The best movies to watch with friends on a group night

Classics everyone can agree on

Safe choices for a mixed group, all with a sense of adventure.

• Star Wars (1977): the original space adventure, with John Williams's score and a story simple enough that nobody gets lost. Ideal for converting the one friend who has never seen it.
• Ghostbusters (1984): the highest-grossing comedy ever at the time of release, built on Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis riffing off each other. The jokes land harder with an audience.
• Back to the Future (1985): the top-grossing film of its year, mixing time travel, romance and comedy. Its plot is tight enough to spark arguments about paradoxes afterwards.
• The Princess Bride (1987): adventure, romance and parody framed as a grandfather reading to his grandson. It is famously quotable; Cary Elwes says fans still greet him with "As you wish."

Crowd-pleasing spectacle

Films that feel like events, even on a sofa.

• Jurassic Park (1993): the dinosaurs are on screen for only about 15 minutes but the suspense never lets up. The kitchen raptor scene is perfect for watching friends hide behind cushions.
• Monsters, Inc. (2001): a Pixar comedy that works for every age, with Billy Crystal and John Goodman as a double act. Good for groups with kids or nostalgic adults.

Comedies made for groups

These are about friendship, which makes them feel right for a night in.

• Shaun of the Dead (2004): Simon Pegg and Nick Frost try to reach the pub during a zombie outbreak. Edgar Wright packs the background with jokes that friends will point out to each other.
• Hot Fuzz (2007): a London police officer is sent to a sleepy village where accidents keep happening. Wright filmed it in his hometown of Wells, and the escalating finale is best enjoyed with a cheering room.
• Superbad (2007): two best friends try to get alcohol to a party before leaving for different colleges. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote it as teenagers, which is why the friendship feels real.
• Bridesmaids (2011): a maid of honour falls apart as the wedding approaches. It earned Oscar nominations for its screenplay and for Melissa McCarthy, and its set pieces play best with a crowd.

For groups who like to talk

Pick these if your friends enjoy debating the film afterwards.

• Get Out (2017): Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning thriller mixes horror, comedy and satire. Watching with friends means gasps at the same moments and a long conversation after.
• Knives Out (2019): Rian Johnson's whodunit invites everyone to guess, with Daniel Craig's detective unpicking a rich family's lies. Pause it and take votes.
• Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022): absurd, emotional and full of visual gags, it won seven Oscars including Best Picture. Expect someone to cry and someone to laugh at the same scene.

How to choose the best movies to watch with friends

For a mixed crowd, start with the classics. For friends who quote films, try The Princess Bride or Shaun of the Dead. For a group that likes to argue, Knives Out or Get Out will fill the rest of the evening.

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