As we all start emerging from lockdown, pale and blinking into the sunlight, slowly adjusting to being around people again, the opportunity to get back dating and looking for romance in a way that doesn’t include Zoom dates is nigh – but you might need a bit of a refresher on the importance of romance, bring brave and trying something new!

Enter Marry Me, the new rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez as Kat Valdez, a diva superstar preparing to marry singer Bastian (Latin star Maluma) at a concert that is streamed worldwide. But when Kat discovers that her love is more of a lothario than she knew, she impulsively decides to go ahead with the wedding – with a stranger from the audience. When Kat picks out maths teacher and single father Charlie (Owen Wilson), who only attended the concert to impress his young daughter, his world gets turned upside down – and Kat’s world is infused with more authenticity, honesty and humility than she’s had in a long time.

If you’re not already sold – did we mention that Sarah Silverman is always worth seeing? – here's a few more very good reasons to head to the cinema to see Marry Me!

1. JENNIFER LOPEZ

The queen of rom-coms in the ‘90s and early noughties, Lopez has long been charming audiences in fun and flirty rom-coms, including The Wedding Planner, Maid In Manhattan, Shall We Dance? and Monster-in-Law. In Marry Me, Lopez brings warmth, vulnerability and charisma to her role as pop star Kat Valdez - a woman so in love with the idea of love that she keeps making all the wrong choices. And speaking of J.Lo’s pop credentials, another reason to see the movie is...

2. THE SONGS

Marry Me features a few concert scenes, full of extravagant costumes, latex-clad dancing nuns (yes, really) and, of course, Lopez showing off her abundant skills. The film features a concert performance of the song ‘Marry Me’, a duet between Lopez and Maluma, which – as the film slyly acknowledges – will likely be used in TikTok videos and public proposals and dances for the next few years. It’s about time someone knocked Bruno Mars off that pedestal, anyway!

3. MALUMA

Juan Luis Londono Arias, AKA Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter and actor – so a Latinx triple threat, just like J.Lo. No wonder, then, that he was cast to play Bastian. One of the world’s best-selling Latin artists, his single ‘Hawai’ was a worldwide hit in 2020, and Maluma also recorded a remix with The Weeknd. Marry Me features several songs from Maluma, including the titular duet with Lopez and the Spanish-language ‘Segundo’. For good measure, the movie incorporates exhilarating scenes from his sold-out concerts in Madison Square Garden.

4. LOVE AND FAME

Based on a graphic novel by Bobby Crosby, Marry Me explores the nature of fame, and how a celebrity might possibly find love with one of us mere mortals - a concept ripe for romance, comedy and cultural analysis. While other films and TV shows have explored the idea, Marry Me feels particularly tuned into the current cultural moment. With references to live streaming, Instagram influencing, private gigs for billionaires and the pressure put on popstars to let their heartbreak play out in public, the film has a refreshingly contemporary twist.

5. VALENTINE’S DAY

(from left) Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson) and Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) in Marry Me, directed by Kat Coiro.

Whether you’re with someone and in the mood for a cute date night, or single and looking for some cracking entertainment, Marry Me is not only the first big rom-com of 2022, but a perfect watch for Valentine’s weekend. Fetch yourself some popcorn and heart-shaped chocolates - and get swept away in the sheer fun of it all.

Marry Me is in cinemas now.