Fall in love this Valentine’s Day weekend with stories of passion, pain in film

Sometimes, the best way to enjoy Valentine’s Day is a good, old-fashioned movie date with a partner, best friend, or a group of single ladies. 

Whether you’re in the mood to mope over a relationship that has long died or seek advice about romance drama, these films tell stories of love, loss, and the beauty of self-love. 

Here are films that showcase the multiple facets of relationships, hitting cinemas just in time for the lovers, singles, and those who are free from the shackles of romance:

“The Loved One“

Cast: Anne Curtis and Jericho Rosales

Premiere date: Feb. 11

Marking Curtis and Rosales’ reunion after 15 years, “The Loved One” is about the rise and fall of Ellie and Eric’s relationship. Sparks flew when the couple first met — with them talking about a “shy Leo” and a “rebellious Gemini” — and they started dating. However, maintaining a long-term relationship is not a bed of roses and inevitably turned them into shadows of their past selves.

“[Ellie] can be exactly what Eric wants her to be, but what’s important is that he loves her for when she’s not that person as well, for when she’s who she wants to be. There’s a journey of loving that person regardless of the decisions she makes that may not be in line with [Eric’s] values or whatever, but it’s choosing to love that person no matter what,” Curtis said of her character.

“Wuthering Heights”

Cast: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi

Premiere date: Feb. 11

Robbie and Elordi portray the star-crossed Cathy and Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights.” Covering only the first part of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, the film delves into the beginnings of Cathy and Heathcliff’s love story, only for it to fall apart when the female heroine declared that marrying the latter would degrade her. At the same time, it also talks about Edgar, Isabella and Nelly and their roles in the couple’s doomed romance.

“I think it’s just been a really long time since we’ve had this kind of love story on screen, one that makes you feel so much,” Robbie said of the Fennell-helmed film. “I think the main thing people are going to say is like, ‘I haven’t felt like this in so long,’ which is exciting.”

“The Rose: Come Back to Me“

Cast: The Rose

Premiere date: Feb. 14

“The Rose: Come Back to Me” is a docu film that looks back at the indie band’s members Kim Woo-sung, Park Do-joon, Lee Ha-joon and Lee Jae-hyeong breaking free from the traditional K-pop model. It also features their new song “Trauma,” reflecting the hardships they’ve been through to chart their own path in the music scene.

“Hamnet”

Cast: Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal

Premiere date: Feb. 18

“Hamnet” is a poignant tale on the life of William Shakespeare (Mescal) and his wife Anne Hathaway (Buckley) from their courtship to parenthood. While outside forces prevent them from building a new life together, their determination to prove Anne’s parents wrong unwittingly drive the couple apart.

But the death of their 11-year-old Hamnet — which inspired Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” — is what they needed to remind themselves what they truly stood for.

‘Solo Mio’

Cast: Kevin James 

Premiere date: Feb. 25

Matt (James) put everything into saving up for his fiancée’s dream wedding in Italy and a spectacular honeymoon, only for her to stand him up at the altar. He continues his trip to Italy anyway and takes in its picturesque sights and rich culture singolo until he meets a local named Gia (Nicole Grimaudo).

‘Until She Remembers’

Cast: Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, Charo Santos-Concio and Barbie Forteza

Premiere date: Feb. 25

“Until She Remembers” revolves around the ill-fated love story of Catherine (Roa-Rodrigo) and Concha (Santos-Concio). While it remains unknown how they were forced apart by society, they were brought together by fate when Concha and her granddaughter Angel (Forteza) were summoned to care for the now-ailing Catherine. The former lovers look back at their passionate affair, while Angel discovers what love is supposed to be. 

“Loving is a human experience. It doesn’t matter what you stand for, lahat tayo tumitibok ang puso natin (our hearts beat for someone). At kapag nagmahal tayo, we don’t look at labels,” Santos-Concio said of the film. /ra