If He Loves Any Of These Movies, It’s A Serious Red Flag

In addition to talking about the weather and how lame traffic is, movies are one of those first date topics that inevitably fills the awkward silence between sips of over-priced coffee. Everyone watches movies and it’s fun to see if you have any favorites in common. While the subject may feel safe, you can actually tell a lot about a guy by what he considers his favorite movie. Sure, most of the movies on this list are classics, but they’re also some serious red flag movies. Keep your guard up, friends. If he likes these, it’s a bad sign.

American Psycho (2000)

Anyone who thinks of Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman as a hero or role model needs serious therapy. It’s one thing to appreciate the storytelling or the fan theories about whether the murders were all in his head, but it’s another to have this guy on a pedestal. Who can look at Bale’s gleefully crazy face and think, “yeah, that’s who I wanna be?” If he loves American Psycho, he’s probably a middle management bro who shouldn’t be trusted around power tools.

500 Days Of Summer (2009)

Most of the “manic pixie dream girl” movies can be considered a red flag, but 500 Days of Summer is a cut above. If he says this is his favorite movie, ask who he thinks the bad guy is in the end. If he says that Zooey Deschanel is the problem, time to take this guy out with the trash. Even Joseph Gordon-Levitt himself has said that his character was the bad guy, being selfish and uncaring of Summer’s wants and needs. If he thinks Tom was the good guy in 500 Days of Summer, you’ll never live up to his manic pixie dream girl fantasies.

Human Centipede (2009)

Of all the classic horror movies he could have chosen, he went with this one as his favorite? Big yikes. There’s something epically shady about a guy who prefers uncomfortable, nightmare-inducing body horror. I’d normally suggest you ask someone why they like a movie so much, but it might be best just to cut your losses. If he says Human Centipede is the best horror movie, get out of there while you still have all your working organs.

Fight Club (1999)

Just like with American Psycho, choosing Fight Club it’s all about who he identifies with. Some men miss the nuance of this film and see Tyler Durden as some kind of hero, claiming that mass consumerism is the real evil of the movie. If he doesn’t see the toxic masculinity of Fight Club and just wants to start his own Project Mayhem, best get out before you become an unwitting accomplice.

50 Shades Of Grey (2015)

Any guy who says this is his favorite movie is trying to prove something. He likely wants to imply his freaky side, which is fine. No kink-shaming here. The problem is that 50 Shades is a terrible example of how to have a loving and consent-filled BDSM relationship. If he’s getting his sub/dom tips from 50 Shades of Grey, it’s best to steer clear of his dungeon.

Scarface (1983)

If you walk into a guy’s bedroom and the sole piece of “art” on his wall is a Scarface poster, you’ve found the most basic guy in your town. Congrats! He probably subsists only on energy drinks, Hot Cheetos, and the tears of women who couldn’t see the signs. He’s likely one of those guys who just has a mattress on the floor and one plate to share between the two of you. If the only movie he ever talks about is Scarface, you could walk outside right now and find 10 guys who are more interesting.

Joker (2019)

Uh oh, his favorite movie is Joker? Guys who identify with Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck should be avoided at all costs. They’re the red pill guys who feel like white men are the most oppressed group in America right now. If that isn’t a red flag, I don’t know what is. If he feels a kinship with Arthur Fleck in Joker, he’ll never see you as an equal (and you’ll probably have to bail him out of jail at least once).

Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

Wolf of Wall Street is a cautionary tale of excess, consumerism, and power. Yet so many dudebros are using it as some kind of manual for how to become top dog in their company. It’s like American Psycho without all the murder. The world doesn’t need another Jordan Belfort. If he lets Wolf of Wall Street guide him, you’re probably not enough of a super model for him anyway. Good riddance.

The Godfather (1972)

Is this really his favorite movie? Or did he hear that this was a classic and just chose it so he had an answer when people ask about his faves? There’s a very good chance that this guy doesn’t really have opinions on anything at all, let alone movies. I almost feel bad for him. Almost. If he says The Godfather is his favorite movie, your life with him will be like dating a bowl of unflavored oatmeal.

Anything Quentin Tarantino

Is anyone else sick of people talking about Quentin Tarantino? Some guys think that he’s the end-all be-all of filmmaking, ignoring the fact that most of his movies are just foot fetish films with some action thrown in. Sure, Pulp Fiction is a classic, but believing that his movies are perfect is a surefire way to dry many women right up. If he only ever watches Quentin Tarantino movies, you’ll need to be okay with him spending hours on one-sided pop culture rants like the characters in his favorite films.