39 Best Movies About Summer That'll Make You Crave the Sunshine
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Ever since the first summer blockbuster, Jaws, premiered in June 1975, movies debuting in the summertime have just hit differently. A lot can happen during one summer: A person can fall in (or out of) love with someone, a mystery can be solved, or a kid can come of age. There's just something magical about summertime, both on and off the big screen.
To get you pumped for the season, we've compiled some of the best movies about summer — spanning many different genres, including comedy, drama, musical, and horror — that will keep you entertained from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In the movies below, characters travel all over the globe on vacations, getaways, or just inner journeys. They make out, make up, or break things off with their crushes. Friendships are tested and relationships stand on precarious ground. Check out our list of the best movies about summer, and get ready to turn up the heat this season!
Flamin' Hot (2023)
Summertime is hot and so are Hot Cheetos.
If you're wanting to watch a movie you haven't already seen 20 times before, then check out this biopic about Richard Montañez, a Frito Lay janitor who transformed the snack industry with Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2022)
The end of summer can feel like the end of a major life chapter, and that chapter closing is something Aiden (Jordan Fisher) isn't ready to let happen. He and his girlfriend make a pact to break up before starting college, however Aiden has an epic final date planned and hopes their relationship will continue.
In the Heights (2021)
Based on the Broadway musical, this film adaptation follows a tight-knit community living in the Manhattan neighborhood Washington Heights. At the heart of the movie is a bodega owner who dreams for (and sings about) a better life.
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)
Directed by Questlove from The Roots, this documentary looks at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that happened at the same time as Woodstock — however, it didn't garner the same amount of attention.
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Banana Split (2020)
If you and your bestie have ever dated the same person, this movie will resonate with you.
During one pivotal summer, two friends share a special bond, despite the fact one of them is dating the other's ex.
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The Last Summer (2019)
Riverdale's KJ Apa stars in this Netflix movie about a group of recent high school graduates who share one final summer before college together before they go their separate ways.
The Meg (2018)
Great white sharks were so last century. Now, we're all about the megalodon, aka an extinct species of shark that turns out not to be extinct in the world of The Meg.
This fun horror-comedy will have you craving for more megalodon drama the moment the credits roll — and you're in luck, because the sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, hits theaters beginning August 4, 2023.
Summer of '03 (2018)
This hilarious coming-of-age movie stars The Kissing Booth's Joey King as Jamie, a teen whose life is turned upside down one summer when her dying grandmother spills some serious tea.
Summer of 84 (2018)
Stranger Things meets The Goonies in this underrated horror film about four friends who think their neighbor is a serial killer. They spend their summer spying on him, trying to prove their theory.
Girls Trip (2017)
Four BFFs who've grown apart over the years rekindle their friendship (and wild shenanigans) during the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans.
Hot Summer Nights (2017)
The summer of 1991 is one to remember for Daniel (Timothée Chalamet) as he spends his vacation on Cape Cod, falling in love and getting into some serious trouble.
The To Do List (2013)
The summer before college, Brandy (Aubrey Plaza) decides to become more sexually experienced and puts together a list of activities she needs to accomplish before the summer ends.
The Way Way Back (2013)
Duncan (Liam James) goes on a summer vacation with his mother, her verbally abusive boyfriend, and the boyfriend's obnoxious daughter. To escape his home life, Duncan gets a summer job at the local water park where he bonds with the eccentric manager.
We're the Millers (2013)
The July 4th weekend can sometimes be overrated, but not for one (fake) family who must smuggle drugs from Mexico into the U.S. without getting caught.
Moonrise Summer (2012)
This quirky coming-of-age movie from the mind of Wes Anderson follows two kids who develop a romance and decide to run away together — one from summer camp and the other from her family's house called Summer's End. Their abrupt departure causes a wild search party to break out and look for them.
Monte Carlo (2011)
Looking for a summer adventure, three girls ditch their lives in small-town Texas and head to the exciting world of Paris, France. Things get even better when one of them is mistaken for a British socialite. Now, they're partying and living the life of the rich and the famous... until the actual British socialite shows up.
Piranha 3D (2010)
This over-the-top remake of the 1978 horror classic is not for the faint of heart. Seriously, if you don't like gore, then keep scrolling.
When a horde of prehistoric, carnivorous fish are accidentally released near a waterside resort, chaos ensues.
Adventureland (2009)
College graduate James (Jesse Eisenberg) thought he was going on a dream trip to Europe over the summer, but his plans hit a snag when he learned his parents couldn't finance his trip. Now, he's forced to get a job at an amusement park in the summer of 1987. However, he soon realizes his new gig isn't so bad when he meets the people working there, including Em (Kristen Stewart).
Camp Rock (2008)
This iconic DCOM and its sequel both take place at a summer camp for aspiring musicians. When Mitchie (Demi Lovato), a teen working in the kitchen at the camp, is overheard singing by pop star, her life gets turned upside down.
High School Musical 2 (2007)
The opening number of this sequel to the hit DCOM is literally all about summer vacation!
Lovebirds Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) get jobs at the Lava Springs country club, as well as all of their friends. At first, it seems like it's going to be a summer to remember, but things get dicey when Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) tries to steal Troy away from Gabriella.
Cheaper By the Dozen 2 (2005)
Following the crazy hijinks of Cheaper By the Dozen, this follow-up takes the Bakers on a summer vacation to the lake for some quality family time. However, they soon get caught up in a competition with a rival family who has eight kids.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
Spending their first summer away from each other, four BFFs manage to stay connected while they're apart by sharing a pair of pants that magically fits all of them perfectly.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)
Lizzie (Hilary Duff) has just graduated from middle school and is off to Italy with her friends on a class trip. While there, she falls in love with an Italian pop star named Paolo (Yani Gellman) and sneaks away from her group to rendezvous with him.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
This bonkers comedy follows an eccentric group of camp counselors who desperately try to get everything done before summer ends in 1981.
The Parent Trap (1998)
Twin girls who didn't know the other existed meet at a summer camp and make a pact to get their divorced parents back together in this remake of the 1961 movie of the same name.
Good Burger (1997)
After accidentally crashing into his teacher's car while driving without a license, Dexer (Kenan Thompson) is forced to get a summer job at a fast food restaurant to pay for the damages. Not long after he starts working, Dexter and his fellow co-workers must fight to keep the restaurant in business when a rival burger joint opens up across the street.
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I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Four friends accidentally kill someone on July 4, disposing of the body and vowing to never speak of the incident again. A year later, they soon realize someone knows their dark secret and is out for revenge in this beloved slasher.
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Independence Day (1996)
Aliens are planning to destroy the Earth over the Fourth of July weekend, but a select group of savvy humans refuse to give up without a fight.
Heavyweights (1995)
Kids at Camp Hope, a summer camp meant to help them lose weight, must band together and take on the camp's sadistic new owner.
Now and Then (1995)
This movie about four BFFs jumps back and forth between two time periods: the summer of 1970, when the tweens come of age, and 1991, when their adult counterparts reflect on those events from two decades ago.
Addams Family Values (1993)
If you're done binge-watching Wednesday for the 10th time, check out this sequel to 1991's The Addams Family.
Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) are sent to summer camp and macabre hijinks ensue. Meanwhile, Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) becomes engaged to a killer who plans to murder him for his money.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Junior and high school kids live it up on the last day of school in 1976. They're focused on three things: hooking up, partying, and driving around with their friends.
The Sandlot (1993)
Baseball and summertime go together like graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate.
When Scotty (Tom Guiry) moves to a new town in the summer of 1962, he befriends a group of rowdy kids who love playing baseball. When an autographed ball accidentally goes over the fence and into the backyard of a terrifying neighbor with a huge, ferocious dog, the kids work together to try and sneakily get it back before Scotty's stepdad finds out.
My Girl (1991)
In 1972, a spunky tween girl and her BFF have one unforgettable (and tragic) summer together. Grab your tissues for this classic '90s movie.
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Do the Right Thing (1989)
In the Brooklyn subsection of Bedford-Stuyvesant (aka Bed–Stuy) on the hottest day of the year, tensions rise when a local pizza joint in a Black neighborhood called Buggin' Out only has photos of Italian actors up instead of Black actors.
Stand By Me (1986)
Four boys come of age the weekend before school starts in 1959 when they go on a journey to see the dead body of a kid who was hit by a train.
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Summer camp sounds fun, until your fellow campers and counselors begin getting murdered by an unknown killer running amok. The twist ending in this '80s horror movie will leave your jaw on the floor.
Friday the 13th (1980)
A group of newly hired counselors work to get an abandoned summer camp up and running for the season, but things take a nosedive when they start getting killed off one by one.
Jaws (1975)
Jaws follows a beach town in distress when a great white shark starts wreaking havoc on unsuspecting swimmers. This is the quintessential summertime movie!
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