Safe Haven, directed by Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom and based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, was the perfect film to premier on Valentine’s Day this year. Starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel, this movie is action-packed, heart wrenching, and a true love story all in one.

Characters watch as Kate (Hough) starts a new life in Southport, N.C. and falls in love with the small town’s widower and general store owner, Alex (Duhamel). She buys a house, begins working at a local restaurant, and adjusts to her new life.

But here’s the twist: Kate is wanted for murder and is on the run from a violent alcoholic detective, much to the disbelief of the audience who has fallen in love with this actress’s spunky personality and beautiful features. Just as Kate and Alex are beginning to spend more time together, both alone and with his adorable children, danger creeps into their quaint little paradise.

The movie is concluded by a completely shocking ending, leaving viewers’ jaws glued to the floor. The final lines of Safe Haven are complete tearjerkers, forcing most of the audience to leave the theater reaching for the tissues in their purses.

Similar to most Nicholas Sparks’ novel-based films, Safe Haven is definitely a chick-flick. The leading male role is easy on the eyes, and the romance in the movie is enough to make any girl swoon. This movie can be entertaining to the boyfriends and husbands dragged to it, though. The detective and action scenes gives the movie an on-the-edge-of-your-seat quality, and there are a few moments that make viewers, male and female alike, laugh out loud.

The acting is good, the setting is picturesque, and the story is relatable. The movie ignites a variety of emotions in viewers, and ends in a twist no one thought possible. Whether you’re in a relationship and want a classic date-night movie, or you’re going out with friends for the night, this is a movie that everyone should make time to see.