As Valentine’s Day approaches, it seems like every movie list is filled with fairy tale romances and happily-ever-after endings. But let’s face it, not everyone has a sweetheart, and some may even find themselves nursing a broken one. Watching films with saccharine endings might not be the best remedy for those in the latter category. Instead, perhaps it’s time for all of us to embrace the fact that love can be a heartbreaker, and that’s just part of the package. So, this Valentine’s Day Watchlist gonna be twisted in a good way.
Instead of cuddling up with yet another Hallmark movie, why not embrace the dark, messy, and sometimes heartbreaking reality of love? By indulging in movies that remind us of the bittersweet nature of love, we can find solace in knowing that we’re not alone in our feelings and admit love mostly feels like shit! So, get ready to laugh, cry, and maybe even roll your eyes at the absurdity of it all, because in the end, there’s a strange comfort in knowing that love is a universal experience. In all its forms.
Whether you’re single, heartbroken, or just tired of the conventional love story, this list offers a refreshing twist. Get ready for a ride through the gritty side of love—because, let’s face it, the most relatable love stories are the ones that don’t wrap up neatly.
La Strada (1954)
Our first offer from Valentine’s Day Watchlist is “La Strada”. A movie delves into the intricate dynamics of a naive young woman thrust into the harsh world of a traveling circus, where she becomes entangled with a brutish strongman. The film presents a poignant exploration of their tumultuous relationship, showcasing both its beauty and tragedy. Fellini crafts a narrative that resonates deeply with viewers. he offers a profound reflection on love, sacrifice, and the human condition. This movie remains a timeless classic that continues to captivate audiences with its raw emotion and haunting imagery.
Nights of Cabiria (1957)
Another one of Fellini’s truly great films, with a fierce note of melancholy and even tragedy that is perhaps atypical of him. Cabiria is a sex worker whose paradoxical mixture of vulnerability and defiant strength is rendered in a series of episodes. She lives in a wretched shack on the outskirts of town. The eerie modernized wasteland that captured the imagination of both Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni. Cabiria leads an almost feral existence.
L’Avventura (1960)
La Avventura, hailed by critics as the work that heralded the maturity period of Antonioni’s cinema, initially focuses on Anna’s life. After introducing the audience to the ambiguous emotional bond between Anna and Sandro and their crumbling relationship, familiar themes of Antonioni’s cinema emerge when Anna disappears on a trip to an island. It doesn’t take long after Anna’s disappearance for Sandro to move on, as he begins a relationship with Anna’s closest friend, Claudia. ‘L’Avventura’ offers a thought-provoking choise for Valentine’s Day Watchlist.
La Notte (1961)
It begins with the writer Giovanni Pontano and his wife Lidia visiting a sick friend in the hospital. This visit shows us much of what the film wants to convey, expressed by a dying man on his deathbed. In an era where people chase after respect, fame, and money, this terminally ill man says:
“When you’re alone, you realize many things. You understand there’s still much to do. Perhaps I was watching the game I should have been a part of from the sidelines. I didn’t dare to dive in. I often console myself by thinking I’m not smart enough for it.”
These words, which completely expose the falsity of life, emphasize a life lived with fears and false emotions that cannot be concealed. The unlivable, the unspoken, and the unfelt corner of a person. There’s a similar sense of entrapment in Giovanni and Lidia’s relationship. The coldness and emotionlessness between them penetrate the screen and resonate within us.
Jules and Jim (1962)
Set against the backdrop of pre-World War I Europe, the film follows the intertwined lives of two friends. And their shared love for the enigmatic Catherine. Although Truffaut’s intention has been subjected to countless interpretations, roughly speaking, his concern is to tell a love story. The director’s concern is to focus on the ménage-à-trois (love triangle) and to express the impossibility of this model. Can there be a happy ending when each of the three individuals loves the other to death?
8 ½ (1963)
Fellini’s masterpiece starts with cinema’s greatest and most disturbing dream sequence. All the more disquieting for being woven into a film in which dreams and fantasies are being manufactured as a way of escaping dreary reality. Marcello Mastroianni plays a film director. Guido Anselmi, who is based on Fellini himself was created as a kind of therapeutic self-invention or self-mythologising. Guido has reached a moment of personal and creative crisis. He is blocked and production on his latest film has stalled. He embarks on a personal voyage into memory and the past, and a reckoning with all the women he has loved.
The Way We Were (1973)
In the film, we witness the drift of two young individuals in their life journey, where they are both very close and very distant from each other, as they grow and mature into adults. Their contrasting characteristics turn into a culmination of opposites in the face of the intensity of their attraction and love between them.
Streisand’s passionate portrayal of Katie, a fiercely determined woman, contrasts with Redford’s laid-back charm as Hubbell, creating a dynamic and heartrending story. As their love story unfolds against the backdrop of changing times, “The Way We Were” reminds us that love can be both profoundly beautiful and tragically fleeting; and that the music of this movie will always make us cry.
The English Patient (1996)
This captivating tale of love and loss is set against the backdrop of World War II. Directed by Anthony Minghella, the film follows the enigmatic burn patient (Ralph Fiennes) as he recounts his tragic romance with the beautiful Katharine (Kristin Scott Thomas). Their passionate affair unfolds amidst the turmoil of war, leading to devastating consequences for all involved. Minghella’s direction, combined with stunning cinematography and powerful performances. “The English Patient” is a poignant and unforgettable cinematic experience for Valentine’s Day Watchlist.
Closer (2004)
A dark, unflinching look at relationships and infidelity, “Closer” dives deep into the tangled web of love, betrayal, and jealousy. With a strong cast and sharp dialogue, it explores the lies we tell to get what we want, and the painful consequences that follow. The film challenges romantic ideals, showing that sometimes love is more about possession and desire than true connection.
Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
A heartbreaking tale of love and heartbreak between two young women, this film explores the intensity and passion of first love. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, showing the beauty of their deep connection and the inevitable pain that comes with it. It’s a raw depiction of love’s vulnerability and the inevitable changes that time brings.
Her (2013)
Spike Jonze’s sci-fi romance shows us the tragic beauty of a love that can never fully exist. Theodore, a lonely man, falls in love with an artificial intelligence, Samantha. While the relationship feels real, it ultimately reveals the impossible boundaries between human connection and technology. “Her” explores the nature of love in an increasingly disconnected world, where the line between real and artificial can become dangerously blurred.
Saltburn (2023)
It begins like all erotic thrillers, with one body desiring another. We know what will happen if it’s obtained; we assume at least that this is the sole purpose. This time, there isn’t a woman and a man at the center, but rather two young men from Oxford. From the opening scene, it’s possible to think that the story is a love tale between two men that ends tragically.
The film intentionally directs the audience here. Barry Keoghan’s character, Oliver, who is revealed to be someone who doesn’t conform to conventional beauty standards and is excluded based on his appearance, deeply desires Felix (Jacob Elordi), who fits the mold of the quintessential man of every era with his height, haircut, and demeanor. With its slap-in-the-face twists that defy those eager to watch a tragic love story, this film might truly make viewers exclaim, “Damn, you love!”
