A great romance can fuel any great film. Look at cinematic classics and time and time again you'll find true love at the heart of the story. Love comes up in all different kinds of ways, and as you're feeling the love this Valentine's Day by gorging on chocolate, flowers, and all the rest of that good stuff, we wanted to bring some films to your attention to enjoy on this pleasant day.
Below, you'll find movies ranging from comedies to adventures to dramas that will be great for throwing on to enjoy with your special someone this Valentine's Day. They all feature love stories that will win you over, and they run the gamut from the classic to the bizarre. Love is inclusive, and we tried to make this list follow suit. So with that in mind, get a box of chocolates and a bowl of popcorn to watch some of these films.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the best rom-coms on Netflix, anti-Valentine's Day movies on Netflix, and romance movies on Hulu.
Love & Basketball (2000)
Run Time: 2 hr | Genre: Romance Sport | Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Cast: Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert
Before she took on the music industry and its tendencies toward contaminating intimate, personal matters and relationships, the director Gina Prince-Bythewood investigated similar matters under the rubric of professional sports, and did a far more remarkable job. At 11, Monica and Quincy meet and a competition is quickly born between the two athletes, both of whom end up being tremendously talented on the court and in the paint. Bythewood charts their friendship and eventual romance with a preternatural attention towards matters of athletic fame: physical wellbeing and injuries, business opportunities and decisions, family planning, etc. More than that, as played by Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan, Monica and Quincy’s on-again-off-again relationship has the unmistakable timbre of complicated, imperfect love and problematic monogamy that have been fully experienced, warts and all. That the film also portrays a progressive household where the woman is finally accepted in the workplace with just as much respect as the man is just icing on the rough-grained passion of Monica and Quincy’s decades-long love affair. - Chris Cabin
Let the Right One In (2004)
Run Time: 1 hr 54 min | Genre: Romance Horror | Director: Tomas Alfredson
Cast: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar
If it’s atypical love stories, "bullied boy meets girl-next-door" romances, or straight-up bloody horror that you prefer to watch this Valentine’s Day, look no further than Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 Swedish picture, Let the Right One In. Author John Ajvide Lindqvist adapted his own novel for the screenplay, which focused on the relationship between the shy and disturbed 12-year-old Oskar and a pale, mysterious new neighbor girl, Eli. They soon form a bond over their similar shared oddities: Oskar is fascinated with grisly murders and Eli has an unnatural thirst for blood. That bond grows ever deeper as their true natures are revealed to each other. Oskar and Eli learn to trust each other with their very lives, a trust that is put to the test before the movie’s horrifying yet uncomfortably heart-warming conclusion. Let the Right One In may just be the truest expression of “unconditional love” you watch this Valentine’s Day. - Dave Trumbore
WALL-E (2008)
Run Time: 1 hr 38 min | Genre: Family Adventure | Director: Andrew Stanton
Cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin
Is it possible that the most romantic movie of the 21st century is an animated film? Call me crazy, but the love between two robots in Pixar’s masterpiece WALL-E is as true, passionate, and heartfelt as the love between any two human actors I’ve seen in the last 15 years. The brilliance of director Andrew Stanton’s sci-fi film is not in its environmental themes or stunning visuals, but in the choice to ground the characters with the most fundamental emotion of all: love. WALL-E’s infatuation starts as cute, morphs to endearing, and ends as heartbreaking. It’s a tale as old as time, but told 800 years in the future with two non-human entities. WALL-E is pure magic. – Adam Chitwood
The Apartment (1960)
Run Time: 2 hr 5 min | Genre: Romance Comedy | Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray
If you want to go classic with your Valentine’s Day viewing pick, but are also looking for something with a bit of substance, you can’t go wrong with The Apartment. Billy Wilder’s classic stars Jack Lemmon as a lonely office drudge who falls for an elevator operator (Shirley MacLaine) that just so happens to be having an affair with his boss. MacLaine is irresistible as the spunky, damaged Fran, and Lemmon is on fire as the lovelorn Bud. While the film tackles some serious issues such as depression and suicide, Wilder’s handle of tone is, unsurprisingly, masterful, and the film overall is an incredibly charming, heartwarming watch. If your relationship is one that began as friends, or if you and your significant other are just in the mood to watch a classic, The Apartment is a fine choice. – Adam Chitwood
Carol (2015)
Run Time: 1 hr 58 min | Genre: Romance Drama | Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson
Todd Haynes (The Velvet Goldmine, Far from Heaven) is perhaps the most undervalued American auteur of the last 20 years. I am not sure if Carol is his best film, but it is officially the one that I love the most. What I love about Carol is how Haynes captures the visual cues of falling in love; how, most often, two people don’t fall in love simultaneously. Initially, one has a little more power over the other, and for that love to be maintained, the one who is being pulled will also eventually have to hold equal power.
Carol is about two women falling in love in 1950s New York. One of them, Carol (Cate Blanchett), has privately partnered with a woman before and is more steadfast and confident in her choice to no longer live in secret. The other, Therese (Rooney Mara), is unsure, over-powered, but more observant. I love that Haynes presents the catalyst of their meeting—Therese returning the leather gloves that Carol left at a department store—unpronounced as to whether the gloves were left by Carol on purpose or whether their meeting had become happenstance. I love that there is a noir element to their road trip that parallels Therese’s internal detective work of her sexual identity. I love the score (by Carter Burwell). I love the camerawork (by Ed Lachman) and how droplets of rain on a taxicab cling to the window as tightly as your chest feels as it drives away. I love that Blanchett’s lipstick line looks so similar to Joan Crawford’s and that a character in the film studies Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard so closely. I love the acting that Mara does with her eyes and that Blanchett does with her lips and how both those parts inform the final glorious shot of the film. If your cinematic heart is up for grabs, you too will fall in love with Carol. — Brian Formo
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Run Time: 1 hr 54 min | Genre: Romance Comedy | Director: Mike Newell
Cast: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas
You may have expected to see a different Richard Curtis film on here—Love Actually is a stone-cold new classic in terms of romantic comedies—but Curtis’ screenwriting debut Four Weddings and a Funeral, directed by Mike Newell, arguably makes for even better Valentine’s Day viewing. For one, it’s the film that launched Hugh Grant’s career, and his bumbling Brit charm is on full display in this hilarious and heartbreaking romance, which tracks the lives of a group of friends and one object of affection over the course of four separate weddings and one funeral (hence the title, obviously). The radiant Andie MacDowell is an excellent American foil to the heavy Britishness of the overall film, but Curtis’ script relies on humanity more than cultural specificity for its humor, making the jokes land that much harder. But be warned: this one’s also a bit of a tearjerker, so tissues should also be at the ready. Four Weddings is also notably bold for 1994, featuring a same-sex couple as one of its central relationships in a Hollywood landscape that was becoming more progressive by the day. So if you’re looking for something of a 90s trip that’s funny, romantic, and a little sad, look no further. – Adam Chitwood
The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
Run Time: 2 hr 4 min | Genre: Romance Comedy | Director: Nicholas Stoller
Cast: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Rhys Ifans
Modern partnerships require more equal sacrifice; moving for your partner’s study or career, and being prepared to do so for each person, not just one. Societal breakdown: We’re in the first time period where people’s careers or jobs are likely to change frequently, and partnerships need to weather more location and vocation change, but also put marriage and baby-making on hold while attempting to navigate all of this. If you’ve ever been in a pairing that has moved, or survived big change, Jason Segel-Nicholas Stoller’s The Five-Year Engagement will be a great watch. Segel is a hotshot chef in San Francisco when he proposes to Emily Blunt. Blunt then is accepted to grad school in Michigan and he goes to support her but cannot find a similar prestige job. Meanwhile, his restaurant understudy in the Bay (Chris Pratt) ascends to the position he left behind, and goes on the fast track to marriage and babies (with Alison Brie). Egos are wrestled, fights are had, beards are grown, new hobbies arise to take the place of previous careers, temptation creeps in for both—all these are familiar for anyone who’s had a long term commitment tested; but what makes The Five-Year Engagement great (and enter the discussion as this decade’s best romantic comedy) is that you really want these two characters to work it out. You see how they’re great together, but also know that their stressors are very difficult to overcome (as is an arrow to the leg). - Brian Formo
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Run Time: 2 hr 16 min | Genre: Romance Drama | Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant
When looking for great tales romance in literature or film, one should naturally gravitate towards Jane Austen. Her heroines are smart and complicated, yet often get in the way of their own happiness before realizing, at last, their heart’s desire is standing right in front of them. But which Austen work do you choose? Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility is a visually lush production that stands out among all Austen adaptations, thanks also to a witty and deeply emotional script written by Emma Thompson. Thompson stars, too, as the staid Elinor Dashwood, alongside Kate Winslet as her whimsical sister Marianne, both of whom require different kinds of balance in their approaches to love. The fantastic supporting cast, including the late Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie and more, add so much light and life to this already wonderful story. Lee’s adaptation, given a sweeping score by Patrick Doyle, is an extended stay in a world you won’t want to leave, and a study of romance that will leave you in tears of joy. — Allison Keene
The Man from Snowy River (1982)
Run Time: 1 hr 44 min | Genre: Western Drama | Director: George T. Miller
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Jack Thompson, Tom Burlinson
George T. Miller’s sprawling Australian epic, The Man from Snowy River, is a coming of age tale and a romantic drama, with the aesthetic of an American Western. Taking place in the 1880s, and based on the Banjo Peterson poem of the same name, the instantly-engaging film stars Tom Burlinson as Jim Craig, a young man who wants to capture a black stallion (and his mob of mares) that caused his father’s death. As part of his journey, he meets a rich rancher, Harrison, played by Kirk Douglas (in a dual role — he also plays the rancher’s down-and-out twin, Spur), as well as his beautiful daughter Jessica (Sigrid Thornton). Jim is torn between his affection for Jessica and his mission to capture the stallion, and the film builds to a fever pitch when a mob of riders all head out to capture the nearly-mythical horse in one of the most exciting and awe-inspiring sequences ever put to film. But the stallion also plays a key role in a secret history that slowly unravels throughout, betraying the film’s many layers of romance, pain, and long-lost loves that make it such a rich cinematic experience (thanks in no small part to Bruce Rowland’s acclaimed score). The wide-open expanses, big sky country, and jagged cliffs allow the Australian landscape to add its own romance to the story and its legends as well. — Allison Keene
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Run Time: 1 hr 48 min | Genre: Romance Sci-Fi Drama | Director: Michel Gondry
Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst
Love transcends logic or reason. It can lead to devastating and disastrous results, but would you ever take it back if you could? Beautifully scripted by Charlie Kaufman and fearlessly directed by Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind asks that very question. Jim Carrey proves himself a dramatic actor superior to the comedic facial gymnastics that earned him his fame opposite Kate Winslet (in what might me her most radiant role to date). As an odd couple so uniquely suited to their own courtship and demise, their performances adeptly articulate that whatever the combination of chemicals and magic love is, it can't be copied and it can't be reasoned with. -Haleigh Foutch
The Princess Bride (1987)
Run Time: 1 hr 38 min | Genre: Romance Adventure | Director: Rob Reiner
Cast: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon
While I consider The Princess Bride to be more of an “adventure” movie than “romance”, as this list shows, it’s not about confining yourself to one simple genre. It’s about finding true love in a story. Some movies sell it better than others, and while there are plenty of great adventure movies that exist without a love story, it’s not simply a subplot for The Princess Bride; it’s the reason for existing. True love is the greatest thing in the world (although there is some debate in the pro-MLT community), and although this movie has swordfights, chases, giants, miracles, it shows that there’s nothing wrong with being a “kissing book”, especially when you’ve got the kiss that blows all other kisses away. It’s a complete and total winner for your Valentine’s Day viewing. - Matt Goldberg
The Big Sick (2017)
Run Time: 2 hr | Genre: Romance Comedy | Director: Michael Showalter
Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter
The Oscar-nominated rom-com is made even richer by the fact that co-writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon drew from their own romance. The story follows stand-up comedian Kumail (Nanjiani), whose parents want him to have an arranged marriage, but he falls for an American woman, Emily (Zoe Kazan). Matters become even more complicated when Emily gets hit with a mysterious illness and goes into a medically-induced coma. When her parents (played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) arrive, Kumail strikes up an awkward relationship with them. The movie is hilarious, moving, thoughtful, and destined to become a classic. - Matt Goldberg
Crush (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 32 min | Genre: Romance Comedy | Director: Sammi Cohen
Cast: Rowan Blanchard, Auli'i Cravalho, Isabella Ferreira, Megan Mullally
Crush is a delightfully queer teen romance from director Sammi Cohen, based on a hilarious and charming writing of a first feature script from Kirsten King and Casey Rackham. Crush stars Rowan Blanchard as Paige, an art student who attempts to gain attention from her crush (Isabella Ferreira) by joining her on the school track team. Crush is pithy and fun, with a hot young cast, including Auli'i Cravalho (Moana) and Teala Dunn. Featuring Megan Mullally as Paige’s hip and progressive mother — a beautiful blend of Amy Poehler’s mom role in Mean Girls and Poehler’s mom in Moxie — Crush provides a refreshing avenue for the love triangle trope to blossom. – Yael Tygiel
The Hating Game (2021)
Run Time: 1 hr 42 min | Genre: | Director: Peter Hutchings
Cast: Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Damon Daunno, Corbin Bernsen, Sakina Jaffrey
The Hating Game is a sexy romantic comedy starring Lucy Hale (Katy Keene) and Austin Stowell, directed by Peter Hutchings. Highlighted by witty banter jumping off the pages of Christina Mengert’s script, The Hating Game’s exciting workplace romance storyline comes directly from Sally Thorne’s steamy enemies-to-lovers novel. It’s easy to revel in Hale and Stowell’s natural talent and sensuality through the story, and although the characters’ personalities have been criticized for their slight deviations from the beloved book, the screen adaptation of The Hating Game is ambitiously entertaining, bringing passion and laughter to the forefront. – Yael Tygiel
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
Run Time: 2 hrs 6 min | Genre: Period Romance Drama | Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
Cast: Emma Corrin, Jack O'Connell, Matthew Duckett, Joely Richardson
Emma Corrin (The Crown) absolutely captivates in the most recent iteration of D. H. Lawrence’s controversial 1928 novel, Lady Chatterley's Lover. Director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s adept care of the sensual story allows the chemistry between stars Corrin and Jack O'Connell to steam up the screen. Although a period drama, Lady Chatterley's Lover is relevant as ever, as it follows the story of an unhappy wife beginning a carnal affair with a gamekeeper. Like the adaptations before it, Lady Chatterley's Lover delicately unwraps themes of love and lust as well as class and societal expectations within a breathtaking two-hour film. – Yael Tygiel
Something from Tiffany’s (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 27 min | Genre: Romance Comedy | Director: Daryl Wein
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Kendrick Sampson, Ray Nicholson, Shay Mitchell
Award-winning director Daryl Wein brings to the screen Tamara Chestna’s illuminating script for the adorable romantic movie Something from Tiffany’s, adapted from Melissa Hill’s sweet book. Something from Tiffany’s stars Zoey Deutch (Zombieland: Double Tap) as a young woman whose commitment-phobic boyfriend (Ray Nicholson) accidentally gives her a gift intended for someone else, interpreting his action as a proposal for marriage. Something from Tiffany’s sweet premise sets up a delightful romp where the endearing Deutch shows off her natural charm opposite talents like Shay Mitchell and Kendrick Sampson. – Yael Tygiel
Marry Me (2022)
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Run Time: 1 hr 52 min | Genre: Romance Comedy | Director: Kat Coiro
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, John Bradley, Sarah Silverman, Chloe Coleman
Catchy tunes and clever quips are all over the flashy film Marry Me, a playful romantic comedy film starring icon Jennifer Lopez and funnyman Owen Wilson (Loki). In Marry Me, director Kat Coiro follows Kat Valdez (Lopez), a superstar singer, songwriter, and performer intent on marrying her boyfriend, rockstar Bastian (Maluma), in a highly visible concert telecast around the globe. After a scandal derails their nuptials, Kat takes a leap of faith and marries a stranger in the crowd (Wilson). Supported by incredible music, talented comedians like Sarah Silverman, and a cute premise originating in Bobby Crosby’s graphic novel, Marry Me is a toe-tapping experience. – Yael Tygiel