‘Tis the season for love and sweet treats. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it’s time to unwind and watch a few love-centered movies. Whether you sit down with the girls or get cozy with your partner, these movie picks are sure to put you in a good mood.
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Andie Anderson is challenged to write a romantic how-to story based on lived dating experiences to help a friend in need. This movie is full of quick banter and you are sure to find yourself falling in love with the main protagonists as much as they are, too. If a lighthearted but surprisingly sentimental movie is what you’re looking for, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is your perfect match.
- Pride & Prejudice
A story almost as classic as Romeo and Juliet, Pride & Prejudice provides a sophisticated romance that whisks you off to the English countryside. The drama is met with antiquated dry humor, enveloping you into a different universe. This touching story is bound to bewitch you, body and soul.
- Letters to Juliet
Amanda Seyfried stars in this 2010 rom-com set in the Italian city of Verona. She follows a trail of heartbreaking love letters to a literary touristic spot: Juliet’s wall. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) sets it upon herself to search for her own love story in the spot where one of the most famous ones was born.
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith
If sappy love stories aren’t your thing, look no further than Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt drive audiences through suspenseful twists and turns, but always make sure to kiss goodnight. The action-driven plot is sure to spike your adrenaline as you follow the couple’s double lives.
- The Proposal
Thrown together out of necessity, the couple in this film take us on an international journey of bickering and fighting the urge to fall in love. Sandra Bullock plays a she-devil book editor and Ryan Reynolds plays the helpless assistant. The Proposal is sure to leave you with laughs and even a few “awwwws.”
- 10 Things I Hate About You
Another movie with 10 in its title, but rest assured, it is not the same as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Admittedly, they sound similar in theory, but this story highlights young teenage love full of angst and yearning. This movie will take you back to your own high school days, when love still felt rebellious and freeing.
- The Parent Trap
A classic throwback, The Parent Trap centers familial love in many ways: sisters, parents and heartfelt unity. The twins, Annie and Hallie, devilishly rope audiences into hoping their parents will fall in love again. This movie reminds audiences to fight for the ones you truly love, and not just let them walk away.
- Bride Wars
Best friends share everything, even… weddings? Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson play best friends in Bride Wars who fight over their dream wedding, which just so happens to be on the same day, at the same time and in the same place. This rom-com showcases the ups and downs of close friendships and all the drama that can come with it.
- The Princess Bride
An ‘80s classic, The Princess Bride sweeps audiences into a fantastical world packed with bandits, giants and persistent princes. The movie is framed through the lens of a grandfather reading his grandson a bedtime story, but the fairy tale seeps through his imagination. Who doesn’t love a romantic fairy tale?
- Lady and the Tramp
An iconic Disney movie that most everyone should recognize: Lady and the Tramp. This movie has engrained a spaghetti kiss scene in the audience’s minds for generations, with many even attempting to recreate it a time or two. A tale of puppy love is bound to touch your heart and make your night all the more cozy. Bonus points if you cuddle up with your furry friend!
- Crazy Rich Asians
This star-studded cast illustrates a complicated yet alluring love story surrounding family and acceptance. When Rachel Chu attends her boyfriend’s best friend’s wedding, she realizes he is hiding more than she thought. She hurdles judgements from her boyfriend’s family and finds a way to establish herself as worthy with or without the acceptance of his family, teaching audiences a lesson of grit and self-discovery.
- Notting Hill
Another English love affair that transformed its real location into a tourist spot, Notting Hill indulges in the celebrity and average citizen trope. Anna Scott, a well-known actress, stumbles into William Thacker’s London bookshop, and one moment accelerates into a secret romance. This love story baits audiences into hoping for a happy ending, despite all odds.
- The Notebook
This famous horror story is somehow categorized into the romance section on all streaming platforms. All jokes aside, this movie transports viewers to a time when love was “simpler,” as the older generations like to say. The story is anything but simple, as the love interests fight societal and familial expectations for love to find each other.
- Princess and the Frog
The final selection for this weekend’s romantic movie marathon features a modern Disney movie. Released in 2010, this story takes place in the 1920s in New Orleans. It stars Anika Noni Rose, who plays an ambitious and hardworking Tiana with a goal of opening her own restaurant. She runs into an obstacle, or so she thought, when she meets Prince Naveen and they experience a physical transformation. The couple journeys back to humanity while falling in love and growing together.
These romance movies demonstrate a range of different types of love and in different circumstances. Love stories are all around. They encourage us to show more love to the people we hold near to our hearts, as well as the strangers you pass on the street. The world can always use a little more love, so what better way to practice than to get cozy and watch a great movie?
