Whether audiences are looking for a romance film to watch with friends, on their lonesome, or with their partners, the advent of streaming allows viewers to find their favorites, dive into classics for the first time, and simply enjoy the holiday in their special way. This year, HBO Max offers an exquisite selection of films that will surely get viewers in the mood for love, but maybe not always in the way they may think.
Sure, there are Valentine's Day-friendly films that will evoke feelings of bright and warm romance, but there are also films that combine traditional romantic tropes with action, mystery, and suspense. The outcomes range from intriguing to spectacular, offering audiences a range of romance films to enjoy. Ultimately, the following films provide viewers with a variety of engrossing depictions and messages of love, romance, and sexuality.
9 The Notebook
The iconic film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams is currently on HBO Max for millions to watch. Narrated by an elder named "Duke" (James Garner), the movie closely watches the relationship between Noah Calhoun (Gosling) and Allison Hamilton (McAdams). Set in South Carolina during the 1940s, the titular notebook serves as documentation of Noah and Allie's blossoming romance.
Much like Jack from another beloved romance film, Titanic, Noah is a poor lumber worker who soon falls in love with Allie, the alluring heiress. Their summer romance contains enough scenes to warm the audience's hearts. However, they are also roped into the drama between Allie's disapproving parents and Noah. Their relationship nearly suffocates from the pressures of classism and the impending war.
Although the many now overused clichés present in The Notebookmay seem redundant now, the film has gone on to be recognized as an essential in the American romance canon. Anyone in search of great performances and a beautiful love story will surely find The Notebook delightful.
8 She's All That
Freddie Prinze. Jr and Rachael Leigh Cook star in this beloved '90s teen romance. Created from an amalgamation of Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and its adaptation My Fair Lady by George Cukor, the film follows the popular Zack Siler and his pursuit of the awkward art student Laney Boggs. Suffering from heartbreak, Zack and his best friend Dean (Paul Walker) make a ridiculous bet that he could replace his unfaithful ex-girlfriend Taylor with any girl in the school.
Enter Laney, the polite but admittedly unpopular student whom Zack purses. In his relentless Zack soon learns more about Laney and vice versa. However, the threat of ego looms around the corner, threatening to destroy a relationship built on genuine feelings.
It would be an understatement to bill this film as star-studded. She's All That sees their two iconic leads star along with the late Paul Walker, Lil' Kim, Kieran Culkin, Usher, and Matthew Lillard. Anyone in search of an entertaining romance that captures the '90s zeitgeist perfectly will surely find everything they seek in She's All That.
7 Love & Basketball
Sports and romance are excellently explored in Gina Prince-Bythewood's feature film directorial debut. Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps star as Monica and Quincy respectively, two childhood friends with a love for basketball. In four quarters, the film acts as an envelope. Slowly unfolding and revealing new developments in both characters' storylines. This expert decision presents a rather realistic depiction of love. The film actively illustrates how internal biases and structural discrimination affect relationships both romantic and platonic.
The film does a great job weaving in an additional storyline reviewing misogyny in sports. As a man, Quincy's aspirations for the sport are taken much more seriously than Monica's. While the romance throughout the film is attention-grabbing and heartwarming, with the constant threat of misogyny looming around, Monica and Quincy's romance begins to fracture.
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Lathan and Epps' portrayals are captivating, hooking audiences in and having them root for the couple throughout the film. The film currently stands as a hallmark in the romance genre, with many Black Americans receiving one of the few films that represented them positively.
6 The Vow
Rachel McAdams appears once again as she and Channing Tatum serve as leads for The Vow. Following a traumatic car accident, Paide (McAdams) and Leo (Tatum) are thrust into reality. Grappling with disapproving parents and amnesia, Paige and Leo's journey of love is tumultuous. Former partners rise to the surface and new-found outlooks threaten to tear the pair apart.
As dramatic as the storyline seems, The Vow includes humanizing plots and events that make their leads feel realistic and thus favored by the audience. Audiences get to see Paige rediscover her passions and her traumas, realizing once again why she made the decisions she made before her and Leo's union. Leo understandably struggles following the car accident and his reactions jeopardize the strength of his relationship with Paige.
Envy, confidence, and remembrance are three key components of the film, complementing an already captivating romance plot. When combined, the result is a film that pulls at one's heartstrings in one of the most rewarding ways possible.
5 The Birdcage
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane star in this amusing remake of the French classic La Cage Aux Folles. The pair star as Armand and Albert Goldman, co-run the titular drag club. Albert stars as the club's highlight "Starina." When their son Val returns with news of a new fiancé named Barbara, Armand is rather hesitant. However, that resistance snowballs into fear-induced disapproval after learning that Barbara's parents are the very conservative Senator Kevin Keeley and his wife Louise Keeley.
To impress Barbara's family and prevent conflict, Armand and Albert are expected to run back into the closet and feign heterosexual while the families unite for what was intended to be a lovely dinner. The outcome is comical yet complicated but most importantly hilarious and heartfelt. Much like the source material, The Birdcagecaptures the beauty of queer love while standing defiant in the face of bigotry, offering the current generation examples of how couples survived and thrived under interpersonal and structural oppression.
4 Pariah
Des Rees's brilliant coming-of-age film Pariah follows 17-year-old Alike, nicknamed "Lee," portrayed by Adeporo Oduyo. Alike's story begins with community. From hanging in clubs with her lesbian best friend Laura to her supportive father Arthur, Alike's metamorphosis into a more actualized version of herself paints a beautiful portrait of lesbian identity during adolescence.
As viewers witness Alike's realization that she is lesbian and her decision to embrace her identity, they are also confronted with her mother's violent homophobia. One of the strong points accentuated in the film revolves around choice. Many queer folks, especially queer people of color, are told by disapproving parents that their queerness is a result of indoctrination or peer pressure rather than their child's genuine feelings.
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Alike's characterization is crucial for audiences to understand. A character that can be both confident and curious and exist in between. Alike fluctuates between being sure about her romantic interests and her identity to navigating the difficulties of living in a homophobic household. The many important conversations Pariah successfully conducts through their characters are a testament to just expansive the romance genre can be.
3 (500) Days of Summer
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel star in the rather peculiar but charming film. Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer follows Tom and Summer. Tom, a writer at a greeting card company, has dreams of being an architect. During his stint, he meets the recently hired Summer. As one does, the two bond over music and later have an important discussion about love. While Tom is the closest thing to a hopeless romantic, Summer seemingly rejects the belief in love. Nonetheless, the two evolve into a casual relationship with many twists and turns.
500 Days Of Summer is probably the more enigmatic selection of films. The film itself follows a non-linear structure and elaborates on casual relationships and discussions of love most commonly seen in contemporary times. The film's narrative does not act as a simple quirk but speaks to how both protagonists envision love and provide meaningful assertions about love in the age of information.
2 Happy Together
The 1997 film starring Tony Leung, Leslie Cheung, and Chang Chen follows a gay couple from Hong Kong and their adventures in Argentina. To say that Ho Po-Wing and Lai Yiu-Fai have a very tumultuous relationship would be an understatement. The pair fall out and reconcile continuously. A combination of genuine attraction and the fear of loneliness seem to bring the two back together after every eruptive encounter. Argentina proves to be a new frontier for them as they come face to face with external dangers, new friends, and finally the lovers' source of discord.
The captivating cinematography combined with the sensational storylines of the three characters is intertwined, converging as one before splintering into three conclusions that have pulled at the audience's heartstrings. Happy Together has gone on to be lauded as a shining pearl in the sea that is New Queer Cinema. The expansive genre contains a plethora of fascinating films, and Happy Togetherfrom the great Wong Kar-Wai remains one of the most alluring romances available on streaming.
1 Crazy, Rich Asians
Constance Wu and Henry Golding star in the glamorous romance centered around Rachel and Nick respectively. Everyone knows how nerve-wracking it can be to meet the parents of potential life-long love. The movies, books, and songs circulating on screens everywhere introduced audiences to the various tropes that come with meeting the parents. The disgruntled parent who allegedly means well, the open-minded family member rooting for the protagonist, and the copious amounts of comic relief are mainstays in romance media and real life as well. As the saying goes, art imitates life. The very real experiences hidden in the back of our minds serve as strong source material for these films.
Crazy, Rich Asiansmanages to successfully experiment with those tropes in a manner that makes the film all the more eliciting to watch while relatable at its core. Perhaps not everyone could relate to Rachel marrying into a billion-dollar Singaporean empire. However, the decision does two things successfully. Due to many internal and external factors, meeting the parents can feel like meeting a billionaire or a head of state. Their first impression could make or break a relationship. Even if the romantic relationship flourishes, there is little to no guarantee that the parents-in-law will ever reciprocate that respect.
The pressure is especially heightened as the film explores relationship dynamics between people of color. Conversations the film holds about immigration, Westernization, and imposter syndrome are baked into the narrative. The film is not "preachy," but neither are the issues disregarded. The inclusion of complex discussions only enriches the film and makes the conclusion far more riveting.
The selected films have numerous amount of important themes, laughs, and tear-jerking scenes that would make anyone's date night memorable. From our favorite rom-coms to illustrations of indie excellence, HBO Max has plenty to offer. Many could be found here however there is an endless amount of Valentine-themed films for those seeking a special supplement to enjoy for the upcoming holiday.