Valentine’s Day is coming and, whether you’re boo'd up or riding it solo this year, there’s always enough time for a feel-good romance film to get you in the spirit of love.
Wednesday, 14 February 2024, is the global day for love but that doesn't mean you have to wait until then to feel the fuzzy feelings of romance.
While we may be accustomed to the world of Hollywood, seeing the heartwarming and – at most times – outlandish antics of South Africa’s finest is unmatched.
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Whether you’re looking for a fun, easy to watch road trip comedy with a love story to match like White Wedding or the hard-hitting romantic drama that will put you in your feels that is Happiness is a Four-Letter Word, our local movie offerings will leave you lusting for more.
We’ve curated a list of proudly local productions that will warm even the coldest of hearts:
1. Baby Mamas
This comedy drama revolves around the lives and loves of four working women who are all in different stages of their real-life baby mama drama.
We meet Toli (played by Salamina Mosese), Chantel (played by Kay Smith), Joy (played by Dineo Ranaka) and Sandy (played by Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo) who all have their own tumultuous relationships – with kids to match – as they navigate the ups and downs of love and parenting.
2. Seriously Single
When Dineo (played by Fulu Mugovhani) falls in love, she falls hard. But it never translates to a happy ever after, especially after a particularly brutal heartbreak with the man she thought was the one, Lunga (played by Bohang Moeko).
Now tasked to live life to the fullest as a single woman, Dineo and her bestie Noni (played by Tumi Morake) find themselves in unexpected scenarios meeting new people and perhaps falling back into old habits. Fun and relatable at heart, this is the perfect movie to sit back and relax to.
3. White Wedding
Seasoned actors Zandile Msutwana, Rapulana Seiphumo and Kenneth Nkosi head this buddy road trip romantic film that will leave you in stitches.
When a young groom and his best man get lost on the road trip to his wedding, they race across the country and get caught up with eccentric characters as they trek to finally get Rapulana’s character Tumi down the aisle.
4. The Honeymoon
The Honeymoon is a film that will make you crave for that fun-loving, no-boys-allowed girls’ trip.
After Kat (played by Kajal Bagwandeen) gets dumped by her fiancé the night before her wedding, her best friends Noks (played by Tumi Morake) and Lu (played by Minnie Dlamini) rally together and head to Zanzibar to make the most out of what would have been her honeymoon.
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5. Catching Feelings
This dramatically-told dark romantic comedy starring Pearl Thusi and Kagiso Lediga as married couple Sam and Max follows a young urban academic and his wife as their lives get turned upside down when a celebrated yet hedonistic older writer moves into their Johannesburg home.
Dark and twisty with impactful cinematography to match, Catching Feelings is a good choice for those looking for something a little more serious
6. Love Heist
Vula Vala’s Sthandile Nkosi and Isibaya’s Katlego Setlhare star as siblings who try to navigate the grimy streets of Hillbrow and find love in unexpected ways.
The pair survive by seducing and scamming men out of their money, with Tsholo (played by Katlego) unexpectedly falling in love with one of her victims. This wild ride of a romantic drama not only shows the nuances of romantic love but also the difficult and complex love between sisters.
7. Happiness is a Four Letter Word
An uplifting romantic drama, Happiness is a Four Letter Word explores the lives of three best friends, Nandi (played by Mmabatho Montsho), Zaza (played by Khanyi Mbau) and Princess (played by Renate Stuurman), who find their way through the busy world of their respective careers, friendships and love in the heart of Johannesburg.
The story follows the pursuit of happiness amidst the challenges of a failed love and the beauty of friendship, with woman finding themselves in the uncertain world of adulting.
