“I’m so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for.” – Jo March, Little Women
It’s the month of love, and the internet is filled with all things romantic. Romantic films, romantic gestures, romantic presents. So, what about the singles? It isn’t always rainbows, butterflies, and roses. We get it. The world doesn’t help either; every movie you watch or every book you read pushes you to find that one person as if you need someone to feel complete. It’s simply not right! Being single isn’t the end of the world.
So, if you’re single and want to spend Valentine’s Day alone, that’s OK. We’ve got you covered! Whether your status is single, complicated, or just broken up, there are plenty of movies that you will be able to relate to.
Make a cup of cold coffee and bring some popcorn and celebrate being single!
Here’s our anti-Valentine’s Day watch list:
Frances Ha (2012)
Available on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
This list probably has more Greta Gerwig films than anyone else’s, because she just gets it; the frustrations of adulthood and the uncertainty you’ll face throughout your twenties and thirties. Directed by Noam Baumbach and co-written by our favorite film couple, Baumbach and Gerwig, Frances Ha follows a 20-something Frances portrayed by Greta herself as she faces a quarter-life crisis when her closest friend moves out of her flat. This gorgeous monochrome film, set in Brooklyn, makes one thing clear — a young woman’s solution to all problems does not have to be ‘finding a guy’!
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Available on: Netflix
This is a teen classic. This is how movies about teens should be made. Teenage life is messy, confusing, and sometimes hard.
The film follows Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), a high schooler who lives in the shadow of her popular older brother, Darian, and prefers to eat lunch with her instructor rather than with other kids her age. When she discovers that her one and only best friend is having an affair with her brother, Darian, her relationship and life are thrown into chaos. Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Nadine, says, “I had a terrible thought, that I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life with myself.” Steinfeld as Nadine is delightful to watch!
Little Women (2019)
Available on: Netflix
Another Greta Gerwig gem! Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has been adapted several times since its publication in 1868, but Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation stands out in so many ways. When asked about the film ,”I wanted to give Louisa May Alcott an ending she might have liked,” Gerwig told OprahMag. “One of the things that I discovered while I was researching Louisa May Alcott, and I tried to bring in a lot of this, is unlike Jo March who does get married and have children, Louisa May Alcott never got married and she never had children. But she was convinced that she needed to have Jo get married and have children in order to sell the book, but she never wanted that for her heroine. She wanted her to remain, as she called it, a literary spinster, but they convinced her no this is not gonna work so she did it the other way.” Gerwig explained why she changed the ending of a classic like Little Women. So, finally, this is a version of Little Women that women deserve. If this explanation isn’t convincing enough, perhaps the list of cast members will make you want to watch the movie. Among the cast members are Saorise Ronan, Timothee Chalamet, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern and more.
Eat Pray Love (2010)
Available on: Netflix
Finally, the most famous film about being single! This time, Hollywood’s sweetheart, Julia Roberts, is just not that “girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her.” The biographical drama follows Liz Gilbert as she goes through a difficult divorce after recognizing how unfulfilling her marriage is. But it doesn’t stop her from living her life, enjoying the beautiful parts of it, and creating a life for herself. Follow Liz as she leaves her problems behind and travels to India, Italy, and Indonesia, falling in love, but only with herself!
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Available on: Hulu
The Devil Wears Prada, arguably, only reminds you of one person: Miranda Priestly! Aside from that, the film makes you think about being your own person. Anne Hathaway’s Andy is every one of us, juggling between emotions and not having the courage to choose ourselves because we women haven’t been taught that. Maybe Miranda Priestly will take you through that journey! Watch Meryl Streep be the icon she is as her character ticks all the boxes of perfection and never settles for mediocrity.