Whether with pizza or drinks, movies have always been a good choice for a first date. Cuffing season or not, this list is designed to help save you the awkwardness of scrolling through your chosen streaming service to find a film that appeases both your tastes.
All of these choices have been tested on either myself or the people around me, and they have received a 5-star rating in terms of their performance on breaking the ice.
These are perfect films where it’s alright to miss a bit or two and still have good fun watching. So grab a drink, enjoy your film and your date!
The Half of It (2020, Alice Wu)
Two girls and one boy in a love triangle is such a cheesy setting for a teenage rom-com, but this film tells a different kind of story. Without giving it away, this is a perfect film to help open up to each other on a first date. You can start a conversation and get into it about the characters. Directed and written by Alice Wu, the film has a welcome detailed touch for the female characters, making them appropriately expressive and emotionally insightful.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002, Gurinder Chadha)
A beautiful 2000s movie that evokes all the Y2K memories through the soundtrack and fashion in this story of football, friendship, and finding your identity. Bend It Like Beckham, directed by Gurinder Chadha, tackles the challenges faced by second-generation immigrants in Britain, with the typical racial and gender prejudices as well as family expectations. It’s a perfect first-date film for having a laugh, discussing the social issues represented, and getting to know each other more through your thoughts on the films.
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011, Glenn Ficarra & John Requa)
Very much a silly, cheesy choice but a good one for a first date since it will make both of you laugh. Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a good film to help provoke discussion on your date, too, as there are so many questionable choices and standout moments that will get both of you thinking. The film starts off simply with a middle-aged man (Steve Carell) coping with a divorce, but after being taken under the wing of, in essence, a pick-up artist (Ryan Gosling), things spiral, and the plot continually goes in unexpected directions.
The Holiday (2006, Nancy Meyers)
It’s more of a seasonal choice, but once it hits December, Nancy Meyers’ Christmas classic is a hard film to refuse for a first date. The house-swapping story is a nice, cosy, light-hearted watch that will make you and your date laugh. Its breezy but lengthy runtime makes it a perfect choice for an evening watch accompanied by a bottle of wine.
Me Before You (2016, Thea Sharrock)
Watching this film will bring on a mix of laughter and tears. Sharing emotions on a date could be intimidating, but it may also help create a safe environment to open up, relax, and share deep thoughts.
The Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006, Justin Lin)
Okay, some bangers! If both of you are into some actions, cars and racing, Tokyo Drift is a good one. If you have seen it, rewatching it makes the film even better because Tokyo Drift never gets old. If you have never seen it, please grab a seat and grab a drink, because it is a great film and my favourite of the Fast & Furious films. It helps take you back to a simpler time for the series before everything went south. Justin Lin creates a vibrant film with a great soundtrack and brilliantly integrates Japanese culture.
Scary Movie (2000, Keenen Ivory Wayans)
Scary Movie is the perfect kind of classic, ridiculous entertainment that makes you laugh and could even create some physical contact if you would like for a first date. It’s such a joke driven film that paying attention is entirely optional to following and enjoying it, making it good background watching when on a date. If you enjoy watching this, keen Ivory Wayans’ follow-up Whithicks can help scratch that urge for a future date.
