Watching a movie with friends is a great way to spend a night. Whether it’s horror, comedy, thriller, or action, there are movies in each genre that foster a connection between the people watching. Some movies can be kind of awkward or personal to watch with other people around, so we’ve compiled a list of the top fifteen movies to watch with friends that only get better with camaraderie. Save these for your next movie night with friends.
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15. Grown Ups, Hulu and Sling TV (2010)
Starting our list strong is Grown Ups, one of my favorite comedy movies that has Adam Sandler in it. Also starring comedic giants Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider, your stomach will be hurting by the end of the film. In the movie, the five friends get together with their families after the death of their basketball coach, and end up hanging out together for the Fourth of July weekend, learning more about themselves and each other along the way.
This movie is great to watch with friends, because of the comedic elements and the fact that even though time has pulled these friends in different directions, they still are incredibly close.
- IMDb score: 6.0
14. Amsterdam, Hulu and Prime Video (2022)
If you’re planning a murder mystery-themed movie night, add Amsterdam to the list. Based on the Business Plot that occurred in the United States in 1933, the movie focuses on three friends who witnessed a murder. They later become suspects themselves, which leads them to try and find the actual killer all while uncovering one of the most outrageous plots in American history.
Not even a murder could separate these friends apart, proving that this movie is perfect for friends to watch together. Why not add in a little mystery too?
- IMDb score: 6.1
13. Bodies Bodies Bodies, Showtime and Hulu (2022)
What if your friends weren’t actually your friends? In Bodies Bodies Bodies, supposed “friends” turn on each other the second something goes wrong in their self-absorbed worlds. When a group of friends in their 20s get stuck in a mansion, they start to play a murder mystery game with the lights off. But, when an actual dead body appears on the ground, relations split as the survivors frantically try to find the killer among them.
Perfect for horror or thriller fans, trust that your friends wouldn’t treat you the same way.
- IMDb score: 6.2
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12. Bottoms, MGM+ and Philo (2023)
If you want a raunchy yet clear view into the struggles of high school, look no further than the new movie Bottoms. When unpopular best friends PJ and Josie start a high school fight club to meet girls and lose their virginity, they start to regret their decisions when the most popular students start beating each other up in “self-defense.”
I’ve heard a lot of good things about this movie, and if you and your friends want to dive back into the world of cringy high school behavior, then you should check this movie out.
- IMDb score: 6.8
11. Barbie, MAX and Hulu (2023)
Smothered in pink? Absolutely with the new Barbie film. Though all characters are either versions of Barbie or Ken, there is a real friendship between all of the dolls in Barbie Land. But, their friendship is put to the test when Barbie and Ken dive into the real world and realize that everything isn’t always as perfect as it seems.
If you loved Barbie dolls as a kid, or just want to watch a feel-good nostalgic movie with your friends, try out Barbie.
- IMDb score: 7.0
10. Glass Onion, Netflix (2022)
Back to the murder mystery genre, Glass Onion is within the Knives Out franchise with the same Detective Blanc and a whole new mystery for him to untangle. In this film tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends to his private Greek island for a short getaway. Things go awry though when someone turns up dead, and Blanc must sift through their past lives to find the true culprit.
I enjoyed this movie, especially because the twists and turns were throughout the movie, not just with who the killer was. If you want to elevate your Clue game, watch this movie with your friends to figure out the killer before they strike again.
- IMDb score: 7.1
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9. Mean Girls, Paramount+ and Sling TV (2004)
Though I have never personally watched this movie (shocking, I know), I’ve heard great things about the iconic movie Mean Girls. Wednesdays we wear pink? Sure, and movie nights with friends must include this film. Dive back into the world of high school with Cady Heron who moves to the suburbs of Illinois to experience public school. Unintentionally falling in with the cool students known as “the Plastics,” she soon realizes the truth about her group of “friends.”
Mean Girls brings to light the struggles of finding a place in the world, and how high schools are constantly dominated by cliques and popularity contests. This is perfect for those friends who don’t need these labels to hang out together and enjoy each other for who they are.
- IMDb score: 7.1
8. Pitch Perfect, Peacock and Fubo TV (2012)
Music lovers come close, for the next movie on our list will get you and your friends singing along to every acapella song. Pitch Perfect focuses on the main character Beca who is a freshman at Barden University and is thrust into the world of acapella groups when she joins the Barden Bellas. Even though their group is filled with misfits who don’t like each other, the girls know that when they sing everything else falls away. To win their college competition, the Bellas must overcome their differences and mesh in harmony.
I love this movie, and it’s a great choice for friends because you can sing along with the groups, and realize that everyone’s differences are a strength to make the bond between you even stronger.
- IMDb score: 7.1
7. Scream, MAX and Hulu (1996)
Next on our list is another horror movie, and one you should recognize as there is a whole franchise surrounding this masked killer. In the 1996 version of Scream, a group of high school students who live in middle-class suburbia are being terrorized by a masked maniac. But, there’s a twist that’s present in all Scream movies, and that is the victims aren’t always the ones you’d expect.
Cuddle with your favorite friends on the couch for this horrifying film, and be glad they will always have your back.
- IMDb score: 7.4
6. The Goonies, Sling TV and MAX (1985)
One of my favorite movies of all time, The Goonies is a great adventure-filled film that shows friendship is super important, no matter what age you are. When a group of kids that are about to lose their houses find a treasure map for One-Eyed Willie’s ship, they embark on a crazy adventure that will bring them all together, all while a group of convicts are trying to get to the treasure too.
If you don’t mind an older movie, show this film to your friends and treasure the bond that is between you.
- IMDb score: 7.7
5. The Hangover, Hulu and Sling TV (2009)
Though you should only watch this if you’re 18+, this side-splitting film is perfect for a group of friends who want to laugh until their face hurts. The Hangover features a group of friends that take a weekend trip to Las Vegas for a bachelor party and wake up the next morning with the bachelor nowhere to be seen. It’s up to his three friends to figure out what happened that night, and where they misplaced their best friend.
Anyone who enjoys the phrase “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” will enjoy watching this movie with their friends.
- IMDb score: 7.7
4. The Notebook, Prime Video and Apple TV (2004)
Maybe adventure, horror, or comedy isn’t what you were planning for your movie night. If you want to finish the movie in tears, throw on The Notebook, based on the famous novel by Nicholas Sparks. It’s 1940s South Carolina where mill worker Noah Calhoun and rich girl Allie fall desperately in love. When Noah goes off to serve in WWII, it seems like their love has died and Allie becomes involved with a new man. When Noah returns on the cusp of Allie’s wedding, they realize that the romance is anything but over.
Grab those tissues and cuddle in close to your friends for this film — trust me.
- IMDb score: 7.8
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3. Ghostbusters, AMC+ and Philo (1984)
“Who ya gonna call…ghostbusters!” This friends movie list would be incomplete without including some paranormal mischief, and a group of friends trying to save New York City. Ghostbusters is a movie that pits supernatural beings from another dimension against a team of ex-university scientists for the ultimate battle.
There are so many memorable moments in this film, and you and your friends are sure to love it…just maybe not the ectoplasm.
- IMDb score: 7.8
2. Avatar, Disney+ and MAX (2009)
I watched this groundbreaking film for the first time with my friends at college, so it only makes sense to add it to our list. Avatar delves deep into the world of Pandora, where the Na’vi live and thrive. Humans have come to their planet to harvest precious material underneath the surface, and this increases the tensions between Na’vi and humans. It’ll take the mindset of a disabled former Marine to find peace between the two or risk the Na’vi’s world being torn apart.
Science fiction and fantasy lovers will thoroughly enjoy this movie, as well as your friends on movie night.
- IMDb score: 7.9
1. The Guardians of the Galaxy, Disney+ and STARZ (2014)
Last but most certainly not least on our list is Guardians of the Galaxy, a film that resides in the Marvel Universe and is now part of an amazing trilogy. The funniest thing about this movie at the start is the main characters hate each other but have to grudgingly work together to break out of intergalactic prison. When they realize there is a much bigger threat to work against, the group bands together, naming themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Marvel and superhero lovers should enjoy this movie, and realize how powerful friendships can be, whether they are new or old.
- IMDb score: 8.0
Sometimes a movie is the best option when you want to hang out with your friends. It’s even better when the movie itself also prizes friendships the characters make over time. If you’re planning a movie night soon, make sure to add some of these films to your to-be-watched list.