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There is no definitive ranking of the best date-night movies, and “best” depends on what you both want to watch. This curated 55-film list favors memorable storytelling, a mix of eras and styles, and options for different shared moods—from playful comedy to sweeping romance, bittersweet drama, and genre blends. Each pick includes a quick guide to its mood and what kind of evening it suits.
A date-night movie need not be a conventional rom-com: the American Film Institute’s Valentine’s Day guide embraces everything from epic love stories to tearjerkers, while its romantic-film guide spans comedy, drama, thriller, and action. Rotten Tomatoes’ history-spanning romantic-comedy guide is another useful discovery pool, not a measure of whether a particular couple will enjoy a film. AFI’s Valentine’s Day Movie Guide, AFI’s romantic-film guide, and Rotten Tomatoes’ romantic-comedy guide offer useful starting points.
Classic romances and screwball comedies
- It Happened One Night (1934) — Playful, screwball romance. A runaway heiress and a reporter find themselves traveling together; a lively pick if you enjoy fast dialogue and classic Hollywood charm.
- The Philadelphia Story (1940) — Witty, sophisticated romance. A socialite’s wedding plans are complicated by her ex-husband and a pair of reporters, making this a sharp choice for a couple who likes romantic entanglements with a comic edge.
- His Girl Friday (1940) — Rapid-fire romantic comedy. A newspaper editor tries to keep his star reporter—and ex-wife—from leaving the newsroom. Best for viewers who enjoy talky, high-speed comedy.
- The Shop Around the Corner (1940) — Gentle, old-fashioned romance. Two bickering shop clerks are unaware they are each other’s anonymous pen pals. Choose it for a warm, low-stakes evening.
- Casablanca (1942) — Romantic, bittersweet drama. An old love returns to a wartime café owner’s life, setting up a story of affection, sacrifice, and difficult choices.
- An Affair to Remember (1957) — Sweeping, sentimental romance. Two people who meet aboard a ship make a promise to reunite. A fit for a couple in the mood for classic, openly emotional romance.
- Moonstruck (1987) — Funny, passionate romance. A New York widow’s engagement takes an unexpected turn when she falls for her fiancé’s brother. AFI presents the film as both a magical romance and a comedy, making it a flexible choice for a lighter but heartfelt night.
1980s and 1990s crowd-pleasers
- Say Anything… (1989) — Sweet, earnest romance. An aspiring kickboxer pursues a high-achieving student after graduation. Its youthful sincerity suits viewers looking for a tender, character-led story.
- When Harry Met Sally… (1989) — Talky, funny, warmly romantic. Two friends revisit the question of whether men and women can remain friends. A natural choice for couples who enjoy sharp conversation and a gradual-burn relationship.
- Pretty Woman (1990) — Glossy, escapist romance. A business executive and a streetwise woman form an unexpected connection. Pick it for a polished, fairy-tale-leaning romantic comedy.
- Groundhog Day (1993) — Funny, inventive, romantic-adjacent. A cynical TV weatherman relives the same day repeatedly. Romance is part of the story, but the time-loop comedy is the bigger draw.
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) — Ensemble romantic comedy. A man’s romantic misadventures unfold across a series of social gatherings. It works well when you want a light, conversational film with a group of characters.
- Before Sunrise (1995) — Intimate, contemplative romance. Two young travelers spend a night walking and talking in Vienna. Choose it if you both like dialogue-driven films and an unhurried pace.
- Clueless (1995) — Bright, playful comedy with romance. A well-meaning Beverly Hills teen takes an interest in matchmaking and self-improvement. Its breezy humor makes it a good pick for a relaxed night.
- While You Were Sleeping (1995) — Gentle, cozy romantic comedy. A lonely transit worker is mistaken for the fiancée of a man in a coma and grows close to his family. A soft-edged choice for viewers who prefer warmth over cynicism.
- Jerry Maguire (1996) — Romance within a sports drama. A sports agent’s career reset intersects with his relationship with a colleague. Choose it if you want romance alongside ambition and professional stakes.
- My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) — Wry, bittersweet comedy. A woman realizes her feelings for a longtime friend just as he prepares to marry someone else. Better for viewers open to romantic messiness than a straightforward happy-ever-after.
- You’ve Got Mail (1998) — Cozy, chatty romance. Two business rivals connect anonymously online without knowing who the other is. Its bookstore setting and correspondence make it a comfortable, low-pressure pick.
- 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) — Funny, youthful romance. A high-school dating scheme becomes complicated when the people involved develop real feelings. A lively option for a playful evening.
2000s romances and romantic comedies
- In the Mood for Love (2000) — Restrained, yearning romance. Two neighbors form a quiet bond after discovering their spouses’ affair. Choose it for a visually expressive, slow, and emotionally subtle film.
- Love & Basketball (2000) — Romance meets sports drama. Two neighbors share a love of basketball as their relationship changes over the years. A strong choice if you want romance with an equally important story about ambition.
- Amélie (2001) — Whimsical, visually playful romance. A shy Parisian woman quietly improves the lives of people around her while looking for connection herself. Suits a couple in the mood for eccentric charm.
- Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) — Self-deprecating, comic romance. A woman records her efforts to improve her life and navigate relationships. Pick it for humor rooted in awkwardness rather than idealized courtship.
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) — Warm, family-centered comedy. A Greek American woman falls for a non-Greek man, with both families part of the story. It’s a good fit if you enjoy romantic comedies with a lively ensemble.
- Love Actually (2003) — Ensemble romance, comic and bittersweet. Several stories of love and relationships overlap in London. Its multiple threads make it a choice for viewers who like switching between characters and tones.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) — Inventive, emotionally intense romance. A couple’s memories are erased after a painful breakup, but their connection persists in unexpected ways. Choose it when you’re up for a more complex and melancholy story.
- Hitch (2005) — Light, polished romantic comedy. A dating coach discovers that romance is less predictable than his advice suggests. An easygoing option for a cheerful night.
- Pride & Prejudice (2005) — Period romance, sharp and sweeping. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s misunderstandings and shifting impressions drive this adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel. A good pick for viewers who enjoy elegant settings and slow-building attraction.
- The Holiday (2006) — Cozy, escapist romance. Two women trade homes over the holidays and find new possibilities in different settings. Choose it for a comforting, low-stakes mood.
- Once (2007) — Intimate, musical, bittersweet. A Dublin street musician and a Czech immigrant make music together and form a connection. Best for a quieter evening and viewers open to romance that doesn’t follow a conventional path.
- Definitely, Maybe (2008) — Warm, lightly wistful romance. A father tells his daughter the story of his past relationships, leaving her to guess which woman became her mother. A relaxed choice for a story about love across different stages of life.
- (500) Days of Summer (2009) — Reflective, bittersweet relationship story. A young man revisits a relationship that did not work out. Choose it if you want a romance that examines expectations rather than promising a conventional ending.
2010s and newer relationship stories
- Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) — Ensemble comedy with romance. A newly separated man gets dating advice from a confident bachelor as several relationship stories intersect. A lively pick if you want comedy and multiple romantic threads.
- The Big Sick (2017) — Romantic dramedy with family and health stakes. A comedian and a graduate student begin a relationship complicated by illness and cultural differences. Choose it for humor that shares space with serious material.
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) — Sweet, youthful romantic comedy. A teenager’s private love letters unexpectedly reach their recipients, upending her social life. A breezy choice for a lighter, teen-centered story.
- If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) — Poetic, emotionally intense romance and drama. A young couple’s future is threatened when one is accused of a crime. Best for a focused evening and viewers ready for serious subject matter.
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) — Slow-burn, visually rich romance. An artist and her subject develop an intimate connection in eighteenth-century France. Choose it for a patient, contemplative film rather than a fast-moving comedy.
- Always Be My Maybe (2019) — Funny, contemporary second-chance romance. Childhood friends reconnect as adults whose lives have taken different paths. A good option for a relaxed night with familiar rom-com rhythms.
- Emma. (2020) — Period comedy with a slow-burn romance. A confident young matchmaker misreads the romantic lives around her. Pick it for witty social maneuvering and elaborate period style.
- Happiest Season (2020) — Holiday romantic comedy with family tension. A woman’s plan to propose during a family visit is complicated by her girlfriend’s reluctance to come out to her family. The relationship story is playful in places but includes conflict around identity and acceptance.
- Rye Lane (2023) — Energetic, contemporary romantic comedy. Two Londoners meet after difficult breakups and spend a day getting to know each other. Choose it for a lively, modern date-night mood.
Romance with fantasy, thriller, or action
- True Romance (1993) — Crime thriller with romance. A couple on the run gets caught up in dangerous criminal trouble. It is a better choice for viewers who want violence and suspense alongside the love story than for anyone seeking a gentle rom-com.
- The Wedding Banquet (1993) — Romantic comedy and family drama. A Taiwanese American man’s arrangement to marry a woman to appease his parents grows more complicated than planned. Choose it for a relationship story that also explores family expectations.
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) — Stylized action-comedy with romance. A young musician must confront his new girlfriend’s exes in increasingly fantastical battles. Best for couples who want a visually inventive film with video-game energy rather than a conventional love story.
- Her (2013) — Science-fiction romance, thoughtful and melancholy. A lonely writer develops a relationship with an operating system. Choose it for a reflective story about intimacy and technology.
- The Shape of Water (2017) — Fantasy romance with suspense. A mute cleaner forms a bond with a mysterious aquatic being held in a government facility. A fit for viewers who welcome romance mixed with danger and fantastical imagery.
- Your Name (2016) — Animated fantasy romance. Two teenagers begin mysteriously switching bodies across distance and time. Choose it for a visually expressive story blending youthful romance, humor, and mystery.
- Warm Bodies (2013) — Comic supernatural romance. A zombie and a human woman form an unexpected connection in a post-apocalyptic setting. A playful option for couples who like genre mash-ups.
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) — Action comedy with married-couple tension. A married pair discover they are each other’s hidden professional rivals. Pick it when action and banter matter more than a conventional courtship plot.
- Romancing the Stone (1984) — Adventure romance. A romance novelist gets pulled into a dangerous treasure hunt in Colombia. It’s an upbeat choice for a couple who want an escapade as well as a love story.
- Stardust (2007) — Fantasy adventure with romance. A young man crosses into a magical realm to retrieve a fallen star and discovers a larger adventure. Choose it for a fanciful, storybook-style evening.
- Meet the Parents (2000) — Relationship comedy with family awkwardness. A man’s attempt to impress his partner’s parents spirals into a series of mishaps. Romance is the setup; the comic family friction is the main attraction.
Choose by mood, not by a score
If you’re deciding quickly, start with the kind of evening you both want rather than a review percentage. For easy laughs, try Clueless, Hitch, or Always Be My Maybe. For a sweeping or classic romance, consider Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, or Pride & Prejudice. If you want a thoughtful conversation afterward, In the Mood for Love, Her, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind may fit. For suspense or spectacle with romance in the mix, consider True Romance or The Shape of Water.
These mood descriptions are editorial guidance, not a shared rating system. Rotten Tomatoes’ displayed critic and audience percentages describe reception within its own system; they do not predict whether a particular pair will enjoy a film together. Streaming availability changes by country and date, and is not established here, so check your local services before settling on a title.
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