44 great movies for date night
So you're stuck at home, with nothing to do, and the same old TV programmes keep being stuck on time and time again. Don't get into a realationship rut; crack out the wine and chocolates and stick on a film you'll both enjoy and make it a proper stay at home date night. Here we give you our top recommendations for a decent date night movie.
By GamesRadar staff
(Colombia Pictures)
Romantic comedies are a staple in any list of date movies, and Paul Feig's Bridesmaids is like the final Pokémon evolution of the form. On first appearance, this is a fairly typical chick flick, but for the most part is a witty subversion of the trappings of that sub-genre. With an immensely likeable cast including Kirsten Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne skewering perceptions and coming out with an end result with across-the-board appeal.
(Universal)
Three weeks before her 28th birthday, food critic Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) receives a phone call from her oldest friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney), telling her of his upcoming nuptials to the 20-year-old Kimmy (Cameron Diaz). Regardless, Jules is hell bent on keeping a pact the two made in college; if they aren't married by 28, they marry each other. Yeah, 28 is OLD in this movie.
This is as mainstream as romcoms get. A starry cast, big budget and an amorous dilemma - yet it approaches the setup from a fresher, less obvious angle. We don't always side with our heroine, and Kimmy, the woman we ought to despise? She's an absolute hoot!
(TriStar Pictures)
The owner of a sizeable facial appendage, Charlie Bales (Steve Martin) tends to strike out with women: in particular, town newcomer Roxanne (Daryl Hannah). When she shows interest in one of Charlie's co-workers, the dim-witted Chris (Rick Rossovich), Charlie lends a hand, writing love letters on his behalf, confessing his love for her vicariously.
Released at a time when Martin's output was at its peak, Roxanne treads the path between odd, tender and sweet. The overall message? Love comes in all shapes (ahem) and sizes (ahem... again).
(Columbia Pictures)
After being introduced at a party, masseuse divorcee Eva (Julia Louis Dreyfus) begins dating Albert (James Gandolfini). Even in the early stages, their relationship holds promise. That is until Eva realises her latest client Marianne (Catherine Keener), an enigmatic poet journeying through her own divorce, is Albert's ex-wife. Bit awkward, that.
Thank goodness, another smart, witty romantic comedy revolving around people over the age of forty. It works so well thanks to the chemistry between Dreyfus and Gandolfini.
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
One of the oldest tricks in the rom com book finds Lake Bell's singleton Nancy bumping into Simon Pegg's divorcee Jack. While he waits for his 24-year old blind date - who will be holding a self-help book they both love - Nancy appears, holding the very same book. Instead of simply 'fessing up that he's got the wrong girl, she decides to go along with it and pretend she's Jessica. He eventually finds out, gets pretty annoyed, and plans to meet up with his original date... but by then, might he just have a soft spot for Nancy?
It's tough finding that delicate balance between romance and actual, genuine comedy. This is the closest movie in years to resemble what it's like - in "real life" - to strike up a relationship if you're a bit funny and geeky.
(StudioCanal / Saban Films)
The big break for stars Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this teen romance is based on Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew. Ledger's teen rebel and Stiles' cynical outsider are well-loved characters in one of those romcoms that avoids some of the cliched trappings of the genre to score points all round. A charismatic film that should be a winner.
(Buena Vista Pictures)
Having been taught from a young age that monogamy isn't realistic, magazine writer Amy (Amy Schumer) lives a life free from romantic commitment. That is until she finds herself falling for the subject of a new article she's writing, sports doctor Aaron (Bill Hader).
Though it ends up being a lot more conventional than its set-up suggests, the winning central pairing of Schumer and Hader ensures that even classic tropes feel fresh. A consistently funny and genuinely affecting modern romcom that also delivers the most awkward cheerleader routine ever and a practically unrecognisable Tilda Swinton as Amy's barmy editor.
(Universal Pictures)
Comic book creator Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) meets fellow author Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) and is immediately smitten. The pair hit it off - banter, laughs, the whole shebang. The twist in the tale? She's a lesbian.
Tackling a frankly tricky topic - the fluidity of sexual identity, contemporary masculinity - it still holds up as a funny as hell dive into modern romance. Points awarded for Holden's confession to Alyssa on their way home from dinner: moving, funny, and probably Kevin Smith's best monologue ever scripted. Well, Alyssa's response to Holden's prying later on comes pretty close to topping it actually.
(Miramax Films)
Sicilian New York widow Loretta (Cher) is set to to marry Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) - a man she likes but doesn't love - much to the enthusiasm of her parents. With Johnny back in Italy, he urges her to contact his younger, feisty brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) to invite him to the wedding. They drive each other up the wall, which can only mean one thing, right? *cue fireworks*
The relationship between Loretta and her father Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) is a treat. Their digs at each other are the foundation of the movie's chuckles.
(MGM/UA Communications Co.)
Jilted wedding singer Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) befriends waitress Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore) during the run-up to her wedding to prized idiot Glenn Gulia (Matthew Glave). With Robbie's help finalising the details for the big day, the two grow closer. Julia thinks she might be marrying the wrong man, a feeling Robbie soon shares as he uncovers Glenn's infidelity...
This is Sandler at his absolute best: funny, compassionate and inherently likeable. Twinned with Barrymore's charming and goofy Julia, the pair's crazy chemistry harks back to Hollywood's golden era.
(New Line Cinema)
Samantha's (Molly Ringwald) 16th birthday turns out to be less sweet than anticipated. The object of her affection, the hunky Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) has gotten wind that she's nuts about him, the school geek (Anthony Michael Hall) is trying to get into her knickers, and no-one has remembered her birthday...
John Hughes' teen romance is over 30 years old and still gives more recent high school flicks a run for their money. A good dose of one-liners, a charming central performance from Ringwald, and two guys vying for a woman's attention. It's the perfect romcom formula.
(Universal Pictures)
Super-nerd Ted (Ben Stiller) tries to reconnect with his high school crush Mary (Cameron Diaz), years after an embarrassing incident with his zipper. When he hires slimy private detective, Healy (Matt Dillon) to track her down, it turns out there's more than one chap after her heart.
The Farrellys balance gross-out humour (getting one's bits trapped in a zip) with a bubbling romance at the centre of a romcom that's a rare breed of sweet and silly.
(20th Century Fox)
This ones got all the right ingredients. A romantic sub-plot that isnt saccharine, a good laugh rate, a heroic celebrity cameo and Woody Harrelson battering the undead with a baseball bat. As tired as the zombie genre has become over the last ten years or so, there are still sparks of imagination to be found, and Zombieland hits all the right notes. Should be a winner.
(Columbia)
Rich beer company heir Charles Pike (Henry Fonda) boards a cruise liner after a year down the Amazon. Before he's barely aboard, card shark Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck) and her father peg him as an easy mark and set about scamming him of his riches. All's fair in love and war; Jean begins to regret their plan when her intentions for Charles switch from duplicitous to romantic...
Fonda's a delight to watch as the unsuspecting buffoon falling for the wily charms of Stanwyck. Twice. Responsible for kickstarting the 'battle of the sexes' rom-com.
(Paramount Pictures)
One of the biggest romantic comedies of the 1990s, Pretty Woman takes what could have been a far darker tale and turned it into a hugely popular entry in the genre. Call girl Julia Roberts is hired by businessman Richard Gere as an escort, and their relationships builds into something far more. Bringing together two huge stars of the time and tackling some subject matter not often looked at in the romcom world, Pretty Woman is a sound option.
(Buena Vista Pictures)
Meet the Parents has all the ingredients a fun cast getting stuck into a script with a solid laughs-per-minute rate, a relatable situation (if your other half's parents live in a ginormous mansion on a CIA salary anyway) and some ever-reliable cat gags. As Ben Stiller heads to his fiance's family home, he clashes with Father in Law to-be Robert De Niro in a string of toe-curling misunderstandings.
(Paramount)
Its one of those romantic comedies that everyone falls in love with. Audrey Tatou plays an introverted waitress who turns matchmaker to the various people in her life. With an eccentric cast of characters and an impossibly charming lead, this is one of those films thats an absolute sure-fire winner on date night.
(UGC-Fox Distribution)
Hugh Grant's bumbling Brit Charles meets suave American Carrie (Andie Macdowell) at a series of social gatherings. They spend the night together, after which Carrie flies home to the U.S. to prepare for her own wedding to rich Scot Sir Hamish Banks (Corin Redgrave). Charles buries his feelings for Carrie and plans to marry his ex, Henrietta (Anna Chancellor). That is, until Carrie turns up at the church...
A romcom classic, Four Weddings was the first time all the staple elements of British comedy melded together perfectly; a stellar cast, a cracking script and a slew of hilarious one-liners.
(Rank Film Distributors)
Its first and foremost a crime film, but the New Hollywood classic makes the list for featuring one of the most notorious couples in American history. The titular bank robbers, played here by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, embark on a crime spree which leaves a trail of victims in its wake, before heading to an almost poetic bloody finish. Apart from anything else, its an important moment in the history of film.
(Warner Bros.)
Record shop owner Rob (John Cusack) takes a trip down memory lane after his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle) breaks up with him. While fighting off hideous visions of Laura having the best sex ever with new boyfriend Ian (Tim Robbins), Rob tracks down a series of exes to discover why exactly they ended things. Why? To win back Laura, of course.
It reinvents a ton of rules that romcoms are often weakened by (breaking the fourth wall, two bickering, bantering side-kick employees Jack Black and Todd Louiso) and Cusack is never-better as anti-hero Rob. It's a cult classic for a reason, and it has a killer soundtrack.
(Buena Vista Pictures)
Perpetual singleton Bridget (Renee Zellweger) is desperate to find the perfect man. Fate throws two potential suitors her way in the form of lecherous schmooze Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and stuffy dullard Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).
The big screen adaptation of Helen Fielding's pioneering chick lit accomplished what many comedies geared at women fail to do - it made us laugh. Zellweger is perfectly cast, dropping all traces of her Texan drawl, bringing to life the hilariously flawed Bridget.
(United International Pictures / Miramax Films)
Boorish-yet-somehow-utterly-charming editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) chucks a spanner in the works of his ex-wife Hildy Johnson's (Rosalind Russell) imminent second marriage to Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy). Tempting the former newshound reporter with a murder story, she's helpless to say no, especially when there's a promising scoop at stake.
Grant's banter with Russell at the table, while endlessly quizzing her new fiance, is hysterical. His fast-paced rap-dialogue and Russell's slapstick make this an affair to remember.
(Columbia Pictures)
An unconventional choice, but Doug Limans '90s cult hit is a carefree and quotable comedy that puts dating convention under the microscope. Its not the most romantic movie in the world, but anything that takes a sideways look at the whole dating scene is usually good for a laugh.
(Alfred Fray)
Sure, Richard Curtis’ Christmas crowd-pleaser Love Actually is packed with festive cheer, but About Time gives it a massive run for its money. Domnhall Gleeson plays Tim, whose father tells him of a life-changing secret on his birthday: all the men in his family can time travel when they turn 21. His first, albeit hormonal, instinct? He should use his new ability to bag himself a girlfriend. He does, meeting Rachel McAdams’ Mary and starting a family.
What follows is a bittersweet story that threads a great deal of heart-wrenching moments into the technicalities of his gift – such as what happens to his children when he goes back in time. Hats off to Gleeson for a charming leading performance but the M.V.P. here is Bill Nighy as his father James, who teaches his son, in a stirring speech, to really live each day to the fullest.
(Universal)
Wealthy Philadelphia It girl, Tracy Samantha Lord Haven (Katharine Hepburn) finds herself at the centre of a four-way romantic tangle on the eve of her second set of nuptials. With the arrival of her first husband, the witty C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) comes fast-talkin' reporter Macauley (James Stewart) to cover the events of her wedding to reliable George Kittredge (John Howard).
Grant and Stewart fighting for a woman's affections, using two completely different approaches, remains absolutely classic.
(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Widower Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) opens his heart after his wife's death live on radio, at the urging of his son Jonah. When Annie (Meg Ryan) hears his story, she re-evaluates her engagement and scribbles a letter to Sam asking him to meet her at the top of the Empire State Building...
Nora Ephron's tale is now over 20 years old (!) and had the hallmarks of its now-classic status even then. It's funny and warm without drowning in schmaltz. Hanks and Ryan's palpable chemistry is a remarkable feat considering they barely share any screentime.
(TriStar Pictures)
Jazz musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) end up on the run after witnessing the St. Valentines Day massacre. Masquerading as buxom women, they hide out as members of touring all-female music troupe, Sweet Sue's Society Syncopators - where they meet Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a breathy singer who they each attempt to woo. In disguise...
Billy Wilder pulled out all the stops at a time when censors frowned upon any kind of sexual tomfoolery. Shocking the MPAA with his tale of two transvestites after a bit of hot totty while escaping the clutches of the law, there's no finer environment for Curtis and Lemmons' comedic skills.
(United Artists)
Neurotic comedian Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) explores the doomed nature of his past romantic relationships, in particular his most recent paramour, Annie (Diane Keaton). The two meet through friends, and embark on what Alvy considers to be an unusual relationship. She's a free-spirited hipster while he remains the introspective analyst.
The subtitled scene following the pairs initial meeting, on a Manhattan rooftop, is pure cinema gold: a sterling example of Allen's quick wit. While Annie and Alvy are conducting a seemingly trivial conversation concerning a date, subtitles flash up to reveal what's actually being conveyed.
(United Artists)
Snobby socialite Ellen Andrews (Claudette Colbert) goes on the lam, relinquishing her rights as heir to the family fortune to elope with her new spouse. On the way, she meets and falls for the charms of a no-nonsense journalist Peter Warne (Clark Gable) during a cross-country trip.
THE original romcom, Frank Capra's flick is a landmark 'screwball' comedy. It introduced the now-popular formula of a mismatched couple who eventually fall in love.
(Columbia Pictures)
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal navigate a love story spanning years, as two old friends gradually fall for each other through a series of chance meetings and mutual acquaintances. Nora Ephrons whip-smart script gives the leads plenty of great material to work with, and for all the wisecracks, by the end its impossible not to be invested in the love story at its heart. All the best rom coms avoid large helpings of cheese in favour of warmth and wit - When Harry Met Sally really is the standard-bearer for this.
(Columbia Pictures)
Its a film that works as so much more than just a nostalgia trip to the days of silent cinema. A touching romance with a toe-tapping soundtrack and some surprisingly heavy themes at times, its just the right side of the cheesy/uplifting divide and a great choice as a date movie.
(Studio 37)
Its another one of those pop culture classics that many might have missed, but Audrey Hepburns iconic turn as Holly Golightly is great fun. Alongside George Hannibal from The A-Team Peppard and one of the best cats in film history, this is another romantic comedy legend which has well earned its place on the list.
(Paramount Pictures)
If you can make it through the first scenes without collapsing into a shuddering, weeping heap, youll make it through anything. While its not a directly romantic film for most of the running time, theres something incredibly touching about Carl's determination to live his and his wife's dream. Sweet and romantic to start with, followed by a brilliant adventure which brings the laughs, Up is a solid choice in a date situation.
(Pixar)
Musical. Thriller. Melodrama. Love story. Creature feature. Only Guillermo Del Toro could have so effectively gelled such a seemingly unwieldy mash-up of tones and genres in his Oscar-winning passion project. Much magic was generated through the relationship between Sally Hawkins' mute cleaner and an amphibious humanoid creature (Doug Jones), but every character was treated with empathy and the film overruns with feeling. A masterclass in turning the unique into the universal.
(Fox Searchlight)
As much as its a cliche, Titanic is a go-to date movie for a reason. A little cheesy in places it may be, but theres no combination quite like a forbidden love across social classes and huge-scale tragedy amongst a terrible disaster. Starring a young Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, as well as a delightfully villainous Billy Zane, James Camerons epic is a sure-fire ice-breaker (sorry).
(Paramount Pictures/20th Century Fox)
One of the all-time classics, and a regular fixture on greatest of all time lists, featuring David Nivens WW2 airman fighting the pull of the afterlife to stay in the mortal realm with his newly-found love Kim Hunter. Its probably one of the most romantic setups conceivable, and is rightly considered a genuine classic not just of its genre, but of cinema as a whole.
(Powell and Pressburger)
Frankly, you need a heart of pure concrete not to be moved by Damien Chazelle's modern musical. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are the perfect star-crossed lovers. One's a jazz musician who enjoys the finer things; the other a budding actress striving for the big-time. In the end, though they seem almost perfect for each other, their ambitions drive a wedge in their relationship.
The songs, the jazz, the colours, the dancing... La La Land remains one of those rare movies that immediately transports you to another, beautiful world. One where people spontaneously burst into song, and your biggest worry is making it in Hollywood.
(Lionsgate)
An animated, fairytale romance involving an ogre and a Princess might just be the light entertainment you need rght now.
In the early days of CG animation, the trailblazing Pixar tended to have things all their own way. That all changed with Shrek, as DreamWorks rewrote the rules of movie fairytales with the smart, funny, and ever-so-slightly subversive story of a grumpy ogre who turns out to have a heart of gold. The characters are memorable and the voice cast spot on – Eddie Murphy’s turn as Donkey is one of the few vocal performances ever nominated for a Bafta – but it’s the script that shines, as brilliant put-downs mingling seamlessly with the touching “true love’s kiss” finale.
(DreamWorks Animation)
As far as romances go, its the granddaddy of them all with Shakespeare's classic play semi-updated by director Baz Luhrmann. Abridging The Bard's script and shifting it to a modern-day mafia-based setting, here the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues becomes a violent backdrop for one of the oldest love stories of all.
(20th Century Fox)
Another British classic, here Noël Coward's script is filmed by David Lean to tell a story of a tentative and slightly unconventional love affair between married leads Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. Rather than focusing on a steamy, passionate romance, this is more a story about matters of the heart, and carries added film buff points to sweeten the deal.
(Eagle-Lion Distributors)
Its a bit of an anti-romantic comedy really, but theres nothing wrong with breaking the mould. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's hopeless romantic falls for new girl Zooey Deschanel, before embarking on a rocky relationship. Looking more at how people grow in relationships as opposed to just knockabout gags about love, it's a funny and relatable film with two immensely likeable leads.
(Fox)
Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanjiani writes and stars in this comedy based on his own marriage. The trials of cross-cultural romance come under scrutiny as stand-up comic Kumail falls for an American student at one of his shows. Not exactly the life his Muslim parents had in mind for him, but that’s the least of his concerns; shortly after they start dating, Emily falls into a coma, leaving Kumail to have to deal with her parents.
Billed as a traditional romantic comedy, The Big Sick has a lot more heart and edge than the posters and trailers would have you believe. The chemistry between Nanjiani and Holly Hunter and Ray Romano - as Emily’s parents - provides most of the real grit. Realistic, and proof that there is still a lot of originality left in the genre.
(Amazon Prime)
While you may not think of Inception immediately as perfect date night fodder, Dom's love for his wife makes up a big part in this film's core, and its epic, sweeping cinematics make a fantastic watch for any couples sick of romcoms.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays a man who normally steals information from people's dreams – but this time must place a thought into someone's brain without them knowing.
Yes, Inception may seem complicated, but Nolan quickly catches you up to speed on how his dream logic works. The big question about the movie concerns the ending. We won't spoil it here – just know you'll be thinking about it for hours after.
(Warner Bros)
The title makes this a bit of an easy choice, and in using the setting of a date as a wraparound for a quickly-escalating crime comedy, is a light-hearted, good-natured option. Raucous, pacy, a love story about older married people - between Steve Carell and Tina Fey this contains enough comedy chops to liven up any, ahem, Date Night.
(20th Century Fox)Get cosy with one of our great selections