The 10 Best Movie Ideas for Valentine’s Day

1. The Princess Bride (1987)

Farmhand becomes a pirate and sets out to rescue his true love from kidnappers, who just so happen to be a master swordsman, a scheming Sicilian, and a gentle giant, plus there’s the Fire Swamp to trudge through, complete with quicksand.

2. An Affair to Remember (1957)

1957’s best film, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, who meet aboard a transatlantic cruise, fall madly in love, and agree to meet atop the Empire State Building in six months if their feelings remain true. But will they?

3. A Knight’s Tale (2001)

The late Heath Ledger gives us one of the most underrated action films, thanks to its medieval theme, which is so incredibly rare. A pauper dons his dead master’s armour and competes under his name in jousting tournaments, finding love along the way.

4. True Lies (1994)

Arnie gives us an absolute watch-fest alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, who thinks her husband’s boring computer sales job is all he has going for him. He’s a secret agent, of course, and must save his marriage and save cities from a nuclear blitz.

5. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

The idea of a widowed father's son calling into a radio show, hoping to find his dad a new partner, isn’t the best plot on paper, but trust us when we say this is a classic well worth your time on the couch with your loved one.

6. About Time (2013)

Time travel lovers rejoice at this one, with a young man’s discovery that he can travel back in time, used for romantic gains, in a funny, heartfelt film with plenty to enjoy about family and appreciating ordinary moments in our lives.

7. Tangled (2010)

Rapunzel, basically, with a different name, but still produced by Disney. You probably know the classic story of Rapunzel’s magic hair providing healing powers. The film changes things up with Flynn Rider instead of a prince.

8. Lady and the Tramp (1955)

A quintessential American love story, this is. It’s a sad state of affairs that Lady and the Tramp doesn’t even hit the top 10 Disney films via Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s well worth that 91% score with beautiful songs and great animation for such an old flick.

9. Her (2013)

The plot of a lonely writer finding love with an AI operating system sounds like a film for 2026, never mind one from 2013. The main character’s loneliness and the wonderful script raise proper questions about what makes relationships real.

10. The Shape of Water (2017)

A cleaner falls in love with an amphibious creature in a fairy tale dressed in 1960s espionage. Sounds like an oddity, and it really is, but oh, is it good. The unusual romance is unlike anything else and provides welcome relief from the usual rom-coms.

Your movie choice is one thing, but how about some extra gifts, snacks, treats, and other good stuff to make the night even better? Some pointers:

Buy some Valentine’s Day flowers for your loved one as a gift before the movie starts to set the scene for a fantastic night ahead.

• Chill the drinks, ideally way beforehand, so everything is stone cold and perfect.

• Pick your favourite snacks.

• Turn your soundbar or TV into voice dialogue mode to cut the bass and hear what people say more clearly without the volume cranked up.

• Dim the lights or replace them entirely with candles for a softer glow.

• Plan your timing; the last thing you or your loved one needs is a stupidly late night when they have to get up early.