It's that time again, with Valentine's Day right around the corner as I write this – and that means that some of the most high-stakes date nights of the year in the offing. If you think that your plans could end with a cuddled-up movie on the sofa, or if you're looking to spend the evening alone with just the idea of romance for company, a good romantic movie is a must.
Depending on which of the best streaming services you subscribe to, of course, this could mean you have hundreds (if not thousands) of movies to pick from. So, I've narrowed things down to five picks that you might not have thought of. Rather than opting for classics like When Harry Met Sally or The Notebook, I've opted for left-field choices you might not have considered.
My Fault London
- Streaming on: Prime Video (from 13 February)
This is the newest movie on my list, and only hits Prime Video this week, deliberately timed for Valentine's Day. It's an English-language remake of Amazon's own Culpa Mia, which is getting a sequel of its own, confirming that this is a veritable franchise at this point.
It centres around a young American woman forced to relocate to London when her mother remarries. In classic romance style, her new British stepbrother is jaw-droppingly attractive but also a total meanie, which doesn't stop her from fancying the pants out of him. I'll let you guess where things might go from there.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
- Streaming on: Netflix
One of Netflix's earlier big original movie successes, it's hard to believe that To All The Boys I've Loved Before came out way back in 2018. It's a lovely coming of age story, so is great if you like your romances timed around the point of high school graduation.
The movie sees Lara Jean Covey write letters to all of her exes (and some who didn't even know she loved them) but is shocked when her younger sister mails them out to see what happens. Predictably, the answer to that hypothetical is "some steamy romance", and a career-launch for Noah Centineo.
Always Be My Maybe
- Streaming on: Netflix
Here's one you might not have heard of – a Netflix original that didn't grab hundreds of headlines but is a really nice and dry adult rom-com that could be perfect for genre experts. It stars Ali Wong as a hugely successful chef who moves cities and finds herself reconnecting with an ex who hasn't exactly displayed the same ambition as her.
It's got loads of funny moments to offer up, but also some real heart – and one setpiece dinner sequence starring Keanu Reeves in one of his best cameo roles ever. Honestly, it's worth watching for that alone, and for a slightly more sarcastic take on the concept of true love.
The Idea of You
- Streaming on: Prime Video
Another more recent pick is Amazon's steamy The Idea Of You, which stars Anne Hathaway having the time of her life. She plays a supposedly normal 40-year-old mum who just so happens to fall into a whirlwind romance with a 24-year-old musical megastar (Nicholas Galitzine).
It's a story of an odd couple that gets told by society that it's inappropriate, and how the two lovers deal with that pressure (in particular Hathaway's character). Quite how someone as famously beautiful as Hathaway would actually be treated in this real-life situation isn't really the point – it's a fun movie that has some really quite sexy moments.
Fly Me To The Moon
- Streaming on: Apple TV+
Another more recent movie to round out this list, Fly Me To The Moon is perfect if you want a slightly more classic bent to your romance movies. It's set during the height of the space race, and uses a fun gambit as its hook – the apocryphal theory that NASA filmed a fake moon landing in a studio just in case it couldn't get proper footage of the real one when it happened.
This acts as the excuse for a meet-cute between Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, as they attempt to make this most secret and unique of productions happen smoothly. They bounce off each other nicely, with great chemistry, and some of the vintage costuming is really a treat.
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