Valentine’s Day movies To Watch on Netflix
Is there any holiday more divisive than Valentine’s Day? For every cornball romantic going all-in on the festivities, there’s a person who wishes they could snuff out the mood lighting over every candlelit dinner and paint all the roses black. And that’s not to mention everyone in between! No matter where you fall on the V-Day appreciation spectrum, one thing’s always true: It’s a great day to watch a movie.
Here are the best Valentine’s Day movies to watch on Netflix:
Your Place or Mine
Time to add a new title to the Valentine’s lineup! The rom-com Your Place or Mine marks the feature directorial debut of Aline Brosh McKenna (who previously wrote The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses, among other films, and co-created Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). The filmmaker recruited genre legends Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher to star in her film as a pair of best friends who live on opposite coasts and operate on opposite rhythms. When they switch houses for a week, the change in perspective yields surprising revelations.
Someone Great
A very wise woman once said to her three best girlfriends at a coffee shop, “Maybe we could be each other’s soulmates. And then we can let men be just these great, nice guys to have fun with.” It’s not a bad idea! And in Someone Great, a next-generation group of NYC BFFs finds strength and fulfillment in the bonds of friendship. Starring Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, and DeWanda Wise as a trio of besties on the eve of the rest of their lives, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s debut feature proves that a tale of friendship is its own kind of love story.
Fair Play
All’s fair in love and finance. And in Chloe Domont’s 2023 erotic thriller, Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich play dirty in both arenas. Domont’s debut feature follows a pair of ambitious hedge fund analysts conducting a passionate romance that they’re careful to conceal from their colleagues. When one of them is promoted, however, the tension between them builds to a breaking point—the only question is whether their relationship will kill their careers or the other way around.
Frances Ha
Shot in striking black-and-white, Noah Baumbach’s winsome indie stars Greta Gerwig as a young woman living in New York, trying to make it as a dancer (and to become a “real person”). Though the film lacks a central romance, its heroine is full of love for her life as she creates it and for all the people and places it brings. You can make it a marathon with more of Baumbach’s films, but while Marriage Story, The Meyerowitz Stories, and White Noise all explore the complexities of love among families, none are as romantic as Frances Ha.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover
D.H. Lawrence’s 1929 novel, which was banned for obscenity in the United States for three decades due to the use of certain four-letter words, gets a lush adaptation in Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s romantic drama. Emma Corrin stars as Lady Constance Chatterley, an upper-class woman whose wealthy husband is paralyzed from the waist down. Jack O’Connell plays the lover of the title, Oliver Mellors, the gamekeeper with whom she has a passionate affair, which opens her eyes to what she wants out of life.
Alex Strangelove
The heady rush of young love takes center stage in Craig Johnson’s teen rom-com. Daniel Doheny stars as Alex Truelove, a high school student planning to lose his virginity to his girlfriend, Claire (Madeline Weinstein). When he meets the charming, openly gay Elliot (Antonio Marziale), however, Alex is surprised by the attraction he feels for him. His new friendship with Elliot sets Alex on a path of exploring his sexual identity and discovering his authentic self.
Tick, Tick… Boom!
Love in its many forms echoes throughout Tick, Tick… Boom!, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s semi-autobiographical musical. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Andrew Garfield stars as the Rent creator on the verge of turning 30—years before that culture-shifting show came to be. Fueled by his love for the people around him as well as his love for the exhilarating, maddening, vital creative process itself, he strives to find his place in the world as an artist.
Our Souls at Night
A pair of legends bring a tender love story to life in Ritesh Batra’s romantic drama, based on Kent Haruf’s novel of the same name. Fifty years after Barefoot in the Park, Robert Redford and Jane Fonda team up once again, this time playing widowed neighbors in a small city in Colorado. Striking up a friendship, they decide to start sleeping together at night—completely platonically—to combat their loneliness. Soon, however, real romantic feelings develop out of their friendly arrangement.
It Follows
Horror movies are a classic choice for V-Day dissenters, but none is as suited to the holiday as David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows. The chilling flick revolves around a young woman (Maika Monroe) who’s pursued by a mysterious, deadly entity after sleeping with her boyfriend—the only way to escape the killer force is to have sex with someone else, making them the target instead. So if you’re annoyed about being alone this Valentine’s Day, don’t be; watch It Follows and be smug about the fact that sex could end up killing some of those couples celebrating it. Joke’s on them!
Love, Guaranteed
This one goes out to the people who are looking for love—especially the ones looking online. When Nick (Damon Wayans Jr.) fails to form a connection after 1,000 dates through a dating site called Love, Guaranteed, he sues the company for failing to deliver. From there, Mark Steven Johnson’s rom-com poses this question: If Nick starts to fall for the lawyer (Rachael Leigh Cook) representing him in the lawsuit, then did the website technically (if indirectly) do its job?
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Conclusion
Finally, don’t forget to cozy up by the fireplace while you’re watching these Valentine’s Day movies. Valentine’s Day may be a polarizing occasion, but one thing unites us all: the love of a good movie. Whether you’re a hopeless romantic, an anti-commercial conscientious objector, a Galentine’s Day observer, or a hater of all things pink and red, there’s a perfect Valentine’s flick for you.
FAQs
- What makes a movie suitable for Valentine’s Day viewing?
- The ideal Valentine’s Day movies capture the essence of love, be it romantic, platonic, or self-love.
- Are these Valentine’s Day movies only for couples?
- No, the list of these Valentine’s Day movies includes films celebrating various forms of love, making them perfect for everyone.
- Is there a specific order to watch these Valentine’s Day movies?
- The order is flexible; choose based on your mood and preferences.
- Do these Valentine’s Day movies cater to different genres?
- Absolutely! The list covers
