Terri Ramsey Beavers With the state of the world these days. Making it even easier are programs like Zoom, the digital meeting application, that allows for any number of people to interact with both voice and video at the same time.
So even if you aren’t with them in person you and all your friends can have a virtual movie night! With no limit to how many can partake in the fun, because we all know how much of a bummer it is being the one that has to sit on the floor.
You’ve already brought your friends, now we’ll tell you what the best movies to watch with friends are. Teamwork!
Lights. Camera. Action
Depending on the tastes of who is in charge of movie night there is a great selection of movies to watch with friends, no doubt something for everyone.
It is probably unlikely that something too serious or too depressing will want to be chosen though. Movie night should be an escape, something we enjoy, not something to remind us of the stress we are going through!
Taking Time to Feel Good and Laugh it Off
1. Mid90s: Made in 2018 this is a total love-note to the 90s, hence the name. It is a coming of age film set in skateboard culture. The forming of self-identity and what forms who we are is quickly established here.
It would be a great choice as a sort of unifying throwback film. While not all of your friends may be skaters the culture of the 90s is something that would be reminisced about.
Not fully comedic but not fully heavy drama. It’s a time that everyone will recognize in their own lives. The vibe can recall “Kids” from 1995 but is nowhere near as explicit.
2. Evil Dead 2: This will top the list regardless of how many years pass since its release. There is no requirement of watching the first and there is no concern should any of the bunch be particularly worried about a scare.
This film is what camp films aspire to be but can never achieve. Sam Raimi basically invented the game here with Bruce Campbell.
Simply put, the main character Ash has traveled with his girlfriend to a cabin. When there he discovers an audiotape with recordings from a book of ancient texts. He plays the tape and it unleashes a number of demons that torment him.
Don’t worry, it’s intentionally hilarious.
3. Isn’t It Romantic: This film has nearly every single Romantic Comedy trope that that genre could throw at you, somewhere in it. It is a satirical film that is making fun of that genre while still kind of being one at the same time.
Great watch when you need a feel-good movie that isn’t too overly cheesy. Rebel Wilson as the lead was made for the undervalued Architect that eventually comes into her own by the end of the movie.
It’s one of the roles that feel weird if someone else would have been in it now that you have watched it cast the way it was.
Recommend it, especially if you are a person that isn’t afraid to laugh at yourself and your tastes sometimes.
4. What We Do in the Shadows: Before there was the tv series on FX there was a film directed by the immensely talented director Taika Waititi. While we are distancing ourselves at these times, these characters are coming together.
For those unfamiliar, it is a “reality” documentary about four vampires from different areas and different eras coming together to live in a home on Staten Island. If they can come together and live in unity we certainly can!
The mockumentary style ends up being very quotable and perfect for a group of friends to share with each other and in a movie night setting.
We Aren’t (Actually) Alone.
5. Castaway: You know, even Tom Hanks had to deal with a form of social distancing or isolation of his own kind and all he had was a volleyball named Wilson. He overcame that challenge and was stronger for it.
A movie like this can remind us that even when we feel most alone we can still find it in ourselves to be our strongest and make it through a hard time.
Plus, who doesn’t love Tom Hanks!
6. The Revenant: When you have the film that Leonardo DiCaprio finally achieved his oscar for, you know that it is a winner. This film speaks to the emptiness much like the selection below, “I Am Legend”.
Survival after an event, leaving us worn and ravaged. Sometimes this is literal, in the physical sense and sometimes it is figurative in the emotional sense. Hugh Glass (Leo) had more of the physical but who is to say his tundra isn’t our empty streets.
7. I Am Legend: Another beloved name staring here, Will Smith. He is a scientist that is the lone survivor of a man-made plague, turning humans into mutants. He lives in and wanders New York City hoping to find other possible survivors.
As he is immune to the plague he has been working on a cure for the disease. There are parallels for the time we are living in although a much scarier situation. But we can see how he, again, deals with isolation.
Watching Will Smith live in that type of environment, expressing how it really feels being that alone is almost therapeutic. With the added benefit of being a great sci-fi movie (based off a great book!)
A Themed Night of the Best Movies to Watch With Friends
Make a game out of it or even better a theme out of it! Movie marathons are great too. But the fun of making up a theme or finding ways to make it into a game adds another layer to the mix.
A great example would be “Comic Book Movies”. These days the comic book hero movie have become less the outlier and more really fun movies to watch with friends.
Another direction to go would be a time period like:
Welcome to The 80s
John Hughes was the king of the 80s. His films are clearly products of the 80s yet have a charm that has aged well. Dedicate a night to that charm, showing that movies both new and old make great viewing parties.
8. Sixteen Candles: Let’s be honest, can there be an 80s night without Sixteen Candles? I suppose it could be possible if it were swapped for Pretty in Pink. 9 out of 10 times this is the first movie that comes to mind when John Hughes is mentioned.
The coming of age comedy featuring Molly Ringwald another member of 80s royalty.
As a teen dreading her 16th birthday and the standard social anxieties already coming with highschool. Having to deal with the romantic interests of one boy she is interested in and rejecting another (typical nerd!) she wants nothing to do with.
9. Breakfast Club
10. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Another of the universally loved greats of the 80s. So much so that the National Film Registry selected it for preservation because it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
11. Planes Trains and Automobiles: The end of the list and towards the end of the section, Planes Trains and Automobiles is a buddy film on the road. Two comedy legends, Steve Martin and John Candy play the lead roles.
The two cross paths multiple times while traveling, with their problems starting on a flight going from LaGuardia to O’Hare. Chaos ensues from there as Neal Page, Steve Martins character, stresses about the need to get home for Thanksgiving.
Making the story as enjoyable as it is are the stark differences in their personalities. Steve Martin the caricature of the uptight executive and John Candy the good-hearted but loud and jovial salesman.
There had to be at least one non-John Hughes on the list, to be fair!
Options for Viewing
At this point, everyone has heard of Netflix. But just because it is a household name doesn’t mean it is your only option! Take a look at all of these great options. From Anime fans to Horror Buffs to the very selective Cinephile, all of your bases are covered.
Having a broader range of services means more options and it being more likely that you can play a gracious host to your friends and be the one in charge, at that! And ranging from $6 to $11 they aren’t going to break the bank
Great Films Mean Never Spending Time Alone
A great film opens up our world to something so much larger, even when it seems so small. Sharing that with our friends and the ones we care about just makes that so much better.
Our list of best films to watch with friends will get you on the ground running and ready to be a great host!
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