Valentine’s Day is a great reason to revisit a love story, whether that means a sweet romantic comedy, a complicated relationship drama, or something in between. Ontario has long been home to a wide range of productions that explore romance from different angles, cultures, and dynamics.
Here are twelve DGC Ontario Productions, featuring a mix of new hits and classic favourites, perfect for your Valentine’s watchlist!
Heated Rivalry (2025)
DGC Ontario Production Heated Rivalry has quickly become one of the most talked-about shows in the world. Exploring a slow-burning queer relationship in the high-pressure world of professional hockey, Heated Rivalry is making waves for its balance of passion and vulnerability. Check out our interview with Showrunner and Director Jacob Tierney on adapting a beloved book series into a worldwide phenomenon.
Overcompensating (2025)
Shot primarily in and around the University of Toronto, Overcompensating follows college football star Benny (played by comedian and series creator Benito Skinner) as he struggles to accept his sexuality and overcompensates by pretending to be someone he’s not. The series balances college comedy hijinks and satirical takes on toxic masculinity with sweet moments of emotional honesty.
Paying For It (2024)
Directed by legendary Torontonian broadcaster and host Sook-Yin Lee and based on former partner Chester Brown’s autobiographical graphic novel, Paying For It follows a couple who decide to open their relationship after they realize they no longer want a traditional romantic partnership. Paying For It is as much a love letter to the city of Toronto and to the unseen fringes locals know and love.
Young Werther (2024)
A retelling of the classic novel through a modern Canadian lens, DGC Ontario Director José Lourenço’s debut feature is a charming exploration of longing, loss, and youthful obsession. Watch our interview with José Lourenço as he reflects on adapting a 250-year-old German novel into a tale of love and friendship in Toronto.
The Shrouds (2024)
Directed by DGC Ontario Member David Cronenberg, The Shrouds explores grief, technology, and intimacy in ways only Cronenberg can. Following a grieving widower who develops a method that allows the living to monitor their deceased loved ones in real time, The Shrouds speaks to Cronenberg’s own thoughts on grief and technology and how one affects the other.
Dead Lover (2025)
Dead Lover leans into gothic horror with a bold visual style, offering a darker, stylized take on the romance between a lonely gravedigger and the deceased lover she tries to resurrect. DGC Ontario Production Designer Ashley Devereux contributed to the film’s distinctive tone and atmosphere, making use of extremely limited space and a handful of props and costumes to create a uniquely weird and funny love story.
Highway 61 (1991)
This cult Canadian road movie, directed by DGC Ontario Member Bruce McDonald (and starring fellow DGC Ontario Member Don McKellar), blends music, romance, and offbeat humour when a small-town barber discovers what he believes to be the body of an alien and sets off on a cross-border journey with a mysterious woman.
Stay The Night (2022)
Directed by DGC Ontario Member Renuka Jeyapalan, Stay The Night takes place over the course of a single evening, focusing on two strangers whose unexpected connection unfolds in real time. Read our interview with Renuka on why exploring the ins and outs of relationship dynamics is her favourite part of her work.
The Shape of Water (2017)
Directed by DGC Ontario Member Guillermo del Toro and filmed extensively in Toronto, The Shape of Water tells the story of a woman who forms a bond with a mysterious aquatic creature held in a government lab. DGC Ontario Production Designer Paul Austerberry won the Academy Award for Best Production Design for this film, which also took home Best Picture at the 2018 Academy Awards.
Crash (1996)
For those who enjoy the weirder side of romance, David Cronenberg’s Crash, based on the novel by J.D. Ballard, centres around James and Catherine, a couple in a dispassionate open marriage who rekindle their sex life after discovering they are both aroused by car crashes. After falling in with a group of misfits who take this particular fetish to dangerous new heights, James and Catherine must decide whether their love life is worth dying for.
My Old Ass (2024)
Shot on location and set in Muskoka, My Old Ass blends a coming-of-age story about meeting your adult self with a nostalgic look at first loves. Read our interview with Production Designer Zazu Myers, Location Manager Glenn Carter, and Exec Producer Dan Bekerman about the making of this time-jumping dramedy.
The Drama (2026)
Set for release in 2026, A24’s The Drama, with Production Design and Art Direction by DGC Ontario Members Zosia Mackenzie and John O’Regan (who previously worked with Director Kristoffer Borgli on 2023’s Dream Scenario – watch our interview here), is already generating buzz as a character-driven exploration of a relationship under strain. We can’t wait to check this one out later this year!
