Movies For Couples: The Best 30 Movies for a Successful Date
Written by: Bobby McNeill
Table of Contents
There is probably no better feeling in life than being freshly in love. In order not to go wrong on the first date with great love, many couples opt for a nice movie after a romantic dinner to perfectly round off the day that has been successful so far.
When choosing, however, it’s important to make sure that it’s really a movie for couples that both partners will enjoy. Otherwise, one person (usually the woman) won’t be able to stop gushing while the other person (typically the man) is already about to fall asleep. To ensure this is exactly what doesn’t happen, we’ve included a small selection of romantic movies for your first date below.
01. Pretty Woman (1990)
An undisputed classic for the first date is the 1990 film “Pretty Woman,” in which Richard Gere, a rich businessman Edward Lewis, falls in love with the prostitute Vivian, played by Julia Roberts. What doesn’t sound very romantic develops in the course of this turbulent romantic comedy into a beautiful story, which could hardly be told better. And at the latest, when Roy Orbison sings his eponymous cult hit “Pretty Woman” during the film, you’re guaranteed to be in a good mood on the sofa. And now, all together: “Pretty woman, walkin’ down the street. Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet, Pretty woman..”
02. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Another film classic that is hard to imagine a first date without, or at the very latest, a second date without Dirty Dancing. The 1987 dance film tells the story of young Francis “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey), who comes from a wealthy family.
During the summer vacations spent with her family, she falls in love with the dapper dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) of all people, but he doesn’t have much for arrogant girls with higher incomes. But when his real dance partner suddenly drops out for a big event and “Baby” takes over her role, the two get a little closer with every rehearsed dance step.
At the latest, in the grand finale, in which Johnny and Baby finally find each other, and your new love remembers that Patrick Swayze, unfortunately, passed away much too early, nothing should stand in the way of a tightly embraced cuddle on the couch. But be sure to avoid watching the sequel “Dirty Dancing 2”, which has nothing to do with the great original film except for the great name.
03. Love Actually (2003)
Suppose your first date falls during pre-Christmas, and you’re looking for the right movie for a cozy evening on the couch. In that case, your search won’t last too long: On the cold days of the year, there’s hardly a better movie for couples than the romantic comedy “Love Actually…”.
In ten individual stories, everything revolves around love in all its facets, which can be very beautiful, but sometimes also complicated or sad. From a family man who loses his wife in a stroke of fate and now has to raise his young son alone, to the son above who falls madly in love with a girl, to a writer who falls in love with his maid or the British prime minister who takes a liking to his attractive secretary, there’s a suitable love story here for every taste.
In addition, “Love Actually…” is packed with top-notch stars: it features u.a. High Grant, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson, Billy Bob Thornton, Laura Linney, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Thomas Sangster u.v.m.
A wonderful Christmas film, for which the handkerchiefs should be ready before it begins.
In the turbulent comedy “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray plays the listless weatherman Phil Connors, who once again has to do his least favorite job: Together with the newly hired recording manager Rita, he is supposed to travel to the sleepy little town of Punxsutawney, where a groundhog predicts the weather for the coming months, year after year. A real media event that pretty much everyone on the scene is interested in – except Phil.
When the latter gets caught in a time spiral and unstoppably relives the hated day, his spirits are finally at rock bottom. The longer he is held in Punxsutawney, the more he develops into a genuine humanitarian who must admit that he has fallen deeply in love with his coworker Rita. Until not only did he change, but he also changed his perspective on the people around him. But winning her heart is anything but easy for the former curmudgeon.
“And daily greets the groundhog” is not only very entertaining but also romantic. Many beautiful scenes, such as the snowball fight between Phil and Rita, which ends in an evening in front of the crackling fireplace, bring a cozy atmosphere into the living room, especially in the year’s cold months.
05. City of Angels (1998)
Seth (Nicolas Cage) is an angel whose task is to accompany deceased persons into the afterlife. He has, just like many other angels on Earth, the ability to take on a human form – in contrast to a real human being, he can’t feel any emotions. But when, as part of one of his assignments, he meets an ambitious heart surgeon named Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan), who, to her great sorrow, has a patient die on her operating table, a deep desire arises in him to be a real human being so that he can be happy with this wonderful, compassionate woman.
There is a way for Seth to fulfill his greatest wish: He must throw himself off a skyscraper in order to live on Earth as a real person again from now on. But it is exactly this new life that causes Seth great emotional turmoil.
With this beautiful and heartfelt film by director Brad Silberling, moist eyes are pre-programmed… And what better consolation than an extensive cuddle session?
06. Sommersby (1993)
A real insider tip among movies for couples in our eyes is “Sommersby.” The touching film tells the story, set in 1867, of Laurel Sommersby (Jodie Foster) and Jack Sommersby (Richard Gere), who were a couple before Jack had to leave for the Civil War. When Laurel had not heard from Jack for many years and already assumed that he had been killed in the war, he suddenly reappears.
Actually, she should be happy about this, but Jack has treated her badly and even beaten her for years. Strangely, however, her returned husband behaves completely differently, is very affectionate with his wife, and is surprisingly friendly to all the village inhabitants.
But when the family dog doesn’t recognize Jack and growls at him, Laurel begins to doubt whether the person who has returned is really her husband. However, she has long since fallen in love with the new Jack and is ready to spend her life with him…
“Sommersby” is very sensitive and romantic but also heartbreaking in places – all in all, it’s a film that you should prefer to watch snuggled up close to your partner on the sofa at home.
07. P.S. I Love You (2007)
Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler) are a happy couple who love each other with all their hearts – even though they live in a much too small apartment in New York. But then the unthinkable happens: Gerry dies as a result of a brain tumor, causing Holly to fall into a deep hole of despair.
When she receives a pre-recorded voicemail from her husband on her birthday and, as a result, several letters written before Gerry’s death pointing out minor life goals, something like normalcy returns to Holly’s life. However, with a negative aspect: she only orientates herself on Gerry’s letters and forgets that the people around her continue to exist and that they also don’t want to lose her.
“P.S.: I love you” reminds you and your partner every time you watch it that the life you lead together is worth its weight in gold every single minute. You should enjoy your relationship every day as if it were the last day – because you never know what the future will bring.
08. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
The very prominently cast Wes Anderson film “Moonrise Kingdom” is a real masterpiece of its genre. It tells the story of Sam, a 12-year-old boy scout, and Suzy Bishop, a high school student of the same age, who one day decide to run away and turn their backs on their common home.
What is impressive about this very emotional film, however, is not the fact that two children fall in love with each other and decide to take such a serious step in their lives – but the portrayal of the love of two people in love in its purest form. In contrast to older couples who focus on sexuality in their relationship, these two children prove that real love can also lead to serious life decisions. At the same time, the film explains to adults how important real love can be even old.
09. Love Story (1970)
“Love Story” is the film adaptation of the same name of the bestseller by Erich Segal and tells the story of Jenny (Ali McGraw) and Oliver (Ryan O’Neal). He could hardly be more different: While Oliver comes from a wealthy and conservative home, Jenny is the child of an immigrant family from Italy. Nevertheless, the mismatched couple seems to get through their relationship without serious problems – until Jenny suddenly falls ill with a rare blood disease after their romantic wedding.
To finance the costly treatment of his wife, Oliver borrows money from his wealthy father, but out of false pride, he gives another reason as a pretext. Will he be able to save his terminally ill wife and bring the story to a happy end?
Just like “P.S.: I love you,” this film also shows in a drastic way that you should enjoy every moment with your partner because you never know what fate life has in store for you next. “Love Story” lives up to its simple name in every way, as the love story told here reveals the true value of love and simultaneously moves its viewers to tears.
10. Titanic (1997)
Of course, “Titanic” can’t be left out of the best movies for couples: Although the outcome of the story surrounding the luxury liner Titanic, which set sail in 1912, should be familiar to pretty much everyone, it’s not the actual disaster of the ship that’s the focus of this film: rather, it’s the sad love story between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet), which began on the ship and came to its tragic end right there.
But even if there is no happy ending in “Titanic,”: The film, which won 11 Oscars, shows couples in love that a relationship can be over sooner than you’d expect due to a variety of circumstances – which is why you should give your partner a big hug and snuggle up to you no later than the heartbreaking finale.
11. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
What on Earth is supposed to be romantic about a death? This question is quite justified in view of the film’s title – but will quickly vanish into thin air in the course of the story: Charles (Hugh Grant), who has no thoughts of commitment, meets the beautiful American Carrie (Andie MacDowell) at a friend’s wedding.
When the latter reveals to him after a night of love that she wants to return to the States, Charles’ theory that a permanent relationship is an absolute nonsense is confirmed. But then he meets Carrie at a second wedding, where this time she takes the role of the bride. Charles suddenly realizes that he still loves Carrie. But is there still a chance for the two despite the upcoming wedding?
Funny, romantic, sad – that’s how a good movie for couples should be. There are both funny moments when you can laugh heartily and touching moments when a handkerchief would not be the worst choice. Above all, however, there is – despite the irritating film title – a happy ending.
12. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Who would have thought that the eternal crumple face of Jim Carrey could also be serious? In the drama “Don’t Forget Me,” he plays the rather reserved Joel Barish, who lives with the opposite Clementine (Kate Winslet). But when Clementine breaks up with Joel one day after an argument, Joel does everything in his power to win back the heart of his girlfriend – but she has already found a new boyfriend in the much younger Patrick (Elijah Wood)…
At the end of this wild roller coaster ride of emotions, there is only one important realization: In life, only true love counts – even if it has long since ceased to exist.
13. I Love You, Phillip Morris (2009)
Who says that real love exists only between a man and a woman? In the romantic comedy “I Love You, Phillip Morris,” Jim Carrey once again proves us wrong: Steven Russell (Carrey), outwardly a happy family man, suddenly realizes that he is much more attracted to the male sex than previously thought.
After his outing, he not only plunges into the gay scene of Miami but also into a wide variety of illegal activities that eventually land him in jail. There he meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), a prisoner, and falls head over heels in love with him. But the love of the two men is severely tested after their release…
Although this film does not focus on the love between a man and a woman, it contains an important message that every couple should take to heart: fight for your love – no matter what happens.
14. Out of Africa (1985)
If you are looking for a touching but at the same time visually stunning movie for the first date, “Beyond Africa” should be an excellent choice.
The u.a. This Oscar-winning film starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep tells the story of the rich Danish woman Karen Blixen, who sets up a coffee plantation in Kenya in 1914, but at the same time suffers greatly from her hard marriage to her husband, Baron Bror Blixen-Fincke. When she falls in love with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton one fine day, her life finally seems to hold beautiful moments for her again – but then the war that is to change everything breaks out.
“Beyond Africa” is a sad story of a young love that is abruptly interrupted at a still tender stage of development – just as can happen not too rare in real life. A cinematic masterpiece, which you can watch especially well with your partner.
15. Amour (2012)
The film’s name by director Michael Haneke says it all: The retired music teacher George lives with his wife Anne in old age and still loves her dearly – which is mutual on Anne’s part. But when Anne suffers a stroke one day and is paralyzed below the waist, the harmonious life of the two threatens to come apart at the seams. George, however, takes care of his wife with devotion to making her life as beautiful as possible. However, as Anne’s condition visibly deteriorates, George also reaches his limits, and the assistance of several caregivers is unavoidable; the once-so-happy relationship seems to fall apart after all.
“Love” is a touching and sensitive story that reminds us of a promise we make to the priest at our wedding: to stand by our partner in good times and in bad.
However, the film is not only suitable for older people but also for young couples who this moving story will remind of what true love is all about.
16. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
17. Date Night (2010)
18. Begin Again (2014)
19. About Time (2013)
20. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
21. Moonstruck (1987)
22. Adventureland (2009)
23. Out of Sight (1998)
24. La La Land (2016)
25. Juno (2007)
26. Alfie (2004)
27. The Tourist (2010)
28. Notting Hill (1999)
29. 50 First Dates (2004)
30. Sing Street (2016)
Watching a romantic movie with your partner on a first date can be an excellent way to strengthen the still-fresh relationship. With one of the romance movies listed here, you should be able to make that happen, too. We wish you good entertainment while watching, hopefully, a romantic evening with your partner, and all the best for your relationship.
