The 20 best Valentine’s Day movies and where to watch them

Hubba hubba. Light a candle, fire up Menulog and start your streaming engines; things are about to get steamy this Valentine's Day.

Updated Feb 2, 2021. What changed?

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It's that time of year when some of us snuggle up and spend some quality time with a significant other and some of us snuggle up with a family-sized margarita and a bottle of wine. Both options are just as romantic as the other. Whatever your plans, there's no better time to Netflix and chill.

Contrary to what we're led to believe, shared interests are not essential in a successful relationship. Whether it's opposites attracting or you're just not going to watch The Notebook again, most people don't hook up and turn into a Nicholas Sparks fan overnight. This leads to a war for command of the remote control in order to monopolise the best television in the house before your significant other does.

However, on Valentine's Day, a peace treaty is signed and an amicable decision has to be made.

We've rounded up the most universally loved romance films available that anyone can enjoy.

Palm Springs

1. Palm Springs

Year: 2020
Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons

A deliciously funny rom-com with a sci-fi twist, Palm Springs follows a pair of oddballs who strike up a romance… while stuck in a time loop. Add a wedding into the mix and some past mishaps that will eventually catch up with them and you've got yourself a tremendously good time. Plus, Samberg and Milioti have the kind of chemistry that makes you root for them from the get-go.

Sylvie's Love

2. Sylvie's Love

Year: 2020
Cast: Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Eva Longoria, Aja Naomi King

If you're looking for fewer laughs and more old-fashioned romance, you can't go wrong with Sylvie's Love. A beautiful movie with excellent music and great performances, it's set in the 50s and centres on a young couple who has to part ways when life takes them in opposite directions. When they reconnect years later, they find that the passion is still there, but their circumstances are quite different. Will they find their way back to each other? Find out for yourself.

Sylvie's Love is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. You can watch for free using this 30-day trial.

Carol

3. Carol

Year: 2015
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson

One of the most touching and well-acted romantic dramas to come out in the last decade, Carol follows an aspiring photographer who meets an intriguing older woman in 1950s New York. As the two grow closer, their intimate relationship turns into a love story with complex consequences for everyone involved. This is the kind of timeless movie that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

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The Lovebirds

4. The Lovebirds

Year: 2020
Cast: Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Paul Sparks

The Lovebirds is the rom-com version of a classic buddy cop movie – and a hilarious one at that. At the centre of the action are Jibran and Leilani, a couple who gets unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery that tests both their bond and their guts. They're desperate to clear their names and get the police off their backs, but being novices at crime solving comes with a decent amount of challenges. Fun!

The Lovebirds is available on Netflix.

The Half of It

5. The Half of It

Year: 2020
Cast: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Wolfgang Novogratz

Not every love story is a romance – that's the premise behind this heartwarming teen movie. When a straight-A student who is strapped for cash agrees to help a jock woo a girl, she doesn't expect to become his friend or fall for his crush. Oops! Part coming-of-age story, part romantic dramedy, The Half of It is an all-around delight.