I’m guessing that a lot of couples out there can agree that picking a movie to watch is one of the more difficult decisions they have to make consistently (outside of picking where to go for dinner). My boyfriend and I have very different tastes in movies, so we would end up spending more time trying to decide on a movie that we were both happy with than actually watching a movie.

A few months ago we finally decided enough was enough. Our new process has made picking a movie so much easier and made the outcome fairer. Before we started using this, we would primarily watch movies selected by my partner. It’s now a perfect 50/50 split.

We have a whiteboard on the wall where we each keep a list of up to 8 movies that we want to watch together. There’s a magnet above the person who gets to pick the next film. We move the magnet over to the other list once we’ve watched a movie.

There are two major rules that we use for this process. First, the selection is definite. That means that no one can complain. The second is that we both have to watch the movie distraction-free. This primarily applies to phones, but it also includes cooking or moving around.

The additional perk that we get from this process, is we are able to reference our running list and don’t have to try to pick a movie from the endless options online. There is no obligation to pick from our list, but we generally will out of ease.

Past Selections

Through this, I’ve successfully made him watch some of my favorites: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Marie Antoinette, and The Sound of Music. On the opposite end, I’ve been subjected to The Hateful Eight, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, and Whiplash (which I actually liked). These are all movies that neither of us would have sought out to watch on our own. Sometimes we end up liking them; sometimes we don’t. The main thing is that we are both happy to have shown each other something we care about.

If you and your partner/roommate/family can’t ever decide on something to watch, I would absolutely recommend trying this out!