What to watch: Valentine’s Day

Movies are the perfect way to celebrate – or mourn- Valentine’s Day and so your good friends at The Stand have compiled a list of films for every relationship status.

Single: Valentine’s Day can be the worst day of the year for single people. Even the Patron Saint of Singletons- Bridget Jones herself- eventually betrays us and finds a happy relationship. Damn her. The Stand recommend you focus on movies which feature singles displaying solidarity towards one another. For male characters look to raunchy bromance Superbad, while the ultimate girl power movie has to be Thelma and Louise.

To Avoid: Anything starring Meg Ryan. Particularly When Harry Met Sally which shows that even your friendships aren’t safe from that pesky thing called love.

First Date: The key to a first date is to pick a film which appeals to both parties, without being too soppy. An ideal choice is 1980s classic Say Anything. The main character is male which will appeal to the guy, something it can be notoriously hard to do when it comes to romantic comedies. The love story is sweet and you won’t have to worry about any drawn out sex scenes causing awkwardness.

To Avoid: The Human Centipede. The ultimate turn off.

Serious relationship: It has to be Casablanca. This one is a cliche, but it works nonetheless. Rick loves Ilsa so much that he sacrifices his own happiness for her. Their epic romance would place too much pressure on a new couple but provides something to aspire to for those of you who have been in a couple for so long that you’ve forgotten how anyone else looks naked.

To Avoid: An Affair to Remember. Probably not a good idea to watch a film which involves people falling in love while already in a relationship.

Just been dumped: I hope none of you would be cruel enough to dump someone on the most romantic day of the year, but if you are suffering from a broken heart then a movie is the perfect cure. We recommend Legally Blonde. Not only is it surprisingly empowering (a girl who loves pink but is also fiercely independent? Hell yeah!) but it follows someone who gets dumped by the love of her life. Instead of moping, she follows him to law school and becomes a model student while winning over her critics and defeating sexual harassment. When her former beau comes crawling back, she kicks him to the curb because she’s better without him. It’s the ultimate example of how a break up can lead you to far better things. For a male perspective, watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

To Avoid: Twilight. When Bella gets dumped, she has a nervous break down because her life is basically over without a hunky bloodsucker on her arm. It’s not the message you need in this situation.

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