



You’ve watched “When Harry Met Sally” so many times that you’re now avoided at parties since you annoy everyone by reciting not only Meg Ryan’s lines but Billy Crystal’s. Eh, gads.
You’ve also bawled your eyes out over “The Notebook” and have replayed that rainy scene over and over. Sorry. Ryan Gosling is never gonna be your sweetie.
So on Valentine’s Day, you might want to spice things up.
To aid you in that pursuit, we selected some lesser-known alternatives to the standbys to help celebrate St. Cupid’s special day — Feb. 14. We’re rating them by their spice level, the chemistry between the leads and the amount of tears that they make you shed.
Here’s our love-ly roundup.
‘Música’
The story >> A Newark street performer (director/writer Rudy Mancuso) in a Brazilian neighborhood is stuck in a bad romance but falls for the easy-going Isabella (Camila Mendes) at a fish market. Mancuso introduces his synesthesia (a condition wherein he experiences sounds around him as a series of rhythms) into a big-hearted, music-infused sweetheart of a film.
Spiciness >> 1 out of 4
Chemistry between leads >> 3 out of 4
Tears shed >> 2 out of 4
Where to watch >> Amazon Prime
‘One Night in Tokyo’
The story >> A short excursion to see a special someone in Japan breaks the heart of a New York workaholic (Reza Emamiyeh) when that someone dumps him once he arrives. While awaiting a flight out the next morning, he hangs out with his college pal’s girlfriend Ayaka (Tokiko Kitagawa) and the sparks slowly start to fly and even overcome the language barriers. Writer/director Joshua Woodcock’s romantic charmer is both wistful and sweet.
Spiciness >> 2 out of 4
Chemistry between leads >> 3 out of 4
Tears shed >> 2 out of 4
How to watch >> Available Feb. 14 on digital and VOD.
‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’
The story >> Netflix’s racy 2022 adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s scandalous (back then) 1928 novel about the fiery lust about between a depressed, loveless married woman and a brooding gamekeeper accentuates the torrid elements of this period story and doesn’t overly romanticize any of it. As the lovers in question, Emma Corrin and Jack O’Connell bring the body heat to director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s more progressive retelling.
Spiciness >> 4 out of 4
Chemistry between leads >> 3 out of 4
Tears shed >> 1 out of 4.
Where to watch >> Available on Netflix
‘Red, White [Amp] Royal Blue’
The story >> The president’s (Uma Thurman) hunky son (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and the more buttoned-up son (Nicholas Galitzine) of British royalty go from enemies to lovers lickety-split in Matthew Lopez’s sexy adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s beloved best seller. The two leads are irresistible and their romance steams up the screen.
Spiciness >> 3 out of 4
Chemistry between leads >> 4 out of 4
Tears shed >> 3 out of 4
How to watch >> Available Prime
‘My Old Ass’
The story >> A ready-to-go-to college student Elliott (Maisy Stella) trips out on ‘shrooms while on a birthday camping trip with friends and imagines her 39-year-old bitter self (Aubrey Plaza) appearing. While that doesn’t sound like the fixings for either a rom-com or a romantic drama, director Megan Park’s multi-hued sophomore effort serves as both and also poses and ponders one of the most profound questions about love. You’ll just have to watch it to find out what that question is.
Spiciness >> 2 out of 4
Chemistry between leads >> 3 out of 4
Tears shed >> 4 out of 4
How to watch >> Available on Amazon Prime
‘Hit Man’
The story >> Indie darling Richard Linklater (“Boyhood”) loosely adapts a true story about a low-key professor who moonlights as a New Orleans undercover cop and transforms it into one hot romantic thriller/comedy. A wrinkle happens when Gary’s “hitman” persona Ron (Glen Powell) wins over the desperate Madison (Adria Arjona) who has hired his services to rub out an abusive hubby. Guess what? He falls for her too.
Spiciness >> 4 out of 4
Chemistry between leads >> 4 out of 4
Tears shed >> 1 out of 4
Where to watch >> Available on Netflix
‘We Live in Time’
The story >> Told in nonlinear fashion, director John Crowley’s romance about endearing young lovers Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) spans years and includes the crazy way they met along with the joy, the roadblocks and one hilarious — and graphic — birth scene. Written by British playwright Nick Payne it’s full of relatable moments and is the very definition of a “good cry.”
Spiciness >> 2 out of 4
Chemistry >> 4 out of 4
Tears shed >> The whole box of Kleenex
Where to watch >> Available to rent on various platforms
‘Challengers’
The story >> A confident, up-and-coming tennis sensation (played with gusto by Oakland native Zendaya) gets tangled in a net of desire with two imperfect matches — best buds (Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist) whose jealousies turn them into rivals both on and off the courts. “Queer” director Luca Guadagnino lobs a sexy drama that’s sweaty and deliriously over-the-top in its portrayal of the game of love, and tennis.
Spiciness >> 3 out of 4
Chemistry between leads >> 3 out of 4
Tears shed >> None, except when Zendaya’s character experiences an injury
Where to watch >> Available to rent on various platforms
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy