These 17 Netflix Original Movies Are Perfect For Your Next Date Night

A screw-up during a shady deal (who thought there’d be two green bags?!) leads to a tense two-day meet-cute as hustler Danny and driver Ellie weave through New York City in an attempt to fix their mistake. This movie has everything — danger, adventure, and romance in the diverse streets of NYC’s neighborhoods and boroughs. Grace Van Patten (Nine Perfect Strangers), Callum Turner (Emma), and Mike Birbiglia (Billions) star in this 2016 comedy.

Superstar actors and frequent co-stars Robert Redford and Jane Fonda reunite in this charming tale of late love, a rare movie that acknowledges the loneliness of older age. (If you’re into this story, check out The African Queen for an earlier, similar superstar pairing of Bogie and Hepburn.) After Addie (Fonda) shows up on Louis’ (Redford) doorstep one night, the widowed neighbors eventually find themselves sharing a bed in order to quell their loneliness. As their relationship continues to grow, Addie and Louis figure out if one can find love next door in this 2017 romantic drama.

A different sort of love shines through this 2017 gonzo action thriller as a young girl named Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun) endures hell, high water, and a well-meaning guerilla animal rights squad to get back her beloved, genetically engineered superpig. There are twists and turns galore in the Bong Joon-ho movie, which also presents heavy messages about global unity, animal rights, capitalism, and the environment. Still, at the heart of the movie lies the enduring love Mija has for Okja.

Things get complicated when famous author Heiner Miller (Andrew Buckland) dismantles the lives of professor Max (Kagiso Lediga) and his journalist wife, Samkelo (Pearl Thusi), in Catching Feelings. The movie grapples with tough issues like institutional racism, infidelity, oppression, and what happens when two people have different visions of the future. While it may sound like a grim watch for a cozy night in, this 2017 South African romantic drama is levied with humor, warm relationships, and interesting discussion that balance it out for a great watch.

Rooney Mara, Jason Segel, and Robert Redford star in this 2017 romantic sci-fi movie that begs the question: “What happens when we die?” In The Discovery, Dr. Thomas Harbor (Redford) discovers definitive proof of an afterlife, which leads millions to take their own lives to “get there” faster. But where exactly are they headed, and how does it differ from life on Earth? A man and woman try to figure it out while coming to terms with their own trauma in this high-concept mystery that’ll appeal to Black Mirror fans. Jesse Plemons (Judas and the Black Messiah), Riley Keough (Zola), and Mary Steenburgen (Step Brothers) also round out the movie’s cast.

In this LGBTQ-centered 2020 dramedy, a lonely 20-something woman named Milo (Molly Bernard) befriends a 50-something gay man named Roger (Patrick Breen) in New York City. In light of their meet-cute, Milo offers to be Roger’s surrogate after he reveals how difficult it’s been to become a first-time father. All seems well at first, but Milo’s surrogacy eventually exposes some uncomfortable truths about her past, old friendships, and budding kinship with Roger. Milo’s love life is also put to the test after she meets a cute musician named Cameron (Ade Otukoya) at the guitar shop where she works.

Fraternal love is just as important as romance, and the oddball delight of Pee-wee’s Big Holiday embraces it fully. This 2016 adventure comedy encourages you to be weird, be yourself, and make some friends along the way, especially if they’re hunky Joe Manganiello. It also marked lead star Paul Reubens’ first Pee-wee marquee since the premiere of Big Top Pee-wee in 1988 — and his controversial 1991 arrest. But even after nearly three decades, there’s hardly a lack of zany adventures and weird circumstances for Pee-wee and his celebrity friends.

An unabashed chauvinist named Damien (Vincent Elbaz) wakes up in a gender-flipped world where men have always been oppressed and women aren’t moving that fast to change things. He meets his match in famous author Alexandra (Marie-Sophie Ferdane) — ah, fantasy films — who’s also a chauvinist, but the sparks are real. The 2018 French comedy is complete with subtitles, so there shouldn’t be any trouble following the pick-up lines, sharp quips, and bedroom scenes.

When doofus dad Shin Seok-heon (Ryu Seung-ryong) suddenly finds himself with telekinetic superpowers, everything he wants is within reach, but his estranged daughter, Shin Roo-mi (Shim Eun-kyung), still remains distant. Hoping to use his newfound powers to win her back and help improve her life, he might end up causing more trouble than good.

The South Korean sci-fi adventure has gotten some big praise. Upon its 2018 release, Thrillist called it “one of the finest superhero movies of the decade.” So, if your date night is somehow falling a little flat and needs some saving, Psychokinesis could be a cure.

This 2021 comedy is a far cry from Victoria Justice’s Nickelodeon days, but it’s still perfectly saccharine-sweet for some date night cuddling. Justice plays Cassie, a party planner (and avid party girl) who meets her deadly fate during the week of her 25th birthday. In order to earn her angel wings, Cassie must first return to Earth and repair a few tainted relationships. Afterlife of the Party will make you smile and shed a few tears, so don’t forget to have some tissues nearby.

Lowly assistants Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell) are being driven insane by their bosses’ demands when they decide to hatch a plan: Get them to fall in love, or at least have enough sex that the two of them can get a moment’s rest. But what happens when your high-powered bosses are as attractive and powerful as Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs? The game is on with two jobs — and four hearts — on the line in this fun 2018 romantic comedy written by Katie Silberman (Booksmart).

Four internationally acclaimed directors, Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Karan Johar, share tales of realistic romance and love bound by everyday woes in this earnest Indian Hindi-language anthology movie. Each story shares universal themes about relationships “at their realest,” not as one dreams they could be.

The raw acting and relatable topics in Lust Stories were portrayed so successfully that the movie earned two International Emmy Award nominations in 2019. There are also some hot scenes to look forward to, so be prepared for things to get a little spicy.

Simone Benloulou’s (Sarah Stern) life is difficult enough trying to tell her conservative Jewish family she’s a lesbian — and that’s before falling for Senegalese chef Wali (Jean-Christophe Folly), a guy she meets at a party. To Each, Her Own takes a deeper look at the racial, sexual, and cultural prejudices held by Simone and others in her life, along with analyzing the overall topic of relationships. The 2018 rom-com falls under the quirky, heartfelt, and feel-good labels, if that’s what you’re looking for.

If there’s a Big Conversation you’ve been hoping to have (or avoid), this might be the film for you (or not). While trying to figure out whether they should break up or salvage their three-year relationship, a couple (played by Noël Mills and Ben Schwartz) looks back on what brought them together. From Mollie and Sam’s first date to their 78th fight, 2018’s Happy Anniversary shows the work it takes to keep a long-term relationship going past the honeymoon stage.

“A lie begins in the soul, then travels the world,” says the protagonist of this groundbreaking 2017 Muslim rom-com. Promised to a girl at his father’s mosque and expected to be a great doctor, Ali (Osamah Sami) lies about his grades to avoid disappointing his dad. In addition, Ali’s dream girl shows up, further sending his life into a tailspin.

The Australian movie is about family loyalty and love, and if it feels real and relatable, that’s for good reason. Sami is not just the star but also the screenwriter, and his real-life experiences shaped the story of Ali.

Harper’s (Gillian Jacobs) “energy,” as her boss states, was the reason for her being sent to Barcelona on a work trip. But it doesn’t appear to be the only thing that attracts famous DJ Leo West (Richard Madden) to the overly responsible corporate one fateful night in the club. Unable to stop thinking about their connection, Harper’s tagalong freelance friends Nikki (Vanessa Bayer) and Leah (Phoebe Robinson) convince her to follow Leo to the clubbing capital of the world: Ibiza. That’s where the trio’s true adventure begins in this 2018 rom-com.

This 2018 film features a classic rom-com premise of a guy asking “what if” about the one that got away, but this time a) she’s happily engaged (not that that’s ever stopped a rom-com before), and b) there’s a magic time-traveling photo booth involved to actually test the waters. Noah (Adam DeVine) travels back in time to see if he can change the course of his love life, or end up in romance purgatory. Alexandra Daddario stars as Avery, Noah’s love interest.