The 18 Best Rom-Coms and Romantic Films to Watch for Valentine's Day
From "Pretty Woman" to "Moonlight," these movies are guaranteed to make you feel.
Valentine's Day is coming up, so it's the perfect time to watch a good romantic comedy. From Oscar-nominated classics like Pretty Woman to new streaming favorites like To All the Boys I've Loved Before, there are more options than ever to embrace the most romantic holiday of the year, serving every need from getting in the mood to having a good laugh. Whether you're with your boo or just hanging out with your girls, here are the best rom-coms and romantic films to watch this Valentine's Day.
Let's start off with a classic. When Darius (Larenz Tate), a writer, and Nina (Nia Long), a photographer, meet at a Chicago jazz club, the connection is instant. What begins as a lustful and innocent romance grows into something much deeper, but when Nina decides to move to New York to mend her relationship with her ex-fiance, chaos and heartbreak ensue. Come for the romance; stay for the soundtrack and Nia Long's outfits.
This film chronicles the life of 18-year-old Joni (Mia Wasikowska) on her quest to find her birth father. Raised by a lesbian couple (Annette Benning and Julianne Moore), she and her brother Laser (Josh Hutcherson) are desperate to find their roots. Things go south when their father (Mark Ruffalo) isn't the picture-perfect man that they imagined.
In this instant Netflix classic, childhood sweethearts (Ali Wong and Randall Park) become estranged for 15 years after having an argument. They meet again when they're adults and, of course, the sparks are still there. It's a sweet movie that'll make you want to fall in love with your best friend. Bonus points for Keanu Reeves playing himself.
Annie (Kristen Wiig) is a single woman who is trying to navigate her love life when she finds out that she's going to be the maid of honor in her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph)'s upcoming wedding. Annie winds up getting all the bridesmaids into some wild situations you'll have to see to believe if you haven't already. The hilarious film boasts an all-star cast including Rebel Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy, so you're sure to find a favorite character who keeps you laughing all the way through.
Can't get enough of J.Lo after her all-out Super Bowl performance? In one of the star's best romantic comedies, she plays Charlotte, who is set to marry a doctor named Kevin (Michael Vartan). The only person standing in her way? His mother. Viola, played by Jane Fonda, thinks no woman will ever be good for her son and works her hardest to drive Charlotte away in hopes that she'll call off the wedding. Wanda Sykes also stars in the rom-com.
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. She's surprised to find out that Nick's family is *very* wealthy, and much like Monster-In-Law, Nick's mother isn't her biggest fan. The film is a fashion fantasy and a groundbreaking rom-com all in one.
Premiering on Freeform on February 15th, The Thing About Harry tells the story of a young gay man named Sam, who is forced to share a car ride with the popular jock at school, Harry. When Sam learns that Harry has come out, a potential romance becomes possible.
Based on the book by Steve Harvey of the same name, Think Like A Man chronicles various couples as they follow the book's "advice" about how to sustain a relationship. When both the men and women use the book to manipulate the other, the plan backfires. It's hilarious, and the cast is pretty great, too (Gabrielle Union, Michael Ealy, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, and Meagan Good, to name a few).
Jamie (Mila Kunis) is an executive recruiter who convinces Dylan (Justin Timberlake), an art director, to take a job at the New York office of GQ magazine. They discover that they have much in common and decide to become friends, but things take an unexpected turn when they introduce sex into their relationship.
While on a business trip in Los Angeles, a wealthy businessman named Edward (Richard Gere) picks up a prostitute named Vivian (Julia Roberts), and the two hit it off instantly. After he hires her to stay with him for the weekend, the two begin to like each other, but they find that it may not work out because they come from two different worlds.
"You’re my only. I’m your only.” While it's not exactly a rom-com, Oscar-winner Moonlight is such a great cinematic achievement that we couldn't leave it off our Valentine's Day list. Brought to you by Barry Jenkins, the film is split up into three sections (Little, Chiron, and Black), chronicling each phase of a young boy’s life as he matures into adulthood. Chiron grapples with his sexuality and his tumultuous relationship with his addict mother. If you want to cry really, really hard, this one's for you.
Based on a young adult novel of the same name by Jenny Han, To All the Boys I've Loved Before is about a girl named Lara Jean (Lana Condor) who writes letters to every boy she has a crush on over the years. When one of the boys (Noah Centineo) finds his letter, a possible romance ensues. The sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, comes to Netflix on February 12, so get to watching the original if you haven't so you're all caught up before everyone starts talking about the new release.
Simon Spier hasn't come out to his friends or family yet, and he falls for an anonymous classmate online. The film is about how he balances high school, friends, and family as a closeted teen, and also revolves around him trying to discover the identity of his online romance.
Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) is a comic who meets an American graduate student named Emily (Zoe Kazan) at one of his stand-up shows. As their relationship grows, he becomes worried about their cultural differences. When Emily suddenly gets an illness that leaves her in a coma, Kumail finds himself bonding with her parents.
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell)'s whole life comes crashing down when he finds out that his wife (Julianne Moore) has been cheating on him and wants a divorce. Cal ends up meeting a guy at a bar named Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), who teaches him how to get back out there with the ladies.
In this French film, a girl named Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) forms a connection with an art student named Emma (Léa Seydoux). When they meet in a lesbian bar, the connection is instant and Adèle falls head over heels, but will this feeling last?
During her wedding ceremony where she's set to marry a man named Heck (Matthew Goode), Rachel (Piper Perabo) notices Luce (Lena Headey) in the audience and immediately feels a connection. The two women become close friends, and when Rachel learns that Luce is a lesbian, she realizes that despite her happy marriage to Heck, she is falling for Luce. She begins to question her sexual orientation and confusion ensues. Does she embark on a romance with Luce or stay with Heck?
Based on the novel of the same name by Andre Aciman, Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer star in this dreamy romance about two men who fall in love in Italy. It's so sweet and sure to make you cry. Cue "Mystery of Love" by Sufjan Stevens.