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Movies to Watch if You Love (or Hate) Valentine’s Day

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Movies to Watch if You Love (or Hate) Valentine’s Day

  • 2009

    ‘Drag Me to Hell’

    Lorna Raver, left, with Alison Lohman in “Drag Me to Hell.” Universal Pictures

    The director Sam Raimi is back in theaters this year relying on some of his most giddily enjoyable horror tricks in the pleasingly gruesome “Send Help.” But this Valentine’s Day, should you be in a cynical mood, I recommend revisiting his 2009 cult favorite “Drag Me to Hell.” The often grotesque, highly entertaining flick stars Alison Lohman as Christine Brown, a perfectly nice bank loan officer with a perfectly nice boyfriend (Justin Long). The hitch: Christine gets cursed when she refuses to give a mortgage extension to an older Romani woman (Lorna Raver) for fear of losing a promotion. Bad move. Lots of wonderfully gross things happen to Christine thanks to her mistake, but the reason this movie works perfectly as an anti-Valentine’s treat is its incredible ending that turns a classic rom-com trope on its head.

  • 1995

    ‘Waiting to Exhale’

    Angela Bassett in “Waiting to Exhale.” 20th Century Fox

    Is there a more perfect image for the Valentine’s Day hater than Angela Bassett torching her cheating husband’s car and strutting away with the fiercest look ever committed to screen? I think not. “Waiting to Exhale,” directed by Forest Whitaker, is a comforting classic, charting the romantic lives of four best friends played by the fantastic lineup of Bassett, Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon. While some of the women end up with men at the end of the movie, the film, based on the novel by Terry McMillan, is largely about learning to care for yourself in matters of the heart. It’s the ideal watch for those who agree that foolish men should be nowhere near your February celebrations.

  • 1971

    ‘A New Leaf’

    Elaine May with Walter Matthau in “A New Leaf,” directed by May. Paramount Pictures

    Leave it to the great Elaine May to make one of the most caustic rom-coms in history with “A New Leaf.” Walter Matthau plays Henry Graham, an aging trust-fund baby who needs to marry quickly to maintain his lifestyle. His plan: wed a desperate, rich woman and then kill her for her money. He finds his target in Henrietta Lowell, a quirky botanist played by May herself. May’s daffy performance is full of some of the most skilled bits of physical comedy committed to screen as she leans into Henrietta’s lanky, sniffling ways, while Matthau plays Henry with a grumpy cruel streak. “A New Leaf” might have a happy ending, but it’s the perfect choice for a cynic.

  • 2012

    ‘Amour’

    Emmanuelle Riva, right, with Jean-Louis Trintignant in “Amour.” Sony Pictures Classics

    Michael Haneke’s “Amour” is one of those movies you usually only want to watch once — that’s how depressing it is. But if you’re feeling extra pessimistic this Valentine’s Day, why not pop on this look at how even if you find your one true love, life will inevitably end in pain. “Amour” follows an older couple, Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva), as their lives unravel after she has a stroke. It’s a brutal look at the corrosive nature of aging and the toll it can take on the ones you love.

  • 2016

    ‘Manchester by the Sea’

    Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck in “Manchester by the Sea.” Claire Folger/Roadside Attractions and Amazon Studios

    And here’s some more misery for you in the form of Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea,” starring Casey Affleck in his Oscar-winning role as Lee Chandler, a man who is still reeling from a brutal personal tragedy when his brother (Kyle Chandler) dies and leaves him in charge of his teenage nephew (Lucas Hedges). Lonergan’s screenplay is often very funny — especially as Lee tries to deal with the obstinate youth in his house — but it’s also utterly devastating. Want to make your Valentine’s Day a bad time? Wait until you reach the scene in which Lee runs into his ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams), one of the most heartbreaking confrontations put to screen.

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