1/27/16
The 15 Most Romantic Movies Streaming on Netflix This Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s time to get in the mood for love. These 15 films currently streaming on Netflix can help. Ten are gimmes when it comes to cinematic romances, five are a bit more unexpected (and might appeal to those who break out in hives when they hear the term “rom-com”). 

 

THE EXPECTED:

1. Pride & Prejudice 
Jane Austen and romance go hand in hand. This is the 2005 adaptation of the 1813 book starring Kiera Knightly and made by the producers of Bridget Jones’ Diary — because all decent romances ultimately involve snagging a Mr. Darcy.  Metascore: 82

2. Roman Holiday
This 1953 rom-com — starring Audrey Hepburn (who won an Oscar for her performance) and a dashing Gregory Peck — is your typical Disney-ish Princess/fish-out-of-water tale set in the romantic city of Rome. Metascore: 76

3. Silver Linings Playbook
Two of Hollywood’s biggest “It” stars — Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper — play kooky characters who fall in love while ballroom dancing (not very well). Metascore: 81

4. Like Water for Chocolate
Based on the best-selling book of the same name, the film tells the tale of star-crossed Mexican lovers with lots of foodie sensuality and magical realism. Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90.
Want a double-chocolate feature? Watch Chocolat with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp too! Metascore: 64

5. A Walk on the Moon
Ever since A Little Romance, Diane Lane has been making love affairs look so good her entire acting career. This one from 1999 costars hottie Viggo Mortensen as her hippie free lover. Metascore: 70

6. Cinema Paradiso
Two words for you: Kiss compilation. ‘Nuff said. Metascore: 80

7.  Blue Is the Warmest Color
This critically acclaimed 2014 film about young, imperfect love from France took a lot of heat for its treatment of lesbian sexuality by a straight, male and some say tyrannical director.  Metascore: 88

8. Punch Drunk Love
The only time Adam Sandler has not been totally annoying on film. Thank you, director Paul Thomas Anderson. Metascore: 78

9. Amelie
An adorable French film full of happy magic that will make feel all lovey-dovey. Metascore: 69 (aw, yeah)

10. Shakespeare in Love
Ugh, do we have to nominate a Gwenyth Paltrow film? It’s a charming love story with British accents, beautiful costumes and seven freakin’ Academy Awards to its name, including Best Picture! So while it pains us to do so, we guess we have to. Metascore: 87 

 

THE MORE UNEXPECTED:

11. Meet the Patels
This is a recent documentary just out on Netflix about an Indian man looking for love while resisting his culture’s longtime tradition of arranged marriages. Metascore: 70

12. Weekend
A quiet, realistic portrait of two gay people spending an intimate weekend together — and they’re not lesbians! Metascore: 81

13. The Professional
A brutal, violent story about a hitman and his love for a 12-year-old orphan (played by Natalie Portman in her first — and perhaps best ever — role). It’s not exactly romantic love (that would be pedophiliac), but still, it’s true blue, and it’ll melt your heart.  Metascore: 64

14. Moonrise Kingdom
If Wes Andersen’s 1998 film Rushmore were streaming, we’d pick that, but his quirky 2012 film about two young runaways in love will do. 
 Metascore: 84

15. Let the Right One In
[The Swedish version, not the American version.] A horror movie might seem like a weird choice for this list, but love — and the crazy (i.e. totally fucked up) things people both young and old will do for it —  is a major theme here that’s hauntingly realized. Metascore: 82

Want to go beyond streaming?
Top 10 Rom Coms Guys Will Actually Dig

 



2 Comments

  1. Shakespeare in Love and Amelie are 2 of my favorite movies! I’m looking forward to trying some of these “unexpected suggestions”

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