Unconventional Valentine’s Movie Recommendations
Are you tired of watching the same sappy love stories like The Notebook or cliché romantic-comedies such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days every year on Valentine’s Day? Maybe this is the year you and your partner have decided to change up the Valentine’s formula and watch a different romance movie for date night. If so, then you have come to the right place!
If you enjoy the traditional Valentine’s Day flicks, then you will likely find all of the films on today’s list to be a disgrace to the holiday, but if you are looking for something less conventional and more interesting (or even weird), then you will definitely find something in this list that will appeal to you.
Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind
If you think of Jim Carrey as a comedic frontman in movies such as Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura, or Bruce Almighty, then Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will quickly change that assumption about him if you have never seen it. This romantic science-fiction film will captivate any deep thinkers or wannabe philosophers, as it is a complex exploration of the relationship between memory and romance through a dream state. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will confront you with questions that you may not have previously asked, and it will undoubtedly spark an interesting conversation for you and your partner once the credits roll. Watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind if you enjoy thought-provoking, atmospheric films.
You can find Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Amazon.
Phantom Thread
Continuing on the path of bizarre movies (this will remain an ongoing theme), Phantom Thread is another unconventional Valentine’s suggestion. Set in 1950s London, this film is about an unlikely relationship between a career-obsessed dressmaker (Daniel Day-Lewis) and a headstrong young woman (Vicky Krieps) who fall in love and inspire one another in strange ways. Phantom Thread is not a traditional period piece because the relationship between the two leads unfolds in a truly bizarre and shocking fashion that will leave everybody completely dumbfounded as to how these two manage to find a “balance” in their dynamic. Phantom Thread is a wonderfully crafted film from top to bottom, with Jonny Greenwood’s elegant, yet haunting, score as the cherry on top. If offbeat period pieces that portray weirdly fascinating characters and relationships interest you, watch Phantom Thread.
You can find Phantom Thread on Netflix.
True Romance
Switching gears from unusual to entertaining, True Romance easily stands out amongst the rest of the films on this list. True Romance follows a highly charismatic couple, played by Patricia Arquette and Christian Slater, who instantly fall in love and set off on a messy cat-and-mouse chase with the Mafia. This energetic crime-thriller paired with quirky Quentin Tarantino dialogue and iconic Tony Scott action sequences will certainly make for a wildly fun Valentine’s Date night. If you enjoy memorable character interactions, brutal action, and pure escapism, check out True Romance.
You can find True Romance on Amazon or Tubi.
Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook is probably the most vanilla suggestion on this list, so if you are looking for something unconventional that is not boundary-pushing, this is the film for you. This movie follows Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) after his life has collapsed and has no choice but to live with his parents. He meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who he befriends, but the relationship evolves into something deeper. Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy with an edge because of the mixture of its themes of hardships and mental illness with the extreme personalities of the main characters. The dialogue is darkly witty and the actors have remarkable on-screen chemistry. If you find black-comedies and rom-coms entertaining, then Silver Linings Playbook is the perfect combination of the two.
You can find Silver Linings Playbook on Netflix.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Staying in the same realm of unconventional but not necessarily boundary-pushing, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is another romantic comedy with snappy dialogue and interesting characters. This film portrays two friends (Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall) as they take a summer vacation to Spain and develop feelings for the same painter (Javier Bardem) at different times. Nearly every conversation in the film is about the meaning of art or the complications of love through clashing perspectives, making for a very engaging story with ironic character arcs. If you enjoy sharp dialogue and wonderfully utilized settings, then Vicky Cristina Barcelona is the movie for you.
You can find Vicky Cristina Barcelona on Showtime or Hulu.
Her
Returning to the science-fiction romance origins of this list, Her may have the most outlandish premise of any film on this list. In the near future, this movie follows Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely writer after a failed marriage who falls in love with a new operating system, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). Furthermore, it is also a social commentary on human relationships and the role of technology in society. Her is one of the rare science-fiction films that manages to perfectly balance emotion and intrigue, as it is a surprisingly moving and gripping movie about a weirdly fascinating relationship. If you want to watch the most unconventional romance film imaginable for Valentine’s Day, watch Her.
You can find Her on Amazon.
