One of my favorite ways to spend a night in is watching a movie and bonding over it with my girls. Half of the fun is analyzing every character and screaming at the TV for every bad decision they make, but the other half is being surrounded by people you love.
However, the biggest struggle is agreeing on a movie that fits the vibe of the function. Sometimes you want something romantic to swoon over, and other times you might want to bawl your eyes out with your friends. To help you with this choice, I made a list of my favorite movies to watch during a girls’ night, depending on the mood.
Laugh Out Loud
These movies are for the nights you want to spend laughing and quoting every line.
- Mean Girls (2004)
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Cady Heron, a formerly homeschooled high schooler, moves to the United States and navigates the cutthroat nature of high school while adjusting to a new environment with different cultural norms. She gets pulled into a clique called “The Plastics,” the school’s most popular group. She plans to take them down from the inside, but faces internal conflict as she begins to enjoy the attention.
- White Chicks
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Two male FBI Agents go undercover as wealthy sisters to investigate and stop a kidnapping plot. Their investigation involves jarring disguises and constant obstacles as they attempt to dodge suspicion from the other socialites around them.
Cozy Nostalgia
These movies are for the nights you want something familiar, and you want to feel young again.
- The Princess Diaries
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Mia Thermopolis is a shy high school student whose life is upended when she finds out she is royalty. She endures strict royal training to whip her into shape while navigating high school pressures and being suddenly thrust into the limelight.
- Clueless
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Cher Horowitz is a rich, popular high schooler in Beverly Hills who tries to do good by meddling in others’ lives and playing the matchmaker. The movie focuses on her personal growth as she realizes she needs to change her priorities and fortify her relationships with her friends and family.
- Parent Trap (1998)
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Hallie Parker and Annie James meet at sleep-away camp over the summer, realizing that they’re identical twins who were separated at birth by their divorced parents. They switch places to get to know the parents they were separated from, and devise a plan to get their parents back together.
Full Blast Sing-Along
These movies are for the nights when the volume is all the way up, and everyone brings their best singing voices.
- Mamma Mia
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Sophie is a young bride-to-be who secretly invites her mother’s past lovers to her wedding to try to figure out who her biological father is. This leads to emotional turmoil and heartfelt reunions with an array of music to accompany the plot.
- Pitch Perfect
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Beca, a college freshman, joins the Barden Bellas, her college’s a capella team. The group attempts to revamp their old style while navigating unlikely friendships, competitions, and a changing image.
Fierce Bad B
These movies are for the nights you want a confidence boost and want to leave the room feeling unstoppable.
- The Devil Wears Prada
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Andy Sachs is a college graduate who lands a job as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the ruthless editor-in-chief of Runway, a fashion magazine. Andy dislikes the fashion industry and views it as shallow, and struggles to manage the toxic work environment. The experience unearths personal challenges, both inside and outside the workplace, as she struggles to determine her place in the world.
- Legally Blonde
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Elle Woods’ long-term boyfriend breaks up with her before he goes off to Harvard Law School. Wanting to win him back, she attends Harvard Law School too and has to juggle the rigorous academic environment while staying true to herself.
Lovey Dovey Cuteness
These movies are for the nights you want to swoon over fictional characters and say “awww” every five seconds.
- 10 Things I Hate About You
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A strict father of two girls tells his daughter Bianca that she cannot get a boyfriend until her man-hating, rebellious older sister, Kat, gets one. A new student, wanting to take Bianca out on a date, pays the school’s notorious bad boy to date Kat, leading to an unexpected romance between the two.
- How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days
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Andie, a magazine writer, is writing an article about all the things women do to push men away and decides to test them on a man named Ben. However, Ben has already made a bet that he can make any woman fall in love with him, resulting in an accidental competition between the two.
Bawling Your Eyes Out
These movies are for the nights you want to be an emotional wreck, but bond over your shared sadness.
- The Notebook
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Noah and Allie are two young individuals from different social classes who fall in love with each other. They end up being separated due to various obstacles, but unexpectedly reunite, navigating their love and societal expectations put on them.
- La La Land
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Sebastian, a pianist, and Mia, an aspiring actress, pursue their dreams in Los Angeles. They fall in love and try to balance their deep connection with the sacrifices they must make to achieve personal success.
I Hope you enjoy these recommendations — Happy watching!
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