Valentine's Day is different for everyone. For some, it's a chance to tell your loved ones how much you appreciate them, for others it's just another day at the office! However, no matter whether you celebrate the big day or not, it is a truth universally acknowledged that Valentine's Day is a time for love. So whether you are celebrating with that special someone or just enjoying singledom with your friends, it's definitely THE time of year to settle in with a truly excellent romance. So forget all about going for a romantic dinner and grab the popcorn, have your tissues at the ready and check out our top picks!
Whether you are a fan of classics like Breakfast at Tiffany's or prefer modern romances like 2017's smash hit musical La La Land, we have come up with more than enough recommendations for you to have a romantic marathon on Tuesday 14 February! If you prefer a classic Hugh Grant rom com, you might want to go with the popular Notting Hill, whereas if you fancy a heartbreaking tragedy, Titanic is the one for you. If you'd just like to get lost in an uplifting tale, we have found the best romances to laugh, cry and applaud for your Valentine's Day evening.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
One of Audrey Hepburn's most famous movies, Breakfast at Tiffany's is the story of sophisticated Holly Golightly, who is looking for a wealthy man to marry, when Paul Varjack, an aspiring writer without a penny to his name, moves into her building. In spite of herself Holly finds herself drawn to him. The movie is remembered as much for Audrey's ultra-chic wardrobe as the moving love story.
La La Land
This film is a modern Hollywood classic – a romance musical full of beautiful dance routines and catchy tunes. The story follows Mia, a struggling actress who dreams of making it big and Sebastian, a pianist who wants to one day open his own jazz bar. The pair meet and fall in love while helping each other achieve their goals.
Me Before You
This heartbreaking tale follows Lou, a young woman who is struggling for money and so takes a job taking care of a young paralysed man, Will, despite having no experience in care. Lou's bright and bubbly personality brings Will out of his depression, while he helps her in reach her full potential in return. If you plan to watch this over Valentine's Day be sure to have tissues at the ready!
Titanic
It's impossible not to be moved to tears by this epic tale. Love stories don't need a happy ending to be romantic! Jack, a drifter and artist, meets Rose, who is unhappily engaged to a wealthy man. She discovers her soulmate in Jack, who sacrifices his life for her when their ship hits the iceberg.
The Princess Bride
This classic romance follows Buttercup, a beautiful woman who falls deeply in love with a 'farm boy', Westley. After Westley is thought to have been killed after leaving to seek his fortune, a heartbroken Buttercup reluctantly gets engaged to the evil Prince Humperdinck, before realising that her true love is alive after all.
Silver Linings Playbook
After suffering a mental breakdown, Pat moves back in with his parents following a stay at a mental institution, determined to reconcile with his ex-wife. He then meets Tiffany, who has her own inner demons, and the pair slowly fall for each other in their own peculiar way.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
After their relationship goes sour, Joel and Clementine decide to have their memories of each other erased, only to meet and fall in love all over again. The story mostly takes place in Joel's mind as his memories of Clementine are slowly erased and he desperately attempts to hang on to her.
The Notebook
A poor but passionate young man (Ryan Gosling) falls for a rich heiress (Rachel McAdams). World War II and her snobbish parents conspire against the match. In the present day an elderly man in a nursing home is recounting their predicament to a fellow female resident. Slowly we begin to realise that the two stories are interconnected, but how? And will either have a happy ending?
Gone with the Wind
Set during the American Civil War, Gone with the Wind is based on the most successful period romance novel of all time. The beautiful Scarlett O'Hara, played by Vivien Leigh, is fighting for her survival during the war as well as attempting to navigate her tangled love life with Clark Gable's character Rhett Butler. Even today his closing line: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," still sends a chill down the spine.
Annie Hall
According to critics, this is just about everyone's favourite Woody Allen film ever. It was hard not to fall in love with the ditsy eponymous lead and her wardrobe, which was Diane Keaton's own. The film also influenced later movies, such as Before Sunrise, which consist mainly of the characters just walking around and talking.
Pretty Woman
This was the movie that made women desire Richard Gere and envy Julia Roberts for her incandescent beauty and charm. The story follows successful businessman Edward, who invites down-on-her luck call girl Vivian to spend a few days with him. Slowly the unlikely pair, both isolated and lonely, come to find solace and joy in each other's company.
Romeo and Juliet
Director Baz Luhrmann teamed Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio with a modern score and the original Shakespearean text for this high-octane update on the 16th-century play. Everyone knows how it ends but the film skilfully makes you hope against hope that this time it will be different.
When Harry Met Sally
Can a man and a woman ever truly be good friends? Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan attempted to answer the question via witty one liners and the most amusing restaurant scene in the history of cinema. Written by rom com queen Nora Ephron, it was based on director Rob Reiner's real life dating experiences.
Brief Encounter
The agony of the main character, a respectable housewife contemplating infidelity with a dashing doctor, is heartbreaking. Released in 1945, the drama has stood the test of time, moving generations of audiences with its intense emotion and realistic treatment of this most human of predicaments.
Casablanca
This wartime classic explored the themes of sacrifice and long lost love. It is set in Morocco, where a cynical American expatriate is forced to choose between his feelings for a former lover and helping her resistance leader husband escape German persecution. It starred Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in her most renowned role.
Ten Things I Hate about You
A clever reworking of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, this stars Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger. A popular young girl must find someone to go out with her abrasive older sister – before their father will allow her to date. The school bad boy is hired is hired for the task but he complicates matters by falling in love.
Dirty Dancing
In one of those summers that change your life, a naïve young girl finds herself having feelings for her dance instructor. The only problem is that he's from the wrong side of the tracks and her father disapproves. Cue an unforgettable dance à deux.
Ghost
Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze's pottery scene has to be one of the most sensual and iconic ever filmed. This tale of a murdered banker who comes back from the afterlife to protect his lover from danger touched a deep chord with moviegoers. Ghost became the highest grossing film of 1990 and went on to win two Oscars.
The Twilight Trilogy
In this case the star-crossed lovers are a high school teen and her vampire boyfriend: trying to consummate their romance could have devastating consequences. Lead actors Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson dated in real life too, giving added 'bite' to the scenario.