For the first time ever, Valentine’s Day will be on the Monday following the Super Bowl. Some people aren’t happy about it. Hopefully, you’ve already made plans for this weekend. And perhaps Valentine’s Day will be a quiet, romantic night in. If you’re in the mood to catch a movie together, here are some suggestions
These are all fairly recent and most are romantic comedies:
10. Dating & New York (2021)
Rent on: YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
Quote: “They’re not a couple, but they’re definitely fighting like a couple.”
The good news about dating in New York City is that there are tons of choices. A lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds. However, diversity doesn’t necessarily mean that finding love is appreciably easier. Wendy (Francesca Reale) and Milo (Jaboukie Young-White) meet through a dating app. Neither of them is looking for love, so they decide to be friends with benefits. They have great sexual chemistry, but they also have issues. Dating & New York aspires to be an old-school Rom-Com because there’s plenty of face-paced banter. There’s also a lot of charm.
9. Love, Simon (2018)
Stream on: Hulu
Quote: “Announcing who you are to the world is pretty terrifying, because what if the world doesn’t like you?”
High school comedies are getting more diverse and smarter. Your teenage years are an awkward time for everyone. However, they can be especially challenging for the LGBT+ community. Simon is a closeted gay teen who’s trying to figure out how and when to reveal his secret. He wonders aloud, “It doesn’t seem fair that only gay people have to come out. Why is straight the default?” His decision gets more complicated when he develops a crush on his unknown online pen pal. Love, Simon shows how quickly intimacy can develop just by showing how much you care.
8. The Photograph (2020)
Stream on: HBO Max
Quote: “Sometimes good things take time to develop.”
How much do we want to know about the story of our parents? Sure, we’re understandably inquisitive, but sometimes that curiosity can uncover secrets. The Photograph is a drama starring Issa Rae (Mae) and Lakeith Stanfield (Michael). Michael is a journalist who’s working on a story about a famous photographer. During his reporting, he meets her estranged daughter Mae. The two hit it off, but their love affair runs into a long-distance problem. The movie tells two stories simultaneously: one from the present and another from the past. You see the similarities and the differences.
7. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
Stream on: Hulu
Quote: “I had a dream that I made love with that man on the Pringles can.”
Perhaps you’re more of a Galentine’s Day person. If so, celebrate with your bestie by watching this comedy starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is silly, escapist fun. Star (Wiig) and Barb (Mumolo) leave their small Nebraska town for a Florida trip. Sounds like the Adam Sandler move of using a movie as an excuse to take a vacation. But this film is enjoyable. Barb and Star’s bond gets tested by jealously over hunky Edgar (Jamie Dornan). But sisters before misters. This is a love letter to friendship.
6. Our Souls at Night (2017)
Stream on: Netflix
Quote: “Would you be interested in coming to my house sometime to sleep with me?”
Jane Fonda and Robert Redford aren’t just Oscar winners. They’re Hollywood legends who have worked in the movie industry for over six decades. They made four movies together, but this latest film was their first collaboration since The Electric Horseman in 1979. They both became octogenarians when Our Souls at Night came out. And while Redford, 85, retired from acting in 2018, Fonda, 84, isn’t ready to call it quits. In this feature, they play widowed neighbors who agree to share a bed platonically to alleviate loneliness. Romantic sparks develop, but Our Souls at Night focuses on the need for companionship as we age.
5. Plus One (2019)
Stream on: Hulu
Quote: “I don’t think love is about chances run-ins or cute accidents. It’s simpler than that.”
Wedding season can be a hassle, especially when you’re single. But longtime friends Alice (Maya Erskine) and Ben (Jack Quaid) have found an alternate solution to going stag. They have decided to be each other’s plus one for several upcoming nuptials. Strictly platonic. In fact, Alice is willing to help Ben hook up at weddings. Great! Problems solved. Of course, this is how problems start. What makes Plus One work is that it’s genuinely funny and raunchy. Erskine delivers a fearless performance. And, if you enjoyed Quaid in Scream, you’ll love his charming turn here.
4. The Big Sick (2017)
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Quote: “Can you imagine a world in which we end up together?”
Tired of Rom-Coms that are far-fetched? We’ve got a movie for you. What makes The Big Sick special is that it’s based on the real story of married couple Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. While they were dating, Gordon suddenly became ill and was placed in a medically induced coma. In the movie, Nanjiani plays himself while Zoe Kazan portrays Gordon. The fictional version, written by Nanjiani and Gordon, takes creative liberties, but the essence of the story is true. The Big Sick is helped by a great supporting cast which includes Holly Hunter and Ray Romano.
3. Straight Up (2019)
Rent on: YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
Quote: “I think I might not be gay.”
What do you do when you love someone but you’re not in love? Todd (James Sweeney) and Rory (Katie Findlay) have an obvious intellectual connection but not a physical one. Despite everything they have in common, an inexperienced Todd has so many doubts about his own sexuality that this couldn’t possibly work. Or could it? Straight Up hilariously and earnestly examines what it means to be in a relationship. What would you sacrifice to be with someone who understands you? Both Todd and Rory want love, but they’re having a tough time finding true love for one another.
2. Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Stream on: Netflix
Quote: “I punched Keanu Reeves.”
This is what happens when you unite fabulously funny people (Ali Wong and Randall Park) in a modern, relatable story. Always Be My Maybe is a perfect romantic comedy because it hits familiar notes while also feeling fresh. Former friends are reunited after years apart: one phenomenally successful (Wong is a celebrity chef), the other not so much (Park is in a struggling band and moonlights as an HVAC repairman). From there, you know where the plot is going, but it’s so much fun getting there. Plus, Keanu Reeves has an epic cameo playing an exaggerated version of himself.
1. Free Guy (2021)
Rent on: YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
Quote: “I may not be real, but for a second there, I felt pretty alive.”
You could view Free Guy as a video game version of The Truman Show. The main character exists in a fake world that he doesn’t realize is just a simulation. But at its core, Free Guy is a creative spin on the boy meets girl narrative with jokes and Easter eggs. Ryan Reynolds tones down his Deadpool sarcasm in favor of the sweet, optimistic Guy who has fallen for Molotov Girl/Millie (Jodie Comer). His pursuit of her eventually leads to him discovering the truth about his existence. Free Guy is highly entertaining with a surprise ending that we should have seen coming.