Movie nights are all about relaxing and having fun with your spouse, family, or friends! Some of our best memories are from simple nights at home! Of course, there are a few essentials you’ll need to have on hand, and we’ve put together our ultimate movie night checklist with all of them!
What should I eat for a movie night?
Grab the popcorn, pizza, nachos, hot dogs, Twizzlers, and gummy bears, and get ready for an amazing movie night at home! We also love a themed dinner or getting food delivered with Uber Eats or DoorDash!
Grab $20 off your first Uber Eats order of $25 or more with the code at checkout: eats-kaleed36ue
How can I host the best movie night?
We have 5 easy tips to help you host the best movie night ever — whether you’re watching with your kids, spouse, or friends!
- Prepare — Pick a day and movie and let everyone know ahead of time. We love these printable movie night invitations!
- Snacks & Activities — We love themed snacks! Check out all of our movie and food pairings here!
- Get Cozy — Turn off your phones, put on your pajamas, and cuddle up with throws, pillows, and stuffed animals!
- Take Breaks — Whether your 5 or 55, you may need an intermission to go to the bathroom or load up on snacks!
- Chat After — Watching a movie requires some silence (in some cases haha!) so it can be fun to talk after about whether you liked the movie or not.
Below is our home movie night checklist to help you plan a great family tradition or host an epic date night or slumber party!
Home Movie Night Essentials - Ultimate Checklist!
Movie nights are all about relaxing and having fun with your spouse, family, or friends! Of course, there are a few essentials you'll need to have on hand, and we've put together our ultimate movie night checklist with all of them!
Favorite Foods
You have to have the right snacks for your movie night! We have a ton of movie-themed recipes you may like, but these ideas fit any movie night!
We love how quick & easy it is to make popcorn with this maker! It's also small enough for even a tiny kitchen or dorm room!
You just measure your kernels out and push the start button. You can also add a tablespoon of butter while your popcorn pops, and pour once melted for movie theater-style popcorn.
You can also keep things old school with Jiffy Pop right on the stove!
We love customizing our popcorn too! There is something for everyone in this variety pack! The flavors include White Cheddar, Nacho Cheddar, Ranch, Butter, Kettle Corn, Caramel Corn, Bacon Cheddar, and Cheesy Jalapeño.
There are always free refills when you're at home! Create a fun theater atmosphere at home with this massive popcorn buckets!
Is this a little over the top? Well, yeah. But the best movie nights are! We love to pair this with classic baseball movies like A Field of Dreams or Sandlot!
Another fun (slightly over the top) idea! But a snow cone maker is so much fun -- especially for a Summer outdoor movie night!
You may be saying, cheese?! Really? But we love the idea of doing a cheese and wine pairing for a romantic movie night or a girls night!
Where there is cheese, there has to be wine! We love that Winc ships wine directly to your door and gives you a quiz to help you find the best varieties for your taste buds! You can get $20 off your first order too!
Your cheese and wine will need a place to sit, and a charcuterie platter is an easy way to throw it all together.
We are obsessed with DoorDash! It makes it so easy to order takeout or even restaurant food while in your jammies! You can even ask them just to leave it at your door! Plus, there are a lot of local businesses on the app, and you'll also be supporting the local driver!
Creating a Fun Atmosphere
Part of the reason movie nights at home are so fun is because you get the best of both worlds -- the theater AND being comfortable at home! These ideas help make your movie night more fun and memorable!
Set the date for your movie night and print off your own movie tickers with this free printable!
When I saw this fridge, I immediately thought of Joey and Chandler from Friends when they got their new recliners. The only thing better than watching TV in them was reaching over into the cooler for a drink versus getting up! This portable fridge is the new cooler!
We love our snacks, but they can take up some room! We love these folding trays because they're compact but sturdy! You can load up your treats and head to the couch!
Got kiddos? These straw and lid sets can keep things easy and clean!
No one likes hot wine! This sippy cup is perfect for anyone over 21+!
Takeout can be expensive! If you're cooking for a large family or gathering, why not make your favorite Chinese dish at home and then place it in containers for everyone to eat around the TV?
Whether you decide on these matching PJs or another set, we love the idea of picking jammies that match the movie!
We also love this oversized sweatshirt! It's so soft and comfy. It's like wearing a blanket!
The Mermaid Tail Blanket is a must for any Ariel fan! It also doubles up as a blanket!
This chair is a splurge. We almost linked to a cheaper one, but the reviews just were horrible. This chair is 5' and has memory foam in it! Plus, the soft micro fiber cover is easy to clean!
Are these not the cutest things?! While you're preparing for the night, why not have the kids create a fort in the living room?
Everyone is invited to movie night -- including the dog! Spoil your pooch with a special spot during the movie, too!
There is nothing like a big furry blanket to cozy up in! We love this one because it's comfy and affordable!
I mean, does anything else say, "I'm staying in tonight" like bunny slippers?! These are a must!
Creating the movie theater vibe is easier than ever with these cute cinema light boxes!
We've got our tummies full of yummy foods, cozied up in our jammies, and now all we need is a great smell! We love this soy candle option!
We love these fairy lights because they're affordable and make a big statement! You can use them all through the year too!
You probably have a TV already, but we wanted to throw this into our ultimate movie checklist because it makes streaming so easy!
We currently have Hulu, Netflix, HBO MAX, Disney+, and Amazon Prime to stream movies on, and we are so happy with all of the choices! Hulu offers a ton of great TV options too!
Another splurge that totally transforms your movie night! We added surround sound about 5 years ago, and I cringed at the price. This system has great reviews without breaking the bank, and it really does totally up your movie night game!
If you're looking for a cheaper option, we love this VIZIO sound bar and have it in our other rooms!
This projector is so cool and perfect for outdoor movie nights!
One reviewer said: This projector is amazing, I am very happy with this, it is the easiest to set up and use. It took me a few minutes to open the box to a fully configured projector, the screen is very bright. The sound is excellent. I recommend this projector to anyone looking for a quick setup and excellent sound. You can see in the videos the excellent quality that this projector has. I put it on my ceiling and on the wall and I am surprised at the brightness it has. My kids love it!
We also like this projector because it hooks up to your phone!! It has WiFi Projection, 1080P, iOS/Android Device, Built-in Speaker, and 50,000 hours
Activities
While the movie is your main event, you may also like to have activities planned around it!
Test your movie knowledge with a game of trivia!
If you don't find a recipe or theme you like here -- you didn't look hard enough! Just kidding (sorta). But seriously, if you didn't, this cookbook has so many wonderful movie themed recipes to enjoy!
What is on your movie night checklist?
Have an idea for us to add? Let us know!
If you’re setting up a movie room, you may also like our guide to the Best Paint for Movie Screen or Projector Screen.
