Whether you’re all loved up and loving Valentine’s Day, or feeling bitter and cynical towards a holiday made up by the greeting card industry, this Top 10 Films list is for you! Here we have compiled five wonderfully romantic films perfect for a couple to snuggle up to and watch, and also five anti-Valentine’s Day films, filled with blood, gore, and even aliens.
In no particular order, here are our five perfect romantic Valentine’s Day films:
Sleepless in Seattle – Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star in this classic romantic film, and shows that Christmas miracles do happen. When Sam Baldwin’s (Tom Hanks) son calls up an agony aunt radio station saying he’s worried about his recently widowed father, Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) hears everything. Despite already being engaged herself, her heart can’t help but melt at Sam’s heartfelt sentiment when he describes the time he had with his wife, and Annie becomes determined to meet him. However, there are some problems… for one, Annie lives in Baltimore and Sam lives in Seattle, and second of all, Sam doesn’t even know she exists!
When Harry Met Sally – Starring Meg Ryan as Sally and Billy Crystal as Harry, the classic film When Harry Met Sally tells the tale of these two best friends who fear that sex would ruin their friendship. Staying close throughout each other’s loves, losses, and lives, they sometimes struggle with whether or not men and women can ever just stay friends, or will it inevitably turn into something more? “Because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
Love Actually – A film that shows us all time and time again that love is all around us, even where you least expect it! Featuring a star studded cast from the likes of Liam Neeson to Keira Knightley, Love Actually follows the lives of several very different couples, showing us the highs and lows of couples that have been together for years, months, or haven’t even gotten together yet. These loosely connected tales all take place in the hectic month before Christmas in London, England, and whether it’s romantic love or family love, love is most definitely the theme.
The Notebook – Starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, The Notebook spans the entire lifetime of one couple, from their beginning as teenagers when their love was forbidden, to being old in a nursing home together. Despite being separated against each other’s will and disapproval from her parents, they rekindle their love after years of being apart. From the couple’s difficult beginnings to their difficult end, they show that love really overcomes everything with heartwarming and heartbreaking intimacy and emotion.
Lady and the Tramp – A Disney classic, nobody can deny the adorable romance between Lady and her Tramp. I bet the first image that sprang to mind was the iconic and classic spaghetti sharing scene, which many couples try to re-enact at every Italian restaurant they dine at. Coming from different background and social classes (in the dog world), Lady and the Tramp shows how these two overcome their differences and the disapproval of high [dog] society to be together. Share a special Bella Notte with your loved one this Valentine’s Day, with this classic Disney film.
Unless you’re a reincarnation of Saint Valentine, today’s just another day. So, here are our top five completely un-romantic Valentine’s Day films, in no particular order:
Alien – A Ridley Scott classic, Alien is a legendary science fiction horror film about a commercial deep space mining ships’ crew, and the events that follow after investigating what they thought was an S.O.S. on a distant planet. After discovering the S.O.S. was meant as a warning, they soon find out why as they find a deadly alien that breeds inside its human hosts. As the crew fight for their own survival and for the life of all mankind, you will soon realise that sometimes it’s much better being alone. If in doubt, re-watch the end scene with Sigourney Weaver in the escape shuttle; bet you anything she did not want company!
Die Hard – This time a Bruce Willis classic, Die Hard revolves around NYPD officer John McClane (Willis) and how he deals with a group of terrorists that take a work’s Christmas party hostage, with McClane’s wife as one of the party goers. Trapped in the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles, John must use all his police skills and knowledge in order to take down all of the terrorists, including their leader Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), before they manage to steal millions of dollars or kill any of the hostages. This fast-paced, adrenalin-fuelled action movie is perfect to chase away any thoughts of romance. Plus, A Good Day to Die Hard is now out in cinemas!
The Thing – Whether you want to watch John Carpenter’s 1982 classic or the 2011 remake, The Thing is another ideal anti-Valentine’s film! Nothing better to put you off romance than a shape shifting alien that takes on the appearance of another person in order to lure you away and kill you. No matter which film you watch, both are set in a remote Antarctic research station, with twelve scientists living in close quarters that discover an alien buried beneath the snow and ice. After this intriguing discovery, both films follow the same principle of horror and paranoia as the alien walks among them in the form of a friend, nobody knowing who to trust and their colleagues and friends suffering grisly deaths, as the alien kills them off one by one.
Saw – The horror franchise produced by Twisted Pictures revolves around the fictional “Jigsaw Killer”, a man who traps his kidnapped victims in horrifying situations to test their will to live through either physical or psychological torture. Jigsaw and his apprentices continue this franchise through a total of seven films to date, in each putting groups of victims through immense physical pain and mind games. With so much blood and gore in these films, it’s relatively impossible to think about romance! Happy days, another fantastic anti-Valentine’s Day film!
Jaws – Steven Spielberg’s legendary film Jaws is a definite top 5 contender for our anti-Valentine’s films; what’s less romantic than a shark eating people? Featuring the iconic suspenseful and terror-inducing music of the shark approaching, this film is filled with edge of your seat suspense and tension. Two citizens of the seaside community team up on a desperate mission to find and stop the shark before it harms or kills any other unfortunate victim that swam in the sea. An unforgettable film that’s a classic for a reason, and a perfect one to watch this day.
And that's our Top 5 films to watch no matter what your relationship status. Enjoy!
