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"Heartbreak feels good in a place like this," as the age-old saying goes. While romcoms may be more traditional Valentine's Day fare, there are only so many sugary-sweet meet-cutes I can take. I've been craving a tragic love story or two to clear out the cobwebs in my tear ducts, and with "Wuthering Heights" set to hit theaters this weekend, I figured I'm not alone. There's something inherently human to stories about the ups and downs of love, and that vulnerability seems to bring out the best in filmmakers and actors alike.
I scoured the best streaming services to round up some perfectly devastating love stories, feel-sad romances, and star-crossed tearjerkers to watch in the lead-up to Emerald Fennell’s upcoming big-screen adaptation. You could also stream any of these movies as an unconventional Valentine's Day watch, though don't blame me if it tanks the mood.
'Past Lives' (HBO Max)
Two childhood sweethearts stuck in each other's orbit when drifting apart forever would be a kinder fate for them both? I'm already reaching for the tissues. Writer/director Celine Song's directorial debut, "Past Lives," was one of my favorite movies of 2023. Just as young love takes classmates Nora Moon (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), they land on opposite sides of the planet after Nora's family immigrates to Canada.
Though they fall out of touch over the years, Hae Sung visits her decades later, after she's already married to Arthur (John Magaro), but their reunion stirs up old feelings neither can ignore.
Stream "Past Lives" on HBO Max now
'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' (HBO Max)
Listen, the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes, marriage ain't part of the plan. That conflict is at the heart of "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," a heart-wrenching love story set in 18th-century France with more layers than one of Marianne's (Noémie Merlant) paintings. She's commissioned to create a wedding portrait for reluctant bride-to-be Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), the young daughter of a powerful Countess (Valeria Golino), who is arranged to be married.
As Héloïse stalls for time and the two women get to know each other, a passionate affair burns through them despite the prejudices of the era. But with the painting nearing completion, the reality sinks in that their time together is quickly coming to an end.
Watch "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" on HBO Max now
'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (Hulu)
There's a reason "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" has become a cult classic since its release in 2004. In the pantheon of breakup movies, this one holds my heart as the most achingly authentic movie about relationships ever made. Directed by Michel Gondry, it stars Jim Carrey in an uncharacteristically soft-spoken role as Joel Barish, a heartbroken man who decides to get a procedure to remove all trace of his ex, Clementine (Kate Winslet), from his memory.
But when the painful memories start to fade away, he begins to reconsider, torn between leaving the pain behind and holding onto what good he knows was there while it lasted.
Watch "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" on Hulu now
'Blue Valentine' (Tubi)
I finally watched "Blue Valentine" after years of hearing about it, and it's every bit as heartbreaking as people said. It's also the worst first date movie ever, fair warning. Writer/director Derek Cianfrance's 2010 breakout indie hit interweaves the rise and falls of a couple's history together for an emotional gut punch, tracing how they met, fell in love, and broke apart over the course of a decade.
Scenes of all-too-real moments any couple will recognize— car ride arguments, miscommunications, snide comments — give you emotional whiplash juxtaposed with their puppy love beginnings. The chemistry between Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling is undeniable, both strong performances that capture the messy emotions simmering and boiling over in a failing marriage.
Stream "Blue Valentine" on Tubi now
'A Royal Affair' (Pluto)
"A Royal Affair" is one of those stranger-than-fiction true stories, an 18th-century costume drama all told through the point of view of Queen Caroline (Alicia Vikander), from her youth to the courtship with the unstable and unfaithful King Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Folsgaard). After being packed off to Denmark for an arranged marriage, she meets doctor Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), and the two bond over their shared passion for Enlightenment ideas.
They manage to keep their affair under wraps for a while, but when the truth comes out, it sets off a chain of events that sparks a revolution. Mikkelsen and Vikander won praise for their performances, and "A Royal Affair" stands out for its mix of history, passion and philosophy.
Stream "A Royal Affair" on Pluto now
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