Top 5 romantic comedies for Valentine’s day

Violet Curtis-Gabriel and Sasha Dronkers

February 7, 2025

As we get nearer to Valentine’s Day, we enter the peak season for a fan-favorite movie genre: Rom-coms! We have compiled a list of the top 5 rom-coms recommended by Arcata High Students to ensure you don’t miss out on some note-worthy love stories.

10 Things I Hate About You

At the top of our list is a 2000s classic featuring the love story between Patrick, the school rebel, and the fiercely independent Kat, when they get duped into dating by Kat’s sister. “I like the relationship out of 10 Things I Hate About You; their dynamic,” junior Flora Shaw said. “I want a guy to sing to me in the stadium,” senior Amara Rex said additionally about a scene from the movie.

2. 50 First Dates

Recreation of the 10 things I hate about you movie poster (Sasha Dronkers)

At number two we have a hilarious love story about a woman whose memory resets daily and a man who must re-meet and woo her each day. “50 First Dates is one of my favorites because it’s funny and has an interesting storyline, and it has Adam Sandler in it and Drew Barrymore,” senior Iris Besmer said.

3. 13 Going on 30

Number three is a heartwarming movie about 13-year-old Jenna who wants only to leave her teenage life and be 30. However, when she wakes up to find herself in a 30-year-old life, it’s not as glamorous as she hoped. “13 going on 30 is so good, the entire basis of like childhood best friends, I think it’s very cute,” Rex said.

4. When Harry Met Sally

At number four we have When Harry Met Sally, a classic romantic comedy. It details the complex relationship between two people, and how to define the blurry line between friendship and romance. “I liked it because it’s a good mix of rom and com, and it is also sad but it is a good mix of all the emotions,” Shaw said, regarding her favorite rom-com.

5. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Finally, number five is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, when Ben Berry bets that he could get a girl to fall in love with him in 10 days, and journalist Andie Anderson needs a test subject for how to lose a guy in 10 days. They meet with opposing goals that they plan on trying on each other, leading to a very entertaining and hilarious 10 days that play out.

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About the Contributors

Violet Curtis-Gabriel, News Section Editor

Violet Curtis-Gabriel is a senior this year at Arcata High School and it is her first year writing for the Pepperbox. She enjoys writing and is ready to learn more about journalism. Violet has grown up in Humboldt County her whole life and in her free time enjoys reading books, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and spending time at the beach when she is not working at The Cafe Phoenix. Violet is excited to be a part of this team and hopes to contribute well to this amazing paper. She can be reached at the email below!

Sasha Dronkers, A&E Section Editor

Sasha Dronkers is a senior at Arcata High School, and the Arts and Entertainment Section Editor for the Pepperbox this year. It is her first year working on the Pepperbox, and she is involved in multiple other school extracurriculars, including the Arcata Arts Institute’s music program, the Go Green Club, and the National Honor Society. Sasha has lived in Humboldt for her whole life, which has helped her to become involved in the local arts and music scene. In her free time, Sasha enjoys playing guitar, songwriting, ballet, reading, and writing. Her favorite writers, whom she takes inspiration from, are author Liane Moriarty, poet Rupi Kaur, and writer/director Greta Gerwig.