Date night is always a special night, regardless of being in a new relationship or one that’s several years old. It’s a great time to reconnect with your loved one, without distractions, like your phone, friends, family, social media or work getting in the way.
If this sounds like you and your loved one, you want to make your night special. Don’t forget to get the snacks and drinks in, perhaps even a take-away, which will be even tastier with a discount code or, if you can see more coupons that’ll save you extra money, your night could be one to remember! Your other half will definitely thank you for the effort you’ve put in, especially if it’s your turn to sort out date night.
If you’ve spent all week working hard and hardly seeing one another, date night may be the one thing that you’ve both been looking forward to all week, or since you had the last one. Looking through film reviews may be one way to find an ideal film, but if you’ve not had the time, here’s some incredible films you should watch together.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
A great modern day love story set against a backdrop of new and old traditions. It’s refreshing to see an all Asian cast tackling many issues that we’re all familiar with: love, family, jealousy and money, which is all done in a light-hearted and funny way.
Based on the 2013 novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy rich Asians tells of a Chinese American professor, Rachel, who goes with her boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore, also meeting his family whilst there. To her surprise, she finds out her boyfriend’s family are amongst one of the richest families in Singapore.
With Rachel coming from a working-class poor Chinese American immigrant background, Nick’s mother, Eleanor, isn’t best pleased to see her son’s current beau and doesn’t attempt to disguise this. Rachel is a character that you’ll want to be your best friend immediately as she appears so genuinely nice.
Despite Rachel’s best efforts to endear herself to Eleanor, it turns out Eleanor and her mother hire a private investigator to find out Rachel’s background, confronting her at Nick’s best friend’s wedding reception. Rachel decides enough is enough, and she doesn’t want to divide Nick’s family, deciding to leave him and telling Eleanor this at a mahjong parlour.
This is a beautiful love story that has many funny moments, making it a genuine romcom film. It will put you on a roller-coaster of emotions; crying with laughter one moment and then crying in sadness the next. It’s a must-see for date night as it’s something you’ll both enjoy.
The King and I (1956)
Sometimes an oldie is just as good as a newbie and this classic will guarantee you shed a tear at the end.
Starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, this film tells of a widowed teacher, Anna, who travels to Siam to teach the many children of the King of Mongkut. From the moment she arrives with her son, Louis, Anna faces problems with the difficult and argumentative King. Originally promised a house, Anna finds she is to live in the King’s palace. Some of the subjects she teaches angers the King even more, especially when they clash against the culture he has created in his palace.
However, the King discovers that Anna is a formidable opponent and gives as good as she gets. This is in contrast to the King always having people around him who are too afraid to disagree with him and thus makes him see Anna in a different light.
Anna finds out there is a young couple in love, Tuptim, a young Burmese woman, and Lun Tha, her lover who brought her to Siam, that are forbidden to take their relationship further because of the King. At the same time, the King fears rumours of his barbaric behaviour has reached England, which has led to a delegation visiting Siam. The King decides to hold a ball in a European style. However, it turns into a disaster thanks to Tuptim, who then escapes from the castle.
The King is furious, but Anna manages to calm him down as they start dancing. This moment is destroyed when news of Tuptim’s capture reaches the King. Again a clash of cultures occurs when the King wants to punish Tuptim by whipping her but stops, conflicted, at hearing Anna’s pleas.
Anna decides to leave when she hears that Tuptim’s lover was found murdered and blames for turning the King into a weak person. As she leaves, she finds out the King is dying. She returns to the palace to face him once more.
The King and I will have you feeling a mixture of frustration and sadness, with an ending that’ll bring you to tears. This is a classic film that has stood the test of time and is a great to snuggle down and watch with your loved one.
Once Upon a Time in London (2019)
If you and your loved one aren’t a typical hearts and flowers type of couple, and both enjoy watching films outside the typical rom-com genre, or are even looking for something different, then this film’s for the pair of you.
A tale of organized crime in London, before the infamous Kray brothers, this film is based on a true story set in 1930s London. Jock ‘Spot’ Comer, is an established gangster who has his life unsettled by the ambitious up-and-coming gangster, Billy Hill.
Billy starts off working for Jock when he’s out of prison. Willing to take on any role, just to get a foothold in Jock’s gang, Billy soon seeks opportunity and rises throughout the ranks. His ambition eventually sees him pitting himself against Jock who is desperately trying to hold onto his power, despite all signs indicating his reign is over.
The way this film’s shot portrays life as it was – not sugar coated as many of the gangster films of yore tend to be. You get a feeling of what it was really like with dimly lit scenes and relentless rounds of violence, which life was pretty much like around London when people were fighting to be top dog.
It’s hard to tell who’ll end up on top until you reach the end of this film. This is because there’s constant fighting to get to the top and remain there. So if you’re looking for a realistic portrayal of London gangster life before the Krays arrived, this is a must-see film for you and your loved one.
These films are as diverse as we are as couples, so we hope there’s one in this article that you and your loved one will enjoy. You never know you might like to watch all three movies, bearing in mind they’re so different. That’s what keeps date night special: variety, so perhaps through caution to the wind and settle down to all three. They’ll keep you both entertained for sure!