A Valentine’s Day Watchlist from Around the World

February 09, 2026 • Read in 6 minutes

Dear Hyphenly Readers,

I truly believe there are two types of people in the world: those who love Valentine’s Day and those who despise it. And I can confidently say I am in the second block. Don’t get me wrong: I love love. But Valentine’s Day? That feels like an overly commercialized holiday forcing us to buy roses and chocolate at inflated prices and have unrealistic expectations from our relationships. A lot of the presents that line the grocery store aisles feel tacky and cheap, designed to end up in the landfill. 

There’s a lot of discourse on the internet about love and partnership in today’s modern age. The popular Vogue article: Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now? has catapulted a global conversation on how social media shapes our perception of romance. There’s also the rise of tradwives and TikTok feminism, and sometimes they can feel like two sides of the same coin. 

I’ve been thinking about this video essay a lot lately:

Why does it feel like the romance genre is dead in today’s media? Why do films like Anyone But You and The Materialists keep disappointing us? And what’s up with all the nostalgia bait? It’s not just the lack of original content or the flat color grading, it’s also that most films today are made with the intention of second-screen viewing. There’s also a lot fewer theatrical releases and romance films can get lost on streaming services. 

Now, I may not care for a bouquet of roses on V-Day, but I will not stand by and let my favorite genre die. Here’s a list of international romance movies to watch this V-Day:

Sir: Is Love Enough?

Country: India
Runtime: 1h 39m
Language: Hindi, English, Marathi 
Synopsis: A young widow is hired as the domestic helper for a wealthy architect, but social divides come to the fore as an unlikely attraction grows between them.

Certified Copy

Country: France, Italy, Belgium
Runtime: 1h 46m
Language: French, English, Italian 
Synopsis: Directed by Abbas Kiarostami, in Certified Copy, a middle-aged British writer meets a French woman who leads him to the village of Lucignano. While there, a chance question reveals something deeper.

Happy Together

Country: Hong Kong
Runtime: 1h 36m
Language: English, Chinese, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin
Synopsis: A couple take a trip to Argentina but both men find their lives drifting apart in opposite directions. Directly by legendary Wong Kar Wai, this film is a landmark of Hong Kong LGBT cinema.

Mississippi Masala

Country: Uganda, USA, UK
Runtime: 1h 58m
Language: English 
Synopsis: An ethnic Indian family is expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda in 1972 and lives in Mississippi 17 years later. The dad sues Uganda to get his property back. The grown daughter falls in love with a Black man. Directed by Mira Nair, the film starring Denzel Washington is a cult-classic.

A Fantastic Woman

Country: Chile, Germany, Spain, USA
Runtime: 1h 44m
Language: English, Spanish 
Synopsis: Marina, a transgender waitress and nightclub singer, is shocked by the death of her older boyfriend. Mourning the loss of the man she loved, she finds herself under intense scrutiny from those with no regard for her privacy.

This newsletter was curated by Suhasini Patni.

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