If Valentine’s Day really was invented solely to torture single people, one might argue that the entire rom-com genre is intended to see them through. Having lived through our share of solo February 14th’s, everyone here at Camille Styles knows the power of feel-good Valentine’s Day movies when you need them.
We put our heads together to come up with our all-time favorite flicks for love day. Below, you’ll find the movies that make us laugh, cry, and renew our hope in love. So, if you happen to have complete power over the remote control this week, take advantage and binge one of our favorite films. Warning: They don’t all have a happy ending, but I guess that depends on your definition of love, doesn’t it?
Featured image by Claire Huntsberger.
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The Best Valentine’s Day Movies That’ll Make You Believe in Love
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, 2022
While I’d happily ugly-cry through a heartbreaking love story, I’m more apt to enjoy something truly feel-good. (But wow, if you watched the third episode of The Last of Us, you’ll know there’s always an exception to the rule.) If you’re also after a touching narrative with a protagonist you’ll be rooting for the entire time, nothing beats Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.
It’s 1950s London, and a widowed cleaning lady (Mrs. Harris’) only dream is to have a couture Dior dress in her closet. She raises the money and heads to Paris to make her dream a reality. But her pursuit transforms more than her own life—it may very well shift the future of the House of Dior. (Psst… the film features Emily in Paris star Lucas Bravo. If you wanted more of chef Gabriel post-season three, watch this.)
Standout line: “We need more dreams, now more than ever.”
Available on: Amazon Prime
Wedding Season, 2022
While Netflix has put out its fair share of rom-coms in recent years, Wedding Season has to be the best. Asha, an economist, has recently parted ways with her fiancé and left Wall Street to work for a New Jersey startup. Her mother, worried about Asha’s future, takes it into her own hands—and makes her a dating profile. Asha meets Ravi, and despite a few missteps, they feign a relationship to make it through the summer’s many weddings. That is, until—in true rom-com form—faking it becomes something more.
Standout line: “I don’t dance on demand.”
Available on: Hulu
Ticket to Paradise, 2022
Standout line: The movie poster alone is enticing enough. George Clooney and Julia Roberts? Easily sold. But I’ll sweeten the deal. Roberts is back in Bali, but instead of searching for herself playing Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert, she and Clooney (who plays her ex-husband) are trying to stop their daughter from marrying a seaweed farmer. It seems that sabotage may be the ticket to rekindling the magic. Oh, and again: Lucas Bravo.
Standout line: “Telling someone to calm down has literally never calmed anyone down in the history of the universe.”
Available on: Apple TV
Tall Girl 2, 2022
If you have a thing for movies that perfectly depict just how cringe and awkward it can be to exist as a teenager, then you likely loved Tall Girl (same). In the sequel, Jodi is navigating newfound popularity after her speech at the Homecoming dance. But her new relationship, social status, and star role in the spring musical bring on anxiety attacks. Will the stress be too much? Can she move beyond the voice in her head holding her back? Watch this charming coming-of-age film to find out.
Standout line: “Are you sure you don’t mind leaning down to kiss me?”
Available on: Netflix
Call Me By Your Name, 2017
We couldn’t compile a list of top Valentine’s Day movies without including this recent romantic (and tragic!) flick with everybody’s heartthrob, Timothée Chalamet. The tension between the two is unbearable at times but try and watch this movie without experiencing goosebumps all over your body. This story of young love and self-discovery is incredibly moving and devastatingly heartbreaking but it’s one we will watch over and over for its stunning cinematography and soundtrack (Sufjan Stevens nailed this one!).
Standout line: “I’ll never have the courage to ask a question like that.”
Available on: Amazon Prime
Carol, 2015
Another movie that proves love can appear in unexpected places and it can be, well, complicated. This was the case for Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) who falls for the captivating Carol (Cate Blanchett) after seeing her at a 1950s Manhattan department store. Of course, you guessed it, the two women form a bond that quickly becomes a love with complicated consequences.
Standout line: “Dearest there are no accidents.”
Available on: Apple TV
The Lobster, 2015
I’ve spent the past seven years defending my stance that this is the all-time greatest movie in existence. It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s visually stunning and sad. In this dystopian world, single people have 45 days to find love. If they fail? They get turned into animals. The Lobster is a breath of fresh air for anyone who’s tired of the soulmate trope, skeptical of happy endings, or just want to watch a beautifully authentic romance unfold before your eyes.
Standout line: “A lobster is an excellent choice.”
Available on: Hulu
Sleepless in Seattle, 1993
While some movies filed under the rom-com/romance genre don’t age well, Sleepless in Seattle will remain a forever classic. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks make the ultimate on-screen 90s couple (You’ve Got Mail, anyone?). And while Rosie O’Donnell plays the perfect, cynical friend who points out all the failings of our modern conception of love, this movie will still make you root for romance. Note: I’ve also never wanted to purchase a houseboat in Seattle more.
Standout line: “Destiny is something that we’ve invented because we can’t stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental.”
Available on: Amazon Prime
Two for the Road, 1967
I watched this for the first time with my mom in middle school (romantic, right?). Like many of us, Audrey Hepburn is her favorite actress, and while Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of her standout roles, this lesser-known film is as romantic as it gets. There’s nothing like a road trip through southern France to re-examine your twelve-year relationship. Golden Globe and Oscar nominations abound, and they’re all definitely merited. What was considered an experimental film portrayal of love at the time remains a dramatic but heartwarming story of two people trying to recapture a faded passion. On another note: Audrey Hepburn’s style = always on point.
Standout line: “What kind of people just sit there without a word to say to each other?” “Married people.”
Available on: YouTube TV
North by Northwest, 1959
A spy thriller? For Valentine’s Day? Stick with me. While Alfred Hitchock is more often associated with horror and suspense, I’d be remiss not to point out his ability to capture romance at its most intensely unique. Because it came out mid-century, some of the dialogue, of course, is a bit dated. But Cary Grant? Timeless.
Standout line: “I never discuss love on an empty stomach.”
Available on: Apple TV
Something’s Got to Give, 2003
It’s not a list of romantic movies without a Nancy Meyers standout. If you’re a Diane Keaton fan (everyone), love a good New England beach aesthetic, and can’t get enough of an early 2000s Keanu Reeves (just me?), then this is the movie to be marathoning on V-day and beyond. Not only will you get a feel-good film out of the holiday, but trust me—buckle up for plenty of sartorial inspiration to come.
Standout line: “It’s just a walk Erica, not a marriage proposal.”
Available on: Amazon Prime
High Fidelity, 2000
Because if there’s anything we love more than an optimistic teenage John Cusack with a stereo over his head, it’s a bitter thirty-something Cusack who works at the local record store. This hilarious study of romantic relationships is infinitely quotable, totally relatable, and oh-so-good.
Standout line: “I hope we’re not in love anymore, to be honest. It would give me a better opinion of love right now.”
Available on: Amazon Prime
Midnight in Paris, 2011
This movie will spark your imagination. Follow a charmingly bewildered Owen Wilson as he stumbles through time in the foggy streets of Paris. Did it really happen? Or did he imagine it? Either way, it’s magical and we want to watch it again and again—especially for another glimpse of that guy who plays Hemingway.
Standout line: “Nostalgia is denial – denial of the painful present… the name for this denial is golden age thinking – the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one ones living in – its a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.”
Available on: Amazon Prime
Populaire, 2013
This little French film about an insurance boss and his quick typing secretary is one part sports movie, two parts rom-com, and altogether charming. We especially love the fun 60s fashion and whimsical action scenes in this quirky romance.
Standout line: “One gift in this world is enough.”
Available on: Amazon Prime
When Harry Met Sally, 1989
First they hated each other. Then they were friends… Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan still charm in the godfather of all romantic comedies. This one has staying power.
Standout line: “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
Available on: Apple TV
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1961
Because being broke, quirky, and single in the city has never looked so chic.
Standout line: “You can love somebody without it being like that. You keep them a stranger, a stranger who’s a friend.”
Available on: Apple TV
Bridget Jones’s Diary, 2001
If we could only pick one Valentine’s Day movie for the single person, it would probably be this. We get Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. An endless stream of cheeky references to Pride and Prejudice. And Renée Zellweger doing every single stupid thing we’ve ever done or thought about doing ourselves. Bridget Jones, you are the everywoman. And we physically need for things to work out for you.
Standout line: “Shut up, please. I am very busy and important.”
Available on: Apple TV
Amélie, 2001
Our generation’s gamine in the role that made her famous: a shy and charming romantic who mischievously meddles in other people’s love lives. Trés sweet.
Standout line: “Failure teaches us that life is but a draft, an endless rehearsal of a show that will never play.”
Available on: Amazon Prime
That Thing You Do!, 1996
Liv is at her absolute loveliest in Tom Hank’s directorial debut about an innocent group of high school musicians who become overnight sensations.
Standout line: “We came here to meet girls and dance, and we can’t meet girls until we dance!”
Available on: Apple TV
Sixteen Candles, 1984
I have two words for you: Jake Ryan. If (like some of the girls in this office) you are somehow too young to have seen John Hughes’ original brat pack movie, consider this one a personal assignment from me. You’ll get to see the film that arguably defined “high school movie”, Anthony Michael Hall at his most adorable, and one of the most classic on-screen kisses of the eighties.
Standout line: “I want a serious girlfriend. Somebody I can love, that’s gonna love me back. Is that psycho?”
Available on: Amazon Prime
Romantics Anonymous, 2010
Two shy chocolate-makers come together in this sweet and subtle story with plenty of French ambiance. Bon appétit.
Standout line: “I’m sorry but it won’t work. I love you and I know you love me. But it’s a recipe for disaster.”
Available on: Amazon
About A Boy, 2002
Okay, so this quirky little comedy based on Nick Hornby’s 1998 novel doesn’t end with a dream wedding, but trust us when we say it’s exactly what you need this Valentine’s Day: Hugh Grant at his best in a role that’s meant for him, an adorable kid, and a heartwarming story that will have you believing in love of a larger kind.
Standout line: “Once you open your door to one person, anyone can come in.”
Available on: Apple TV
Brooklyn, 2015
The costumes, scenery and dreamy 1950s world of…