Gather your best friends, because it’s Galentine’s Day, the unofficial holiday for “ladies celebrating ladies.” Pour some wine, pop some popcorn and bust out the chocolates to watch these seven movies about female friendship.
Galentine’s Day is February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day. It was created by the character Leslie Knope during season 2 of Parks and Recreation. She invites a group of women to eat waffles and shower each other with compliments, gifts and love.
Whether you see your besties in person or over Zoom, you can laugh (and maybe cry) together watching these wonderful films. One is directed by Leslie Knope herself! And while some of these require rentals, multiple are on the best streaming services, including Hulu, Peacock, Netflix and Max.
Here are our recommendations for what to watch for Galentine’s Day.
'Bad Moms'
Girls just wanna have fun, and moms do, too! Amy (Mila Kunis) is an overworked, exhausted mother of two who catches her husband cheating on her. Fed up, stressed out and annoyed by the PTA president, Amy heads to a nearby bar. There, she meets two other struggling moms, Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and Kiki (Kristen Bell). They go on an all-night bender to ignore their troubles and cares for just a little while. They band together to take on the controlling PTA president and her clique of seemingly perfect moms.
'Booksmart'
High school seniors Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are at the head of their class — academically speaking, at least. When they realize how much fun they missed out on while studying, the best friends decide to break the rules and let loose for one night to attend a big party with their classmates. All of their hopes, fears, crushes, aggravations and anxieties boil over, turning the night into a memorable mess. Even when things go awry and they argue, Amy and Molly can count on one thing: their rock-solid friendship.
'Bridesmaids'
Female friendships can be complicated (watch "Yellowjackets" for a very dark perspective on that). Annie (Kristen Wiig) is thrilled at the engagement of her best friend Lillian (Maya Randolph) and is honored to be the maid of honor. But Annie’s life is a complete mess; her bakery failed and her boyfriend dumped her. Maid of honor duties can get expensive and she has no money. Still, she’s determined to do the job right for Lillian’s sake, but she grows resentful of another bridesmaid, the wealthy and seemingly perfect Helen (Rose Byrne). Annie snaps and a rift forms between the friends.
Stream on Prime Video
'Girls Trip'
Watch out, the Flossy Posse is heading to the Big Easy! To reconnect with her college friends, lifestyle guru Ryan (Regina Hall) invites Sasha (Queen Latifah), Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Dina (Tiffany Haddish) to hear her speak at the Essence Festival in New Orleans. They’re all struggling in their own ways — in their careers, romantic relationships and finances — so the women welcome the opportunity to rekindle their sisterhood and rediscover their wild side. As they say, laissez les bons temps rouler. These four Black queens are ready to let the good times roll!
Watch on Peacock
'Pitch Perfect'
Arriving at college, freshman Beca (Anna Kendrick) has no desire to be part of a clique. Yet somehow, she joins one — the all-female a capella group Bellas. Beca finds herself among a variety of characters, including funny Patricia aka “Fat Amy” (Rebel Wilson), uptight leader Aubrey (Anna Camp), friendly Chloe (Brittany Snow) and the extremely quiet Lilly (Hana Mae Lee). They have very little in common except for the fact that they love to sing — and they sing very well together. Beca’s push for new arrangements instead of traditional medleys threatens to unravel the group, but just might be the right note for the Bellas to hit to win regionals.
Watch on Prime Video
'Waiting to Exhale'
The whole “four friends lean on each other as they navigate romance and careers” thing wasn’t invented by "Sex and the City." There are earlier versions of this tried-and-true formula, like 1995’s Waiting to Exhale. Savannah (Whitney Houston) and Robin (Lela Rochon) are having affairs with married men in the belief they’ll leave their wives. Meanwhile, Bernadine (Angela Bassett) is devastated when her husband divorces her to be with his mistress. And Gloria (Loretta Devine) is a single mother whose ex turned out to be gay. All four women are “holding their breath” until they find Mr. Right. Until then, at least they have each other.
Watch on Hulu
'Wine Country '
Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope invented Galentine’s Day, and Poehler and friend Tina Fey have teamed up to populate the female friendship movie genre with gems like "Mean Girls," "Baby Mama" and "Wine Country." The latter is directed by and stars Poehler, while Fey makes a memorably wacky supporting role. The story follows a group of six friends who reunite in Napa to celebrate the 50th birthday of Rebecca (Rachel Dratch). The women question their friendships and futures over the course of their wine-soaked getaway, which culminates in an emotional showdown.
Watch on Netflix
