Jenny Han has done it once again. This was the first of her projects to be turned from book to screen, and it is arguably her best. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a Netflix original romantic comedy starring Lana Condor as our main character, Lara Jean, and Noah Centineo as the male lead Peter Kavinsky. 

Lara Jean has had five major crushes in her life, Peter being one of them along with her sister’s boyfriend Josh, yikes! She wrote love letters to all of them but they were never sent. Little does she know, her little sister Kitty has sent them out to the boys. Long story short, Josh and Margot (her sister) break up, and to avoid that drama and to make Peter’s ex (and Lara Jean’s ex-best friend) jealous, Lara Jean and Peter start the classic trope of fake dating. As you can probably guess, Lara Jean and Peter’s fake dating situation turns out to be the real thing. 

That may sound overly predictable and basic, but do not fret, it is not. Despite the romance, it is also a heartbreaker, because you can’t have Peter Kavinsky. He is the perfect man who models what the perfect boyfriend would be. The way that he treats Lara Jean just sets my standards so high. 

This is a perfectly respectable movie to watch on Valentine’s Day. It brings all the feelings: happiness, sadness, comedy, and shock, amongst others, and you can’t forget the romance factor. This movie will have you giggling in your seat and wishing you could transport yourself into the world of Lara Jean and Peter.

It is a universal fact across the world that the perfect movie to be watched with loved ones, especially on Valentine’s Day, would be none other than the beautiful and sometimes gut-wrenching rendition of Jane Austin’s Pride & Prejudice. The first time I watched this film was the first time my heart and soul were flooded with such emotion and beauty that enveloped the movie that is Pride & Prejudice. 

The period film set in English history is filled with delicate love and the yearning and pining that can fill a person, as well as beguiling complex characters to enrapture any audience.

Directed by Joe Wright, the movie is set in the English countryside where Elizabeth Bennet, played by Keira Knightly, faces the grappling pressure to find a husband as the eldest daughter. One evening, Elizabeth meets the charming, yet intolerable Mr. Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen, who ignorantly brushes the sparks of the blooming romance between the two off. Both actors play their parts strong and beautifully, as Knightly plays Bennet as a strong-willed, lighthearted character, which contrasts the nervous and shy part Macfayden encapsulates within Mr. Darcy.

The movie encapsulates the feelings of nervous love and unrequited longing, which is a staple for the perfect romantic drama. Whether watching with family and friends, or with a special love, Pride & Prejudice is perfect for Valentine’s Day, as well as every single day after. 

Seattle is best known for two things: the Space Needle, and the unfortunate amount of rainfall it receives, but more importantly, it should be known for being the location of the most elite rom-com to ever grace this planet, 10 Things I Hate About You. 

10 Things I Hate About You, follows the main character Katarina Stratford, or Kat, as she navigates high school while dealing with her bratty younger sister and over-protective dad. Those two factors mixed together aren’t exactly a recipe for an amazing high school experience, especially if the younger sister happens to be like Bianca.

Bianca, the boy-obsessed popular girl, is a mere complete opposite of her sister Kat, who hates everything about everything and is often referred to as a shrewd. Unfortunately for Bianca, there is no dating for her until Kat dates, which proves to be an impossible mission, that is until Kat meets Patrick Verona, not by fate though because that would be silly, come on it’s a rom-com, not a fantasy movie, let’s get real. Instead, she meets him through a highly calculated scheme that involves a backer and distractions, and lots of cash to eventually allow Bianca to date. Long story short, Patrick “dates” Kat for some extra cash. This would end in heartbreak by the way, but don’t fret, the ending is happy!

10 Things I Hate About You is the embodiment of teenage love with its cheesy cliche plot and stereotypical teenagers, as it seemingly brings the world of confused teenage love to life. It consists of a good blend of sentimental speeches and dumb banter that makes you want to turn the TV off, which is good because like all things in life, you need balance. 

So if you happen to be alone this February 14th, I suggest you watch it. It will make you cry, laugh, then make you cry again, but then you’ll laugh again, and wish you were the lucky girl Patrick Verona was in love with.

This movie was made for people who spend more time falling on their faces than falling in love. For those who hopelessly watch their friends’ love lives blossom from the sidelines.  

27 Dresses follows the story of the best wingman the world has ever seen, Jane Nichols. Jane is a top-tier people pleaser and an even better wedding planner, although she spends her double life as a journalist. 

As far as Valentine’s Day goes, this love story is a perfect match. Director Anne Fletcher’s vision for the film was for it to be “…big and ugly,” which is a perfect description of many people’s love lives this season. 

When her sister Tess steals the heart of the man she secretly loves, she loses her mind, which is dramatic irony because the viewers know that it is gone from the start. Heartbroken but determined, Jane continues to play the role she knows best, the bridesmaid– and she has twenty-seven dresses to show for it. 

While attending multiple weddings one night, she fell into the arms of Kevin Doyle, who is a writer like Jane. While Jane was trying to untangle the knots between her and Tess’s fiance– the man she loves–Kevin was reeling in the line to Jane, pulling her in. She was emotionally conflicted, but Kevin was drawn to her and refused to give up. After a lot of tears, newspapers, and curse words, they finally made it work.

The final scene of the movie takes place at Kevin and Jane’s wedding. Jane’s side of the wedding party is filled with 27 bridesmaids, where each bridesmaid wears one of the dresses Jane had collected over the years as a perpetual bridesmaid, symbolizing her journey and transformation.

Before Ryan Gosling was Ken, he was Sebastian.

To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of rom-coms, but La La Land is still one of my favorite films. It seamlessly blends genres, and not just romance and comedy. It’s also a musical and a drama, with heartfelt moments along with hilarious ones.

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are fantastic actors, known for much more than just their co-starring roles, and they perfectly portray the pipeline from love, to pining separation, to eventual acceptance.

Every tragic love story needs an excellent soundtrack, and composer Justin Hurwitz certainly understood that assignment. As far as musicals go, La La Land is beautifully written, gorgeously choreographed, and brilliantly orchestrated. From the enthusiastic opening “Another Day of Sun” to the romantic duet “City of Stars”, the songs are unmatched in the world of original musical movies.

Then there’s the comedy, which is a little less important in this romantic-comedy, but it is still present. It is quippy and bittersweet at the same time providing some lightness to the somewhat melancholy movie. The comic relief is just enough to provide a proper mental break, but not too much as to mask the overarching themes of the story.

All in all, La La Land is the perfect rom-com to watch this Valentine’s Day, especially if your goal is to laugh, cry, and experience every emotion in between.