“ANORA” TOPS MOST-WATCHED OFFBEAT LOVE STORY LIST, WHILE “MIDSOMMAR” TOPS THE ANTI-VALENTINE’S DAY LIST, ACCORDING TO JUSTWATCH
Florence Pugh Makes the List Twice: for Anti-Valentine’s Day (MIDSOMMAR, #1) and for Offbeat Romance Viewing (WE LIVE IN TIME, #10).
As Valentine’s Day approaches, many Americans are celebrating by streaming offbeat and unexpected romantic movies, while others opt for anti-romance, genre-bending thrills. Based on JustWatch demand, audiences are engaging with both nostalgic romance classics and modern love stories, alongside a demand for thrillers in their Anti-Valentine’s viewing.
This year’s Most Watched Offbeat Love Stories and Anti-Valentine’s Day Movies lists show that audiences continue to seek out humor and warmth, or the exciting drama of a “love story gone wrong”, proving that the celebration extends well beyond traditional romances.
“Valentine’s Day tends to split audiences right down the middle. Some viewers lean into unexpected love stories, while others gravitate toward anti-romance titles that reflect a more cynical or unconventional take on the holiday,” says Mike Pearce, head of streaming insights at JustWatch. “What’s interesting is the diversity of choices on both lists. It shows that love isn’t one-dimensional, and neither are the stories people choose to watch.”
Key Insights
● Last year’s Oscar Best Picture winner Anora, a surprising romance of sorts, tops the list of most-watched offbeat love stories.
- Sydney Sweeney is making a bit of a comeback in streaming, with The Housemaid now available to rent or The Sweeney/Glenn Powell romantic comedy, Anyone But You, is #2 on the VDay list.
● Florence Pugh’s Midsommar is the top anti-Valentine’s Day movie, while Pugh’s tearjerker We Live in Time is #10 on the offbeat love stories list.
- Viewers enjoy “love stories gone wrong,” with titles like Gone Girl (#4), Get Out (#8), and Ready or Not (#10) making the Anti-Valentine’s Day list.
The Most Watched Offbeat Love Stories for Valentine’s Day
The Most Watched Anti-Valentine’s Day Movies
Methodology
Insights are based on the streaming, rental, purchase, and cinema clickout behavior of millions of JustWatch users. Two distinct rankings were produced:
Offbeat Love Stories
This ranking highlights romances with the highest levels of user engagement around Valentine’s Day across all available viewing options. Eligible titles include movies available to stream with a flatrate subscription, rental or purchase. JustWatch analyzed combined interaction data from February
14–16 across four consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025), with the extended date range reflecting U.S. time zone differences.
Anti-Valentine’s
This ranking spotlights horror, thriller, and crime movies that generated the highest user engagement around Valentine’s Day, including titles available via flatrate streaming, rental or purchase. Using the same methodology, JustWatch combined interaction data from February 14–16 across 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, with the extended window accounting for U.S. time zone differences.
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