Best Movies (For Real) To Watch For Date Night
Sexy, smart and cerebrally seductive—this is the kind of date night movie list you won't find that easily. But will keep returning to
For couples who really lean into their films, movie night could be a tricky beast to tame. You’re so over La La Land. Get Out is the biggest cliche there is. Eternal Sunshine of the... oh, can I shut up? We get it. After Sinners, the bar for the perfect date night movie has been slammed even higher: there should be thrill, chase and the customary dopamine spike, and not just vague feelings of mush, melancholy and heartfelt drama. For you to connect sensorily (the whole point of the night), it should look good and sound good.
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The verdict is that you can no longer just fire the TV and press play on The Holiday because your girlfriend once told you how much she loves that film. That'll be an opportunity wasted—an opportunity to really bond, and feel a gamut of emotions (whatever you need for the night) in sync with someone you share a life with. Here's diving into a personal archive for a list of 21st-century films that you can stream tonight as you snuggle up with your snack and their snacks.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
This light-footed time-travel romance directed by the now beleaguered Woody Allen is soaked in Parisian charm and literary nostalgia. Owen Wilson plays a wistful screenwriter who stumbles into the 1920s every night—and falls for Marion Cotillard’s glowing muse. It’s perfect for dreamy couples who love the idea of old souls, café conversations, and falling in love across timelines. Playful and wistfully escapist, this is a fail-safe date night classic with a golden tint. Rachel McAdams also stars.
Available on Apple TV+
Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)
Why I like Cha Cha Real Smooth is because it is earnest, awkward and kind of wonderful. The indie charmer follows a bar mitzvah party host trying to find his way post-college while forming a bond with a young mother and her autistic daughter. It’s refreshingly sincere without ever feeling saccharine. Cooper Raiff’s open-book vulnerability meets Dakota Johnson’s quiet gravity in a way that feels emotionally alive. If you and your SO appreciate modern messiness and softness, this warm, gently funny watch is right up your alley.
Available on Apple TV+
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Wimbledon (2004)
Set against the unexpected backdrop of centre court, this is a sprightly underdog rom-com by director Richard Loncraine where a faded British tennis pro falls for an up-and-coming American star. Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst have relaxed, believable chemistry, and the film scores with just the right balance of flirtation and feel-good triumph. If you like your love stories sporty but not sweaty, and full of charm with a side of English wit—Wimbledon serves well.
Watch on Netflix
The Worst Person in the World (2021)
Wow, what a film. A sharp, tender and unflinchingly honest portrait of a young woman’s meandering search for meaning, love and identity in Oslo. Renate Reinsve gives a luminous, layered performance that dances between humour and heartbreak. Director Joachim Trier’s film doesn’t moralise; it just observes. Great for couples who know that love isn’t always clean, but connection can still be beautiful amid the mess. Bittersweet, but also bold and surprisingly sexy when it wants to be.
Watch on MUBI
Source Code (2011)
A lean, time-looping sci-fi thriller with a surprisingly romantic centre. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier stuck in a quantum puzzle, reliving the same 8 minutes on a doomed train to find a bomber—and falling for a fellow passenger in the process. This one zips along with sharp pacing and emotional stakes that sneak up on you. Also starring Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga, the Duncan Jones actioner is the rare film that’s both high-concept and heartfelt, making it ideal for a “thinking, feeling” kind of date night.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
Longlegs (2024)
If your love language involves holding hands because you’re terrified, Longlegs, directed by Osgood Perkins (son of Psycho star Anthony Perkins), is the date-night horror to beat. A chilling detective thriller with supernatural edges and a twisted performance by Nicolas Cage, it’s scary but stylised, and Maika Monroe grounds the madness with fierce vulnerability. This is for couples who enjoy tension, dread, and analysing what the hell just happened once the credits roll. Plus, sharing goosebumps counts as bonding.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
West Side Story (2021)
Steven Spielberg’s retelling of the legendary musical bursts with color, choreography, and aching romantic tragedy. Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort play star-crossed lovers from rival communities in 1950s New York, but it’s Ariana DeBose who nearly walks away with the whole film. Passionate and polished, it’s perfect for couples who want to swoon, sigh, and maybe sing a little between kisses. High-stakes love, glorious visuals, and that sense of everything mattering—date night grandeur.
Watch on JioHotstar
Once (2007)
Shot on a shoestring in the streets of Dublin, Once captures lightning in a bottle—two musicians connecting through shared grief and song. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, real-life musicians with aching chemistry, breathe intimacy into every quiet moment in this film by John Carney, known for his other renowned musicals Sing Street (2016) and Begin Again (2013). The music is raw and heart-spilling, the silences even more so. For couples who value subtlety over spectacle, this is a film that whispers its way into your bones and stays.
Rent on YouTube
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Decision to Leave (2022)
Sultry, elusive and hypnotic, this romantic mystery seduces with every frame. A detective investigating a woman (Tang Wei) whose husband has died under strange circumstances finds himself dangerously drawn to her. Park Chan-wook masterfully builds erotic tension through glances, withheld emotion and lyrical visuals. It’s emotionally rich and intellectually intriguing—best shared with someone who’s down to feel desire and doubt in the same breath. Sexy in a hush-hush, slow-burn way.
Watch on MUBI
Fallen Leaves (2023)
All deadpan melancholy and stubborn hope, is this film by the Finnish icon Aki Kaurismäki. Two lonely souls (Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen) meet in a Helsinki bar and slowly, awkwardly, try to find each other again. It’s sparse in dialogue but overflowing with tender intent. Kaurismäki’s signature style—static frames, dry humour and poetic restraint—makes this a surprising balm for quiet nights. For couples who crave stillness, small gestures, and a belief that even the overlooked deserve great love.
Watch on MUBI