So you’ve met someone on a dating service and you’re getting round to the topic of possible date activities when you start regular liaisons. One of the most popular ways to enjoy each other’s company is to escape into the wonders of the silver screen, and what better way to do so than streaming a romantic movie on Netflix? So get some snacks ordered and choose from any of these six classics that were compiled for you by dating experts from BeyondtheCharter?
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After (2019)
The premise may seem flimsy – the screenplay is based on One Direction fan fiction – but if you don’t take this film too seriously, it’s a lot of fun. The perfect way to kick-start your first date – you could always graduate to something with more substance later. Its plot, concerning female student Tessa (Josephine Langford) who falls for ‘bad boy’ Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) may be generic, but the movie has been a runaway success, earning $70 million on a basic budget of $14 million.
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The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
This could be that second choice, is about four friends on the German-occupied Channel island of Guernsey during World War II, who fabricate a book club meeting when stopped by a patrol. Rom-com stalwart Lily James plays the main character, Juliet, an author who returns to the island after the hostilities have ended, uncovering a twisting plot that features drama and passion, with excellent performances from the ensemble cast.
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Set It Up (2018)
Harper (Zoey Deutch) is a personal assistant to Kirsten (Lucy Liu), the ambitious head of a sports journalism empire. Charlie (Glen Powell) is another underling striving under a workaholic boss, Rick (Taye Diggs). As the two employees engineer free time by manipulating their personal calendars, they find themselves in each other’s company more and more. Guess what? The enthusiastic youngsters end up generating sparks of chemistry. What makes this feature so ideal for date night is the fizzing script, the natural charisma of the lead characters as they fall for each other’s charm.
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The Lobster (2015)
While a lot of rom-coms can seem to follow a generic plotline, there is no way this particular film can ever be termed formulaic. It might star Colin Farrell, whose twinkling eyes and Irish brogue have featured in both romance and drama, but this film is to be filed under ‘unconventional.’ Directed by Yorgos Lanthinmos, the highly unusual premise of this fantastical piece is that a series of singletons are restricted to 45 days in which to find their ideal match. And if they don’t they go onto a dating site and search for another profile? Actually, no. If they’re unsuccessful in love they get transformed into an animal!
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About Time (2013)
This Richard Curtis rom-com is perfect for date night. Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers he can travel in time. He uses this skill to try and manipulate his love life – with mixed results. There’s laughter, romance, and once particular scene that will induce floods of tears.
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The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Suspense director Alfred Hitchcock produced a memorable thriller entitled Strangers on a Train, where two men who bumped into each other on a train swapped murder victims to make it easier to get away with. This is undoubtedly the inspiration for this feature except the central theme is romance instead of crime. Jessica (Jessica Williams) goes on a blind date with Boone (Chris O’Dowd). At first, they seem an unlikely couple, but when they start swapping stories about checking up on exes, they make a pact to follow each other’s.