Our Top 5 Valentine’s Day Movie Picks
Love isn’t always straightforward. All forms of love should be celebrated on Valentine’s Day. Growing up, my mom would always give me and my sister a small Valentine’s Day gift to show her affection. She wanted to teach us that this holiday can be used to celebrate all relationships. When finding films to watch this season, I was looking for something a little different than the expected rom-coms. On this list you’ll see that all these films are connected through unorthodox love of some sort. Each one has strained me both romantically and emotionally in a bitter-sweet way. So if you’re like me and want something a little deeper or darker to watch this Valentine’s Day, these five non-traditional romance movies are still exploding with love.
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
Directed by Craig Gillespie & Written by Nancy Oliver
Lars is a lonesome and extremely shy person. He has difficulty connecting with people, including his own brother and sister-in-law. When Lars announces he has a new girlfriend that he met over the internet, his family is ecstatic. However, Lars’ new partner happens to be a life sized sex doll. Taking after doctors’ orders, Lars’ family and their community decide to go along with his delusion.
This film has an amazing debut screenplay by Nancy Oliver, and a stellar performance by Ryan Gosling that I haven't seen from him before. Despite its subject matter, this film happens to be a sensitive story that shows how love is about being supported passionately and selflessly. The film is funny when it wants to be without making the main character feel small. Its themes of connection, support from your community, and empathy are so sweet. If you’re looking for something to watch this weekend that will warm your heart, Lars and the Real Girl is a fantastic choice.
Thelma and Louise (1991)
Directed by Ridley Scott & Written by Callie Khouri
While on a short vacation, best friends Thelma and Louise run into trouble when Louise shoots a man that assaults Thelma. Due to the implicate situation, the two make a run for it cross country and become fugitives. On their journey, Thelma and Louise realize the power of their self-strengths and female friendship in this classic film that captures so much heart.
Callie Khouri’s productive screenplay is driven by female friendship and freedom. The feminist narrative is unquestionably daring still to this day. Thelma and Louise’s relationship splendidly played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis is where the film truly finds its humanity. An amazing road trip movie where its western atmosphere feels mystical and uncertain. The high stakes revolve around finally feeling alive, living for yourself, and discovering who you truly are. Ride or die love should be celebrated just as much for Valentine’s Day, which makes this film a great option for this holiday.
Ruby Sparks (2012)
Directed by Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris & Written by Zoe Kazan
Calvin (played by Paul Dano) is a young writer who gained great success at an early age in his career. He is now struggling with the balance of writing his new novel and finding love. After a dream he has about a girl, he gains a breakthrough in his writing and creates a flawless fictional girl named Ruby Sparks that inspires him. One day, his made up character on paper oddly materializes in real life and they form a romantic relationship.
Ruby Sparks is the idea of a woman that men think they want. She’s cute yet sexy, quirky but unique. She needs him and only exists for him. The script by Zoe Kazan (who also plays Ruby) is an excellent representation of how men can feel entitled to women and expect them to cater to their needs whenever they see fit. It shows the torment that happens from refusing to accept people for who they are and the treacherous relationship between idealization and reality. When Calvin realizes he can rewrite his partner for his own desires, the dark core of the story bleeds through. Real-life couple Dano and Kazan’s chemistry is great to see on screen, and the film’s strong concept makes this a highly original romance.
Columbus (2017)
Written and Directed by Kogonada
Jin (played by John Cho) travels to Columbus to care for his ill father who collapsed during his speaking tour. During his stay, he meets a young girl named Casey (played by Haley Lu Richardson) who loves architecture and works at the local library. The two immediately form a special intimacy with each other and their shared passion for architecture. They challenge each other and therefore help each other grow.
It’s such a valuable bond to have people in life that are willing to listen and talk with you about your passions. It's healing, it’s one of the most important types of relationships to have. Columbus shows the yearning of wanting to do more and struggling with the fear of moving on from what is familiar. The love for architecture seeps through the air with such carefully framed shots. Maybe not quite a romantic film, but feels so with the way Kogonada captures the beauty of being alive, and the heartbreak that can happen when deciding to chase new adventures.
The Lobster (2015)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos & Written by Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou
In this dystopian tale, single people are taken to a hotel and have 45 days to find a partner or they will be transformed into an animal of their choice. Once turned into an animal, they are released into the woods to be hunted by single people who can gain extra days in the hotel. In this world, couples are supposed to have some kind of physical similarity in order to be together, which causes some people to change themselves in order to survive. Colin Farrell stars as a man who decides to go against the system and join a group of abolitionists. There he meets a blind woman (played by Rachel Weisz) and falls in love, but must find a way to be with her.
This absurd romantic comedy is a ruthless satire on despotism and love. It focuses on the societal pressure that life is only purposeful if you find a partner, start a family, and so on. The Lobster takes the idea of rushing to be in a relationship, even if you’re not entirely happy with it, to the extreme. A dark romance that plays into societal commentary. It's hilarious and wacky, a profoundly original piece that goes against everything you know about romantic movies.
