How has your love life been affected by lockdown? Whether you’re at the stage of seeking prospective partners by joining a dating site, or you’re currently in a committed relationship, ‘traditional’ dating outlets have been closed to the public for considerable periods. This is why more and more of us are opting for Netflix as our favorite dating activity, with one recent US survey revealing more than 50% of respondents were subscribers. Taking that into consideration, dating experts from citasenlaweb.com conducted an internal poll among their users, and based on it they’ve suggested the top 7 best movies for this occasion.
Murder Mystery
Adam Sandler is sometimes seen as a ‘marmite’ character – audiences either adore his goofball comedies, or they find them tiresome. For all that he divides opinion, he has starred in some gems, such as The Wedding Singer. This Netflix original also belongs in the latter category, co-starring the ever-watchable Jennifer Aniston. Sandler plays New York cop Nick Spitz, and Aniston his hairdresser wife Audrey, an enthusiastic reader of murder mysteries. Here they find themselves embroiled in sinister developments after being invited onto a billionaire’s yacht. Hugely enjoyable, with many laugh-out-loud moments, this is perfect for romantically-inclined viewing.
Bird Box
If you gravitate towards suspense, this feature will have you perched on the edge of your seats. In a terrifying post-apocalyptic world, Malorie (Sandra Bullock) and her kids must remain blindfolded when outside – inexplicable entities have invaded earth; catching sight of them drives people to suicide.
Extraction
A full-throttle action movie starring Chris Hemsworth as a black ops mercenary, tasked with rescuing Ovi (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), a crime lord’s son. He soon finds himself embroiled in double-crosses and ever-perilous situations. This is a film that will seize you by the scruff of the neck and propel you into thrilling situations.
Beats of No Nation
Written, directed, and produced by Cary Joji Fukunaga, this is a harrowing but mesmerizingly performed drama about child soldiers in Africa. Starring English actor Idris Elba as a warlord, and Ghanaian Abraham Utu as a boy unwittingly drafted into a guerilla force, the action unfolds in an unspecified West African country, although the narrative is familiar: the government of the day’s soldiers fight insurgents; civilians are caught in the crossfire. There are brutal scenes of armed conflict, but Elba and Utu both received multiple plaudits. Utu, in particular, provides the human backbone to the often terrifying tale of civil warfare. After initiation into the militia unit by bludgeoning an innocent captive with a machete, he befriends another child, Strika, apparently so inured to the constant threat of violence he never speaks. Is this appropriate for a date night? Of course, it is. It forces the viewer to confront some hard and unpleasant truths, but in doing so it reveals the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. At times uncomfortable viewing, this touching story will bring your closer together on date night.
In the Tall Grass
Based on a shocking novella by horror maestro Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill, this is an unsettling movie for you to enjoy with your significant other. The premise is fairly straightforward. Siblings Becky (Layla De Oliveira) and Cal (Avery Whitted), are driving to San Diego. Becky is six months pregnant. When they make a pit-stop by an expansive field of towering grass, they hear a distressed child calling. When they clamber into the thick undergrowth, they quickly become disorientated, finding themselves endlessly roaming and unable to find an exit. En route, they encounter others who appear to be in the same predicament, while their unnerving experiences become ever more hallucinatory and nightmarish. King (and now his son) are past-masters at turning mundane scenarios into the truly terrifying, so if you’re looking for a date movie to keep you gripped, this will do it!
Da 5 Bloods
Directed by Spike Lee, this is an excellent and captivating drama about four Vietnam veterans who return to South East Asia to retrieve treasure buried during the conflict. Amongst their ranks are level-headed medic Otis (Clarke Peters), wisecracking Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jnr), Eddie (Norm Lewis) who has achieved the most in civilian life, and their hot-headed leader Paul (Delroy Lindo). The ‘fifth blood’ is a former comrade, whom they refer to as ‘Stormin Norman,’ whose remains they have been authorized to exhume (providing cover for their search for hidden booty). Although the chemistry between the lead characters fizzles, and the storyline is engaging, Spike Lee is as unapologetic as ever in addressing the prejudice faced by soldiers of color during the Vietnam War, and afterward. Not only did they make up almost a third of the US troops deployed, a factor seemingly brushed over in many other Vietnam movies, but they were fighting a war amongst an indigenous population on the receiving end of just as many racial slurs. Again, a thoughtful (and exciting) choice for your date.
Dick Johnson is Dead
US-born director Kirsten Johnson, known for her documentaries, has produced an intriguing feature, approaching what is normally a ‘taboo’ subject. Death. Rather than skirt around the issue, as is the norm in Western society, she has chosen to confront something we are all going to face at some point – but doing so in a thought-provoking way. So no need to worry that this is going to get a little morbid! Here she imagines bumping off her aging father in a variety of ways, from domestic accidents involving tumbling downstairs to the more bizarre and shocking – such as being struck by a falling air conditioner. The intriguing journey continues, to his funeral, and on to the afterlife. As well as questioning the nature of society’s relationship with death, she focuses on the ultimate truth that always places these existential issues in such stark relief: the unquenchable spirit and beauty of life. This might be a film where dying is the central theme, but it is also a heartbreaking but ultimately life-affirming celebration of what it means to be alive. So if you’re looking for something a little more challenging than a rom-com to watch with your partner, this is the one!
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