10 Worst Movies To Watch On A Romantic Date, According To Reddit

Going to a movie is one of the best ways to spend a date with the person that one loves (or that one wants to get to know better). Indeed, it’s precisely for this sort of experience that romantic drama and comedy exist as genres.

However, though the movies can be a great way to spend a date, there are some movies, and some genres, that do not make for an ideal choice when it comes to inspiring amorous feelings. Thus, the users of Reddit have helpfully spelled out some of the worst movies that one could choose for a romantic night out.

Midsommar (2019) – Streaming On Showtime

Midsommar is widely regarded as one of the best examples of folk horror, focusing as it does on a group of Americans who find themselves lured to an isolated religious commune in Sweden. Horror follows, as they become part of its sinister ceremonies. Chadouken87 argues that this is not the ideal choice for a date night movie, focusing as it does on the deeply dysfunctional relationship between its two lead characters, one of whom ultimately sentences the other to death in a ritual sacrificial burning. It’s not exactly a testament to the power of love.

Natural Born Killers (1994) – Streaming On Hoopla

Oliver Stone is responsible for many notable movies, and many of them deal with weighty and sinister issues. That is certainly true of Natural Born Killers, which focuses on a pair of lovers who, largely as a result of their own past traumas, go on a mass killing spree, an act that earns them the adulation of the media. It’s a deliberately troubling movie, and though it is ostensibly about two people who love one another, rick 912 rightly points out that “Natural Born Killers was not the best choice for a first date.”

American History X (1998) – Streaming On Kanopy

As with so many other great movies that emerged out of the 1990s, American History X is a haunting look at the dark side of human nature, focusing as it does on a pair of brothers who either are or have been involved in the white power movements.

Though it is a rightly scathing indictment of American racism, it is not exactly the sort of movie that would make for a good date experience. Fluorescentgreenmcm suggests that “I feel like there’d be a lot of judging from your partner.”

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) – Not Currently Streaming

There have been many great documentaries made in Hollywood, but few have had quite the impact of An Inconvenient Truth, which did a great deal to raise awareness of just how dire the climate crisis has become. While it is obviously a very important example of a documentary, both for its high production values and its important message, it is perhaps not the best movie for a romantic date, as Asha_Brea rightly points out. It is far more suited for a film club than a date night.

Gone Girl (2014) – Streaming On Freeform

Gone Girl is widely regarded as one of Rosamund Pike’s best movies, and it’s easy to see why. She delivers a powerful and inspired performance as a woman who frames her husband for her murder and disappearance. It is a tightly-woven and compelling drama, but lokishhhake points out that it doesn’t make for especially romantic viewing. It’s easy to see why this is the case, given that the couple at the center of the movie end up staying together even though they clearly and profoundly dislike one another.

Dangerous Liaisons (1988) – Streaming On HBO Max

There have been many great period dramas over the years, but very few have quite the biting wit and sinister darkness as Dangerous Liaisons. Set in the world of pre-Revolution France, it focuses on a group of characters whose lives and destinies become intertwined as a result of the scheming and manipulative Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil, played by Glenn Close. As earjamb points out, it’s a movie about a group of terrible people “who manipulate each other with Machiavellian power plays and double-crosses.” This doesn’t make for especially romantic viewing.

Valentine (2001) – Streaming On Tubi

Given that Valentine’s Day is a very popular holiday, it’s not at all surprising that it would also receive the slasher movie treatment. In this case, the movie focuses on several women who find themselves pursued by a sinister killer in a Cupid mask. The plot has some interesting twists and turns until it reaches its conclusion, and while some might not enjoy its similarity to 1980s slashers, others might also find that part of the movie’s appeal. Own_Presence1271, however, suggests that, given that it is about rejection and revenge, it’s probably not an ideal choice for a movie night.

The Human Centipede (2009) – Streaming on AMC+

The Human Centipede is arguably one of the most controversial horror movies of the last several decades. While most entries in the genre make at least some concessions to good taste, this one seems to throw all of that out of the window. Thus, it definitely earns its place in this list, as StrongAsMeat points out.

It’s the type of horror movie that is designed to make the viewer feel not just disturbed but also deeply disgusted, focusing as it does on a deranged doctor who tries to sew human beings together to create the titular monstrosity.

Hereditary (2018) – Streaming On Showtime

Hereditary is usually seen as one of Toni Collette’s best roles, and with good reason. As with so many of the best horror movies, Hereditary focuses on the very things that trouble individuals the most, including family, trauma, and the ability of the past to intrude on and destroy the present. Johnrugel710 recounts that “​​well I took a first date to see hereditary so it can’t be worse than that.” Clearly, the movie’s dark themes are not ideal for those who want to inspire romance.

Trainspotting (1996) – Streaming On Showtime

Danny Boyle is renowned for his skills as a director, and Trainspotting remains one of his best movies. However, as with so many other movies that are bad for a romantic date, this one has a number of dark themes and issues that make for somber viewing. This is no surprise, given that it focuses so rigorously on heroin addiction and its terrible consequences. As Appropriate-Unit-850 wryly puts it: “Scottish heroin addicts aren’t very romantic.”

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