Valentine's Day is fast approaching and for many, Feb 14 is an extra-special night out with their other half. For others, it provides an opportunity to spend time with their friends and families.
Whoever you choose to celebrate it with this year, we have a film that is the perfect accompaniment for a night spent at home, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
For teenage lovers:
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
One of those quintessential 1990s films about high school romance, 10 Things I Hate About You stands apart purely because of the on-screen chemistry between Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger. Their characters are a part of the unpopular crowd amidst the cruel hierarchy that exists in United States' high schools and thank the film gods for them, as they redeemed the otherwise run-of-the-mill teenage flick. Instead of watching yet another film where the jock wins the heart of the prettiest girl in school, there is 10 Things I Hate About You where the underdog reigns supreme.
For adult lovers:
Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013)
It all began when a young American man and French woman met on a train in 1994. The relationship portrayed between Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) in the trilogy is a love affair that is realistic as it is natural. There is no sensational proclamations of love or cheesy lines - the films, directed by Richard Linklater, are purely about the couple conversing with one another as they explore the complexities of love in relation to one another. It does not get much simpler and honest than that.
For those in a bromance:
Shaun Of The Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), The World's End (2013)
For the best on-screen bromance, look no further than Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Whether running from zombies, chasing criminals or beating up aliens, the pair is never less than hilarious in Edgar Wright's Cornetto trilogy of films. Our favourite is small-town cop flick Hot Fuzz, where one almost disbelieving line sparks off a bromance for the ages: "You ain't seen Bad Boys II?"
For BFFs (Best Friends Forever):
Romy And Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
Though there is no established female equivalent to the term "bromance", that doesn't mean the females don't share a strong connection with their fellow gal-pals. Take the film Romy And Michele's High School Reunion. Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow play two blonde bimbos who are still best friends since high school and have not changed since. Their simple-minded dialogue coupled with just how well they connect with one another make them the poster girls for the phrase "best friends forever". No man can ever come in the way of this charming duo.
For expressing your love for your family:
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Directed by the eccentric Wes Anderson, this one will bring smiles to all families. Here we have a dysfunctional brood who are forced to reunite because the patriarch (Gene Hackman) is supposedly dying from a terminal illness. Each member of the family is so distinctively peculiar that you wonder how they are even related - from Gwyneth Paltrow's character Margot who has smoked since she was 12 to Ben Stiller's character Chas, a financial whiz who is always in a red tracksuit. However, when they do come together, the phrase "you don't choose your family" is perfectly embodied. Love or hate them, family is the one constant relationship that we have no matter how different or alike each member is.