-spirited artist who teaches her to chase freedom and pleasure.
Winslet and DiCaprio’s chemistry is unforgettable, (“Draw me like one among your French ladies” stays etched into popular culture historical past). Even with out the looming tragedy of their destiny (sure, there was undoubtedly room on that door), Titanic would nonetheless be an ideal, epic romance.
Where to watch Titanic: Paramount+
EW grade: A (learn the evaluation)
Director: James Cameron
Forged: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Associated content material: James Cameron says he received the Titanic's sinking 'half proper' in his movie after a number of mannequin assessments
26 of 30
To All of the Boys I’ve Cherished Earlier than (2018)
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Masha Weisberg/NETFLIX
Based mostly on Jenny Han’s beloved YA novel, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before kicks off with one of many style’s greatest tropes: faux courting. Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) strike a deal to fake they’re a pair, just for actual emotions to (shock!) sneak in alongside the best way.
Centineo virtually launched into rom-com superstardom with this position. From the enduring pocket-spin transfer to the improvised popcorn save, he set a brand new gold customary for the web’s boyfriend of the 12 months.
Where to watch To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: Netflix
EW grade: B (learn the evaluation)
Director: Susan Johnson
Forged: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Anna Cathcart, Janel Parrish, Israel Broussard
Associated content material: The 8 biggest changes from the To All The Boys: Always and Forever book to screen
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Ready to Exhale (1995)
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Randee St. Nicholas/twentieth Century Fox
Based mostly on Terry McMillan’s celebrated novel, this joyous movie introduced the tales of 4 Black ladies — who’re sensible, advanced, and unapologetically themselves — to the forefront with an unbeatable duo at its core: Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston.
Positive, it’s about relationships, however the true romance in Waiting to Exhale is between the ladies themselves. Their loyalty, humor, and assist for one another shine brightest, reminding us that generally your soulmate isn’t a romantic companion, it’s your greatest buddy.
Where to watch Waiting to Exhale: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (learn the evaluation)
Director: Forest Whitaker
Forged: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon
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The Wedding ceremony Planner (2001)
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Columbia Photos/Courtesy Everett Assortment
Jennifer Lopez delivers her most effortlessly endearing rom-com efficiency as Mary Fiore, a marriage planner perfectionist who falls for the one man she completely can’t have: the groom-to-be (Matthew McConaughey). J.Lo makes wedding ceremony planning seem like probably the most glamorous, high-stakes job on the planet, whereas McConaughey, in his romantic lead prime, brings simply sufficient of his signature oddball attraction. Sure, the premise is totally ridiculous, however it’s a lot funnier than you most likely bear in mind, and the brown M&Ms second is peak rom-com silliness.
Where to watch The Wedding Planner: Netflix
Director: Adam Shankman
Forged: Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Justin Chambers, Judy Greer
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West Aspect Story (2021)
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Niko Tavernise/twentieth Century Studios
Remaking a traditional like West Side Story isn’t any small activity, however go away it to Steven Spielberg to not simply match the unique, however, in some ways, surpass it. The casting of Hispanic actors, particularly Rachel Zegler in her breakout efficiency as Maria, makes the story much more resonant. And with a script by Tony Kushner that provides layers of banter and self-awareness to the central love story, the romance feels sharper, extra grounded, and undeniably swoon-worthy.
Sure, you understand how it ends, however in some way it feels new once more, proving that timeless tales can nonetheless shock us when informed with this a lot care and fervour.
Where to watch West Side Story: Disney+
EW grade: A- (learn the evaluation)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Forged: Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno
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Wuthering Heights (2011)
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Agatha Nitecka/Oscilloscope Laboratories
Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights isn’t your typical sweeping interval romance — it’s gritty, feral, and stripped all the way down to its stormy, emotional core. Criminally neglected, this adaptation makes daring, significant decisions that set it aside, together with casting James Howson as Heathcliff, the primary Black actor to play the position on display screen, highlighting the novel’s themes of race and sophistication.
Arnold’s signature naturalism pulls the main focus towards stark emotion — the craving, the fad, the heartbreak — all set towards the desolate, wind-beaten Yorkshire moors.
Where to watch Wuthering Heights: Peacock
Director: Andrea Arnold
Forged: Kaya Scodelario, James Howson
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