Your idea of the perfect Valentine’s Day may involve being wined and dined, but ours simply entails our soul mate (or just our mates, depending on our relationship status at the time), some cosy clothes and a Valentine’s Day movie. And it turns out that we’re not alone, as millions turn to Google every year to discover the best movies to watch on Valentine’s Day.
So, what are the best Valentine’s Day movies? They’re the ones that have romance at their core. Yes, even the ones that aren’t typical of the romance genre. Sure, The Notebook is up there with the top Valentine’s movies, but so is the musical La La Land, the anime Howl’s Moving Castle and the gothic fantasy Edward Scissorhands. And do you know what all of these films have in common? They’re each bolstered by a mood-boosting soundtrack.
So, without futher ado, here are the Valentine’s movies we can’t get enough of.
The Best Valentine’s Day Movies
- Sylvie’s Love
- La La Land
- Licorice Pizza
- The Great Gatsby
- The Proposal
- Beauty and the Beast
- Romeo + Juliet
- Howl's Moving Castle
- About Time
- The Notebook
Top 10 Valentine’s Day Movies
Sylvie’s Love (2020)
One of the most overlooked Valentine’s Day films of recent years is Sylvie’s Love: a romantic drama set in New York in the 1950s/1960s that fundamentally focuses on the relationship between Robert (played by Nnamdi Asomugha) and Sylvie (played by Tessa Thompson).
Sylvie’s Love Soundtrack: Jazz and soul help bring this city-set love story to life – from Sam Cooke’s ‘You Send Me’ to Louis Armstrong’s ‘A Kiss to Build A Dream On’.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video
La La Land (2016)
Damien Chazelle’s love letter to Hollywood, La La Land, is, arguably, the greatest musical of our time. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s bona fide chemistry is at the centre of a grounded yet fantastical narrative that displays the ups and downs of the life of a modern-day creative.
La La Land Soundtrack: La La Land’s Academy Award-winning soundtrack – composed by Justin Hurwitz – combines contemporary jazz with classic musical archetypes to entice people to escape from their everyday reality.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Watch on: Starzplay
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s award-winning coming-of-age comedy-drama takes audiences back to the 1970s to tell them about an unorthodox relationship between 15-year-old Gary Valentine and 25-year-old Alana Kane. This is, indisputably, the best Valentine’s day movie 2021 brought us.
Licorice Pizza Soundtrack: To effectively capture the spirit of San Fernando Valley in the 1970s, Anderson opts for tracks that were popular at the time: from David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars?’ to ‘Peace Frog’ by The Doors.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Watch on: TBC
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Patently, Baz Luhrmann has a thing for timeless tales of love as, in 2013, the director took on F.Scott Fitzgerald’s quintessential fiction: The Great Gatsby. His adaptation of the novel is a celebration of love, 1920s glamour, and Leonardo DiCaprio. It really is quite perfect.
The Great Gatsby Soundtrack: The Great Gatsby soundtrack is a masterclass in how to entice a 21st century audience to invest in a story of yore. Featuring the likes of hip hop hero JAY-Z and indie-rock queen Lana Del Rey, this is a soundtrack that will still be appreciated in decades to come.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 48%
Watch on: Netflix
The Proposal (2009)
In 2009, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds led a rom-com that, over the years, has garnered a cult following. By combining accessible clichés with a story filled with unexpected twists and turns, director Anne Fletcher made The Proposal one of those super easy-to-watch films you stick on, on Sundays, or Valentine’s Day.
The Proposal Soundtrack: The soundtrack to The Proposal moves from ‘Relax’ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood to MC Hammer’s ‘U Can’t Touch This’. In other words, it’s pretty upbeat.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 45%
Watch on: Prime Video
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Not every Disney live-action remake is our cup of tea, but there’s something so special about 2017’s Beauty and the Beast that makes it stand out from the rest. Props to Emma Watson and Dan Stevens for making this film about an unexpected pairing work outside of animation.
Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack: One of the reasons the 2017 version Beauty and the Beast was so successful is because it dared to incorporate the zany songs of the original (smart move, Disney). Thus, audiences are treated to new yet familiar takes on memorable classics such as ‘Be Our Guest’ and ‘Belle’.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%
Watch on: Disney+
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
In the mid-90s, Baz Luhrmann dared to put a contemporary twist on the most famous love story ever written: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It’s safe to say the risk paid off as his spectacular, action-packed version of the ancient tale is – as far as know – the most popular in existence.
Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack: Luhrmann punctuates his take on Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy with pop songs from the likes of The Cardigans and Des’ree. Personally, we feel these modern touches are crucial to spicing up the established narrative.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%
Watch on: Disney+
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Anime may not be at the top of your mind on Valentine’s Day, but Howl’s Moving Castle is up there with the best Valentine’s Day movies. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the Studio Ghibli flick is, fundamentally, the tale of the relationship between Sophie Hatter and a mysterious wizard named Howl.
Howl’s Moving Castle Soundtrack: Legendary Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi – the man behind many of Studio Ghibli’s most celebrated soundtracks – is responsible for the truly magical music of Howl’s Moving Castle. We especially love how Hisaishi whisks the delicate sounds of strings with sparkling piano.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Watch on: Netflix
About Time (2013)
It’s hit and miss when it comes to British rom-coms, but one of the most memorable UK-set love stories shared with audiences in recent years is About Time. This quirky time-travel film starring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson is simultaneously grounded and surreal. So, no matter what you’re into, there’s a chance it’ll win you over.
About Time Soundtrack: We love what the About Time soundtrack brings to the film: It takes us from the soulful sounds of Amy Winehouse’s to the pop sounds of Sugababes.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%
Watch on: Starzplay
The Notebook (2004)
Speaking of Rachel McAdams, 2004’s The Notebook might just be the most popular Valentine’s Day movie of all time. This super emotional story (no spoilers, just in case) may be a little too lovey-dovey for some, but that’s also the reason why so many consider the film one of their all-time favourites.
The Notebook Soundtrack: Much like the film, The Notebook soundtrack is brimming with emotions. Needless to say, each track is designed to intensify the most remarkable scenes in the film.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%
Watch on: Netflix
Love to Read About Music?
If you love reading about music just as much as you love reading about lovey-dovey movies, you’re in for a treat, as we’ve got a whole host of music articles that inspire, educate and inform over at The Edit.
Prefer to listen to music than read about it? We can understand that. How does discovering our hand-picked playlists sound? Right now, it’s our The Mythos Collection: Dark and Romantic playlist that we keep gravitating towards. But if that doesn’t sound like a bit of you, feel free to explore our new releases.
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