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Let’s say, hypothetically, that you’ve gone on a couple of great dates with a new guy. He’s so interesting! You’ve had so much to talk about! There’s definitely something there! But so far you’ve only met for drinks. When are you going to kick it into the next gear? Obviously the logical next step is to invite him over for a movie at your place. But what to pick? Something sexy? Something funny? Something serious, to show how intelligent you are? No matter what the mood, you’ll definitely want something that you can quit paying attention to around the 20-minute mark, if you know what I mean. Here’s a list of ten reliable movies to pretend to watch while you’re awkwardly waiting to make a move.

Clueless

You’ve seen it so many times that you can practically quote Cher’s opening voice-over verbatim, which is a sure-fire way to get your date to immediately make out with you in order to shut you up. See where you can stream Clueless on GoWatchIt.

Dirty Dancing

No one should talk politics on a third date, so feel fine about making a move somewhere between the opening credits (The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” is such a jam) and when the movie turns into a sly discussion of Objectivism and abortion rights. See where you can stream Dirty Dancing on GoWatchIt.

Forrest Gump

Hopefully the scene in which Forrest hears his mother having very loud sex with his principal doesn’t kill the mood. (Hey, maybe it’ll serve as inspiration?) The idea is that your date will realize that this movie is kinda crummy and that you’re much more engrossing than CGI presidents and Tom Hanks’ Southern drawl. See where you can stream Forrest Gump on GoWatchIt.

D2: The Mighty Ducks

Twenty minutes is the perfect amount of time for you and your date to revel in your ’90s nostalgia (“Hey, look! Kenan Thompson!”) before realizing that this movie is pretty lame. See where you can stream D2: The Mighty Ducks on GoWatchIt.

A League of Their Own

Rewatching this as an adult proves that the most fascinating part of the movie is the opening sequence, with Old Dottie played by a woman who is not Geena Davis who speaks creepily with Geena Davis’ voice. If you’re lucky, you’ll be making out before Dottie and Kit leave Oregon. See where you can stream A League of Their Own on GoWatchIt.

Amelie

It’s romantic, but it’s French. Reading subtitles is very difficult when all you want to do is mash your face against someone else’s! See where you can stream Amelie on GoWatchIt.

Scream 3

What’s a more perfect movie to put on and not pay attention to than the second sequel to a horror movie? (If you get bored with your date, at least you’ll have Parker Posey to entertain you.) See where you can stream Scream 3 on GoWatchIt.

The King’s Speech

If you can stay awake longer than 20 minutes, I applaud your patience. But hey, maybe you’ll get sleepy and you can snuggle up with your date! See where you can stream The King’s Speech on GoWatchIt.

Waking Life

Unless you’re a wide-eyed college freshman wanting to learn more about the world, or you’re high as hellllll, there’s no way you’re going to be able to take more than 20 minutes of Richard Linklater’s Philosophy 101 class that was so dull he needed to have someone draw over it in watercolors. Just make out instead, and maybe come up for air when you recognize Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s Before Sunrise characters. See where you can stream Waking Life on GoWatchIt.

To the Wonder

“Wanna watch a Terrence Malick movie?” is one of the most romantic things you can say to someone. But play it smart by picking the most boring one (which is really saying something). You’ll seem super interesting for being in the know about Malick and by comparison to a movie that is simply an hour-and-a-half shot of Olga Kurylenko looking at grass. See where you can stream To the Wonder on GoWatchIt.

Photos: Everett Collection