Feb. 14, the day of hearts, flowers and heartbreak, has always been a highly debated topic, especially this time of the year. Every Valentine’s Day, the world becomes hyper-fixated on love or the lack thereof. Whether this is the most romantic holiday or just another “Hallmark holiday,” both sides can agree this day calls for the ultimate hopeless romantic solution: romantic-comedy movies.

My favorite genre, rom-coms, has always been a source of comfort for me. After watching several movies throughout the years, here are the five that hold a special place in my heart, in no specific order.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

This story follows Joel Barrish and his unique relationship with his flighty girlfriend Clementine. After a series of fights, Clementine decides, to be happy, she has to erase her memories of Joel. Joel chooses to do the same after finding the clinic she went to. The audience learns their breakup story in reverse as his memories get erased.

This rom-com is unique in using certain storytelling techniques. As the audience is inside Joel’s memory, they can slowly see it fade away. The movie uses blurred faces and loss of color to dictate memory loss. Each scene serves a unique purpose and has incredible attention to detail. By the movie’s end, I was itching to watch it again to understand the message completely. With its thorough analysis of life, using Joel and Clementine’s relationship, I found myself in profound thought about my own. Its characters, plot and story-telling devices truly make it an interesting movie.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

“When Harry Met Sally” is a beautiful movie about timing and –. Harry first meets Sally on a car ride from Chicago to New York. At this time, they both find each other annoying and detestable, so they go off on their own. The second time they meet they’re both in committed relationships, which they expect to last a lifetime; however, upon meeting the third time, both of them realize they have lost their previous relationship. This time they find a friendship within each other, helping each other overcome their loss truly getting to know each other and teaching each other about life and love. Slowly, they begin to fall in love, and we see them navigate through it.

This movie is one of my all-time favorites. The main characters, Sally and Harry feel like real people, complete with their unique quirks, fears and goals. Every time I watch this movie, I root for both of them. They have incredible chemistry, which is effortlessly revealed through their banter. Complete with the classic grand gesture, this movie gives me a warm feeling every time and restores my faith in romance.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Cal Weaver has been living with his ideal wife with a large house, a beautiful wife and adorable kids. One night, he finds out his wife, Emily, has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Fourty-years-old and suddenly single, Cal’s whole life is unraveling; however, one night at the bar, he meets the bachelor of all bachelors, Jacob Palmer, who takes him under his wing and teaches him how to be a ladies’ man. Throughout this journey, Cal and Jacob find themselves learning more about themselves and slowly changing their lives.

There is nothing like watching this movie for the first time. While following Cal’s story, we also meet many other characters in their quest for love. With an amazing cast of Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrell and many other stars, I truly thought that this movie was beyond entertaining even with the side plots. I loved seeing all the plot lines connect in the climactic scene. This movie is incredibly funny in all aspects and overall light-hearted. Even with a significant message this movie proves itself fun for everyone.

13 going on 30 (2004)

13- year- old Jenna, who dreams about growing up, finds herself transported to the future. Suddenly, she’s thirty, and she realizes she’s living her ideal life; however, as she learns more about her life, she finds out she is not proud of the person she will become. She finds her best friend, Matt, whose help is essential to her finding herself again. As she spends more time with him, she slowly falls in love with him and finds out he’s always loved her. Navigating through adult challenges, Jenna brings her youthful spirit to every problem.

I’ve always thought this was a very unique plot. With a little bit of an unexplained fiction element, this movie can easily be classified as one of the greatest. Through this movie, we get to see New York through the eyes of a 13-year-old, and I find it so incredibly interesting. I’m a sucker for the classic best-friends-to-lovers plotline, which this movie does, unlike any others. Throughout, this movie is filled with great life lessons and is truly a heartwarming story.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

This movie follows Lara Jean who has always loved the idea of love. Every time she catches feelings for a boy, she writes a secret love letter and hides it in her closet. One day, she finds her letters have been mysteriously sent and a multitude of complications arise. To keep her life simple and her feelings safe, she fakes a relationship with Peter Kavinsky. After all, what could go wrong?

This might be the cutest high school rom-com I’ve ever seen. I have an incredible amount of love for both Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky; they are two of the sweetest, caring leads I’ve ever seen; I loved watching their fake relationship slowly turn into something real. The way that Lara Jean, a hopeless romantic, sees the world makes me romanticize everything from my back jean’s pockets to cleaning my room. Like every good rom-com, this is a beautifully predictable but lovable story.

Each one of these movies perfectly encapsulates the experience of falling in love and leaves a warm feeling in your stomach. Whether you choose to watch them with a romantic partner, friend, or alone, these movies are the perfect way to celebrate or feel comfortable during this holiday.