Ah, Valentine’s Day. Both the most loved and most hated day of the year. Some celebrate by going out to a romantic dinner with candlelight, roses and fancy pasta. And some celebrate right, with unholy amounts of chocolate, lots of blankets and a good movie.
Regardless, after consulting some movie experts (my roommates), we came up with a list of the best movies to watch this Valentine’s Day season, whether you’re single or in a relationship.
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
A classic set in the Regency era, Elizabeth Bennett and her four sisters face mounting pressure from their family to create good marriages and secure their estate. The arrival of young bachelors Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy seems to be the perfect solution…aside from the bit where Elizabeth swears to loathe Darcy forever.
A whole mess of misconceptions, scandal, witty wordplay, and yes, pride and prejudice stand between them.
Austenland (2013)
The perfect flick for any wishful Jane Austen fan, this story follows Jane Hayes, a long-time obsessor over the Regency writer’s novels.
Jane’s love life nonexistent from the obsession, she spends her life savings on a trip to a Jane Austen-themed resort in England, only to find life in an Austen novel, much like the search for love, is never as straightforward as it seems.
Love, Simon (2018)
Simon is just an ordinary high school kid, with one big secret: no one knows he’s gay. In this coming-of-age story, Simon has to figure out how to balance school, friends, family and a blackmailer, all while searching for the anonymous classmate he’s fallen in love with online. In the process, he must face everyone in his life, including himself.
Aladdin (2019)
In this live-action adaptation of the classic Disney film, the kind-hearted street urchin Aladdin’s world turns upside down when he falls in love with Princess Jasmine.
When Aladdin finds a magic lamp with a genie, it seems he’s found a way to get everything he’s ever wanted. But with the evil Jafar after the lamp and plotting to overthrow the kingdom, he has to team up with Jasmine to find a way to save the day….even if it means losing everything.
Little Women (2019)
Set in the years after the Civil War, Jo March lives in New York trying to make it as a writer, with her sisters in all stages of life: Meg, the eldest and engaged to a schoolteacher, Amy, studying painting in France, and the youngest named Beth, with a worsening illness back home.
Jo’s yearning for freedom clashes with society’s expectations for young women, and the film follows each sister’s journey as they try to figure out how to live life on their own terms.
Story by McKayla Olsen
mckayla.olsen@gmail.com
Body photos courtesy of IMBD
Cover photo by Alex Litvin on Unsplash.com
