Movie Night: The Party That Just Requires You To Press Play

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Love a movie night but feel like you should maybe make it a little more eventful? With very little extra effort, you absolutely can!

Popcorn and a roaring fire

A movie night is one of the easiest ways to get friends together: comfy clothes, excellent snacks, a few drinks and a film everyone actually wants to watch.

And if you fancy making it more of an occasion you can add a theme, dress up your drinks, or turn your living room into a mini cinema.

How much effort you put in is entirely up to you – and we’re very much in favour of the version that involves little to no faff, and therefore actually happens!

And the best thing is you don’t need a reason for a movie night. Just text your friends ‘Fancy coming round for a film on Friday?’ and congratulations, you’ve made a much more fun Friday night.

Movie Night At A Glance

  • MoneyBudget: £
  • FireEffort:  ★☆☆☆☆
  • FireBest for: Low-Key Birthdays, Housewarming, New Year’s Eve, Friends Get Together
  • FireEssential Ingredient: a movie

Pick Your Movie Night Rating

⭐Easy Movie Night

Invite your friends + choose a film.
Add popcorn + open wine.

Effort: Minimal
Fun: Excellent

Woman eating popcorn
⭐⭐⭐It’s Movie Night, But Not As We Know It

Add some fizz, blankets, firelight, and maybe even some movie-themed snacks.

Effort: Up a notch, but still very manageable
Fun: Oozing glamour

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Hollywood At Home

Transform the room into the Oscars. Red carpet. Dress up. Themed food and cocktails. Make tickets. Go completely over-the-top. Maybe give a thank you speech or two.

Effort: Choices, choices
Fun: Stratospheric

Of course, not being the actual Oscars, there’s no gold statue for picking the hardest option – go with the amount of effort you have time and energy for.

Film award statuette

Pick Your Movie Theme

Cosy and feel-good? Murder mystery? Fantasy adventure? Seasonal guilty pleasure?
Pick a vibe and three films that fit, and put them to a vote. Majority wins.
No spending 45 minutes trying to pick a movie.
And no arguing over the remote.

Food, Glorious Food

Don’t make hosting harder than it needs to be! Easy movie-night foods include:

  • Crisps and dips to nibble on
  • Classic popcorn, whichever way you like it (if that’s sweet, you’re uninvited…)
  • Pick ‘n’ mix
  • Chocolate and cookies
  • Ice cream
  • If you all need something more filling, stretch to pizzas or hot dogs
Popcorn and a roaring fire

Step It Up

If you want to theme your evening, think around the movie for food and drink e.g.:

  • The Holiday – break out Christmas in July, with mulled wine, mince pies and other Christmas treats
  • Knives Out – elegant grazing board, cocktails, and a couple of sophisticated desserts
  • Fantastic Mr Fox – autumnal food, cider, fondue, all things pumpkin
  • Mamma Mia – Greek mezze, olives, baklava

You get the picture.

Top Tip

Pick one or two themed foods. You do not need to recreate the film’s entire plot in food – and everyone will be too busy watching the movie to appreciate your efforts much anyway.

Lord Of The Drinks

Option #1 – Keep It Simple

Wine, beer, soft drinks, hot chocolate etc.

Option #2 – Making It Fancy

Add champagne or prosecco. It always makes your night feel more opulent!

Option #3 – Break Out The Theme

Add a signature cocktail inspired by your movie. Gin Rickeys for the Great Gatsby, strawberry daiquiri for Moulin Rouge, Pimms for a suitably British film night…

Hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows

Make Your Living Room Feel Like A Cosy Hollywood Set

  • Cushions
  • Blankets
  • Fairy lights
  • Lamps rather than bright overhead lighting
  • Open fire or candles
  • Popcorn bowls
  • Drinks and snacks all within reach (or in a ‘cinema snack bar’)
  • Homemade movie tickets

Top Tip

Don’t make people sit upright on dining chairs for three hours. Comfort is the entire point! If you don’t have enough space on your sofa, chuck cushions and blankets on the floor and let people get comfortable.

Movie Night Awards

Once watched, everyone gives the film their rating out of 10 – and perhaps an award to the person who cried the most (or screamed if you’re watching horror).

The Rules Of Movie Night

  1. Nobody talks through the important bit
  2. Nobody asks ‘Who’s that’ every 5 minutes because they went to the loo
  3. Nobody chooses the extended 5-hour version without warning everyone else
  4. Snacks must be within arm’s reach at all times
  5. Nobody says ‘I’ve already seen this’ after you’ve started
  6. If the film is terrible, watching ironically is allowed – as is offering humorous alternative dialogue lines
  7. There will be absolutely no judging anyone for eating the entire bowl of popcorn

Hosting Timeline

  • One week before:
    • Pick a film theme, and three films for the vote
    • Invite your friends
    • Decide what you’re eating
    • Plan any themed items
  • One day before:
    • Buy snacks and drinks
    • Double-check your streaming situation!
  • Two hours before:
    • Tidy the room
    • Set out blankets, cushions and cosy things
    • Prep food and chill the drinks
  • Guests arrive:
    • Drinks, snacks, press play. Enjoy.
Mini Drive Through and Dirty Dancing

Our Top Tips For This Theme

  • Keep it simple. The whole point is that this is a low-effort party. If you’re tired, drained and your to do list is already overwhelming, this is exactly the sort of gathering with friends that you can still host.
  • Don’t pick a film that requires homework. If everyone needs to watch the previous six films, read a Wikipedia page and understand three fictional universes before starting, you’ve perhaps strayed from ‘easy movie night’ (unless that’s your and your friends’ jam of course).
  • Don’t serve food that needs a knife and fork – way too much room for disasters on the sofa.
  • Make comfort a priority: cushions, blankets, somewhere to stretch out, food and drink within easy reach. Mismatched kit is totally fine. You’re hosting friends, not Gwyneth Paltrow.
  • Don’t turn yourself into the cinema staff. You’re there to enjoy the movie too. Put everything somewhere accessible: your guests can get their own drinks.

And don’t forget the post-movie analysis. Was it brilliant? Terrible? Worst plot twist ever? An ending that made no sense? This is often the best bit of a movie night with friends!

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