There are two types of people: Those who want nothing more than to spend Valentine's Day wallowing in the many romantic offerings of Netflix, and those who want to spend it only watching films where couples break up, and/or prove that love is a hollow sham. The latter group of people have Marriage Story, while the former have a whole host of romantic comedies and dramas to stream this February 14.
The best romantic movies on Netflix this Valentine's Day
About Time
Richard Curtis is the undisputed king of romantic movies, with films like Four Wedding and a Funeral and Notting Hill Valentine's Day staples for many. However, the only one of his films streaming on Netflix is About Time, a tragic time travel tear-jerker starring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson.
Always Be My Maybe
A recent addition to the V-Day canon, Always Be My Maybe stars Ali Wong and Randall Park (plus a very game Keanu Reeves) as teenage sweethearts reunited after 15 years. However, the greatest love affair in the film will be between your stomach and the amazing food seen throughout the movie.
Alex Strangelove
Netflix has always had a pretty extensive catalog of LGBTQ+ works, with some absolute gems hidden among some of the worst films you will ever see. In the former category is little-seen gem Alex Strangelove, featuring a teen wondering if he is bisexual after starting a flirtation with an openly gay boy he meets. Imagine an edgier cousin of Love, Simon.
As Good as It Gets
The last film to win both best actor and actress gongs at the Oscars, As Good as it Gets sees Jack Nicholson play a cantankerous and particular romance novelist who falls in love with the only waitress that can put up with him.
Blue is the Warmest Color
Though the film deserves some criticism for its very male gazey lesbian sex scenes, the Palme d'Or winner is a lushly romantic (until it isn't) depiction of the love between two women that led to star Léa Seydoux becoming a Bond girl.
God's Own Country
On paper, this story of the romantic attraction between a farmer's son and a Romanian migrant worker in bleakly beautiful rural Yorkshire sounds like a slightly depressing Mike Leigh movie, but director Francis Lee turns it into one of the most romantic films of the decade.
Her
Joaquin Phoenix may have just won the Oscar for Joker, but his best performance remains Theodore Twombly, the slightly lost man who falls in love with his Scarlett Johansson-voiced virtual assistant in Spike Jonze's 2013 masterpiece.
The Notebook
Yes, if it was any more cheesy it would cause a national dairy shortage, but the Nicholas Sparks story-turned-movie is still a must-watch for millions every February 14, who dream of being kissed in the rain the way Ryan Gosling kisses Rachel McAdams.
Obvious Child
For those who do not mind a bitter taste in their Valentine's Day chocolate box, Obvious Child is a romantic comedy that sees its female lead (Jenny Slate) contemplating having an abortion for much of the movie's running time.
She's Gotta Have It
One of the most assured debut movies of all time, Spike Lee's first "joint" still looks beautiful, with the lushly romantic black and white cinematography complementing the classic romantic comedy trope of a woman (Tracy Camilla Johns) choosing between three suitors.
Someone Great
Every romantic comedy relies on the chemistry and charisma of its leads (perhaps suggesting why so many Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler romcoms don't work). Luckily, however, Someone Great has sparkling turns from Gina Rodriguez and LaKeith Stanfield at its heart.
Strictly Ballroom
Before he became known for his massive glittery spectacles like Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhrmann released oddball dancing romcom Strictly Ballroom, about a couple who fall in love on and off of the dancefloor.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
Released just in time for Valentine's Day 2020, the sequel to surprise hit To All the Boys I've Loved Before ramps up the romance of the first movie, with Lara Jean having to choose between her current boyfriend and her former Model UN friend when he returns to her life after a full glow-up.
Up in the Air
The story of a human resources consultant who travels across the U.S. helping firms fire people while collecting frequent flier miles hardly sounds like the most exciting or romantic premise for a movie, but Jason Reitman's Best Picture nominee works thanks to the chemistry of George Clooney and Vera Farmiga.
