So you’ve connected with someone on a free dating website, you’ve spent time getting to know them better, and now you’ve reached the point where you’d like to invite them out on your first date together. One activity which will never fail to bring you closer will be enjoying a movie. The only issue you really need concern yourself about is this: which film should you watch? The good news is, there are so many possibilities to choose from. Here are seven which are particularly recommended.
Before Sunrise (1995)
More a romantic drama than a romcom, this story focuses on a young couple falling for each other over the space of one night, realizing their time together is finite. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are thrown together by a chance encounter on a train trip across Europe. Disembarking in Vienna, the chemistry sparkling becomes all the more poignant when you consider this time tomorrow they must continue their journeys separately.
Groundhog Day (1993)
In this highly unusual romcom, Bill Murray’s cynical TV weatherman finds himself caught in a time loop, doomed to repeat the same day over and over again. Amidst the ensuing chaos, he meets news producer Andie McDowell. Initially abrasive towards him, she gradually succumbs to his charms; although his more impending issue is the unpredictability of the unraveling timescale.
Anchorman (2004)
First dates always get off to a flying start if there’s a lot of laughter involved. A madcap comedy starring Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carrel, it’s Ferrell who steals the show as the titular anchorman, Ron Burgundy. An old-fashioned sexist from a bygone age, he nonetheless kindles a spark of unlikely interest in the feisty Applegate.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Science fiction and dinosaurs might not seem like obvious choices for a first date movie, but Steven Speilberg’s rollicking adventure film is perfect for edge-of-the-seat entertainment. The jaw-dropping special effects will not only keep you riveted, when that monstrous T-Rex approaches – heralded by ominous ripples in a water cup – you and your date will be drawn closer together for comfort.
The Woman in Black (2012)
Sticking to the theme of unconventional date choices, this chiller stars Daniel Radcliffe in a ‘grown-up’ movie after playing the titular schoolboy wizard of the Harry Potter films. The atmosphere of Gothic suspense is maintained throughout the story, and there are plenty jump scares as a vengeful ghost makes fleeting appearances. Each time this happens, your loved one is sure to seek solace in your arms!
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
As with the aforementioned thrillers, who’s to say a first date move should be something frivolous, with scenes you can laugh heartily at, but don’t exactly stick in the mind after you’ve finished your popcorn? There’s humor and pathos as Jack Nicholson finds himself incarcerated in a psychiatric institution where the parameters between those ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ are ambiguous. This comedy-drama was only the second feature to scoop all five major Academy Awards, and justifiably so. You and your partner will spend an absorbing hour and a half as every emotion is put through the tumble-dryer. Experiencing this superb film together will be a fantastic icebreaker.
West Side Story (1961)
Shakespeare’s tale of a doomed love affair between young members of rival families is updated to 1950s New York, where street gangs of American and Puerto Rican youths are in a state of constant conflict. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards (and winning 10), with superb dance routines, uplifting music and a genuinely poignant storyline, this movie will enthrall you on your first date.
