There are endless romantic films to dive into every Valentine’s Day if you’re in love — but what do you turn on if you’re nursing a massive heartbreak?
Being single is great — but if you’ve just been dumped (or even done the dumping yourself), you might not be in the mood to watch two people who are destined to find each other fall in love for two hours. If that’s where you’re at, the right flick can feel like it’s hard to find. That’s why after experiencing her own breakup, Someone Great director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson wanted to make a different kind of rom-com — one where the objective at the end isn’t about getting the guy … it’s about getting over him, instead.
“I was dumped in my early 20s, and while this movie has nothing to do with that relationship, out of that experience I wanted to make a deconstructed rom-com that’s way more com than rom and that is really about women holding each other up and a woman choosing herself,” Robinson told Entertainment Weekly in 2019. “I pitched it forever as (500) Day of Summer meets Drunk History.”
Robinson noted that female-centered films often force the singleton in question to “blow up her whole life just to put it back together,” but that’s not always how real life works.
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“No, you get f—ed up for a day, and you do some weird stuff, and then your life continues,” she explained. “Women can be messy and all over the place, but that doesn’t mean they’re quitting their jobs. Why can’t we be messy and also fine?”
From stories about finding strength in friendship, to fantasies about revenge or learning how to get your groove back, keep scrolling for the best movies to watch this Valentine’s Day if you’ve just gone through a breakup:
‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’
Sometimes enough unlucky-in-love experiences start to weigh on you by a certain age, and losing confidence you once had can feel unavoidable. That’s exactly the right time to press play on this Angela Bassett-led classic about a woman who finds herself after diving into a whirlwind romance with a younger man (played by Taye Diggs) while on vacation in Jamaica. How Stella Got Her Groove Back will remind you there’s no timetable for life (or love), romance comes in many different forms and, most importantly, you’re sexy no matter how old you are.
‘Under the Tuscan Sun’
Diane Lane stars in this second-chance-at-happiness story about how life can be even better after you discover the truth about your cheating spouse. After her best friend Patti (Sandra Oh) encourages her to take a tour of Italy, Frances (Lane) impulsively purchases a rural Tuscan villa and finds that starting her life anew can bring a fresh perspective of happiness she never realized — and a handsome stranger named Marcelle (Raoul Bova). No matter what stage of life you are in, the lesson remains the same: it’s never too late to start again.
‘Legally Blonde’
What revenge is sweeter than getting into the same law school as your ex, becoming besties with his new girlfriend and graduating valedictorian? Legally Blonde is the perfect watch for anyone who needs a little inspiration from Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) on the art of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and showing them what they’re missing — all while doing it in style. What, like it’s hard?
‘Someone Great’
Sometimes before you get to the moving on part of heartbreak, you have to revel in the sadness for a little while — and there’s no movie better for that than Someone Great. Based on writer and director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s real-life breakup, Gina Rodriguez stars as a 20-something reeling over the end of her biggest romance. To help her let go, she and her two best friends (Brittany Snow and DeWanda Wise) head out in New York City for one epic night before she moves across the country to San Francisco. Change is hard, and scary, but it’s also poignantly beautiful. Someone Great will remind you of just that.
‘John Tucker Must Die’
Sometimes, it’s best to take the high road. Other times, you just need to serve someone a taste of their own medicine. We can’t always play out those fantasies in real life, but that’s where John Tucker Must Die comes in. Watch Sophia Bush, Ashanti and Arielle Kebbel recruit Brittany Snow to get back at their cheating, three-timing, slimy ex-boyfriend (Jesse Metcalfe). John Tucker manages to bring a whole new meaning to the term “scumbag,” but there’s more here to the story than just revenge on your loser ex — the film reminds you that not all men are trash, you just have to look out for the right ones (thanks, Penn Badgley).
‘First Wives Club’
There’s no better cure for getting over a breakup than spending some time with your friends. And if they’re also going through the post-split blues, even better! Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler star in this flawless ‘90s comedy about three former college girlfriends who reunite after the death of their classmate. All divorced, they navigate the next chapter of their lives full of more adventure, laughter and love than ever. Alexa, play “You Don’t Own Me’ by Lesley Gore.
‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’
Sometimes you need to be reminded that what you’re going through is a universal experience, and My Best Friend’s Wedding is perfect for that. One of the only romantic comedies where the girl doesn’t get the guy in the end, this rom-com is proof that things don’t always work out in your favor, and that’s OK. Plus, Julianne (Julia Roberts) spends the entire movie chasing after her best friend, Michael (Dermott Mulroney), and he still chooses someone else. Whatever text you sent post breakup can’t be that bad. And if Julia Roberts can get dumped? Trust Us, you’re not the problem.
‘Magic Mike’
Listen, this one is thinly veiled, but whatever, no shame! Sometimes you need to watch a bunch of half-naked hot men gyrate on stage to remind yourself there’s more fish in the sea — especially when those men are Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello. So press play, and enjoy this story about a group of guys who headline an all-male revue in hopes of making better lives for themselves. (If women are your preference, may we suggest Hustlers?)
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‘Heart Eyes’
When in the beginning stages of a heartbreak, sometimes seeing other people in love can really grind your gears. You’re happy for them, but ugh, love is gross! If seeing couples packing on the PDA this Valentine’s Day is turning your stomach, try out Heart Eyes, a horror-comedy that follows a serial killer with a vendetta for the annual holiday of romance — and takes it out by brutally murdering anyone happily in love. It’s bloody, it’s funny and if nothing else, it will get your mind off how much being dumped sucks.
