The 20 Best Girls' Night Movies to Watch with Your Besties, from 'Bridesmaids' to 'Wicked'

So you've spent countless nights out on the town with your favorite gal pals, from wine tastings and karaoke bars to comedy shows. But now, you're in the mood for a cozy evening in, complete with the ultimate girls' night movies.

Now, here's where things can get tricky, because choosing the right film can be a challenge when your friend group has different tastes. Are you looking for titles that'll deliver big laughs while tackling deeper themes? Or perhaps you're leaning towards a poignant drama that'll make your BFFs fly through boxes of tissues? Whatever you're in the mood for, I've curated a list of the top picks from PureWow editors, including must-see classics and new releases. From Mean Girls to One of Them Days, keep reading for the best girls' night movies perfect for your crew.

• Cast: Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming
• Rating: R
• Director: David Mirkin
• Run time: 92 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 73/100 | IMDB: 6.3/10
• Genre: Buddy Comedy

In this criminally underrated classic, two best friends from high school attend their reunion with fake success stories to impress their former classmates. But of course, this plan puts their friendship to the test. PureWow Assistant Editor Delia Curtis, who can attest to the film's humor and charm, said, "There are some laugh-out-loud moments that definitely went over my head as a younger kid and calls for a rewatch soon! Exercising with heels on? Eating cookie dough straight from the roll? A nerd turned well-to-do millionaire? Sign me back up."

• Cast:  Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: Gary Winick
• Run time: 98 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 65/100 | IMDB: 6.3/10
• Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

After making a wish on her 13th birthday, Jenna wakes up to find that she's in the body of her 30-year-old self. Initially, she's thrilled, but she quickly realizes that being an adult isn’t as fun as she thought it would be. PureWow's SEO Editor Marissa Wu says, "I 100 percent see the appeal of Jennifer Garner. The depiction of media life is hilarious, and I'm pretty sure I think of the 'thriller' dance scene at least once a month. Also, I love the happy ending."

• Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: David Frankel
• Run time: 11o minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 75/100 | IMDB: 6.9/10
• Genre: Comedy, Drama

Based on Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel of the same title, the comedy-drama follows Andy, an aspiring journalist who lands a job at a popular fashion magazine. Despite her lack of experience and knowledge, she takes the job to build new connections. Unfortunately for her, she must cater to the demands of her overbearing boss, Miranda, in the process. Fans will be happy to know that there's a sequel in the works, and Tucci revealed that he's 100 percent on board.

• Cast: Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish
• Rating: R
• Director: Malcolm D. Lee
• Run time: 122 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 91/100 | IMDB: 6.2/10
• Genre: Comedy

Four friends, also known as the fabulous “Flossy Posse,” reunite to take a trip to New Orleans for the Essence Festival—and they have the time of their lives. The chemistry between the main cast is fantastic and I love how the movie tackles themes of friendship and self-discovery. Not surprisingly, the film was a huge box office hit, earning an impressive $140 million, and a sequel is currently in development.

• Cast: Keke Palmer, SZA, Katt Williams, Vanessa Bell Calloway
• Rating: R
• Director: Lawrence Lamont
• Run time: 97 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 94/100 | IMDB: 6.6/10
• Genre: Buddy Comedy

Prepare to laugh your socks off, because Palmer and SZA make quite the comedic duo. In the film, they play best friends who must find a way to pay their rent ($1,500, to be exact) by the end of the day. In her review, PureWow Associate Commerce Strategist Jael Rucker writes, "I didn’t realize how much a film like One of Them Days was needed within Black storytelling—just two young women in a movie that is…funny. There’s no traumatic retelling, nothing that will make you emotional and no critical deep-thinking required—just lighthearted fun."

• Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Melissa McCarthy
• Rating: R
• Director: Paul Feig
• Run time: 125 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 89/100 | IMDB: 6.8/10
• Genre: Comedy

Easily one of the best comedies I've seen to date, Bridesmaids follows the misadventures of Annie as she becomes her best friend’s maid of honor. In 2020, in an exclusive interview with PureWow, Feig tod us, “It was a very fun movie to make, especially during a time when there weren’t a lot of comedies with an all-female cast. There was a lot of pressure on it because the town hadn’t really done a movie that was that female-fronted before, so they were kind of on a holding pattern to see how we did commercially. That cast was just so wonderful to work with. And the camaraderie was so strong.”

• Cast: Connie Britton, Sofia Carson, Kyle Allen
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: Adam Brooks
• Run time: 125minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 45/100 | IMDB: 6.9/10
• Genre: Romance, Drama

Don't let the low Tomatometer score fool you. The Life List, which is based on Lori Nelson Spielman’s novel, follows a young woman who tries to fulfill her dead mom's wish of completing a teenage bucket list, and it's such a heartwarming, feel-good tale. PureWow Assistant Editor of News and Entertainment Danielle Long, also agrees, writing, "It’s the kind of film that has you feeling all the emotions as Alex navigates this second coming-of-age moment and learns to live fully again. It’s a mix of drama, romance and self-reflection."

• Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: Robert Luketic
• Run time: 96 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 72/100 | IMDB: 6.5/10
• Genre: Comedy, Romance

What better opportunity to practice the famous bend and snap? In Legally Blonde, Elle heads to Harvard and tries to win her ex-boyfriend back, but she gets way more than she bargained for. PureWow Fashion Editor Abby Hepworth says, “Elle is incredibly smart, determined and capable and doesn't let the pressures of fitting into what a lawyer ‘should be’ change her. That's incredibly hard to do. And the fact that this movie is so hilarious and over the top makes that learning feel fun and less like a lesson.”

• Cast: Rebel Wilson, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland
• Rating: R
• Director: Alex Hardcastle
• Run time: 111 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 23/100 | IMDB: 5.5/10
• Genre: Comedy

Think 17 Again, but with a twist. In Senior Year, Wilson plays a teen cheerleader who wakes up from a coma 20 years later and returns to high school. (What could possibly go wrong?) Phil Mutz, VP of News & Entertainment, revealed that while the premise is predictable, it's still incredibly fun to watch. He said, “It’s surprisingly funny. I really wanted to hate it because it’s such a played-out and cliché idea. The story might be stupid, but who cares if I’m enjoying myself?”

• Cast: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu
• Rating: R
• Director: Adele Lim
• Run time: 94 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 90/100 | IMDB: 6.4/10
• Genre: Comedy

If you loved Girls Trip or The Hangover, then allow me to introduce their lovechild, Joy Ride. The laugh-out-loud comedy follows four friends as they embark on a fun adventure after a business trip goes south. As it turns out, Lim took inspiration from her personal experiences with close friends. She told ScreenRant, "We would just hang out together and crack each other out with nasty dating stories or stories from our friends, our completely unhinged, ridiculous friends. And we thought, 'We're professional writers. We can put this movie together.' We set out to make the kind of movie we wish we had growing up."

• Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: Peyton Reed
• Run time: 98 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 65/100 | IMDB: 6.2/10
• Genre: Teen Comedy

Whether you’re team Clover or team Toro, this cult favorite never gets old. In the movie, a cheerleading squad (the Rancho Carne Toros) must whip up a new routine to compete in the championships after they learn that their go-to moves were stolen from another high school. Both Dunst and Union are phenomenal in this film, and the drama between their rivaling squads will take you and your besties straight back to your high school days.

• Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: Mark Waters
• Run time: 97 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 84/100 | IMDB: 7.1/10
• Genre: Teen Comedy

On Wednesdays, we wear pink—but every day is a good time to revisit Mean Girls, which follows Cady's chaotic first year at a public high school. Mutz, who happens to be a major fan, says, "That film is iconic and is Lohan at the height of her powers. She's the heart of the movie as she falls prey to the fabulously wicked Regina George and the rest of the Plastics. The movie is endlessly quotable, so funny and clearly was a cash cow that inspired both a Broadway musical and a musical film."

• Cast: Margot Robbie, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: Greta Gerwig
• Run time: 114 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 88/100 | IMDB: 6.8/10
• Genre: Fantasy/Adventure 

In Barbieland, where the women reign supreme, Stereotypical Barbie begins to glitch after raising a question about death. Eager to fix this issue, she heads to the real world for the first time and is shocked by what she finds. In his review of the movie, former PureWow Editor Joel Calfee wrote, “Barbie shines light on what Barbie was meant to represent all along: A world where women can be many different things and strive for many different dreams without fear of being held back or minimized. It's a comical, moving and thoughtful film.”

• Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang
• Rating: PG
• Director: Jon M. Chu
• Run time: 160 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 88/100 | IMDB: 7.5/10
• Genre: Musical, Fantasy

A star-studded adaptation with epic musical numbers and timely social commentary? Sign me up. As PureWow Beauty and Cultures Editor Chelsea Candelario writes in her review, “It's no surprise that the shining stars were Cynthia Eviro and Ariana Grande. They were meant to play Elphaba and Glinda. Whether they were singing together or solo, these two powerhouses didn't outshine each other. If anything, they complement each other so well. It makes sense why they are so in sync during red carpets and interviews. Their real-life friendship truly shines through on screen.”

• Cast: America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel
• Director: Ken Kwapis
• Rating: PG
• Run time: 119 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 82/100 | IMDb 6.5/10
• Genre: Comedy, Drama

Based on Ann Brashares's 2001 novel, the coming-of-age tale follows a group of best friends who share a pair of pants that fits them all perfectly as they spend their first summer apart. Curtis, who grew up watching the classic, says, "I’ll never forget the moment when America Ferrera, the curviest girl in the friend group, tried on the magic pants and they fit her like a glove. It made me feel seen and beautiful. A great film about friendship, connection and self-acceptance."

• Cast: Anne Hathaway, Heather Matarazzo, Hector Elizondo, Mandy Moore
• Rating: G
• Director: Garry Marshall
• Run time: minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 49/100 | IMDB: 6.4/10
• Genre: Comedy

Hathaway is simply brilliant as the awkward outcast turned princess of Genovia in this timeless gem—and I can't wait to see her reprise her role in the third installment. According to Wu, "The Princess Diaries made me wish I had a grandma who was the queen of a tiny country. I just love the transformation for Mia. Not physically (though that's fun), but over the course of the two films, she learns how to be a leader and stand up for her values—that's automatic queen status for me."

• Cast: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Isla Fisher
• Rating: R
• Director: Michael Morris
• Run time: 124 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 89/100 | IMDB: 6.7/10
• Genre: Romantic Comedy

Zellweger charmed longtime fans and newcomers alike in this fourth installment—and she'll keep your entire squad entertained, too. This time, Bridget is a widowed single mom who must balance motherhood, work and romance. And according to Senior Editor Dana Dickey, it's worth the watch. She says, "The film is fast-paced, with surprising character arcs and narrative twists. There’s a centerpiece performance by one of the children that you’ll get misty-eyed watching. A recurring owl is a resonant symbol of grief. There is physical comedy, and there are montages and—no spoiler here, it’s in the trailer—a cameo from Bridget’s famous granny panties."

• Cast: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy
• Rating: R
• Director: Garry Marshall
• Run time: 125 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 65/100 | IMDB: 7.1/10
• Genre: Romantic Comedy

The classic follows Vivian, a Hollywood escort who gets hired by a wealthy businessman named Edward. However, their relationship begins to shift as they spend time together over a week. Watch for Vivian's epic fashion moments, and, of course, her incredible story arc. Wu says, "The true genius of the film is that despite her position in society, Vivian had agency, never powerless to the whims of others who wanted to control her. And for that, the Tomatometer should read at least 90 percent."

• Cast: Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: Jason Moore
• Run time: 112 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes: 81/100 | IMDB: 7.1/10
• Genre: Musical, Comedy

I will always be down to watch rivaling college acapella groups compete as they cover the catchiest pop tunes. (And yes, I still think about that final mashup at the Bellas Finals.) The movie revolves around Beca Mitchell, a new student who joins the Barden Bellas and helps them get to the national championship. It became a sleeper hit and inspired two sequels and a spin-off series, called Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin.