Don’t worry—just because Valentine’s Day falls this week, I’m not going to overload you with sappy love stories, I promise. I do include a couple of choices for all you lovers out there, but I also have the haters covered as well—you’re going to love these picks.
Here are five must-see movies to watch on Amazon Prime Video that are sure to make your week better.
5
50 First Dates
One of the highest-trending movies on Prime Video right now is the super-sweet 2004 rom-com 50 First Dates, one of those feel-good movies you’ll never get tired of watching. Plus, it’s the perfect choice for a date-night movie.
Set in Hawaii, Adam Sandler stars as a womanizing Marine veteran named Henry, who has his romantic sights set on a local art teacher named Lucy (Drew Barrymore). They hit it off, but the next time Lucy sees Henry, she fails to recognize him. Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss, and no matter what she experiences on any given day, it’s erased the second she goes to sleep. She wakes every morning thinking it is the last day she remembers before the car crash that left her with anterograde amnesia.
Henry isn’t deterred, though, and eventually, with the support of her friends, family, and community, he finds different ways to woo her each day so they can fall in love all over again. If you’re looking for a sweet, heartwarming story with excellent chemistry between leading characters, look no further than this touching exploration of love and perseverance.
4
Lars and the Real Girl
One of Ryan Gosling’s most memorable roles is that of Lars Lindstrom in Lars and the Real Girl. While the premise of this movie is rather strange, its narrative offers a wholesome experience that turns out to be a sweet but weird romance, even if it is a bit delusional.
As an extremely kind-hearted but socially awkward young man, Lars finds it difficult and uncomfortable to make friends, socialize, and date women. See, his mother died giving birth to him, and as a result, he lives with an irrational fear about the risk of death during childbirth. So, he is extremely avoidant and keeps himself somewhat isolated. As his brother and sister-in-law worry about him, he announces he’s met a girl online. There’s just one catch—the woman he develops a romantic, non-sexual relationship with is a life-size, anatomically correct sex doll.
Upon his doctor’s advice, his family and community accept and go along with his delusion to create a stable emotional ground for him to work through his issues. They don’t judge, tease, insult, stigmatize, or blame him; rather, they help him find truth and recognize reality in the most beautiful, tender, empathetic way. The movie isn’t just about learning to love the mentally ill; it is about tolerance, acceptance, family, and belonging. The story should bring a cute little tear to your eye.
3
Love Stinks
One of my absolute favorite anti-Valentine’s Day movies is the 1999 dramedy Love Stinks with French Stewart, Bridgette Wilson, and Jason Bateman. It’s grossly underrated as a dark, satirical, unromantic comedy about the bitterness and vengeance that emerge in the wake of a breakup and as a cynical alternative to typical sappy rom-coms.
Seth Winnick (Stewart) is a sitcom writer with a successful career, good friends, and a great life. Seth meets Chelsea Turner (Wilson) at a wedding, and the two hit it off and move in together. As their relationship develops, Seth reveals he has no interest in marriage, which sends Chelsea, who is obsessed with getting married, into an outrage. She retaliates by filing a palimony lawsuit against Seth and partaking in dirty deeds like filling his shampoo bottle with Nair. It isn’t long before the two engage in a full-on prank war that’ll tickle your ribs with laughter.
Love Stinks is raunchy and hilarious in its focus on extremely toxic relationships and sabotage. You’ll love the high-energy, crude humor, the memorable over-the-top performances—particularly from Stewart and Wilson—and the intensely relatable relationship dynamics. If you’re anti-Valentine’s Day, this chaotic battle-of-the-sexes story is the perfect movie.
2
Heathers
A dark comedy about high school cliques, social cruelty, and teenage angst, Heathers offers a satirical look at teen love, popularity, bullying, and mental health. It’s unapologetic and full of brooding, dangerous allure.
The cult classic title refers to a clique of four high school girls, three of whom are named Heather. The fourth is Veronica (Winona Ryder), and she’s the only good one out of the bunch. When the Heathers form a sadistic pecking order and make fun of the socially unacceptable, they carry out a reign of psychic terror that disgusts and appalls Veronica. She keeps her opinions to herself until she meets and falls in love with a rebel named J.D. (Christian Slater), and together, the couple plots to murder the snobs and disguise their deaths as suicides.
What sets Heathers apart from other teen flicks is its bitingly satirical view of the grim subject matter. It may come off as an 80s-style Bonnie and Clyde, but the movie winds up becoming much more fascinating, thanks to Ryder and all she brings to her character. It makes for some excellent anti-Valentine’s Day viewing.
1
Sisu
For those of you who want nothing to do with lovey stuff in any way at all, I bring you Sisu, an explosive, mostly wordless, 90-minute flick full of action, excitement, and vengeance.
The ultra-violent historical action spectacle is set during the last days of World War II in the northern region of Scandinavia in 1944. Its narrative centers on a middle-aged man so beaten down by the horrors of war, he refuses to die. Aatami Korpi is a former military commander turned gruff gold prospector, who encounters a band of brutal Nazis after finding a rich deposit of multi-sized gold nuggets. When they rob him and try to kill his dog, the killing machine within him awakens, and what ensues is the best 90 minutes of vengeance to retrieve what’s rightfully his.
As a relentless, tenacious, unbreakable man, Aatami is the epitome of the type of courage and determination that manifests in the face of adversity and survival. The movie isn’t about seeking revenge, though. It’s about refusing to give up, even when the odds are stacked against you and death’s icy fingers are squeezing your neck.
Enjoy your week and have some fun with these movies. If you’re looking for more to binge, be sure to check out the list of everything coming to Prime Video in February.
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