Because love comes in different forms and places.
Ah, there is simply nothing like falling in love. The joy and thrill of having late-night conversations, fun low-key dates, sweet smooches, and everyday “I love you’s” make you believe that, hey, you do belong in this universe.
There’s nothing to stop you from falling in love, they say. Romance is everywhere; you just have to look for it. And this Valentine’s Day, one of the best ways to experience the bliss of being in love is to watch some of the best romantic movies people have fallen in love with over the years.
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Whether you’re celebrating the day with your significant other, besties, family, or your amazing self, there’s surely a film to warm up your heart. The options are endless—from rom-coms to adventure thrillers and even horror flicks—because love comes in different forms and places.
Below is a rundown of movies that’ll let you experience the magic of falling in love, no matter the genre. So grab some popcorn, cozy up on your couch, and watch where your heart leads you this month of love.
For the rom-com addicts
Valentine’s Day
Was there any other way to begin this list? Valentine’s Day is a heartwarming romantic comedy that intertwines the stories of couples and singles navigating the highs and lows of Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles.
On this day, a florist (Ashton Kutcher) proposes to his girlfriend (Jessica Alba); a US Army captain (Julia Roberts) befriends a fellow passenger (Bradley Cooper); and an elementary school teacher (Jennifer Garner) falls in love with a married man (Patrick Dempsey).
Amid all this, a babysitter (Emma Roberts) plans to lose her virginity to her boyfriend (Carter Jenkins), while a young couple (Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift) are experiencing the freshness of new love and agree to abstinence.
The 2010 movie is a must-watch as it celebrates love’s ability to be everywhere at once, highlighting its beauty in all forms and circumstances. It highlights that deep, enduring love overcomes challenges. It also marks Taylor Swift’s movie debut, so prepare to Jump Then Fall for this flick, Swifties!
Serendipity
A staple in everybody’s list of best rom-coms ever made, Serendipity is a feel-good flick that will make you believe in destiny. It follows Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale), who meet by chance on Christmas Eve in New York City. Their instant chemistry makes Jonathan think it’s love at first sight. Sara, on the other hand, believes in destiny. They then decide to part ways to see if fate will bring them back together. After 10 years, the two are reunited through a series of coincidences, proving that their love was meant to be.
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Serendipity is one of the best rom-coms for many cinephiles because of its unique narrative that depicts fate as the matchmaker of two people. Cusack and Beckinsale’s charming portrayal of their relatable characters also makes it a film with enduring appeal. With a movie this magical, we wouldn’t blame you if you end up imagining yourself as Sara, or Jonathan, with a love story written by destiny, waiting to unfold.
For the thrill seekers
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
No other film can pair nail-biting action and relatable marital fighting quite like Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The 2005 action-comedy movie is a bizarre marriage story disguised as a spy thriller. It follows John and Jane Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) who both work as assassins for different firms. They struggle to keep their marriage alive while hiding their true profession from each other. The real thrill unfolds when they discover that they are both targets and must kill each other.
While the film explores the idea that true love is worth fighting for, it also suggests that the key to a successful marriage might just be deception, spying, and a cinematic house explosion.
Baby Driver
If slow-motion kisses or dancing under the stars don’t get your heart pumping, then maybe an action-packed car chase would give you just the thrill you need. For that, there’s the 2017 film Baby Driver, which fluidly combines fantastically rendered car chase sequences with a narrative showing how love can change a man for the better.
Baby Driver tells the story of Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young getaway driver, who works for a criminal mastermind named Doc (Kevin Spacey). Just when Baby thinks he is finally free and clear to have his own life with his girlfriend Debora (Lily James), Doc coerces him to make a detour for another job. It is considered a Valentine’s Day must-watch for how fluidly it combines heart-pumping action and kilig, especially when Baby decides to give up his dangerous ways for his girlfriend.
For those captivated by a good scare
Only Lovers Left Alive
If you prefer love stories laced with the strange and supernatural, Only Lovers Left Alive will show that love can be found in the most haunting forms. The 2013 film stars Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as the cheekily-named vampire couple Adam and Eve. The bohemian, freewheeling vampires have been married for several centuries and remain in love, but have chosen to live apart in recent years. When Adam grows depressed from doing human activities, his resilient lover, Eve, travels far to comfort him. However, their romance is disrupted when Eve’s uncontrollable sister kills Adam’s only human friend.
What’s captivating about Only Lovers Left Alive is how the two vampires stay committed to and love each other no matter what. Hiddleston and Swinton’s charming portrayal of the two bohemian, freewheeling couple truly make them couple goals.
Warm Bodies
Based on Isaac Marion’s novel, Warm Bodies is a heartwarming take on the zombie genre. It starts off with an unusual zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) as he sees his zombie brethren attacking a female human named Julie (Teresa Palmer) and rescues her. Julie then sees that R is different from other zombies, and the pair embarks on an unusual relationship.
As their bond grows and R becomes more and more human, a chain of events unfold that could transform their lifeless world. Warm Bodies is a recommended watch this Valentine’s Day as it offers an offbeat but heartfelt take on love’s transformative power, with themes of connection, redemption, and the search for humanity.
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