10 Netflix movies to watch for (or against) Valentine’s Day
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’ve rounded up the best of Netflix’s offerings — whether Feb. 14 makes you feel warm and fuzzy or you’d rather pull out your own hair than see one more co-worker’s vase of flowers.
Take a look, and add your favorite (anti) Valentine’s Day movies in the comments. (May contain spoilers.)
If you’ve been counting down to Friday:
Love Actually (2003, R)
“Love Actually” follows the lives of eight couples in London dealing with love in their own way in the month before Christmas. The film originally got mixed reviews, but has gradually become a holiday favorite for many. Don’t let the setting fool you, though — the movie is more Valentine’s Day-themed than Christmas.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961, NR)
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” isn’t just part of the rom-com canon because there’s an Audrey Hepburn-through-the-shop-window poster in every girl’s college dorm. Hepburn’s Holly Golightly casts a spell over viewers as she searches New York for a suitable millionaire to marry.
It isn’t until she meets George Peppard, a struggling writer who finds her as perplexing as she finds him, that she has to examine what she really wants from life, and love.
Pretty in Pink (1986, PG-13)
“Pretty in Pink” is just one reason why the Brat Pack ruled the ‘80s. Molly Ringwald’s working-class character, Andie, finds herself having to choose between Duckie, the ultimate example of someone so deep in the friendzone it’s unclear why he’s still trying, and the new guy at school. It’s perfect for anyone who’s experienced unrequited love.
Amelie (2001, R)
A naive Parisian girl whose isolated childhood left her living in a fantasy world most of the time finds a treasure trove of old toys and sets off to find their original owner. After becoming consumed with helping those around her, she eventually realizes she’s neglecting her own dreams and decides the only way to find happiness and love is to take control of her own life.
Maid in Manhattan (2002, PG-13)
The premise of the movie is entirely implausible: A senate candidate falls in love with a maid at first glance and becomes consumed with an obsessive need to find her and convince her to be with him. OK. But it’s a good pick for anyone who likes to think destiny plays a hand in who we end up with.
If Valentine’s Day is lame:
Fatal Attraction (1987, R)
A married man has a one-night stand with a colleague who can’t let him go. He soon finds his colleague is becoming increasingly deranged with each attempt to contact him, and the rest of the movie is just a question of whether or not he and his wife will survive his affair — in more ways than one.
Like Crazy (2011, PG-13)
If you’re looking for a happy ever after, you won’t find it here. A British college student falls in love with an American student in Los Angeles. But when the British student overstays her visa and isn’t allowed back into the U.S. after a trip home, the two have to decide whether their relationship is worth the trouble.
Double Jeopardy (1999, R)
Ashley Judd plays a woman framed for the murder of her husband … who is still alive. Since she can’t be convicted of the same crime twice, she won’t rest until she tracks down her husband and commits the crime she was convicted of.
Bates Motel season 1
“Bates Motel” is A&E’s prequel series to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film “Psycho.” The series follows Norma Bates and her son after they move into the Bates Motel, and definitely won’t leave you feeling love drunk.
House of Cards season 2
The second season of “House of Cards” premieres on Netflix on Friday. The Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated series follows a congressman and his wife as they exact revenge on people who have done them wrong.
Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @steph_grimes
