Jade’s Top Ten Valentine’s Day Films
10. The Wedding Planner
A tale as old as time, the haunting irony of the wedding planner (Jennifer Lopez) incapable of finding love. That is, until she meets the man of her dreams (Matthew McConaughey) after he saves her life, only to find that she has been hired to plan HIS wedding. The cheating swine! She must find a way to put her feelings aside to plan a perfect wedding, all while being set up with the real hero of the movie, the adorable Massimo.
9. Sweet Home Alabama
The most Hallmark movie that isn’t actually a Hallmark movie. The classic story of a small-town girl (Reece Witherspoon) who moves to the big city to follow her dreams of being a fashion designer and falls in love with a rich socialite (Patrick Dempsey). However, trouble arises when we discover that before she can marry her new beau, she needs to get a divorce from the man she married (Josh Lucas) back in, you guessed it, sweet home Alabama.
8. Bridget Jones’ Diary
The pinnacle of the frazzled Englishwoman. The first modern adaptation of a piece of classic literature for this list. Loosely based on Pride and Prejudice, we follow Bridget Jones as she navigates dating in her thirties. Featuring the iconic love triangle between her boss (Hugh Grant) and family friend (Colin Firth).
7. Twilight
It wouldn’t be a list from me if it didn’t feature something supernatural. Following the original blank slate/self-insert main character Bella as she moves to a new school and finds herself in love with a vampire (we’ve all been there). Out of all of the movies on this list, this has to be the most culturally impactful.
6. Love, Simon
Now the movie that made me cry like a baby in the cinema. Simon is a closeted high schooler who, after anonymously emailing another gay student, tries to discover their identity, all while struggling to keep his own secret as a blackmailer threatens to out him to the school.
5. Crazy Rich Asians
Meeting your in-laws for the first time is always a terrifying experience, especially when it just so happens that they are one of the richest families in Singapore. Chaos ensues as Rachel struggles to gain the approval of her boyfriend’s family at their friend’s wedding.
4. La La Land
If you want to spend Valentine’s Day getting your heart ripped from your chest and stomped on, then oh boy do I have to perfect movie for you. An absolutely gorgeous movie with stunning sets and beautiful songs that is guaranteed to lift your spirits … for the first half. You’ll love Mia and Sebastian’s adoring and supportive relationship, all before realising love isn’t real, no one gets a happy ending, and you’re actually kind of dead inside. Happy watching!
3. Romeo + Juliet
Another super depressing pick for you now because apparently that’s what I do. A hilarious mix of Shakespeare’s own text and Baz Luhrmann’s bolshy modern visuals. Featuring the best Mercutio to ever Mercutio and an absolutely unforgettable performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. I will never forgive the priest for putting something so important in a letter and then having the audacity to not get recorded delivery. (Top Tip: Follow this up with the cinematic masterpiece Gnomeo and Juliet for the perfect double bill!)
2. Ten Things I Hate About You
And the award for the best teen romance movie based on a Shakespeare play goes to Ten Things I Hate About You! Based on The Taming of the Shrew, in order to date Bianca (and stay with me here), Cameron convinces Johnny to pay Patrick to date her sister Kat. I truly believe nothing will ever top it. Bring back the sleepover movies based on classic literature.
1. The Princess Bride
And finally, my favourite Valentine’s Day movie has to of course be The Princess Bride. The best swashbuckling fairytale adventure romance ever and perfect if you want something a little more light-hearted! After her true love is lost at sea, Princess Buttercup meets a mysterious stranger who has to save her from her impending marriage to Prince Humperdinck. So funny, so quotable, and so utterly charming.
If you want to hear more of Jade Drever’s top notch film chat (and more!), catch her on her radio show ‘No Guilty Pleasures’ (NGP- now on Spotify) and follow on Letterboxd so you can be told how you to feel about films without needing to form your own opinion. Hooray!