The best movies to stream on Valentine's Day
It's official – streaming a movie while snuggling up to a loved one is now considered an extremely romantic act (just don't ask us to back that up with hard facts).
With Valentine's Day on the horizon, we've carefully selected some of the best romantic movies available on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Now TV, so that you too can stay in for a romantic weekend with your significant other.
Her
Spike Jonze's 21st Century love story sees lonely, sensitive soul, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), picking up the brand new OS1 operating system and falling in love with the artificial intelligence behind it, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). It's a beautiful story of human interaction and a well-written thought experiment about where our technological society could be heading towards. And, if you can ignore that 'tache, there's some great acting in there too.
Brokeback Mountain
This heartbreaking story of two cowboys who spend many years hiding their forbidden love is at once passionate and emotionally devastating. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal both put in tremendous performances, playing their characters with a regret that's so real, it's almost tangible. The film that won Ang Lee his first Oscar for Best Director, Brokeback Mountain is a masterpiece that will bring tears to your eyes.
The Notebook
While it may be a manipulative tear-jerker, there's no denying that The Notebook is a romance classic. Based on the best-selling Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, The Notebook sees nursing home resident Duke (James Garner) tell a woman with dementia (Gena Rowlands) the story of an undying love between poor boy Noah (Ryan Gosling) and rich girl Allie (Rachel McAdams), a young couple separated by social differences in 1930s America. With an ending that is guaranteed to punch you right in the soul, The Notebook is guaranteed to bring you and your partner closer together.
Once
Once is a beautiful movie about an unnamed Irish busker and an unnamed Czech pianist who meet cute on the streets of Dublin, slowly falling in love as they record a demo together, their songs a reflection of their budding relationship. An indie which took the world by storm, Once is an absolutely splendid musical romance with a wonderful soundtrack that you'll likely want to acquire immediately after your first viewing.
Watch Once on Amazon Prime.
Blue is the Warmest Color
The French know romance and this multiple Palme d'Or-winning love story - originally titled La vie d'Adele - finds high-school student, Adele, falling for free-spirited art student, Emma, in her search for love. It's an exploration of social acceptance, sexuality and youth, and the affecting story will stay with you long after the credits role. It can be a little steamy in places as well; worth a little 'Netflix and Chill' time...
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Most of us have had relationships that ended in heartbreak, so if a company came along with the technology to delete a person from your memory forever, would you do it? That's the premise of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a film from the brilliant, twisted mind of Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation). Joel (Jim Carrey) is devastated when he runs into his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet), and realises she has no memory of him whatsoever. Unable to deal with the heartache, Joel contacts the company that did it in order to do the same thing to her. However, as his bad memories start vanishing before him, so do the good ones, and now Joel wants out. Can he stop it? Or will Joel lose Clementine forever? An undisputed masterpiece that demands to be watched.
Watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Amazon Prime.
Garden State
The directorial debut of Scrubs-star Zach Braff, Garden State follows television actor, Andrew Largeman (Braff) as he returns to his family home in New Jersey for his mother's funeral. Emotionally troubled and taking a number of prescription drugs, Andrew starts to develop a relationship with Sam (Natalie Portman), a young woman with her own problems. This inspires him to throw the medication away and finally connect with someone for the first time in his adult life. A truly wonderful and original movie with themes reminiscent of the recent film, Silver Linings Playbook.
Watch Garden State on Amazon Prime.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Truman Capote's classic love story finds budding Manhattan socialite, Holly Golightly, (Audrey Hepburn) intrigued by a new tenant in her building, writer Paul Varjak (George Peppard). The two form a friendship marked by their similar lives, seeking wealthy patrons to finance their New York lifestyles. But are they able to look after each other?
Amelie
Amelie is a glorious, beautiful, fantastical movie almost set entirely in its own universe. The titular Amelie is a Parisian waitress who becomes utterly obsessed, in her own slightly surreal way, with the idea of helping everyone around her. Along the way though she begins to realise that by putting all her focus on other people she is neglecting her own potential for love. Amelie is a highly original and utterly charming movie, and well worth cosying up on the sofa with.
Watch Amelie on Amazon Prime.
The Bodyguard
Obviously there's that song, and the tragedy of watching Whitney at top of her game while knowing what was to follow later in life, but in between is a romantic-flavoured movie which features enough explosions and weaponry to keep even the most bloke-ish man vaguely interested. Kevin Costner is the titular, straight-laced bodyguard tasked with protecting superstar Whitney Houston who has been the target of threatening overtures.
Harold and Maude
Maybe a slightly odd choice, given the fact the subject matter really, really shouldn't work, but there is just something about this classic movie which is utterly charming. Harold is essentially a morbid, rich brat whose mother is desperate to marry him off (or send him off to the army) but forms an unlikely relationship with Maude, a 79 year old woman he meets at a funeral. A 79 year old woman with a penchant for smoking and grand theft auto.
Titanic
It's a classic tale. Boy from wrong side of the tracks meets high-society lady, they fall in love against all societal norms and then the massive boat their relationship is founded on hits a literal iceberg and pretty much everybody dies. Talk about a doomed romance... It may be a little cheesy now, but when it all gets too saccharine you know the whole boat is going to split in two eventually. Sorry, maybe we should have dropped a *spoiler* warning in there just in case 100-odd years after the event is still too soon.
