9 movie recommendations for the perfect date night

There’s no better date night than one spent with some popcorn and a movie. Although watching a movie seems like an easy, fool-proof date idea, there’s actually a lot of planning that goes into picking the right film.

It’s important to take all genres, vibes, and even Letterboxd reviews into account when picking the perfect flick for a date. What if you’re a fan of arthouse cinema, but they prefer big-budget romantic comedies? Find a date night movie that satisfies both tastes.

If you two have been together for ten years and bicker like an old married couple, then there’s less of a risk in choosing a movie that’s a little out of the box. But if you’re meeting in-person for the first time after strictly speaking online, it’s probably best to stick with a safe, crowd-pleasing favourite.

Here’s a list of nine movies that are perfect for any date night.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

This Rob Reiner film is a classic date night movie. It has everything you could possibly want from a cinematic experience: Cable-knit sweaters, New York City in the autumn, a public orgasm scene, and Carrie Fisher. Plus, the movie’s culminating New Year’s Eve party is the cherry on top of this enemies-to-lovers arc. Did we mention Carrie Fisher?

Before Sunrise (1995)

Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise is a cult classic. A young Ethan Hawke plays an American student abroad who meets a young French woman during a layover in Vienna, Austria. The two take on the city in one magical night, with such honest and natural dialogue you’re sure it was improvised (it wasn’t). The Before Trilogy is the rare occasion where the second and third movies hold up just as much as the first.

Gone Girl (2014)

Introducing the Gone Girl Test: the ultimate way to decide whether your date is worth seeing again. In this David Fincher film, Amy Dunne – played by Rosamund Pike – stages her own disappearance after finding out that her husband Nick – played by Ben Affleck – cheated on her, leading her husband to become the number one suspect in the missing person case. If your date thinks that Amy Dunne is the villain in the movie, they’re wrong.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

It’s difficult to choose a Wes Anderson film that doesn’t make you want to strum a ukulele and listen to a Belle and Sebastian record with your significant other. Moonrise Kingdom is a heartwarming story about young love, as two tweens run away together – or, as far as they can get on this New England island before the adults find them.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Who doesn’t love a period drama? Especially one where there’s so much sexual tension and yearning. Pride & Prejudice is a top-tier Jane Austen movie adaptation. Kiera Knightley stuns as Elizabeth Bennet, but the best moment throughout the entire film is the scene where Matthew Macfadyen – who plays Mr Darcy – flexes his hand after helping Elizabeth into the carriage. Watch the scene below.

The Lobster (2016)

This Yorgos Lanthimos dystopian drama might not be for the faint of heart, but its open-ending will have you two swapping theories all night long. In The Lobster, single people must enter into a romantic relationship within a strict time limit or else they’ll be turned into an animal of their choice. Essentially, the film is a commentary on the pressures society places on relationships.

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride is another classic date night movie, filled with sword fighting, satire, and true love. This Rob Reiner movie – Rob Reiner has perfected the date night movie genre – will have you two reciting its most quotable lines to each other all night (“Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today”). But fair warning: Your date may want to leave you for the smoke show that is Mandy Patinkin.

Shiva Baby (2020)

This indie comedy follows a young college student who faces a series of awkward encounters when she unexpectedly bumps into her married sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend at a shiva. Shiva Baby is funny, cringey, anxiety-inducing, and definitely a quirky choice for a date night movie. Shiva Baby is basically Uncut Gems for people who studied women’s and gender studies in college.

Tenet (2020)

Ladies, there’s nothing men love more than explaining movies. While Christopher Nolan’s two and a half hour epic about bending time and space is definitely a head-scratcher, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to piece together the plot of this movie. By the time he says, “I’d like to see you again,” you would’ve already moved on to someone who won’t mansplain movies to you.

While this list only features nine of our favourite date night films, we can’t forget some of these honourable movie mentions that hold their own:

All 11 hours of the Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition series to turn one date into a long, binge-able weekend!

Twilight, but only the first movie because the blue tint is so comforting.

For the singles who want to impress their dates with a foreign film, Jean-Luc Godard’s Maculin Feminin is quirky, fun, and it makes you look cool when you know things about French new wave.

Or, you can be like me and watch Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse on a first date (don’t be like me).