Decide the mood before the title
Pick two things first: how serious you want the movie to feel and how much time you have. That removes most of the catalogue immediately and makes recommendations much easier to compare.
Use a three-title shortlist
Instead of passing the remote around for half an hour, let everyone add one candidate and choose from the final three. If there is no clear favorite, pick the shortest one or flip a coin.
A good movie night starts when the movie starts. The perfect choice is rarely worth another forty minutes of scrolling.
