Some films about love for your Valentine's Day weekend

Apologies for the double email. A formatting error made the film titles in the previous version invisible (thanks for the catch, Shweta!)

It’s setting up to be a wet and gloomy Valentine’s Day weekend here in California, which is the perfect excuse to get cozy and watch something romantic.

To get you into the spirit, I want to share three of my favorite films about love. Ranging from smoldering drama to lighthearted comedy, each is delightful and visually stunning in unique ways.

In the Mood for Love

Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 film about love and longing set against the backdrop of 1960s Hong Kong is the most achingly beautiful film I’ve ever seen. Starring Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung—looking the best two people have ever looked on screen—it tells a story of heartache and forbidden love as two neighbors are drawn together after learning their spouses are having an affair.

If you’re looking for a film dripping with charisma and smoldering romance, with the most gorgeous cinematography you’ll ever see, this is the one for you.

Down with Love

Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor star in this early-2000s riff on the romantic comedies of the 1960s. From the director of Bring it On, it’s a silly, visually delightful throwback that I’m surprised people don’t talk about more.

If you’re looking for a rom-com with a unique visual style that plays with and inverts the tropes of the genre, give it a watch.

Emma (2020)

2020’s Emma—the one starring Anya Taylor-Joy, not Gwyneth Paltrow—is my go-to film to watch when I’m feeling down. Featuring costumes and set design that make you feel like it was shot entirely inside of a dollhouse, it’s a criminally underrated adaptation of Jane Austen’s light-hearted novel.

If you’re looking for a film that’s sweet and fun and just a joy to look at, you can’t do any better than Emma.