That’s amour like it! Fall in love with a great romantic movie this Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air, and not just because Valentine’s Day is coming up. Romance has always been a popular theme in movies and TV, but it’s bigger than ever right now: from Netflix smash Bridgerton and global ice hockey saucefest Heated Rivalry to the newest screen take on the classic novel Wuthering Heights, we can’t get enough of romantic storylines in all their forms.

And while we all love a fluffy romcom, sometimes love ain’t funny. Sometimes you want to get your teeth into the real substance of a romance, the highs and lows, for better and for worse, warts and all. Those are the elements that make these love stories memorable, weighty and relatable. They can be glorious, they can be tragic, they can be fantastical, they can even be humdrum or a combination of all of these – but in the end, it’s all about the love.

Whether you’re looking for some Valentine’s Day entertainment or want to make romantic movies part of your life in the long term, there’s plenty for you on Virgin TV. And we’re not just talking about the romance big hitters. Scroll down for our specially selected list of lesser-known love stories, carefully curated to help romance fans find a movie to cherish.

Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Whether you’ve fallen for Emerald Fennell and Margot Robbie’s extraordinary new movie, adore one of the earlier film versions or just love the novel, Emily should be right up your street. It’s the story of an intense romance between Emily Brontë (Emma Mackey) and William, a passionate young churchman played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen. His forthrightness and free-thinking nature bring out similar qualities in Emily, encouraging her to articulate her feelings and, ultimately, take up her pen. And we know how that ends… It may be fictional, but it’s every bit as heartfelt and fervent as Emily’s literary masterpiece, with a similar period setting (which means some amazing costumes).

Stream it in Apps > Disney+

Six Oscars, seven Golden Globes and five BAFTAs anointed La La Land as a modern masterwork among romance movies – and unusually, its main theme was the way that relationships shape us when we’re young, and it’s not about finding your perfect forever-person. In this underrated 2009 film, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has his whole approach to love and life shaken up when he becomes smitten with Summer (Zooey Deschanel), who thumbs her nose at social convention. They may not be meant for each other, but for Tom, his 500 days with Summer clarify what life should be about. Fans of La La Land will also enjoy its memorable musical number.

Stream it in Apps > Rakuten

William Shakespeare wrote love stories both effervescent and calamitous, but as Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel Hamnet and the recent acclaimed movie version showed, his enduring relationship with his wife Anne (or Agnes) was the cornerstone of his life – and it was defined by the death of their young son. In The Light Between Oceans, Tom (Michael Fassbender) and Isabel (Alicia Vikander) share a similarly profound bond that’s coloured by grief over their inability to have children, joy when a daughter arrives unexpectedly and trauma when the family is torn apart. Devotion, loss and guilt have huge parts to play in these love stories. In happier news, Fassbender and Vikander are now married in real life, with two sons.

Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Nostalgia looms large in many romantic stories, as characters look back on their former selves and previous relationships, either fondly or wishing they had done things differently. While The Notebook, the great weepy romance film of our age, recounts the ups and downs of a long but tempestuous affair, 2023 indie hit Past Lives takes a different, more thoughtful approach. Writer Nora (Greta Lee) has a partner and a successful career in New York, but an encounter with childhood friend Hea-sung (Teo Yoo) brings up feelings of longing for her early life in Korea… and maybe other feelings too. Moving, sensitive and subtle.

Stream it in Apps > Prime Video

It’s an age-old quandary: you’re looking for love but because you’re high-profile, royal and super-rich, it’s so difficult! Much-loved favourite The Princess Diaries, starring Anne Hathaway as a young royal falling for her best pal’s brother, nailed this type of story – and Red, White & Royal Blue gave it a twist in 2023: what if both parties were from high-powered families? When the US President’s son (Taylor Zakhar Perez) meets a British prince (Nicholas Galitzine), sparks fly. But with pressure from all sides, can love win out?

Stream it in Apps > Prime Video

The course of true love never did run smooth, especially when it gets diverted by what the Tenth Doctor memorably called “wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff”. Romance movie market-cornerer Richard Curtis gave us the delightful time-travel movie About Time with Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson as nonlinear lovers, but for our money Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti are even more appealing in Palm Springs. They’re Nyles and Sarah, who meet at a wedding in the titular desert resort, and – d’oh! – get stuck in a time loop. Their growing attraction could be a way out. Or it could involve blowing stuff up with dynamite.

Stream it in Apps > Channel 4 (until 23 Feb)

A woman with a world of possibilities ahead of her must choose between the security of an older lover she’s not sure about and a younger man who’s more irresponsible but whose worldview is much closer to her own. Never mind the big boat, that’s the real story of Titanic. If you want a more realistic, relatable version of this tale, The Worst Person In The World guides us through the young adulthood of Julie (Renate Reinsve) as she flits between jobs and partners, never quite sure if she’s making the right choice. We’ve all been there. TWPITW may not have Titanic’s budget, but its Oslo locations look spectacular. And we’re not saying Titanic would have been better if Rose and Jack had experimented with hallucinogens. But it might have.

Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer and Apps > Disney+

The intermittent meetings of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) in various gorgeous places around Europe form a trilogy – Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight – that’s among the most celebrated romances in recent cinematic history. Considering it’s almost five hours of talking and not much in the way of, you know, smoochies, that’s a remarkable achievement. And so is recapturing its essence, which British director Raine Allen-Miller did with her first feature Rye Lane, as Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah) meet and go for a revealingly chatty walk. Vienna, Paris and a Greek island lend the Before films a vivid sense of place; the galleries, restaurants and rental flats of south London do the same for Rye Lane.

Stream it in Apps > Disney+

Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is one of the landmarks on romance’s journey to its modern form, and it’s been adapted in a variety of imaginative ways, from Bridget Jones’s Diary to the one with the zombies. This 2022 version centres on a group of friends staying in a (Pemberley-esque) large house; while certainly not averse to some sexy fun, Noah (Joel Kim Booster) is cynical about the whole idea of love. He certainly isn’t interested in standoffish lawyer Will (Conrad Ricamora), no sir, and you’d be mad to think there’s a fiery affair brewing under the surface! It’s a breezy and frank adaptation, and one that makes you realise how we allow arbitrary rules to govern our relationships – whether they’re the rules of Georgian society or romcoms.

Stream it in Apps > Netflix

Romance isn’t all hearts and flowers. In Out Of Sight, a stylish thriller set among lowlife criminals, the protagonists are an escaped convict (George Clooney) and a US Marshal (Jennifer Lopez) who can’t focus on their responsibilities because they’re just so goshdarn hot for each other – from their very first meeting, smushed in the boot of a car. It’s a terrific film but the forbidden liaison is what makes it work. Love Lies Bleeding also takes place in a scuzzy setting, a grotty gym frequented by scumbags, where the magnetism between manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) and bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian) is impossible to ignore. As they’re driven to extreme measures by the ne’er-do-wells around them, their electric connection remains powerful.