The 23 Best Romantic Films To Watch This Valentine's Day

Romance is in the air, and red roses seem to blaze with burning passion eternally. Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, the time to celebrate love as the greatest universal feeling of all. For many, enjoying a romantic dinner with their significant other sparks the fireworks. For others, watching a romance movie is simply irresistible.

But you might ask: Which movies? Luckily, we have compiled some of the top movies that capture that special moment when love and romance are intertwined for lovers to savor. From old movie classics to modern romantic comedies and from musicals to sci-fi romance, this trove of movie gems is sure to win you over to celebrate the loveliest day of the year.

Here are our favorite romantic movies to watch this Valentine's Day weekend.

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Top 23 Romantic Movies To Watch This Valentine's Day

“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967) — Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn; directed by Stanley Kramer

Over the course of one night, an old couple’s long-held guiding principles are challenged in the heels of an intended wedding. Set in 1960s San Francisco, the film stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as Matt and Christina Drayton, an old-line liberal couple who have raised their daughter Joanna (Katharine Houghton) to be open-minded and non-prejudicial.

Yet, for some reason, they are ill-prepared for their daughter’s shocking big reveal — that is, she is now engaged to John Prentice (Sidney Poitier), a world-renowned African American doctor in the field of tropical medicine. Commotion ensues as the Drayton couple must now confront the latent racism and hypocrisy that the interracial romantic relationship evokes. The movie is iconic and groundbreaking. It's a timeless movie masterpiece with memorable dialogues and lead characters who are larger than life.

Fun fact: Houghton is Hepburn’s niece, and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” was the young actress’s introductory film.

"Casablanca" (1942) — Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman; directed by Michael Curtiz

A love triangle, inescapable past, political allegory and wartime passion make "Casablanca" a timeless romantic classic. Winner of Best Picture at the 1944 Academy Awards, it portrays the painful love story of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). Together, Bogart's determined bravado and Bergman's expressive eyes evoke an unforgettable, palpable chill of sadness in the film's dramatic ending. Grab those tissues! You will need them, especially when you hear Bogart's famous lines: "Here's looking at you, kid" and "We'll always have Paris."

Fun fact: There were two short-lived "Casablanca" TV prequels: one that aired in 1955 and another in 1983.

"West Side Story" (2021) — Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Rita Moreno; directed by Steven Spielberg

Inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," the movie is set in the 1950s on the West Side of Manhattan, a place where a turf war is brewing between two rival New York street gangs: One of them is the Jets, the white gang led by Riff (Mike Faist); the other one is the Sharks, the Puerto Rican gang led by Bernardo (David Alvarez). At the center of their conflict is the forbidden romance between Riff's best friend, Tony (Ansel Elgort), and Bernardo's sister, Maria (Rachel Zegler).

Rita Moreno's screen appearances are brief but make an indelible impression, leaving you in awe. The iconic Oscar winner is utterly sublime as she embodies a character who becomes the fulcrum of the movie, bridging the gap between Steven Spielberg's take and the 60-year-old original film in which she appeared.

Fun fact: Rita Moreno turned 90 a day after the theatrical release of Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”

“Paris Blues” (1961) — Paul Newman, Diahann Carroll, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier; directed by Martin Ritt

Harold Flender’s best-selling novel comes to life in “Paris Blues,” a romance drama about two itinerant close friends — jazz saxophonist Eddie Cook (Sidney Poitier) and trombone player Ram Bowen (Paul Newman) — who have found the expatriate life in Paris a breath of fresh air, an escapism from the turbulent '60s in America.

Shot on location in the “City of Love,” the film unfolds with a love story Eddie and Ram experience with two vacationing American tourists, Connie Lampson (Diahann Carroll) and Lillian Corning (Joanne Woodward) respectively. The whirlwind of their romance is palpable against the backdrop of Parisian bohemia and memorable riffs.

Fun fact: Newman was already married to Woodward, who became pregnant with their second child, Melissa, during the filming of this movie. Subsequently, Melissa was born the day “Paris Blues” premiered in the U.S.

"La La Land" (2016) — Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone; directed by Damien Chazelle

Damien Chazelle's poetic ode to bygone movie musicals, "La La Land" stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as two aspiring artists who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles. With a contemporary setting and vibrant mood, the screenplay emits a colorful palette that creates a dreamy and exhilarating sensation — what a feeling!

Fun fact: The movie is famous for mistakenly being announced as Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards.

"Titanic" (1997) — Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet; James Cameron

A contemporary depiction of the ill-fated voyage of Titanic, the film is the tragic love story of penniless artist Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and rich girl Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) aboard the massive ship in 1912. The couple's romance is tragic-yet-captivating to the core.

Fun fact: Leo ad-libbed one of the greatest movie lines of all time: "I'm the king of the world!"

"Ghost" (1990)— Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg; directed by Jerry Zucker

"Ghost," a romantic-fantasy crime thriller, was the movie that undoubtedly made the late Patrick Swayze a love legend. It's the story of a young woman, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore), and the ghost of her murdered lover, Sam Wheat (Swayze), who tries to warn her of an impending danger with the help of a reluctant psychic (Whoopi Goldberg).

Fun fact: Thirty-five years before "Ghost," its theme song, "Unchained Melody," was nominated for Best Original Song for the film "Unchained" at the 1955 Academy Awards. However, it lost out to "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing."

"Crazy Rich Asians" (2018) — Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu, Henry Golding; directed by Jon M. Chu

Money and class collide with love and romance in director Jon M. Chu's film, which features the first all-Asian ensemble in a contemporary Hollywood cinema in 25 years since "Joy Luck Club."

Adapted from Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel about cultures and eccentricities, the romantic comedy follows the story of Rachel Chu (Contance Wu), a New Yorker who embarks on her first-ever trip to Asia with her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding).

What ensues is a myriad of surprises, jealousy and intrigue, as Rachel discovers that Nick is a member of a Singaporean dynasty. Will their love prevail as the young woman tries to win over Nick's mom (Michelle Yeoh)?

Fun fact: All the dazzling jewelry pieces worn by the principal cast in the movie are authentic.

"Annie Hall" (1977) — Woody Allen, Diane Keaton; directed by Woody Allen

The movie follows the story of comedian Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) and his relationship with struggling nightclub singer Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) and examines the highs and lows of their love story. Woody Allen's signature film, it gravitates in a whirlwind fashion of unbridled cleverness and hilarity.

Fun fact: Keaton supplied most of Annie’s wardrobe, ultimately making menswear garments a trendy fashion craze for women to sport in the late '70s. Thus, the “Annie Hall look” was born following the release of the film.

“Carrie Pilby” (2016) — Bel Powley, Nathan Lane; directed by Susan Johnson

Caren Lissner’s 2003 best-seller comes to life in Susan Johnson’s romance comedy about 19-year-old Carrie Pilby, a recent Harvard graduate struggling to find her place in the world because of her overactive moral compass. Bel Powley shines as the genius title character who must ultimately give humanity a chance to find happiness — and even romance.

Fun fact: The character of Carrie is based off of several people Lissner met over the years in and around New York City.

“It Happened One Night” (1934) — Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert; directed by Frank

Capra

A romantic comedy, this film is the story of socialite Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) who marries an aviator against her father's wishes. As the story unfolds, Ellie ends up being separated from her husband unwittingly. Then, she tries to get back together with him, but it appears she can only do it with the help of a roguish newspaper reporter (Clark Gable) with whom she eventually falls in love. The movie's outstanding cast and direction compensate for its bland plot. And the chemistry between Colbert and Gable is super electrifying!

Fun fact: Colbert and Gable reprised their iconic film roles during a 60-minute radio adaptation of the film in 1939, five years after the film’s theatrical release.

"The Shape of Water" (2017) — Octavia Spencer, Sally Hawkins; directed by Guillermo del Toro

Best Picture winner at the 2018 Academy Awards, Guillermo del Toro’s other-worldly fairytale follows Elisa (Hawkins), a cleaning lady in a high-tech U.S. government laboratory, who accidentally discovers a monster being held captive in the top-secret facility. As the mute young woman befriends the fascinating creature, their emotional bond deepens and leads to an unlikely romance.

Fun fact: “The Shape of Water” is the first-ever sci-fi film to win Oscar’s most coveted top prize.

"Love Story" (1970) — Ali MacGraw, Ryan O'Neal; directed by Arthur Hiller

A film adaptation of Erich Segal's best-selling novel, the romance drama is about two college students who fall in love and build a life together despite the objections of their families. Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw portray the young lovers who — spoiler alert! — get separated by death in the end. Get ready to be moved to tears!

Fun fact: Segal, who also wrote the screenplay, loosely based O'Neal's character on his Harvard roomies — actor Tommy Lee Jones and future Vice President Al Gore.

"An Affair to Remember" (1957) — Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr; directed by Leo McCarey

In this remake of the 1939 "Love Affair," international playboy Nickie Ferrante (Cary Grant) and chanteuse Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) meet and fall in love aboard a New York-bound ocean liner. But there's one big problem: Both of them happen to be engaged to be married to other people. Can their love prevail? Simply put, Grant and Kerr are adorable together as they embody two lost souls in search of love and happiness.

Fun fact: Grant and Kerr improvised many of their lines and scenes.

"The Big Sick" (2017)— Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter; directed by Michael Showalter

Looking for a date movie? Here's one that will melt your heart: "The Big Sick" is the endearing and incredible love story between a young Pakistani comic (Kumail Nanjiani) and his girlfriend, Emily (Zoe Kazan), who has fallen inexplicably "sick." Nanjiani and his wife/co-writer, Emily V. Gordon, crafted this romantic comedy out of her real-life medical crisis and their culturally conflicted relationship.

Fun fact: The movie is loosely based on the real-life romance between Gordon and Nanjiani.

"Gone with the Wind" (1939) — Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh; directed by Victor Fleming

A film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, "Gone with the Wind" is a classic tale of a love-hate romance. The Civil War period drama narrates the story of peevish Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), tracing her survival through the tragic history of the South during the American Civil War, her love affair with Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), and finally her understanding of life and love. It is full of passion, intrigue and scandal, as the drama embodies effervescently the glow of Hollywood's Golden Age. Beware: The running time is nearly 4 hours long.

Fun fact: On the original movie poster, the four leads were listed as follows: Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and "presenting" Vivien Leigh. The order was changed after Leigh won the Oscar.

"Dirty Dancing" (1987) — Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey; directed by Emile Ardolino

Set in the summer of 1963, this semi-musical is the story of a self-conscious young girl, Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey), who finds courage and first love in the arms of dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). The movie's box office success spawned one of the best-selling soundtrack albums of all time, unleashing the emotional power of mambos and cha-cha-chas to wider mainstream.

Fun fact: "Dirty Dancing" was shot in the fall so that the filmmakers could use summer getaway locations.

"The Notebook" (2004) — Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams; directed by Nick Cassavetes

A film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' best-selling novel of the same name, "The Notebook" is a romantic drama that chronicles the love affair of mill worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and rich girl Allie (Rachel McAdams) in 1940s South Carolina.

Fun fact: For Ryan Gosling's role as young Noah, the blue-eyed Canadian actor wore brown contacts so they'd match the eyes of James Garner, who portrayed Noah later in life.

“Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) — Dev Patel, Freida Pinto; directed by Danny Boyle

It is the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai. The epicenter of the plot is Malik's seemingly mysterious ability to answer every question as a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Subsequently, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating. Undeterred to prove his innocence, he recounts the details of his family, childhood and the girl he loved and lost, revealing the key to the answers of the game show's questions. Be prepared to be swept off your feet at the end as twists and turns reach the crux of the question: How well do we know about life and love?

Fun fact: The film was the first Oscar Best Picture winner shot mostly on digital, earning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle’s the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

"Pretty Woman" (1990) — Richard Gere, Julia Roberts; directed by Garry Marshall

It's the Cinderella story of wealthy businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) falling for prostitute Vivian (Julia Roberts), who is struggling with her lifestyle. The heart and soul of the movie lies in the charismatic chemistry of the two leads.

Fun fact: For the iconic movie poster, Julia Roberts' head was superimposed on the body of the star's body double. What an amazing Photoshopping rendition!

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) — Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard; directed by Blake Edwards

Sentiment and cynicism are in perfect balance in this endearing classic about two lost souls. Audrey Hepburn plays free-spirited Holly Golightly, while George Peppard plays sensitive Paul Varjak, and both ultimately find love and redemption in each other's arms. The romance film has elegance, style, color and humor.

Fun fact: The famous Givenchy-designed black dress that Hepburn wore in the film was auctioned off at Christie's for more than $900,000 in 2006.

"The Way We Were" (1974) — Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford; directed by Sydney Pollack

Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford navigate viewers to the tumultuous-yet-alluring love story of two polar opposites: political activist Katie Morosky (Streisand) and charming, talented writer Hubbell Gardiner (Redford). The movie's iconic theme song best sums up the film's poignant ending — "Memories may be beautiful ... whenever we remember the way we were."

Fun fact: Streisand's recording of the movie's theme song, "The Way We Were," was her first No. 1 single.

"The Lady Eve" (1941) — Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda; directed by Preston Sturges

In this screwball masterpiece, Barbara Stanwyck plays Jean Harrington, a con woman who targets Charles Pike (Henry Fonda), heir to a brewery fortune. A seductress taming a naive innocent man sounds simple enough for a plot? Not really. Complications ensue as she falls for him — for real.

Fun fact: During filming, Henry Fonda brought his daughter, future star Jane Fonda, on set for her fourth birthday party.