9 Best Movies to Watch This Valentine’s Day
You don’t have to leave your house and book reservations at a fancy restaurant to have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re single or have been married for decades, you can always commemorate Saint Valentine’s Day with a little movie marathon. If you aren’t sure what movies to watch this February 14th, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of the best romcoms and romantic dramas to enjoy this Valentine’s Day! (If you aren’t a big movie person, no worries—we’ll make a list of some of our favorite Valentine’s Day-themed sitcom episodes, too!)
1. The Notebook (2004)
Based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name, The Notebook stars Ryan Gosling as Noah Calhoun and Rachel McAdams as Allie Hamilton, two teens from different social classes who fall madly in love during the summer of 1940. The movie begins with Duke (James Garner) reading the love story from a notebook to an elderly woman suffering from dementia. If you’ve never seen it, you might want to make sure you have a box of tissues handy. Something tells us you’ll need them!
2. Titanic (1997)
What do you get when you take a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and put them in a period drama? One of the highest-grossing films of all time, of course! Written and directed by James Cameron of Avatar fame, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, a penniless artist. Kate Winslet plays Rose DeWitt Bukater, a young woman engaged to a wealthy but abusive fiancé. Jack and Rose meet and fall in love aboard the ill-fated Titanic during its maiden (well, only) voyage.
3. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Romcom dream team Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks join forces in this beloved Ephron classic! The movie stars Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin and Meg Ryan as Annie Reed, two characters brought together by fate and a little romantic serendipity. After Annie overhears Sam pouring out his heart on a radio broadcast, she becomes intrigued by him and his story. The film pays homage to classic romantic films, including its spiritual predecessor, 1957’s An Affair to Remember. Which is also a great movie you should add to your watchlist!
4. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Nora Ephron are the stuff romantic comedies are made of! You’ve Got Mail proves that winning formula once again. The movie is a modern adaptation of the 1937 play Parfumerie and the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner. The story is about Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly, two thirty-something New Yorkers who are both in the book-selling biz. Unbeknownst to them, they’re online pen pals. Offline, however, they’re bitter rivals, with Joe’s large bookstore threatening to put Kathleen’s charming little bookshop out of business. If you love the enemies-to-lovers trope, romcoms, or Tom Hanks, make sure to add You’ve Got Mail to your watchlist.
5. Sabrina (1954)
Based on the play “Sabrina Fair” by Samuel A. Taylor, this movie stars Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina Fairchild, Humphrey Bogart as Linus Larrabee, and William Holden as David Larrabee. After she spends some time in Paris, Sabrina, who is the daughter of Larabee’s chauffeur, returns home…and catches the eye of more than just David in the process! This movie was actually remade in 1995 with Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford, and Greg Kinnear. It’s also good, so we recommend watching both versions!
6. While You Were Sleeping (1995)
While You Were Sleeping stars Sandra Bullock as Lucy Moderatz, a lonely fare token collector for the Chicago Transit Authority. The story takes an unexpected turn when Lucy saves a man named Peter Callaghan (played, somewhat confusingly, by Peter Gallagher) from an oncoming train. Though his life is spared, he falls into a coma. When a nurse at the hospital mistakes Lucy for Peter’s fiancée, she quickly falls in love with Peter’s family…including his brother Jack.
7. The Wedding Planner (2001)
Mary is a successful wedding planner in San Francisco who claims she’s happy being single. However, all that seems to fly out the window when Dr. Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey), a pediatrician who saves her life. However, all her romantic dreams come crashing down around her when she discovers that Steve is not only in a relationship but also the groom in the wedding that Mary is planning. Don’t let the mixed reviews of this movie fool you. We feel that it’s sweet, adorable, and funny! In other words, the perfect romcom!
8. Penelope (2006)
Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci) is cursed. Not with bad luck or knowledge or congenitally weak ankles. No, Penelope was born with an honest-to-goodness pig nose. To break her curse, Penelope must be accepted by “one of her own kind,” which, in her case, means marrying a blue-blooded aristocrat. Penelope’s mother tries (and fails) to find her daughter a suitable match. Things take an unexpected turn when Penelope meets a tabloid reporter, played by James McAvoy, who learns about her secret and begins to…well, we’ll let you watch the movie to find out what happens next!
9. Clueless (1995)
If Emma is your favorite Jane Austen book, then you should definitely watch Clueless. Alicia Silverstone stars as Cher Horowitz, a wealthy and popular high school student who fancies herself something of a matchmaker. Cher befriends the new girl in school, Tai Frasier (played by the late Brittany Murphy), and decides to be the Emma Woodhouse to her Harriet Smith. Much like her Regency-era counterpart, Cher’s matchmaking efforts prove to be less than successful. This movie is a love letter to both the ’90s and Jane Austen. Oh, and it’s actually pretty funny, too!
Valentine’s Day sitcom episodes to watch:
Image: Getty Images, Shutterstock
Frasier
Season 6, Episode 14 “Three Valentines”
Season 8, Episode 8, Episode 13 “Sliding Frasier”
The Middle
Season 1, Episode 15: “Valentine’s Day”
Season 2, Episode 14: “Valentine’s Day II”
Season 3, Episode 15: “Valentine’s Day III”
Season 4, Episode 15: “Valentine’s Day IV”
Season 6, Episode 13: “Valentine’s Day VI”
Gilmore Girls
Season 6, Episode 15: “A Vineyard Valentine”
The Office
Season 2, Episode 16: “Valentine’s Day”
Season 5, Episode 18: “Blood Drive”
Season 6, Episode 16: “Manager and Salesman”
Season 7, Episode 16: “PDA”
Season 8, Episode 14: “Special Project”
Parks and Recreation
Season 2, Episode 16: “Galentine’s Day”
Season 4, Episode 14: “Operation Anne”
Season 6, Episode 17: “Galentine’s Day”
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Originally published February 10, 2025
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