5 Recent Netflix Releases for a Perfect Date Night

From a 1980s Irish coming-of-age tale to a gritty sci-fi action thriller, these new movies on Netflix offer something for every couple's movie night.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 3:39pm

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With winter weather keeping many indoors, Newsweek has curated a list of 5 recent Netflix releases that make for the perfect date night movies. The selections include the 2016 musical drama "Sing Street", the 2018 sci-fi action film "Upgrade", the 2019 Mötley Crüe biopic "The Dirt", the 2020 dark comedy "Shiva Baby", and the 2023 romantic action comedy "Hit Man".

Why it matters

As the streaming wars continue, Netflix remains a go-to destination for couples looking to enjoy a night in. These 5 diverse film options provide something for everyone, from nostalgic 80s music to gritty sci-fi to raunchy comedy, making Netflix a one-stop shop for date night entertainment.

The details

"Sing Street" follows a 15-year-old in 1980s Dublin who forms a band to impress a mysterious girl, while "Upgrade" is a violent sci-fi thriller about a paralyzed man who gets an implant that allows him to seek revenge. "The Dirt" is a raunchy biopic about the wild exploits of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, "Shiva Baby" is an anxiety-inducing dark comedy set at a shiva, and "Hit Man" is a romantic action comedy about an undercover cop posing as a hitman.

  • "Sing Street" was released in 2016.
  • "Upgrade" was released in 2018.
  • "The Dirt" was released in 2019.
  • "Shiva Baby" was released in 2020.
  • "Hit Man" was released in 2023.

The players

John Carney

The director of "Sing Street".

Leigh Whannell

The writer and director of "Upgrade".

Jeff Tremaine

The director of "The Dirt", the biopic about Mötley Crüe.

Rachel Sennott

The star of "Shiva Baby".

Glen Powell

The star and co-writer of "Hit Man".

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What they’re saying

“Sing Street skirts the criminal sin of all movies about fake bands — the titular rock/new wave act cycles through a parade of stylistically divergent subgenres en route to cementing its own signature sound, and they're all... pretty darn good!”

— Alex Kirschenbaum, Author

“Upgrade melds the ghoulish action of Universal Soldier with a revenge plot, plus some noirish sci-fi and frenetic camerawork. It's a violent blast.”

— Alex Kirschenbaum, Author

“The flick dives into every band member's severe lows just as much as it taps into their astronomic highs, but is also so wildly histrionic that the period-perfect straight-to-Netflix adventure emerges as a late-period classic in the band biopic subgenre.”

— Alex Kirschenbaum, Author

The takeaway

These 5 diverse Netflix offerings provide something for every couple's movie night, from nostalgic 80s music to gritty sci-fi to raunchy comedy, cementing the streaming service's status as a one-stop shop for date night entertainment.