By Sofia Webster, Film & TV Co-Deputy Editor
Valentine's Day is for celebrating all the loving relationships in a person’s life, whether they are romantic or not. The following films are the perfect way to celebrate all the loving friendships in your life as part of the popular Galentine’s trend.
Mean Girls (2004)
Mean Girls is one of the most popular comfort films to watch with your friends. The iconic jokes, stand-out cast of Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams and Tina Fey, as well as its entertaining dialogue, make it a perfect option for watching with your friends. Whether it be the 2004 original or the 2024 musical remake, both guarantee an equally enjoyable evening of laughter with your friends. And since Valentine’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year, you must remember to wear pink!
Girls Trip (2017)
This film details the spontaneous adventure of four grown-up best friends from college: Ryan, Sasha, Lisa and Dina. Their trip begins as Ryan is invited to speak at a festival in New Orleans. They use it as an opportunity to relive their college days altogether, meaning it is filled with unrealistic though hilarious plotlines. This reunion adventure feels wild and spontaneous to the next level and will leave you crying tears from the jokes expertly delivered by Tiffany Haddish in her breakout role, alongside Regina Hill, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Booksmart (2018)
Olivia Wilde’s acclaimed directorial debut Booksmart seamlessly documents the crazy journey of two school friends (Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein) who decide to prove their peers wrong as they learn they have developed “pretentious bookworm” reputations. It features unexpected twists and turns, with a handful of one-liners thrown in for good measure. This film celebrates the chaos and unpredictability of female friendships which makes it fitting for Galentines. Also featuring hilarious cameos from Lisa Kudrow and Jason Sudeikis, it is a foolproof option for spending a memorable evening with friends.
Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Devil Wears Prada might be one of my all-time favourite films - the iconic performances from Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway make it a film that fails to age badly and remains a firm favourite amongst many. It documents the story of newly graduated journalist Andy Sachs (Hathaway) starting out in the journalism industry with a job as the assistant for the fiercely respected fashion editor Miranda Priestley (Streep) and follows the ups and downs of working for a boss who is difficult to please at the best of times. With supporting roles from Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, it is a film with a large fan base for many reasons and is perfect to watch for Galentines.
Pitch Perfect (2012)
Anna Kendrick stars as Beca Mitchell, an aspiring singer who struggles to join the acapella group - The Barden Bellas. During her journey, she learns about the college acapella life and prepares to take on rival all-male group The Treblemakers in the national competition. There’s laughing, crying and many a one-liner expertly delivered by Rebel Wilson who plays the humorous Fat Amy. It features covers from the most loved songs of 2012 such as Price Tag, Just the Way You Are and Don’t Stop the Music just to name a few, and is perfect if you like singing along to films with your friends.
Bridesmaids (2011)
Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph star as maid of honour and bride to be respectively. Their comedic flare and chemistry shine right through the film to make this a perfect watch with your friends. It is directed by the acclaimed director Paul Feig (who also directed Spy and The Heat), cementing his reputation as a well-regarded director and stars a fantastic ensemble cast including Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Rebel Wilson and Matt Lucas. It celebrates the importance of always having your friend’s backs even through arguments or disagreements, with a few witty jokes thrown in for good measure.
Bend it like Beckham (2002)
Bend it like Beckham stars Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley as Jess and Jules. It follows Jess’ journey in her passion for football, despite the rejection of doing so from her strict parents. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, the 2002 film set in Hounslow remains well-loved after over twenty years and shines light on important issues within women’s football as well as bringing attention to Sikh culture which had, hitherto, limited representation before the film’s release. Chadha is one of my favourite directors (she also directed Blinded by the Light (2019) about a journalist who was a fan of Bruce Springsteen growing up in the 80s) as she incorporates her upbringing and culture into her films thus creating endearing and loveable movies. This film reflects the power of accomplishing great things with friends by your side; Jess’ friendship with Jules helping her to stand up to her parents who dismissed her passion for football.
Which one will you be watching with your gals?
