5 Not-So-Obvious Movies to Watch on Valentine's Day, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
There is room here for irony, oddities, bitterness, and honest conversations about how different love can be.
Valentine's Day is no longer just a holiday for couples in love, and the film industry has moved beyond rosy, postcard-like comedies.
If you've memorized the classics, such as Notting Hill and Love Actually, and find Hollywood's sugarcoating overwhelming, this list is for you.
5. 'Love', 2015
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 42%
Murphy is an American student at a film school in Paris. He lives with and dates his eccentric girlfriend, Electra. However, after two years, their relationship seems to be running its course.
In an attempt to spice up their romantic life, the couple finds a third partner, a French woman named Omi. However, Omi's company becomes a stumbling block for the couple.
Love contains both staged and real sex scenes, and it is one of the few films that must be experienced rather than understood.
4. 'Die My Love', 2025
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
A young married couple charged with life, a disconcerting attraction, and seemingly inexhaustible energy moves into a house in an almost idyllic spot near the forest.
It's a wilderness where no one will disturb her writing or his music—or their love. Soon, there will be three, and even four. Grace is pregnant, and Jackson has brought home a dog.
However, Jackson increasingly works away from home, leading Grace to suspect his infidelity. The young mother is tormented by constant anger, paranoia, and loneliness.
3. 'Fresh', 2022
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Young Noa is disillusioned with relationships and dating services. She's surrounded by men who don't want anything serious. Then, she meets Steve, an attractive, charismatic, wealthy guy who's genuinely interested in her.
After their first date, he invites her out of town for the weekend, which turns into a struggle for her survival.
2. 'Anora', 2024
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Ani, a stripper from New York, meets Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch, at work. Ivan invites Ani to spend a week with him in Las Vegas, where the two suddenly get married.
However, Ivan's parents disapprove of the marriage, forcing Ani to confront her fiancé's elopement, an encounter with Armenian henchmen and a Russian immigrant named Igor, a struggle for love, and a reevaluation of her values.
1. 'Past Lives', 2023
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
After 12 years of separation, Nora and Hae Sung meet in New York, having both emigrated from South Korea and experienced countless life changes.
Once in love with her longtime friend, Nora is now a married woman facing a choice: stick with her current life or take a risk and start a new life with her high school sweetheart.
Past Lives is Celine Song's insightful debut, which earned her acclaim and an Oscar nomination. The story is based on the memoirs of the Korean-born woman who immigrated to Canada with her parents.
