September's five best date movies

5. Atonement

BOY APPEAL
Um, Keira Knightley jumps into a fountain at one point, that’s quite good.

GIRL APPEAL
You know why you want to see this – it’s the romance of the year. Your fella might take some convincing, but he’ll enjoy it when he gets there. Oh, and if he tries to pretend that it’s the Odeon air-conditioning that’s making him go all watery-eyed at the end, kick him in the shin.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO AFTERWARDS?
Get dressed up in period costume and go dancing. Either that or go skinny-dipping. Your choice.

4. 3.10 To Yuma

BOY APPEAL
It’s Batman, as a cowboy, and the bloke from Gladiator, as a cowboy. What’s not to like?

GIRL APPEAL
You’ll probably want to watch this one as much as your boyfriend wants to see Atonement, but bear with us. Your bloke will owe you one, you’ll get to stare at Christian Bale and Russell Crowe for two hours, and your other half will come out the other end feeling all masculine, which is good news for everyone.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO AFTERWARDS?
If you're that way inclined, it might be the best opportunity you’ll ever have to get your man to take you horse riding. You might have to put up with a few yee-haws, though.

3. Run, Fat Boy, Run

BOY APPEAL
Simon Pegg, Stephen Merchant, Dylan Moran and the fella who does loads of voices in the Simpsons (Hank Azaria), it’s all your favourite telly stars in one place, with added popcorn.

GIRL APPEAL
It’s directed by Ross from Friends. Oh, and you’ll probably actually enjoy the romantic bits in-between all the sight gags.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO AFTERWARDS?
Go for a nice jog in the park. That, or pig out on a massive takeaway – it all depends on how you view the flick’s message.

2. Death Proof

BOY APPEAL
Girls, cars, Kurt Russell – what more do you want?

GIRL APPEAL
Typically of Tarantino, it’s a lot more cerebral than your average action-movie, and – as with Kill Bill – the girl leads aren’t just there to scream, they spout some delicious dialogue to distract from the violent bits. Unless you’re like TF’s girlfriends, and the main reason you go to the pictures is to see people die brutally.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO AFTERWARDS?
Go for a cup of coffee and a piece of pie (True Romance style), then take the bus home, just in case either of you get any full-throttle ideas…

1. Disturbia

BOY APPEAL
Transformers star Shia Lebeouf demonstrating why he’s Hollywood’s current big thing, with a brilliantly layered performance. Gives you a chance to lay the groundwork to go and see Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull next year.

GIRL APPEAL
As above, but with the added appeal of being able to pretend to be scared, so you can snuggle up to your bloke for safety. Come on, do you think we really buy that whole routine? We might like films with big robots in them, but we weren’t born yesterday…

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO AFTERWARDS?
Haul up in your bedroom with a pair of binoculars and spy on your neighbours. This tends to work better if you live in LA and not, say, Luton.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.