Watching a hangout film is a perfect way to unwind and spend quality time with your friends and loved ones. For me, a good hangout movie is one where I can follow the character(s) and their journeys throughout the film, irrespective of the story, as long as the journey is engaging. Their success depends on the director’s ability to make the audience feel like an integral part of the character’s world, to the point where the camera becomes irrelevant. The best thing about films in this genre is that they take time to catch up with you, but once they do, you go back to them repeatedly, which is why most of them have become cult classics. Here are the ten best hangout movies to see with friends, guaranteed to put you at ease and make you fall in love with cinema all over again.
10. Il Sorpasso (1962) – Dino Risi
Il Sorpasso, a road comedy directed by Dino Risi, is a slice-of-life film and an ideal choice to kick off this list. The film is a humanistic portrayal of two totally opposite human beings in 1960s Italy, a time when the country was experiencing an economic boom. Bruno Cortona (Vittorio Gassman) and Roberto Mariani (Jean-Louis Trintignant) meet by chance and embark on a road trip in Bruno’s convertible Lancia Aurelia from Rome to the Italian countryside, learning about each other’s lives. Bruno is a charming and free-spirited person who sails through life with a devil-may-care attitude and believes in living in the moment. On the other hand, Roberto is an introverted law student who lacks world experience and is uncertain of his future. The film benefits from the detailed characterization of its leads as it unfolds and offers profound introspection into their lives. Dino Risi keeps the film’s breezy vibe and cheerful tone intact, making Il Sorpasso a feel-good movie about living life to the fullest till the end.
P.S. Alexander Payne heavily drew inspiration from Il Sorpasso while making his own slice-of-life film, Sideways (2004).
9. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) – Quentin Tarantino
Since Quentin Tarantino is best known for popularizing the term “hangout film,” it should come as no surprise that many of his films, like Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), and Jackie Brown (1997), embody the essence of the genre. His latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is a perfect hangout film (even though I consider Jackie Brown to be a superior film overall, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood qualifies to be a better hangout film), a history tweaking comedy-drama about the friendship between fading actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo Di Caprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). They share an endearing bond of trust and professionalism as they do favors for one another and unwind by sipping beers and margaritas while watching Rick’s TV show. This film is Tarantino’s love letter to the late 1960s Los Angeles of his youth, a time of significant upheaval in Hollywood. He immerses us in the swinging 1960s lifestyle and hippie culture of Los Angeles by replicating the actual locales as they were in 1969 without using CGI effects. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is rife with several memorable moments, including Rick Dalton shooting the pilot episode for the new TV western Lancer, the extended Spahn Ranch sequence with Cliff Booth and the hippies, and not the least, the climax.
The film is available on Amazon Prime Video
8. Rio Bravo (1959) – Howard Hawks
Howard Hawks pioneered the hangout film genre with films like Only Angels Have Wings (1939), Red Line 7000 (1965), Hatari (1962), El Dorado (1966), and more, but Rio Bravo eclipses them all and takes the cake. No other director has been able to create male camaraderie and bonding as effectively as Howard Hawks, and no other movie illustrates that better than Rio Bravo.
When Joe Burdette (Claude Atkins), the brother of a powerful rancher, murders an innocent man, he is arrested by a Texan sheriff named Chance (John Wayne), due to which the rancher’s hired guns hold up the entire town. The sheriff takes a stand against the rancher’s goons, who are hellbent on freeing Joe from the police station. Chance has limited support in the form of Dude (Dean Martin), a recovering alcoholic deputy, Colorado (Ricky Nelson), a young cowboy and Stumpy (Walter Brennan), a cantankerous old cripple. The film is memorable for its rich characterization, as Howard Hawks builds remarkable relationships, especially between Chance, Dude, and Stumpy, who spend most of their time inside the police station. Chance is a natural leader who takes matters into his own hands and refuses help from others to prevent endangering their lives. The Dude is struggling to get his act together, despite Chance’s best efforts to get him to cut down. Stumpy is a trustworthy old deputy who always says what he thinks and bickers with Chance like an old married couple. It’s a pleasure to be in the company of these people.
7. Hera Pheri (2000) – Priyadarshan
If you are a student of any profession in India living in hostels or dormitories with multiple guys, Hera Pheri is an ideal go-to film to hang out together and have a fun time. The film has also earned a reputation as an escapist cinema amongst students, where they can forget the pressures of exams and emotional stress and relax for a little while. The plot revolves around three characters: Raju (Akshay Kumar), Shyam (Suniel Shetty), and Baburao (Paresh Rawal), who are all in desperate need of money and eventually get their chance when they receive a ransom call as a result of a telephone cross-connection. The film is replete with hilarious dialogue and punch lines (thanks to Neeraj Vora’s script), and the chaotic climax with a slew of characters is a laugh riot. Apart from Hera Pheri, Priyadarshan directed several other classic Hindi comedies like Hungama (2003), Hulchul (2004), Garam Masala (2005), Malamaal Weekly (2006), etc.
You can watch the full movie for free on YouTube
6. Friday (1995) – F. Gary Gray
Friday is a perfect example of a stoner comedy and follows two guys who spend their day smoking weed, talking trash, and watching things happening around them in the neighborhood. Craig Jones (Ice Cube) is a slacker who gets fired from his job on his day off for stealing boxes, while Smokey (Chris Tucker) is a drug dealer who smokes most of the stash that he was supposed to sell, angering his boss, Big Worm (Faizon Love). Craig accidentally gets involved in Smokey’s matter, and Big Worm vows to kill them if they don’t return $200 by evening as compensation for the weed consumed. Most of the film takes place on Craig’s front porch, depicting many aspects of ghetto life and the people that reside there. It provides a refreshing change of pace by not presenting the ghetto as violent and gruesome as most films do. While Chris Tucker is hilarious throughout the film, Ice Cube also gets to showcase his comedic skills, particularly in scenes with his father, played by John Witherspoon, and the one in which he gets stoned. Along with Craig’s father, there are numerous interesting characters in the film, including Deebo (Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr.), the neighborhood bully, Joann (Vickilyn Reynolds), Smokey’s mother; and Ezal (Anthony Johnson), a petty burglar.
You can rent Friday on Amazon Prime Video
5. Dazed and Confused (1993) – Richard Linklater
Richard Linklater’s work is synonymous with the hangout genre, given most of his filmography focuses on it, whether it is Slacker (1990), Before trilogy (1995-2013), Everybody Wants Some (2016), or even his latest effort Apollo 101/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022). But the film that is personal to me and that I keep returning to repeatedly is Dazed and Confused (1993).
The film follows a day in the lives of several teenagers on their last day of high school in Austin, Texas, in 1976. Richard Linklater’s taut screenplay follows several characters in a perfect ensemble, without making any character useless or extraneous, as they drive around town, smoke weed, enjoy a beer keg party, and debate about their future. The film is an immersive experience and a nostalgic trip that will make you long to be a part of that world and be amongst these people. Performance-wise, Ben Affleck stands out as the school bully whose wants to whoop junior students’ asses with the bat, while Matthew McConaughey became famous for his effortless acting and delivery of the iconic line, “Alright, Alright, Alright.”
4. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) – Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch is mostly known for his deadpan comedies such as Down by the Law (1986), Night on Earth (1991), Stranger than Paradise (1984), and Paterson (2016), which all fit into the category of hangout movies because of their slow pace, lack of plot progression, and emphasis on atmosphere and character development. But my favorite Jarmusch film is Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), which is also widely regarded as one of the best films of the past decade. Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton) are vampires who have been married for centuries but now live apart in Detroit and Tangier, respectively. Adam is a well-known musician who has become despondent and suicidal due to his contempt for humans, whom he regards as selfish and foolish, and his dread of being identified as a vampire. When Eve, the more enigmatic and mentally strong of the two, learns of Adam’s condition, she rushes to Detroit to reconnect with him and boost his morale. They spend time together playing chess, listening to music, and driving around town at night. The film benefits from a moody atmosphere and a great soundtrack. Using Detroit as the principal setting was a masterstroke to depict the decadence of modern human civilization, in which these two outsiders are having a tough time adjusting and surviving. Only Lovers Left Alive is a perfect film to celebrate love, compassion, and seeing beauty in life in a dismal world.
You can watch Only Lovers Left Alive on Amazon Prime Video
3. The Nice Guys (2016) – Shane Black
Another contemporary film set in 1970s Los Angeles, The Nice Guys follows a private eye, Holland March (Ryan Gosling), and an enforcer, Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), as they strive to solve a case involving the disappearance of a girl. Even though The Nice Guys is more of a neo-noir buddy comedy film, its casual, laid-back vibe and dazzling chemistry between Gosling and Crowe make it an excellent pick for a hangout film. There are plenty of jokes and hilarious situations that these two find themselves in while searching for the girl, especially during the party sequence. The film also benefits from the presence of Holland’s daughter Holly (Angourie Rice), who is funny, intelligent, and far more mature than her age. Her evolution as a character and the dynamic she shares with her father make for a refreshing take on the typical father-daughter relationship portrayed on screen. The film also aims at American capitalism for its callous disregard for the environment in pursuit of monetary gain.
You can watch The Nice Guys on Amazon Prime Video
2. Midnight Run (1988) – Martin Brest
Robert De Niro gives one of the most underrated performances of his career in Midnight Run, a film that no one ever talks about and is criminally undervalued. The film enables De Niro to showcase his comedic abilities, and he nails every bit of his performance. Jonathan Mardukas (Charles Grodin), an accountant working for a Chicago mob boss named Jimmy Serrano (Dennis Farina), steals $15 million from him and disappears. Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantoliano), a bail bondsman, hires a bounty hunter and ex-cop, Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro), to track Jonathan down, apprehend him, and bring him to Los Angeles. However, the Mafia, the FBI, and other bounty hunters are also after Jonathan for various reasons, so it becomes Jack’s responsibility to keep him safe until they reach Los Angeles. As a result, we accompany Jack and Jonathan on their exciting adventure from New York to Los Angeles. The film is an enjoyable mix of a few good emotional moments (due to Jack’s deep characterization), a plethora of hilarious scenarios, an unconventional but unique chemistry between the leads, and a finale that will leave a smile on your face long after the film is over.
1. The Big Lebowski (1999) – Coen Brothers
The Big Lebowski follows Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), one of the laziest characters portrayed on screen, who loves nothing more than to bowl, hang out with his friends, drink White Russians, and smoke weed. His peaceful life of leisure is disrupted by a case of mistaken identity, after which he finds himself in the middle of a kidnapping case and encounters bizarre people such as a millionaire cripple of the same name, a porn kingpin, and a bunch of German-speaking nihilists. The Dude has only two friends to rely on: Walter Sobchak (John Goodman), a Vietnam War veteran and a loudmouth with anger issues who brings every topic of discussion back to the Vietnam War, and Donny (Steve Buscemi), a sweet, innocent man who gets yelled at by Walter, “Shut the fuck up, Donny!” throughout the film whenever he opens his mouth. But despite nothing working for him, Dude carries on with his casual demeanor and “fuck-it” philosophy, making the most of his situation in life and cementing his place as one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history.
You can watch The Big Lebowski on Amazon Prime Video
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