Pink, roses, chocolate, love, it's Valentine's Day again, what movie should I watch for a romantic night? At the beginning of 2024, the romantic comedy "Anyone But You" swept the box office market in Europe and the United States, and was seen as a resurgence of the romantic comedy genre (rom com). In addition to clichés such as "rejoicing in enemies, fake dramas, and love after marriage", what other films are worth this special night**? Whether you're single or coupled, iWeekly has put together an exclusive list of Valentine's Day films for you.
ROM COM Revival
From the perspective of subject matter, "I Just Want to Love You" is the most typical romantic love story: the beautiful ** Bi and the handsome Ben spent a romantic night together and then separated due to a misunderstanding, and met again at their family's wedding a few months later. In order to achieve their respective goals, they need to pretend to be in love with each other - of course, accidentally fake the real thing and move the real feelings.
After its Christmas release in 2023, "Just Want to Love You" has earned nearly $100 million at the box office in Europe and the United States at a cost of $25 million, making it the highest-grossing romantic comedy in recent years. Distributor Sony Pictures**, the market will also usher in a wave of movie-watching craze on Valentine's Day. Despite receiving only 53 percent positive reviews on the famous Rotten Tomatoes, the film was surprisingly well received by audiences, growing evenly at the box office every week, and finally "becoming a success that Sony Pictures did not expect".
This unique phenomenon has been astutely captured by some critics, and perhaps the romantic comedy, which was once "killed" by superhero movies, has regained the hearts and minds of audiences. Blue sea and blue sky, handsome guys and beautiful women, and sweet love that lacks logic but has a good atmosphere, many film critics have pointed out, ""I Just Want to Love You" proves that superhero films have weakened, and now is the time for Hollywood to reinvest in romantic comedies."
When I went to see "I Just Want to Love You", I sat in the theater with a smile and watched the hero and heroine meet, fall in love, and break up, and you know the plot, and you will still be overwhelmed by a sense of calm and satisfaction. It's completely different from the feeling of fidgeting I had in the latest superhero movie in recent years. Watching the superhero movies and horror movies that are taking over the movie theaters, I began to ask myself, am I really happy when I watch these movies? Film critic Jason Geurrasio cited many of Hollywood's famous romantic comedies as giving audiences a sense of lightness and enjoyment: "'How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days' made people laugh out loud, 'When Harry met Sally' brought tears to my eyes." ”
Just Want to Love You" also gave me this feeling of warmth and excitement. I believe this is a sign that many fans, like me, are eager to see more of the romantic comedies that dominated in the late '90s and early 21st century. Those unrealistic standards of love, cheesy lines, obvious chemistry, petty quarrels, and, of course, happy endings. Romantic comedies are back, and I hope they will live on forever. ”
Even Will Gluck, the director of "Just Want to Love You," pessimistically stated at the film's release that if the film didn't do well at the box office, it "would be the last romantic comedy Hollywood ever produced," fearing that today's audiences would no longer be interested in the genre. News ** "Business Insider" (Business Insider) recaps that romantic comedies used to be one of Hollywood's most important film genres. "In the '90s, "Pretty Woman," "Sleepless in Seattle" and "The Wedding Singer" pushed romantic comedies to the top. During the most popular period, there were nine romantic comedies released in a year. ”
But Marvel Studios broke the game. Marvel has created a box office that romantic comedies can't match. Overnight, the genre seemed to die out. It wasn't until 2018 that romantic comedies began to revive on streaming platforms. "In 2023, only one of the three movies launched by Marvel will enter the top 10 at the annual box office. At the same time, famous romantic comedies such as "The Decameron of Love" have repeatedly topped the on-demand rate of streaming platforms. It also seems to represent the viewer's yearning and escape from the finer things: "The fantasy of a romantic comedy is that it lives in a gorgeous, prosperous, unrealistic universe where everyone is rich and full of humor, and you see the most beautiful things. ”
2024 may be a sign of an even greater shift in the film industry – studios have abandoned their superheroes and it's time to get back in love. ”
iWeekly Valentine's Day movie recommendation
New love, old plot
In addition to "I Just Want to Love You", there will be a number of self-made romantic comedies on the ** platform in 2024. "Upgrade" is produced by Amazon, about the "misplaced love story" of a frustrated auction house assistant who meets a noble son in the first class cabin and then mistakenly thinks that he is the owner of the auction house. Variety magazine commented that "Love Escalation" is a modern adaptation of the fairy tale "Cinderella".
The heroine, Anna, goes from being down-and-out to high society, with some loose ties to the original Cinderella. The fairy godmother, the sisters and stepmothers of **, and the dark workplace are all part of Anna's complete transformation. The dialogue between the hero and heroine crackles, the chemistry ignites the whole film, and some feminist slogans are interspersed in due course. ”
Streaming giant Netflix has also launched its own Valentine's Day special in due course. "Players" tells the story of Make, a sports journalist, who flirts around with his friends, but accidentally falls in love with a handsome man who is supposed to be just the object of a "one-night affair". Another new film, "One Day," is a remake of the famous 2009 romance film, expanding the film to 14 episodes of the TV series. Before the launch, Netflix had generously revealed that they kept the tragic and romantic ending of the "One Day" movie, and perhaps the heartbreak and tears on Valentine's Day are more memorable.
Also adapted from the film is Amazon's self-produced drama "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", and the TV series remake of the automatic film "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (Mr. and mrs.smith): Two strange spies start an "arranged marriage" in order to complete their work, and they fall in love with each other step by step in the midst of a hail of bullets. Another famous Amazon TV series, "Modern Love," is based on the New York Times' famous column, "Tiny Love Stories," which asks readers to describe a love story in 100 words. The columns have been published in a volume. The film has a 75% positive rating on "Rotten Tomatoes".
Love is colorful
A romantic movie can tug at the heartstrings of the audience, they remind the audience of the good things they once had, and even help fans better cherish the relationships they still have in life. Movie News**Collider selected the "20 Most Romantic Movies of All Time" based on the IMDB score of authoritative movies and audience voting.
The list includes classics such as Disney's Beauty and the Beast, sci-fi romance "Her" and the Oscar-winning "La La Land." There is also the famous literary work "Love In" trilogy "Before Sunset" (Before Sunset). There's a reason the "Love In" trilogy has been internationally acclaimed, and the chemistry of the hero and heroine is hard to match. ”
Among the Asian themes, Tony Leung's masterpiece "In the Mood for Love" also made the list: "The film skillfully captures the process of people beginning to admire each other through subtle movements. The tense atmosphere, desperate mood, and stylized visuals complement each other. It's fascinating. Among the films**, films such as Makoto Shinkai's "Your Name", Park Chan-wook's "Miss" and the 2023 A24 hit "Past Lives" have all been recommended. The first place is "Casablanca", which has been rated as one of the "100 best films in film history".
Eternal happiness may just be a fairy tale, but people never stop trying to find it. Radio New Zealand listed some seemingly unusual works in a "Valentine's Day Viewing List". "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" tells the story of the forbidden love of a talented female painter to paint a noble lady. In 2019, it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews. Netflix's teen romance drama "The Half of It" was also named "one of the best Valentine's Day novels", and the movie tells all kinds of interesting stories about Asian American high school girls who are attracted to the "most popular girl in the whole grade", "It is wise, witty, romantic and modern".
Each one is a wonderful story that shows the beauty of love in a masterful style. "They remind viewers that no matter who they are, no matter who they are, no matter who they are, we have to cherish the people we love." ”
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