No matter what your relationship status, Valentine's Day can be an emotional minefield. But whether you find yourself alone or coupled up — or somewhere in between — there will always be movies and television shows to get you through. Here, we've compiled 23 of our favorite romantic (or anti-romantic) options, all of which are available to stream online right now, for your viewing pleasure.
Single and loving it
The Wood (Netflix)
Who needs to be part of a couple when you've got great friends? This charming 1999 comedy contains its fair share of romance, but it also boasts a great coming-of-age story about some young guys who struggle with school and girls and the usual things. And, as you might expect, they've always got their friends to lean on. As the film leaps forward in time to when they're all adults (as part of a framing device involving one of the guys getting married), Taye Diggs and Omar Epps are among the stars who play them, which lends some charisma and charm to the proceedings. The movie is a nifty little period piece, buried inside a more conventional rom-com. —TV
Mad Max: Fury Road (HBO Go)
Is there any better way to celebrate the act of being completely kickass in your own right than watching a bunch of women be completely kickass in their own right, the better to stick it to a patriarchal monster? (And, okay, a couple of men do all right here, too.) If you're feeling any sort of ambivalence about being single this Valentine's Day, let Charlize Theron's magnificent Imperator Furiosa bring you roaring back to the side of embracing independence. —CF
Clueless (Netflix)
On the surface, Clueless is all about how to get and keep men. Indeed, it's based on Jane Austen's Emma, the story of an optimistic matchmaker who can find a soul mate for everyone but herself. But the beauty of Clueless — besides its countless quotable lines — is that it actually runs on friendship. Sure, Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and her friends (Stacey Dash and Brittany Murphy) want boyfriends, but they're just as happy giving each other makeovers and trading gossip. Also, this movie is just fun. We dare you to watch Cher argue her way out of a bad grade or Paul Rudd dance like an idiot without cracking a smile. —CF
Magic Mike (HBO Go)
If you need to, remind yourself that this movie not only has an impressive pedigree (star Matthew McConaughey and director Steven Soderbergh are both Oscar winners), but also says some important things about men’s and women’s sexuality, as well as how to survive in a down economy. Alternatively — and this is our recommendation — just give yourself over to the god of glistening eight-packs (and Channing Tatum’s bananas dance moves) and enjoy the rare Hollywood flick that lets men be objectified for a change. —TP
Single and hating it
Bridget Jones's Diary (Netflix)
There is arguably no better ode to hating singledom than Bridget Jones's Diary. Our titular heroine is fed up with being single and spends basically the entire movie trying to change what seems like her spinster fate, no matter how many pairs of Spanx it takes. But Bridget Jones's Diary is a smart film that doesn't hinge entirely on Bridget's quest to pair up. Played to witty, sour perfection by Renée Zellweger, the character is flawed and relentlessly funny; it only takes one drunken sing-along to "All By Myself" for you to start rooting for her to find her path, whether that means falling for a strapping barrister (Colin Firth), telling her wily boss (Hugh Grant) to suck it, or just realizing that she herself pretty great. —CF
Under the Skin (Amazon)
You want to know the worst thing about being single? The part where you hook up with someone gorgeous and go back to their house, and then they turn out to be an alien from some other world who wants nothing more than to devour you for reasons that are never quite made clear. This eerie film, part sci-fi and part horror, features a terrifically isolating performance by Scarlett Johansson as the alien in question, and some of the strangest, spookiest images you'll ever see onscreen. If you want confirmation that the dating scene is full of horrifying weirdos, you could do a lot worse. —TV
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