Watch This, Not That: 5 MORE Netflix Date Movies to Watch (& 5 Not To)

Last week we reviewed some great love stories available on Netflix Instant – along with our opinions on which were best for date night and which were probably best saved for quiet moments alone with a pint of ice cream and your favorite sweatpants. And with so many good options to choose from, we’re back with more recommendations!

1. Awkward Love
Watch Lars and the Real Girl, NOT Dark Horse
Dark Horse is the gentlest of the Todd Solondz movies, but considering he’s made such feel-goods as Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, and Storytelling (aargh), that’s not saying much. For a cringeworthy movie that’s much sweeter and more positively hopeful, go with Lars, with the bonus of golden-boy star Ryan Gosling.

2. Iconic Horror
Watch Nosferatu, NOT Rosemary’s Baby
The classic ’60s flick starring Mia Farrow’s Vidal Sassoon haircut is basically a movie about date rape and a metaphor for anti-choice zealotry. Not exactly a fun Saturday night. Plus, there’s an orgy scene with lots of naked old people. ‘Nuff said. Better to go with the one of the first-ever of the genre: Nosferatu. Sure, it’s silent, and it’s almost 100 years old, and it’s German Expressionist, but don’t let that scare you. Its an iconic movie, and definitely one that should not be missed. It’s one of those horror movies on Netflix (and otherwise) that everyone should watch – so why not watch it together? The tragic ending is way more romantic than almost any other horror available on Netflix Instant (except maybe Let the Right One In, which is great if you prefer your scary stories from this century). And since it’s a mere 81 minutes long, have yourself a bloodcurdling double feature with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari!

3. Italian Costume Drama
Watch A Room With a View, NOT Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet
You might think, How could we go wrong with the quintessential Shakespearean romance in the hands of an Italian master? Well, it’s long, and there’s a lot of complaining. Stick with a witty Edwardian period piece by Merchant and Ivory that’s based on the E.M. Forster novel, shot beautifully all over Italy and just oozing romance. No double suicide or annoying whining to contend with!

4. May-December Relationship
Watch Manhattan, NOT Lost in Translation
If we have to watch some relatively unattractive older man win the heart of an incredibly good-looking much younger girl, we’ll take Woody Allen’s neurotic over Bill Murray’s depressive any day – and so should you.

5. TV Series
Watch The L Word, NOT House of Cards
Don’t get us wrong: House of Cards is a great show – and the first original series on Netflix. But the sex in it is way more about power than love, or even lust. There’s prostitution, pedophilic-ish relationships, and hand-job rapes on dying cancer patients (no joke!). If you like the sex on your shows to actually be sexy – at least when you’re watching with someone you hope to have sex with later – you can’t do much better than Showtime’s ode to modern Sapphic love, The L Word.

MORE LIKE THIS ON EMandLO.com:

This article originally appeared on