When The Wind Blows (1986)
The Bad Date Movie: At least this movie couple truly love each other, and stay committed to one another throughout the film’s running time. The bad news is that they’re waiting to be engulfed by a nuclear holocaust. Bit of a downer…
Impact On Your Evening: You’ll end up spending the evening shifting canned foods down to the basement. Just in case…
In The Company Of Men (1997)
The Bad Date Movie: The male gender does not come across well in Neil LaBute’s searing tale of a pair of misogynists who set about ruining an innocent girl’s life, simply because they can.
Impact On Your Evening: He’ll end up wearing the popcorn, as she strikes a blow against the patriarchy. Bloody men, eh?
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
The Bad Date Movie: Doug Liman’s film is enjoyably frothy fun, but let’s be honest, both of you are going to walk out of the cinema feeling slightly rueful that your other half doesn’t look like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie…
Impact On Your Evening: Both of you enquire as to whether the other has considered investing in a gym membership.
The Notebook (2004)
The Bad Date Movie: This is strictly one for the girls, for a very simple reason. Ryan Gosling is just too dreamy in this Nicholas Sparks slushfest to give any normal guy a fighting chance. If you fancy feeling like second best, go ahead and rent it, but otherwise, leave it to the ladies.
Impact On Your Evening: Both of you are forced to deal with the uncomfortable truth that she’d much rather be cuddling up to soppy old Ryan!
The Break-Up (2006)
The Bad Date Movie: Not only is The Break-Up not particularly funny, it also swerves the traditional rom-com happy ending by suggesting that Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are better of without each other after all. Erm, woo-hoo?
Impact On Your Evening: Not too disastrous, but you’ll certainly wonder whether there were better ways by which to fill ninety minutes.
Natural Born Killers (1994)
The Bad Date Movie: It’s a love story, but an extremely messed-up one. Romance and extreme violence make for uncomfortable bedfellows, and whilst this might be a stylish and gripping thriller, it won’t do much for your love life.
Impact On Your Evening: The two of you spend a night in the cells after pitching a brick through the window of the local Wetherspoons.
Bride Wars (2009)
The Bad Date Movie: Kate Hudson and Ann Hathaway prove that women just can’t help but turn into psychotic backstabbing wackos at the first sound of wedding bells. How very modern.
Impact On Your Evening: That ring will be staying firmly in its box. Sorry girls.
He's Just Not That Into You (2009)
T he Bad Date Movie: Aside from the fact that it’s, y’know, shit, this half-baked romcom could single-handedly destroy somebody’s faith in men. Serial cheaters, commitmentphobes, liars… all are supremely well represented in this sour little fable.
Impacted On Your Evening: An argument waiting to happen… “Were you looking at that waitress? Do you secretly hate me? Are you ever going to propose?”
The Road (2010)
The Bad Date Movie: A rousing survival thriller? Not so much. Try an ultra-depressing lament over the decline of the human race. Even heart-throb Viggo Mortensen is wearing a big, shaggy beard…
Impact On Your Evening: You can bond over the shared conclusion that there’s no point in anything, since humanity is pretty much fucked.
Jude (1996)
The Bad Date: Looking to score some points with a classy period drama? Looks elsewhere, as Thomas Hardy’s Jude The Obscure is relentlessly depressing from beginning to end. Why? “Because we are too many.” Says it all, really.
Impact On Your Evening: You’ll be on the phone to the babysitter every five minutes for the rest of the evening.
