This post may contain affiliate links, which means we’ll receive a commission if you purchase through our link, at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure here.
One of our favorite things to do with our friends, no matter the time of year, is host a movie night. Whether we’re getting together to watch a newly premiered movie on Netflix or an early 2000s rom-com, we always make the most of every occasion.
If you’re looking for some movie night inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. To elevate a basic movie night, we love serving dinner, movie snacks, multiple beverages and even playing a quick game or doing a fun activity.
Today, we’re sharing everything you need to host the ultimate movie night with your besties. You won’t want to miss a thing!
How to Throw the Ultimate Movie Night with Your Besties
Pick a Movie
Whether you and your friends are all deciding on a movie when everyone arrives, you randomly draw movie names from a hat or you pick out a movie to match the them of the night, it’s totally up to you.
Here are some of our favorite movie night suggestions:
Rom-Com Movies
- 27 Dresses
- Maid in Manhattan
- 13 Going on 30
- The Proposal
- The Wedding Planner
- She’s The Man
- 50 First Dates
- The Holiday
- Sweet Home Alabama
- Crazy Rich Asians
- The Idea of You
- Anyone But You
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- My Best Friend’s Wedding
- Love Actually
Best Netflix Originals
- The Kissing Booth (1,2 & 3)
- To All the Boys I Loved Before Movie Series
- Irish Wish
- Eurovision
- When We First Met
- Falling for Christmas
- Miss Americana: Taylor Swift
- Hit Man
Fun Animated Movies
- Inside Out
- Frozen
- Elemental
- Despicable Me
- Coraline
- Turning Red
- Lilo & Stitch
- Minions
- Up
- Ice Age
- The Incredibles
- Trolls
- The Secret Life of Pets
- Toy Story
Dramatic Movies
- The Notebook
- Dead Poets Society
- A Star is Born
- The Pursuit of Happyness
- Past Lives
- Purple Hears
- The Best of Me
- The Greatest Showman
- A Walk to Remember
- Pride & Prejudice
- The Social Network
- Moneyball
- Argo
- The Accountant
- Mean Girls
Nostalgic Movies
- The Princess Diaries
- The Parent Trap
- The Lizzie McGuire Movie
- High School Musical (1-3)
- A Cinderella Story
- Freaky Friday
- A New York Minute
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Stuck in the Suburbs
- Sky High
- Mary Poppins
- Twitches
- Holes
- Cow Bells
- Ice Princess
- Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
- Jump In
Movie Night Dinner Ideas
There are a couple of ways we like to serve dinner at our movie nights. (1) We make dinner for everyone and all enjoy it while we sit around and talk or (2) eat dinner while we’re watching the movie (kind of like a dinner theater).
Here are some of our favorite movie night dinner recipes:
Movie Snacks
Movie snacks are a MUST for movie night with the besties! Make your guests homemade puppy chow, party mix, popcorn or serve an assortment of candy. Having a variety of snacks will guarantee that there’s something everyone will love.
These are some of our favorite movie snacks:
- Popcorn
- Assorted Candy (Sour Gummies, Gummies, Chocolate)
- Soft Pretzels
- Pizza Rolls
- Puppy Chow Snack Mix
- Spicy & Cheese Ranch Party Mix
- Fluffernutter S’mores Bars
- Biscoff White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- The Easiest Cowboy Caviar Recipe
Movie Night Beverages
Make sure you have some of you and your friend’s favorite beverages on hand for movie night.
Here are some drinks we love to serve:
- Oli Pops
- Sparkling Water
- Iced Tea
- Lemonade
- Wine
- Coffee
- Tea
Movie Night Activities
- Pull a Movie from the Hat: Everyone writes down 3 movies they want on small pieces of paper. Fold and place the paper into a hat. The host randomly draws a movie to watch that night.
- Paint Mugs: Before the movie starts and while you eat some snacks, gather everyone around the table to paint a mug. While the movie is on, take the time to bake the mugs (to set the paint) in the oven.
- Paint a Movie Star: Give everyone a small easel and a watercolor paint kit. Have everyone paint the movie star of choice (Zac Efron, Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff etc). Have everyone show their painting, vote on each one, and whoever has the most votes, wins a small prize.
Other Movie Night Necessities
Lastly, we never host a movie night without having a supply of cozy blankets and pillows. It’s a must! Of course, there are some more items we recommend to make movie night the ultimate night of the week:
popcorn bowls
cozy blankets
indoor projector
movie snack boxes
