There's nothing better on Valentine's Day than cuddling up on the sofa with your significant other and watching a romantic movie.
But what is there to see? How do you choose just the right film to give you that loving glow?
Our critics have done the hard work for you, sifting through hundreds of options to bring you an unmissable selection of 20 movies to treat yourself to this Valentine's Day…
Rye Lane
A romantic comedy full of light and life set in south London
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Disney+
When the love-struck accountant Dom meets the free spirit Yas at the opening of an art gallery near Rye Lane in Peckham, south London, he experiences a day and almost a night full of adventure. Soon the two are wandering around town, going to parties, attempting easy burglaries, and generally flipping from one happy situation to another.
This is a really beautiful and really funny film full of heart and goodwill. You'll fall in love with the two leads (Industry's David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah of “Class”) as quickly and completely as they fall for each other, and the film's sense of place is as specific as it is joyful. (82 minutes)
fingernails
Rom-Com is set in a world where a machine tests relationships
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Apple TV+
“I founded this institute to take risks for love.” That's what Luke Wilson's character Duncan says in a heartfelt film set in a world where a machine can tell you whether you've chosen the right partner. Anna (Jessie Buckley) wants to learn more and therefore signs up as an employee at the institute. But what she finds (a new colleague, played by Riz Ahmed) endangers their existing relationship. But why should it be when the machine said she and Ryan (The Bear's Jeremy Allen White) were fine?
There's a kindness to this film that you wouldn't find in sci-fi oriented forays into the same territory (e.g. “Black Mirror”), and the performances are spot on. Buckley has a lot of heart as the heroine, a woman who wants more but isn't quite sure what it is. And it's nice to see Jeremy Allen White forging his own path beyond his success on The Bear. He has a very open face and you spend a lot of the film waiting to feel hurt when Anna starts questioning everything. Is it? (113 minutes)
love at first sight
Happy romantic comedy about the search for a lost love in London
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
Watch now on Netflix
When they meet on a flight from the US to London, Hadley and Oliver immediately strike the undeniable spark of love. This could be the start of a great love story… or at least it would have been if she hadn't lost his number right away. Can they find each other in a city of millions where there are only a few vague clues about their future lives?
The star-crossed young lovers are played by Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus) and Ben Hardy (The Girl Before), but it's a testament to this romantic comedy's sweet and funny script that the supporting cast includes serious comedic talent including Sally Phillips, Dexter Fletcher, Rob Delaney and Jameela Jamil. (90 minutes)
After everything
The fifth part of the After series of romantic film dramas
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Prime Video
The turbulent ebb and flow of the romance between Tessa Young and Hardin Scott (Josephine Langford and the brilliantly named hero Fiennes Tiffin, nephew of Ralph) has so far filled four films with doubts, revelations, rekindles and dramatic breakups as After The Series (based on the novels by Anna Todd) is in full swing.
In this fifth installment, they find themselves in a difficult position, seemingly separated forever after Hardin decides to turn the story of their relationship into a bestseller against Tessa's wishes. Big emotions boil around as Hardin searches for an ex-girlfriend in Lisbon and Tessa reconsiders her breakup – in a sequel full of big stakes and big emotions. (93 minutes)
Past lives
Tender story of a lost love that focuses on the migration experience
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
Sky, Apple TV+, Prime Video
It is impossible not to shed a tear while watching this discreet and tender film about two childhood sweethearts separated in youth and then reunited as adults. South Korean-born Nora (Greta Lee) is best friends with Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), but when her family moves from Seoul to Canada, the two lose touch. Years later, Nora, now a married writer living in New York, reconnects with her old friend. They reunite for a week – but do they regret the life they lost together?
This extraordinary directorial debut from South Korean-Canadian actress Celine Song was undeniably one of the film highlights of 2023. It manages to tackle big ideas like fate, identity and longing with a simplicity that captivates everyone who sees it. Available to buy or rent on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and the Sky Store, but if you have Netflix you might want to wait – it's coming on February 15th. (105 minutes)
No hard feelings
Jennifer Lawrence sets out to seduce a teenager in a raunchy comedy
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
Thirty-year-old hapless slacker Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) is hired by a wealthy couple to date their teenage son Percy before he goes off to college. She thinks it will be easy to seduce the child, but Percy is a strange, otherworldly 19-year-old who may end up having a bigger effect on Maddie than she has on him.
The premise almost feels like something from another, grittier age of cinema, but somehow it works, juxtaposing raunchy sex comedy trappings with genuine moments of warm-hearted amiability. It's also a great testament to Lawrence's comedic talent, as she indulges in everything from snappy dialogue and extended innuendo to hilarious slapstick. (103 minutes)
Palm Springs
Time loop comedy set at a wedding starring Andy Samberg
Year: 2020
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Prime Video
Imagine Groundhog Day set at a wedding with two people keeping up with each other instead of one, and you've got the gist of this perfectly crafted American comedy. Palm Springs is a ray of sunshine in the California desert town, starring Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti (Fargo) as a jokey couple reliving a day they can't escape and falling deeper in love along the way.
However, don't mistake this for a simple romantic comedy. It has strong, well-deserved philosophical and bittersweet touches that ground both the love story and the comedy and make them hit deeper, while the increasingly surreal nature of the desert setting fits the time loop premise very well. How crazy does it have to be to relive the same day over and over again? All in all, it's a film that seems a bit silly at the beginning, but ends up hitting harder than you expect. (90 minutes)
Spirit
Blockbuster supernatural drama starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore
Year: 1990
Certificate: 12
ITVX
In this blockbuster mix of romance, mystery and comedy, Patrick Swayze plays a murder victim whose ghost watches over his grieving girlfriend (Demi Moore). Whoopi Goldberg also shines as a quirky psychic in a film that features cinema's most famous pottery scene, performed to the tune of “Unchained Melody.”
In his posthumously published memoir, Swayze recalls working with Moore on this oft-parodied scene: “The best love scenes don't require what I call 'humping.' You don't really want to see the characters getting on each other's nerves. You want to see them looking intently into each other's eyes. That's what I find sexy.' (127 minutes)
Red, white and royal blue
Transatlantic romance between a British prince and the president's son
Year: 2023
Prime Video
When a lifelong transatlantic feud turns into a very public brawl, the US president's son and a British prince are forced to work together to avert an international incident. But as they spend so much time together, they realize their feelings are much stronger than they imagined, and so a top-secret romance begins.
As high-octane story ideas go, the one that fueled Casey McQuiston's best-selling gay romance novel was a slam dunk, and this slick, polished adaptation more than does it justice. Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine are endearingly awkward lovers, while Uma Thurman gets strong support as the US president in a cast that also includes Stephen Fry, Sex/Life actress Sarah Shahi and rising star Ellie Bamber. (118 minutes)
Alone together
Katie Holmes and Jim Sturgess star in a lockdown romance
Year: 2022
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Sky
Watch now on NOW
When the pandemic hits, New York food critic June (writer-director Katie Holmes) plans to ride out the lockdown in a rented house upstate in the middle of nowhere. Two things go wrong with this plan. First, her boyfriend suddenly decides to stay in the city. And secondly, the house is double occupied and she shares the room with the newly single Charlie (Hard Sun's Jim Sturgess). But hey, everything will be okay. Surely the lockdown can’t last longer than a few weeks, right?
Holmes and Sturgess are extremely likable as an unlikely couple who slowly fall in love in this sweet and endearing romance that almost everyone can relate to. (93 minutes)
Mr. Malcolm's List
Historical romantic comedy that will delight fans of Bridgerton
Year: 2022
Certificate: PG
Watch now on Sky
Watch now on NOW
When Julia Thistlewaite (Wanderlust's Zawe Ashton) is rejected as a potential wife by the dashing Mr. Malcolm (Gangs Of London's Sope Dirisu) because she doesn't meet his standards for a good bride, she hatches a brilliant plan for revenge. She'll take her best friend Selina (Freida Pinto from Slumdog Millionaire) from the countryside to 19th-century London and teach her to look like she's ticking every box on Malcolm's list.
When he then asks Selina to marry him, she will reject him and Julia's revenge will be complete. Except… well, what if Selina and Malcolm really fell in love? With equal amounts of Jane Austen, Bridgerton and Bridget Jones in the mix, this is a delightful piece of historical romcom silliness. (117 minutes)
muslim marriage
Jennifer Lopez stars in a romantic comedy that delves into the world of “Die Hard.”
Year: 2022
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Prime Video
For their wedding, Darcy and Tom (Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel) have planned a big party where they take their friends and family to a tropical paradise for a wild affair. So far, so familiar romance film (complete with the usual assortment of unexpected guests and demanding family members, not least the always brilliant Jennifer Coolidge as Tom's mother).
But then things take a turn in Die Hard territory when a group of armed terrorists arrive and take everyone hostage. Can Darcy and Tom fight their way through the ranks of armed villains and free their guests? It's definitely fun to find out… (100 minutes)
Updated
Transatlantic romantic comedy with some Devil Wears Prada-style moments
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Prime Video
This New York to London romantic comedy has a very funny beginning. Camila Mendes (Riverdale) plays Ana, an ambitious, highly educated and homeless art professional who longs to break into the gallery world. One day she makes a good impression on her boss, the unscrupulous Claire DuPont – played by the hilarious Marisa Tomei in Devil Wears Prada style. Then, before Ana knows it, she's on her way to London.
This is where this film starts to enter more traditional romcom territory, from the airport hookup to a few awkward deceptions that need to be cleared up before the end. However, this strong beginning gives you a lot of confidence for what comes next, and the film does a better job of portraying the female side of the story than many others of its kind. A few colorful supporting characters add an extra dimension, including Derry Girls' Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Ana's friend in New York and Anthony Head as an eccentric in London. (104 minutes)
You hurt my feelings
Ironic relationship comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Prime Video
Novelist and writing teacher Beth (Seinfeld's Julia Louis-Dreyfus) struggles with self-doubt, but at least her husband Don (The Crown's Tobias Menzies) will always be there to support her. At least that's what she thinks until one day she overhears him telling a friend that despite everything he told her, he really didn't like her last book that much…
A clever and funny relationship comedy about the little white lies that people tell to make life more worth living. This is a thoroughly entertaining film full of clever moments and genuine laughs. Dreyfus is predictably great, but so is Menzies, who deftly captures failing therapist Don's own quirks and neuroses. (93 minutes)
A Tourist Guide to Love
Rachael Leigh Cook embarks on a romantic journey in this sweet feature film
Year: 2023
Certificate: PG
Watch now on Netflix
After her boyfriend of five years announces he's moving to Ohio, travel company CEO Amanda (Perception's Rachael Leigh Cook) desperately needs a break. So when her business sends her to Vietnam, it seems like the perfect opportunity to forget everything. Especially when she sees her attractive personalized tour guide Sinh (Scott Ly). However, will this just be a holiday romance, or will it become something more?
Leigh Cook is the perfect leading man for a gentle love story like this, with plenty of sharp and pointed attitude to undercut the schmaltz, yet wide-eyed enough that you can hope for a big romantic conclusion. And the beautiful footage of Vietnam will have you reaching for your passport… (96 minutes)
The perfect find
Gabrielle Union stars in a love story about age differences
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Netflix
Unemployed after a high-profile layoff, fashion editor Jenna (Gabrielle Union) is eager to get back to work and is happy to take a job with an old rival (Gina Torres). There's just one small problem: The much younger guy Jenna, in her mid-forties, just met turns out not only works at the same magazine, but is also the son of her new boss. Unpleasant…
A really entertaining love story that cleverly combines the serious moments of relationship drama with some gentle comedy (Suits star Torres clearly enjoys her acting performance as the over-the-top magazine boss) that is worth finding. (99 minutes)
A Lovesong
Beautifully bittersweet film about love, loneliness and landscapes
Year: 2022
Certificate: PG
Watch now on Sky
Watch now on NOW
At a remote and dusty campsite on the shore of a lake, lonely widow Faye (A League of Their Own's Dale Dickey) sits next to her trailer, waiting for the arrival of a man from her past (Penny Dreadful's Wes Studi). Will he come? When will he get there? And will she even recognize him if he does? A gentle film that veers into melancholy as often as it rises to bittersweet hope, a strange, understated pleasure.
The setting and beautiful shots of empty landscapes are as reminiscent of old-fashioned westerns as they are of the Oscar-winning “Nomadland,” but it's the stark, all-too-human, heartbreaking appeal of Dickey that grabs you and doesn't want to let go. (81 minutes)
Love is in the air
Neighbors star Delta Goodrem is the pilot of a high-flying romantic comedy
Year: 2023
Certificate: PG
Watch now on Netflix
When their company owners send buttoned-up businessman William (Joshua Sasse) to inspect their run-down Australian island airline, the employees of Fullerton Airways fear the worst. Can they really convince him not to permanently ground them? If anyone has a chance to change his mind, it has to be the company's chief pilot, Dana (Neighbours' Delta Goodrem). But can falling in love with her really change William's mind about the business?
With hints of fish-out-of-water comedies like Local Hero and a dash of romantic goodwill, this is a sweet and charming old-fashioned romantic comedy. Perfect Friday evening sightseeing. (88 minutes)
Sharp stick
Lena Dunham from Girls writes and directs a modern sex satire
Year: 2022
Certificate: 18
Watch now on Sky
Watch now on NOW
Naive 26-year-old wallflower Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) longs to be noticed. Which leads to her starting an unhappy affair with her older married boss (John Bernthal) while trying to find her place in 21st century Los Angeles.
Written and directed by Girls' Lena Dunham, “Sharp Stick” is a raunchy, funny, often over-the-top, and strangely life-affirming look at a young woman's journey to find herself, both sexually and personally. Froseth is a crazy and likeable leading lady, while actors like Bernthal, Dunham herself and Jennifer Jason Leigh (as Sarah Jo's eccentric, sex-positive mother) make even the supporting cast memorable. (92 minutes)
Turn me around
Fish-out-of-water comedy-drama starring Alison Brie
Year: 2022
Certificate: 18
Watch now on NOW
When the small-town manager of a U.S. branch of a pasta restaurant (Mad Men's Alison Brie) is selected to attend a training program in Italy, she believes she's in for the trip of a lifetime. Especially when she attracts the attention of the company's great boss (Alessandro Nivola) at the first seminar. But soon everything dissolves into strange and potentially dangerous chaos…
Brie is, as expected, great as the lead in this quirky comedy with a touch of darkness, but there's also good support from Zach Woods, Molly Shannon and Nivola. If anyone steals the film, however, it's Aubrey Plaza, who delivers a fantastically skilled performance as Nivola's drawling personal assistant. (104 minutes)