10 Non-Romcom Movies Perfect for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, so many people are queuing up their favorite romantic comedies to watch with that special someone. However, not everyone catches the love bug on February 14th. If you’re single, anti-romantic, or simply trying to avoid the crowds, it might be a good idea to stay in and watch a movie. Who needs Katherine Heigl and Jennifer Aniston when you have so many other feel-good movies at your disposal?

1. The 40-Year-Old Virgin

In The 40-Year-Old Virgin, we learn that there’s nothing wrong with going against the grain, as long as you’re doing what makes you happy. In fact, when you try to let other people live your life for you, you end up screaming “Kelly Clarkson!” in pain as the hair is ripped out of your chest.

2. Blazing Saddles

In Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks proves once again that he is a master of satire as he dissects modern racism through the lens of the American western. This hilarious film holds up nearly 40 years after its theatrical release. You’ll be quoting Blazing Saddles for way too long after seeing it, especially if you’re around people who also enjoy its twisted take on comedy.

3. Bridesmaids

Watching love blossom from the sidelines is often difficult, especially when it means losing your closest friend. Bridesmaids showcases the complexities of female friendships, all without sacrificing its crude, spot-on humor. While this is still a great movie to watch by yourself, it’s the perfect movie for getting a few friends together to share the laughs.

4. Can’t Hardly Wait

Most people who grew up in the 1990s will remember this classic party flick. It plays as a “who’s who” of the decade, with starring performances by Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, and Seth Green, to name a few. Chronicling the night of a high school graduation, there’s a massive party, and teens from every clique are represented. After you watch it on Netflix, you might want to dust off your cassette copy of the soundtrack and relive your youth.

5. Clueless

Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless is exceptional at pointing out the inner workings of high school, with many themes that bleed over into adult life. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is an extraordinarily popular student who gradually realizes that there are more important things in life. This is one of the most quotable movies in a decade filled with quotable movies, which is why it retains such a large following to this day.

6. Coming to America

Culture shock is something that everyone should experience in their lifetime. However, it probably won’t be as drastic as being the ruler of a country one minute to being robbed in Queens the next. In this film, Eddie Murphy was on top of his game, as he and Arsenio Hall each play multiple distinct characters. It’s nearly impossible to sit through Coming to America without exploding with laughter and also gaining perspective on the assumptions we make about other people.

7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Arguably the greatest breakup movie ever made, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is great for anyone who finds themselves recently single on Valentine’s Day. The premise is simple: a man (Jason Segel) goes away to forget his ex (Kristen Bell), only to find that she’s staying in the same resort (with her new lover). As he tries focus on the beautiful scenery, he has great difficulty avoid her and her new boyfriend (Russell Brand). This uproariously funny script leaves little breathing room between jokes and is able to balance the humor with more serious comments on the nature of romantic connections.

8. Frances Ha

Few – if any – movies capture the aimlessness of being a twenty-something better than Frances Ha. The titular character pursues her ambitious goals, even as she continues to hit roadblocks along the way. Whether she’s scrambling to pay the bills or struggling to build and maintain adult friendships, Frances (played by the delightful Greta Gerwig) is deeply endearing and wonderfully relatable. Frances Ha is an honest look at self-discovery, independence, and the disillusion that comes with your twenties.

9. Ghostbusters

With the all-female reboot coming out this summer, you need to brush up on the movie that started it all. Ghostbusters is a prime example of what can happen when all the right pieces fall into place. Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, and Hudson all play off each other extremely well and have created a mythos that has been embraced for over three decades now.

10. Groundhog Day

Many of us feel like we have experienced the same day over and over again, but Phil Connors (Bill Murray) actually finds himself stuck in a time loop where his actions have no consequences. This leads to some deep philosophical questions, not to be overshadowed by the comedic genius of the script. We see Phil’s approach to the situation stretch the entire range of the spectrum, whether he’s using his predicament to take advantage of women or he’s falling into destructive despair. In Groundhog Day, we see how difficult it is to live in the moment.

Featured image via Bridesmaids