Looking for lovely films about love for Valentine’s Day? We got you covered. You may not be able to give you the perfect Valentine, but we can offer you the perfect list of Valentine’s Day movie you can watch in the comfort of your own home or wherever else you access streaming services.

La La Land: (Amazon)

From the music to the colors, Damien Chazelle’s magical musical masterpiece had me mesmerized. The look and style drew me in and held me till the last magical moment. Everything involved flowed so seamlessly, from the characters and their interactions to the look and feel of each shot and the world that it created. The great thing about La La Land’s cinematography is how much thought and attention to detail is put into every breathtaking moment. It doesn’t care that much about realism, and the visually stunning film knows how out of this world it is. The world that has been created isn’t trying to feel entirely realistic, its goal is to be a heightened and romanticized portrayal of the real world. And it’s executed flawlessly. (It has no shame in being just a little over the top, and I love it!)

The film depicts a beautiful yet heartbreaking love story between two characters Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). On a highway in Los Angeles, Mia, an aspiring actress, first meets the struggling jazz musician, Sebastian, in a fit of road rage as she flips him off through her window. The first few interactions between them are rather antagonistic, with Mia’s road rage and Sebastian ignoring her as she goes to compliment him for his playing, but as their passions draw them together their relationship blossoms. 

Throughout the movie, passion plays such a large role in what drives the characters. Passion is infectious, and as Mia puts it “people love what other people are passionate about.” This fits in so many ways and as Mia and Sebastian’s relationship unfolds you can see just how much meaning it has for them. They are drawn to each other because of how passionate they are about their dreams, and because of that passion, it is also their downfall.

Everything about this film just feels right, and you can see how much thought and care was put into it. From the colors and characters to the cinematography. And, of course, THE SCORE! (Just listening to it makes me emotional.) Justin Hurwitz, the composer for La La Land’s score, crafted a seemingly perfect balance between jazz and strings that ties both the plot and shots together and gives the film an added layer of complexity. The world of La La Land is one of the most enchanting and visually stunning romantic films that I have ever seen, and will always hold a special place in my heart. 

The Princess Bride: (Disney+)

Directed by Rob Reiner, this iconic classic shows you the meaning of what a soulmate truly is. This romance film is filled with various quotable lines that have stayed through several generations. From the lines like “Inconceivable!” to “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.” They are still iconic to this day. 

From the beginning, you can see Westley (Cary Elwes) and Buttercup’s (Robin Wright) blossoming romance. But tragedy strikes and Westley is taken away. A heartbroken Buttercup is taken to marry Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) and is thrust into a life of future misery. Before her wedding, Buttercup is taken captive by Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) in hopes of starting a war with a neighboring kingdom. To her rescue comes a man in all black. He battles several foes like Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), the swordsman driven by revenge for his father, the giant Fezzik (played by André the Giant), and the Sicilian criminal mastermind Vizzini.

The amount of joy this film brings to me is unimaginable. Every time I sit down to watch it I find myself completely immersed and enthralled by the characters. (I even find myself saying lines alongside the characters.) Despite being released in 1978, The Princess Bride has aged astonishingly well, and if you’re in the market for feel-good romance, look no further! 

Pride & Prejudice (2005): (HBO Max)

If anyone says the phrase “Pride and Prejudice” within my earshot, my ears perk up and I begin searching desperately for the person who uttered it. There’s nothing I love more than the book Pride and Prejudice, and the 2005 adaptation of it does it justice. It is one of the most stunning, enrapturing, perfect films I’ve ever seen.

The movie centers around the witty and fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley), who is trying not to break under the pressure to find a rich husband. Being one of five sisters whose family home is set to be inherited by a distant male cousin, an advantageous marriage is the first thing on her family’s mind. But when the charming, well-off Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods) moves to town and takes an interest in Elizabeth’s sister Jane (Rosamund Pike), her world becomes entwined with that of his friend, Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfayden). Where the neighborhood sees a (very) rich, eligible bachelor, Lizzy finds a proud and arrogant snob. But Mr. Darcy is not what he seems.

I have so much to say about this movie that it can’t fit into a paragraph. What I will say is that it’s a classic for a reason. No matter how many times I watch it (and it is, in fact, hard to count how many times I’ve seen it), P&P never fails to mesmerize me. Not only is it a period drama, not only is it set against the idyllic English countryside, not only is it chalk-full of plot twists, it is also a wonderful story that explores the impact of first impressions and what they can’t reveal. It is a satire, family drama, and most of all, a love story. It is the original rivals-to-lovers story, the blueprint for all other rom-coms. This is a movie of little details; little quirks that cause you to relate to and root for and, in some cases, wish the downfall of each and every character. And the cinematography is exquisite! The hand shots! (Watch it; you’ll know what I mean.) I can’t recommend this movie enough. It makes my hopeless romantic heart sigh, every time.

Wall-e: (Disney+)

On the surface, it may not look like a movie filled with romance but without the use of words, the visual representation of love flourishes. Pixar has mastered the art of show don’t tell, and has gone above and beyond each and every time. The perfect example of this is Wall-E. Why? Because it’s forced to. Throughout the film, Wall-E and Eve say a total of two words to each other. This forces the filmmakers to show us emotions through their interactions. You can see how their relationship grows and is explored. (And because of this it has become one of my favorite love stories.) 

After the world is covered in trash, all humans evacuate to space and leave their world to a bunch of robots, whose job is to clean the world of trash. As time passes Wall-E is the only one remaining. He continues with his role, but as his day finishes, he heads home to his collection of trinkets. After repeating this day after day, Wall-e longs for more. As he looks up at the stars, his eyes open as they reflect through them. One day, he finds something different, something new. A little green plant. After investigating one morning, Wall-E runs into a shiny new robot named Eve, and eventually, he takes her to his home where, after he shows her his plant and Eve is taken away, Wall-E’s dream of something new is finally made true as he tries and saves his love.

Pixar’s talent in visual storytelling really shines and through the simplicity of it all, it shows the wholesome and pure display of love that Eve and Wall-E share that touches me every time and makes me love them even more. It truly is the perfect representation of love and how you don’t need words to express it. 

Schmigadoon!: (Apple TV)

Even from someone who isn’t a fan of musicals, there’s something about Schmigadoon that really hits the harmonic balance between romance and comedy. Especially when it stars two SNL personalities.

After meeting in a hospital Melissa (Cecily Strong) and Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) immediately find themselves falling in love with each other. After a few years, Melissa feels like their relationship has dwindled away, and in hopes to fix it she takes Josh to an outdoor retreat where they can spend some time together in peace. Things go wrong and they find themselves in the wonderful world of Schmigadoon. Melissa and Josh are immediately greeted by an extravagant musical performance put on by the Schmigadoon residents. Instantly Josh wants to leave due to his hatred for musicals, but Melissa isn’t as resistant to staying and views the whole situation as a fun tourist attraction. After a few musical numbers, Josh insists on leaving, and together they set off to leave the strange town. In a shock, they find themselves unable to leave. After learning the rules of the land, they try to cross the bridge one more time. To their surprise, they fail, and come to the conclusion that their relationship may not be, in Josh’s words “fine.”

The thing that I love about this show is how it uses the absurdity of the plot to its advantage. The addition of Melissa and Josh contributing to the musical numbers, in their own way, adds to the uniqueness of the show. When discovering this musical comedy I was definitely hesitant to continue it, nevertheless, I can say that Melissa and Josh’s journey is a pleasant surprise that everyone should give a try at least once. 

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