What to Watch This Valentine's Day 💘

A movie about dreaded wedding season, an analysis of a 2023 favorite and a playlist for those longing for something more

Happy Valentine’s Day to all the yearners, hopeful romantics and the… happy couples… I guess.

To celebrate, I’m recommending an unsung romantic-comedy and a couple other articles to get you through this chilly evening.

With love, Karl.

What to Watch: Plus One

Today’s movie is Jeff Chan & Andrew Rhymer’s rom-com Plus One. For those yearning for the days when you’d have to go to ten weddings a year this one will hit your right in the gut. Don’t worry, when this is all over you’re in for one hell of a wedding season.

What’s it about: Plus One follows two single friends (PEN15’s Maya Erskine and The Boys’ Jack Quaid) — one recently dumped and the other a commitment-phobe — who agree to be each other’s plus one for the ten weddings they have to attend that summer. One thing leads to another and… well, you know how it goes.

Why you should watch it: The rom-com works best when it’s character-driven and has a fresh perspective, both of which Plus One has. However, it also helps that the movie is so incredibly funny and filled with sharp one-liners delivered with precision by Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid. But it’s Erskine who really steals the show with one great sarcastic quip after another. Read my full review.

“I cried… but I cry every day, so it doesn’t mean anything” — Me (but also Erskine in the movie)

It’s not perfect. The story drags in the third act and it falls into some genre cliches. But, for the most part, Plus One is a hilarious and, dare I say, relatable take on the classic romantic comedy formula with enough gags to keep you hooked.

▶ Where to stream Plus One

What to Read: Analyzing Past Lives

Best Picture nominee Past Lives crosses decades and cities to tell the story of two childhood friends that may have missed their chance at true love. Or did they?

My best friend and fellow movie over-analyzer Ana breakdown the romance, what it means and whether there is a “right person.”

Read the article →

What to Listen to: A Playlist Inspired by Call Me By Your Name

Yearning for a forbidden love? Trying to get over an ex? Dreaming of a perfect Italian summer? We’ve got a playlist for you.

Inspired by Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 romance Call My By Your Name, Ana curated a perfectly tailored playlist to bring you through the love, confusion, longing and heartbreak of the story.

Listen to the playlist →

Bonus! Bottoms is now on Prime Video.

Emma Seligman’s vision of high school in Bottoms is equal parts satiric and surreal. Like if Luis Buñel directed The Breakfast Club or Andrei Tarkovsky directed Clueless. The pure absurdity of Bottoms is something to marvel at. Like the movie’s tagline suggests — “a movie about empowering women (the hot ones)” — it’s completely aware of the near-parody that it is. And thanks to Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott’s performances that cement them even further as our brightest rising stars, Bottoms rides on top for most of its runtime.
Read my full review →

📽 P.S. You can see every movie I’ve ever recommended right here.
🍅 I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes! You can find new movie reviews here and here.