Netflix
Finding the perfect date night movie is trickier than you might think. Not only are you forced to compromise your personal tastes when it comes to film in order to find a flick that both you and your partner can enjoy, you must also contend with the knowledge that whatever feature you choose is going to set the mood for your entire night. A bit of a thrill is good for cuddling up on the couch together, but too much fright and gore might put you off any romantic plans later. Fun and flirty is always a good choice, but stray too far into the sappy romantic drama space and one or both of you might start questioning your own relationship and how it measures up to your favorites on screen.
Luckily, we’ve done the hard work of sifting through the best romcoms, romance dramas, erotic thrillers and more that Netflix has to offer to find the perfect movie to set the mood for a damn good date night.
Universal
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Run Time: 108 min | IMDb: 8.3/10
We’ve all had bad break-ups, and we’ve all wished we could wipe the slate clean after a particularly terrible relationship, but what if the technology existed to literally wipe any memories of your choosing? That’s the questions at the heart of this critically-acclaimed sci-fi romance. Jim Carrey plays Joel, a shy, awkward-type hopelessly in love with Clementine (Kate Winslet), an eccentric, free-spirited woman whom he meets in Montauk. After a two-year relationship ends in heartbreak, they choose to erase their memories of each other, only to meet again and question their decision to forget the past. It’s a poignant, thought-provoking love story that doesn’t end the way you’d expect.
New World Pictures
Heathers (1988)
Run Time: 103 min | IMDb: 7.3/10
John Hughes may have dominated the teen rom-com space in the last 80s but it’s Heathers, a dark comedy that revolves around the consequences of high school cliques and bad first love affairs, that left an indelible mark on the genre. Winona Ryder plays Veronica, a student of Westerburg High who begrudges her own position in the popular crowd until an outsider named JD (Christian Slater) arrives to shake up her monotonous existence. JD promises an end to the reign of the Heathers, but he fails to mention the means might include a dead teenager or two. If formulaic teen romcoms aren’t your thing, then the black and witty musings of an angsty Winona Ryder might be your thing.
Warner Brothers
Her (2013)
Run Time: 126 mins | IMDb: 8/10
Spike Jonze imagines a world in which Artificial Intelligence can become something more than just a personal assistant program in Her, which ends up being one of the strangest, yet memorable love stories of the past decade. Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a depressed introvert going through a divorce who starts up a relationship with an OS named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). Things get serious before Theodore begins to realize that romance with an A.I. is more complicated than he thought. What follows is a thoughtful exploration of love, relationships, and the ways human beings find connection in a plugged-in world.
A24
Ex Machina (2014)
Run Time: 108 min | IMDb: 7.7/10
Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller is another installment in the A.I. space, one that mixes deep, existential crises with a bit of robot romance and a pretty fantastic dance sequence from Oscar Isaac. Domhnall Gleeson plays a naïve young computer programmer offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to study an eerily realistic new A.I. lifeform named Ava (Alicia Vikander). While getting to know Ava, and fancying himself in love with her, he also must contend with her brilliant yet cruel creator, Nathan (Isaac). If you think you have this one figured out before the end, you’re probably wrong.
The Weinstein Company
Carol (2015)
Run Time: 118 min | IMDb: 7.2/10
Cate Blanchett in anything is worth your time, but Cate Blanchett giving a tour-de-force performance as a middle-aged housewife who begins a forbidden love affair with an awkward shop-girl played by Rooney Mara is worth a permanent spot in any self-respecting cinephile’s Netflix queue. Besides giving us a lush, beautifully shot portrait of 1950s New York, Todd Haynes’ period drama also serves a muted yet heartbreaking romance that’s all the more powerful because of its subtlety.
A24
Obvious Child (2014)
Run Time: 84 min | IMDb: 6.8/10
Jenny Slate is one of the more underrated comedians in the game right now but she proved herself a capable leading lady in Gillian Robespierre’s indie rom-com, Obvious Child. Slate plays Donna, a young hopeful trying to make it in the world of stand-up. She frequents a few undergrounds around New York City, honing her set while disappointing her successful academic mother by phoning it in at a used bookstore in Brooklyn for her regular 9-5. She has a brief and promising love affair with Max (Jake Lacy) before facing a dilemma: an unplanned pregnancy. There aren’t many films that can tackle the sensitive topic of abortion with dignity, grace, and a ton of poop jokes, so you’ll want to check this one out.
A24
Under The Skin (2007)
Run Time: 108 min | IMDb: 6.3/10
Scarlett Johansson stars in this sci-fi thriller about an other-worldly woman with a dark agenda. The film sees Johansson using her sex appeal to lure unsuspecting men to their watery doom while beginning to contemplate her own existence with every new partner she seduces. It’s a subtle reverse of rape culture but if all of that goes over your head, you’ll at least enjoy seeing Johansson off a bunch of frat bros and rapists.
Columbia
Cruel Intentions (1999)
Run Time: 97 min | IMDb: 6.8/10
A ’90s cult classic that manages to remain relevant and fresh, this romantic thriller starring Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Reese Witherspoon explores the sexual awakenings that happen during the high school years and mixes it with themes of classism and a dabbling of debauchery. Phillippe and Gellar are step-siblings of the upper crust sort who have an incestuous relationship that culminates with a wager to see if Phillippe’s bad-boy persona can score with the virginal Witherspoon. The usual happens — bad boy turns good because of love — but the fun part of this story is watching Gellar deliver such a wickedly good villain.
Netflix
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Run Time: 99 mins | IMDb: 7.7/10
Netflix’s latest original flick is being hailed as the best teen rom-com of the decade and for good reason. The story stars Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey, a junior in high school who tends to write her crushes love letters but never actually sends them. After those same letters are anonymously sent, she’s forced to do damage control by carrying on a fake relationship with one of her former love interests. It’s a sweet, oddly empowering twist on the classic rom-com trope, and you won’t be able to scroll through Twitter without coming across a Peter Kavinsky stan account thanks to this one.
IFC Films
Y Tu Mama También (2002)
Run Time: 106 min | IMDb: 7.7/10
After a stint in Hollywood, Alfonso Cuarón returned to Mexico for this story of two privileged high school boys (Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal) who road trip with an older woman (Maribel Verdú) in search of an unspoiled stretch of beach. In the process, they discover freedom like they’d never imagined — and maybe more freedom than they can handle. Cuarón’s stylish film plays out against the backdrop of Mexican political upheaval and plays with notions of upturning the established order on scales both large and small, all the while suggesting that no paradise lasts forever.
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