If dinner and a movie are part of your Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day) plans, don’t let a debate over what to watch get in the way. Whether you know every word of The Notebook by heart, or would rather re-watch episodes of The Walking Dead than go anywhere near the “Romance” titles on Netflix, we’ve rounded up a list of films you’ll enjoy watching with a partner.
READ: Valentine's Day calls for the best date night dress - check out our favourites
Our selections include hilarious comedies and relatable dating stories that appeal to romantics and realists alike, so you can fast forward through the lengthy conversation about which movie to see.
About Time
If you've rewatched Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral more times than you could count, it might be time to try Richard Curtis' time travelling romcom instead. After discovering the men in his family can travel through time, Tim uses the neat trick in order to find love.
(500) Days of Summer
You might spy rom-com hallmarks (boy meets girl, boy falls for girl) in this 2009 moving starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, but a narrator’s voice says at the start, “This is not a love story.” Instead, it’s a fun flick about a guy who believes in happily ever after.
Photo: © Fox Searchlight Pictures
Creed
Skipping a weepy romance for Rocky? Stick with us. In this new take on the boxing franchise, Apollo Creed’s son Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) strives to make a name for himself in the ring. When he falls for aspiring singer Bianca (Tessa Thompson), they both motivate one another to go after their dreams.
Photo: © Warner Bros.
Set It Up
After their lives are made miserables by their workaholic bosses, these two assistants decide to team up and trick their tormenters into falling in love with each other... and maybe getting a day off for themselves every once in a while. Available on Netflix!
Bridget Jones's Diary
An utter classic that must be watched by singletons and couples alike on Valentine's Day! Bridget is a 30-something single gal in love with her boss, Daniel Cleaver, and with mixed feelings for her old childhood friend, the snobby Mark Darcy. So she keeps a diary to tell the truth about Bridget Jones. The whole truth.
When Harry Met Sally
Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan walk the line between friends and more than friends in this 1989 favourite. More than 25 years later, the banter between opposites Harry and Sally, and their will-they-won’t-they story still holds up.
Photo: © Columbia Pictures
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Lara Jean likes to get rid of her crushes (including her older sister's ex-boyfriend) by writing them long letters that she keeps hidden, so they'll never see. Until somehow, they all get posted. To prove that she is over Josh, Lara Jean starts up a fake relationship with Peter, who equally wants to make his ex-girlfriend jealous with a new girlfriend. But of course, things don't go to plan.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Watching a man deal with a devastating breakup shouldn’t be this funny. But How I Met Your Mother’s Jason Segel proves us wrong in this 2008 comedy, which also stars Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell.
Photo: © Universal Pictures
Think Like a Man
This ensemble comedy follows four single men – and one separated guy, played by Kevin Hart – who discover that the women they’re dating are all getting dating advice from the same source. With so many relationship scenarios packed into one story, you’ll be sure to find one that makes you laugh, or sparks conversation.
Photo: © Sony Pictures
Zombieland
They say you find love when you least expect it, and that’s exactly what happens in this action-comedy. This zombie movie starring Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone will make you smile, laugh and keep you on your toes. If, by the end you think your date would save you from a zombie apocalypse, then that’s true love!
Photo: © Columbia Pictures
Moonrise Kingdom
Escape the typical Valentine’s Day options with a trip into director Wes Anderson’s world. A pair of preteens decides to run away together in this 1965-set film. The cast includes Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Bruce Willis.
Photo: © E1 Films Canada
Crazy, Stupid, Love
If watching Ryan Gosling play a smooth-talking mentor to Steve Carell (who plays a newly-single father) isn’t enough to entice you, this crowd-pleasing movie also has an all-star cast (Julianne Moore! Emma Stone!) and a surprise ending.
Photo: © Warner Bros.
A Knight's Tale
A man can change his stars! This has it all: fights, jousts, dancing, romance and David Bowie. It follows William, a commoner who is desperate to become a Knight, and so fraudently enters tournaments with papers written from his pal, Geoffrey Chaucer and with the help of his friends, Wat, Roland and Kate.