Valentine's Day isn't just about rom-coms. If you're a movie fan, now's the perfect time to stick on a some Valentine’s viewing that'll have you swooning over the visuals and sound as much as the love story playing out onscreen.
Sure, you could snuggle up with your significant other for some classic rom-com vibes. With new release Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy in cinemas this Valentine's, make a date in your diary for the 2001 original. For something more recent, check out sizzling couple Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell in sleeper hit Anyone But You.
Or for something a little different, follow up your Valentine's card with a cinematic wild card. Here are some films that'll get you in the mood to be woo-ed...
Love Lies Bleeding
Love isn't always about rom-com schmaltziness. Sometimes it requires work – like putting up with his mates, spending fifty quid on a candle, or going on a steroid-fuelled small-town murder spree to save the love of your life from her gunrunner father. Yes, for a bit of edgier Valentine's viewing, look no further than Love Lies Bleeding, a tense and stylish 2024 thriller from director Rose Glass on Amazon Prime Video.
Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian give powerhouse performances and the neon-drenched, deep-shadowed 1980s bodybuilding backdrop looks atmospherically sleazy. This Valentine's, why not give your significant other the gift of love, sweat and murderous obsession? And in 4K and HDR, too.
La La Land
It's one of the most gorgeous romance films you'll ever see, and we're not just talking about Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Director Damien Chazelle's award-winning homage to classic Hollywood musicals explodes off the screen with eye-popping song-and-dance numbers, from the freeway-filling opening number to intimate jazz performances. La La Land is available with an MGM+ subscription via Amazon Prime Video or can be rented on Apple TV for £3.49 in 4K, Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.
Alternatively, if you've seen La La Land a la la lot, go back to the source and track down one of the colourful musicals that inspired Chazelle, such as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg or Singin' in the Rain.
Baby Driver
High-speed action-comedy Baby Driver – available on Netflix and Now TV – is fuelled by gunfire and getaways. It's also a very sweet love story, making it a perfect Valentine's night in. More importantly, Baby Driver sounds absolutely fantastic: alongside director Edgar Wright's signature soundtrack of pure bangers, your home theatre setup will really love the sound design – particularly if you're watching the Dolby Atmos presentation on Netflix.
Nominated for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing at the 2017 Oscars, it's one of the most fun examples of the art of noise in movies. While most films require a sound editor to work frame by frame, Baby Driver's Julian Slater worked in beats and bars, syncopating gunshots, engines and police sirens to the eye-popping action and crazy stunts. Show your home cinema some love this Valentine's with one of the coolest-sounding love stories ever to race onto the screen.
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