Film

Blind Date

Other titles called Blind Date: the series in development (Disney+).

A 1987 romantic comedy where a blind date spirals into escalating chaos when the woman (Kim Basinger) turns out to be a different person when drinking. Bruce Willis plays the increasingly frazzled man trying to manage the night. It's broad, silly, energetic—the kind of film that commits fully to its premise and doesn't apologize for the mess.

TMDb rating3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy farce built on escalating mishaps, where a mismatched pairing keeps making the night worse and the comic timing does the heavy lifting, in the spirit of 1980s screwball comedies like After Hours.

Skip it if you want sharp, fast-moving jokes throughout, since the humour leans on long stretches of awkward situations and a fairly predictable romantic arc that can drag in the middle.

What it asks of you: It runs about ninety-five minutes and stays light and breezy, asking you to sit through a steady build of embarrassing set-pieces rather than follow a dense plot.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Overboard1987

Released the same year, it has the same DNA: a romantic setup that flips into absurdity, physical comedy, and two leads (Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell) with real chemistry underneath the mayhem.

But The premise—a woman loses her memory and is tricked into servitude—plays darker than it intends, and the humor feels occasionally mean-spirited about class and consent.

Overboard poster

Coming to America1988

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall create magic from fish-out-of-water romance and mistaken identity. The energy is infectious, the cast work is generous, and it finds real warmth between the comedy bits.

But It's nearly two hours long, and the pacing sags in the middle. Some jokes land harder on rewatches than they did in theaters.

Coming to America poster

Splash1984

Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah in a romantic comedy where the absurd premise (she's a mermaid) is played straight enough that you believe in their connection. Funny, sweet, and genuinely charming.

But The tone shifts unpredictably between whimsy and something darker. It's a bit of a tonal mess, though an endearing one.

Splash poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Blind Date

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

It Happened One Night1934

Both are comedies about a man and woman thrown together for a night (or days) where the chaos and friction create the actual romance. The setup matters less than the banter.

Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable in the template for all screwball romantic comedies that follow. Smart dialogue, electric chemistry, and a couple who genuinely spar. It's the ancestor of everything you're watching in 1987.

But The pacing is slower than modern comedy, and some of the romantic politics feel dated even by romantic-comedy standards. It requires patience and goodwill.

It Happened One Night poster
More like this (8)

Roxanne1987

Steve Martin's riff on Cyrano de Bergerac proves he could do romantic comedy without sacrificing intelligence. It's witty, touching, and Martin's physicality adds real charm.

But It's a bit too knowing for its own good sometimes. The cleverness occasionally steps on the emotional moments.

Roxanne poster

Can't Buy Me Love1987

Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson in a high-school romantic comedy that understands its own artifice while staying genuinely sweet. The '80s aesthetic is a bonus.

But The central transaction—paying for affection—doesn't hold up beautifully even accounting for period conventions. It's more forgettable than bad.

Can't Buy Me Love poster

3 Men and a Baby1987

Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson navigate domesticity comedy with real warmth. The cast's rapport makes scenes that should be tired land fresh.

But The plot pivots into a drug-trafficking subplot that feels tacked on and undercuts the tone. It's the movie's worst instinct.

3 Men and a Baby poster

Mannequin1987

Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall (who is genuinely funny) in an absurdist romantic fantasy about a window dresser and the mannequin who comes to life. It commits to its own silliness.

But The silliness works only if you're on its wavelength. If you're not, it's just a 90-minute inconvenience.

Mannequin poster

Summer School1987

Mark Harmon in a high-school comedy that's looser and more generous than it needs to be. It's disposable, sure, but it's genuinely enjoyable to spend time in.

But There's no real substance here. The plot is tissue-thin and the jokes are mostly groaners. It's pleasant backgrounding.

Summer School poster

Hiding Out1987

Jon Cryer in a witness-protection romantic comedy that's earnest about its romance despite the dopey premise. It's got heart and Cryer's commitment sells it.

But The crime plot is utterly forgotten whenever romance is on screen, creating tonal whiplash. It doesn't cohere.

Hiding Out poster

Beetlejuice1988

Both films are about wildness and chaos as comedy—a force of nature (whether a person or a ghost) disrupts everything and we laugh at the damage. The chaos is the point.

Tim Burton and Michael Keaton in a comedy about the chaos of the supernatural crashing into the mundane. It's visually inventive, wickedly funny, and Keaton steals every frame.

But The tonal shifts between horror and comedy are jarring. If you want consistency, this will drive you up the wall.

Beetlejuice poster

Raising Arizona1987

Both use romantic-comedy scenarios as engines for comic escalation and visual gags. A simple setup becomes increasingly complicated and ridiculous, and the couple's relationship is the thread holding the chaos together.

Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter in a Coen Brothers film about a kidnapping that's genuinely hilarious and genuinely heartfelt. The energy is frenetic, the dialogue sings, and the performances are fearless.

But It's eccentric to the point of alienation. If you don't surrender to the Coen Brothers' wavelength, you'll find it affected and exhausting.

Raising Arizona poster

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