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The 51 Best Summer Movies of All Time
From beach flicks to nostalgic high school movies—and everything in between.
Ah, summer. The word alone evokes sun-soaked memories of seasons past. No matter how long it’s been since you were a student, everybody loves that last-day-of-school feeling that the warmer months bring.
Come Memorial Day, we are more than ready for summer vacation—to slip on our flip flops, load up on sunscreen, and make the most of every warm weather moment. Simply put, summertime is just one of those things you can rely on to make everything better. Another tried-and-true: movies. So, putting both together: What could be better than summer-themed movies?
While "summer movies" don't carry the same cultural weight as "beach reads," there's nothing like a film that evokes endless sunshine and the carefree vibes of the season. Whether you're in the mood for a musical, a coming-of-age drama, a romantic comedy, or a horror film, we have you covered with these classic summer films. Without further ado, more than 50 of the ultimate summer films to get you ready for your best summer yet:
Charlie's Angels, 2000
Everything about this action-packed movie will have you feeling summertime fine–from the costumes and the soundtrack to the campiness of it all. The cast, starring Lucy Liu, Drew Barrymore, and Cameron Diaz as an elite crime-fighting team, also features the likes of Bill Murray, Matt LeBlanc, LL Cool J, and Luke Wilson.
Mamma Mia! 2008
The only thing better than one great love story is three great love stories. On the eve of her wedding on the Greek island of Kalokairi (a fictional island that translates literally to "summer"), Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) searches for her real dad. Throw in ABBA music, acting legends, and a Greek chorus: A perfect summer movie.
Thelma & Louise, 1991
Summer is the perfect time to hop in the (preferably non-stolen) car with your best friends, roll down the windows, and hit the wide-open road. While we wouldn’t recommend following exactly in the footsteps of stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, Thelma and Louise have to be the patron saints of girls’ trips. The trouble-making duo will inspire you to be "drinkin' margaritas by the sea" on your next weekend getaway.
E.T., 1982
No summer movie watch list is complete without Steven Spielberg’s classic, E.T., in which one boy takes on the ultimate summer project of returning a strange visitor back to his home planet. Even if only because you watched in on repeat as a child, this one is sure to have you nostalgic for summers long-gone.
The Parent Trap, 1998
Lindsay Lohan plays double in this Disney classic, where identical twins Halle and Annie scheme to get their parents (Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson) back together. The sleepaway camp scenes, plus the California vineyard setting... everything about The Parent Trap oozes summer nostalgia.
The Inkwell, 1994
This '70s-themed romantic dramedy tells the story of a teenage boy, Drew Tate, spending his summer in Martha’s Vineyard, where he finds The Inkwell, a posse of wealthy, lively people who love to party. Tate gets entangled in a love triangle between two women, one of whom is played by a young Jada Pinkett Smith.
Jaws, 1975
Steven Spielberg's beloved shark thriller scarcely needs an introduction. A blissful summer in a quiet resort town is shattered by the threat of a killer shark, forcing the police chief (Roy Scheider) to work with a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a shark hunter (Robert Shaw) to stop the bloodshed.
Dirty Dancing, 1987
There are few more iconic scenes in cinema than the sequence at the very end of this summer classic, in which Jennifer Grey's Baby and her dance instructor slash age-inappropriate love interest Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) finally perform the lift. The rest of the movie, from the idyllic Catskills setting to the surprisingly ahead-of-its-time abortion storyline, holds up just as well.
Grease, 1978
Summer lovin', have you a blast with a rewatch of this perennial musical fave, based on the 1971 Broadway show of the same name. Set at a fictional high school in the summer of 1958, Grease follows an ensemble of teenagers led by good girl Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) and "greaser" Danny Zuko (John Travolta), whose supposed summer fling gets more complicated after they unexpectedly wind up at the same school.
Clueless, 1995
Amy Heckerling's razor-ship and winsome modernization of Jane Austen's Emma only gets better and better with age, as does Alicia Silverstone's lightning-in-a-bottle performance as Cher Horowitz, cinema's most benevolent popular girl. Though the movie technically takes place across several seasons, its Beverly Hills setting makes the whole vibe deeply summery.
Caddyshack, 1980
If you like your summer movies with a dash of sports, you'll want to check out the film ESPN once called "perhaps the funniest sports movie ever made". Caddyshack follows a series of comedic events at an exclusive goal club, where the staff–including downtrodden teen Danny ((Michael O'Keefe) – must contend with the quirks of their wealthy, weird customers.
Stand By Me, 1986
Though it's based on a Stephen King novella, this coming-of-age classic is wistful and emotionally thrilling rather than scary. Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell star as four young boys who set out in search of a dead body that's rumored to have been spotted near their Oregon town.
Weekend at Bernie's, 1989
Yet another objectively iconic American comedy that takes place in the summertime, Weekend at Bernie's follows two rookie corporate employees who make the alarming discovery that their boss is dead just as they arrive at his beach house for a weekend getaway. Their attempts to pass off Bernie (Terry Kiser) as still alive are just the tip of the ridiculous, hilarious comedy iceberg.
Do The Right Thing, 1989
Spike Lee's vivid and vibrant masterpiece is a fixture on Best Movies of All Time lists. The oppressive heat of a summer's day in Brooklyn, New York is central to the atmosphere of the movie, which depicts long-simmering racial tensions exploding into violence.
Point Break, 1991
Patrick Swayze makes a second strong showing on this list, in the unforgettable role of bad boy surfer Bodhi. One of Katherine Bigelow's earliest hits, the film stars Keanu Reeves as an FBI agent who goes undercover in a gang of surfers who are also bank robbers (just go with it, trust us), and develops a complex relationship with Bodhi.
Adventureland, 2009
One of many coming-of-age classics on this list, Adventureland follows a recent college grad whose dream trip to Europe is cancelled. Though working at the local amusement park in his town seems like a poor consolation prize, he ends up finding a sense of belonging and a romance with Kristen Stewart's fellow park employee.
Summertime, 1955
One of the seminal filmmaker David Lean's less celebrated pictures, Summertime stars Katharine Hepburn as an unlucky-in-love woman who's drawn into a whirlwind romance while on a Venetian getaway. Hepburn is enchanting, and though dated in places the technicolor romance is irresistible.
American Graffiti, 1973
The film George Lucas made before Star Wars is a classic in its own right, telling the story of a group of California teenagers through a series of vignettes set during the course of a single evening. Look out for a young Harrison Ford in his breakout role as the wisecracking Bob Falfa.
Before Sunrise, 1995
Your summer bucket list should absolutely include falling in love with a stranger on a European vacation. If that's not realistic, just watch Before Sunrise, the Richard Linklater film starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as strangers who meet on a train and spend a romantic evening together in Vienna.
Wet Hot American Summer, 2001
If you're feeling nostalgic for summer camp, look no further than Wet Hot American Summer, which is both a satirical spoof of teen sex comedies and a legitimately great teen movie. With an A-list cast that includes Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon and Christopher Meloni, there's a good reason why this movie has spawned a cult following–and a Netflix revival series a few years back.
Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything.
Meg is the Associate Fashion Commerce Editor at ELLE.com where she researches trends, tests products, and looks for answers to all your burning questions. She also co-writes a monthly column, Same Same But Different. Meg has previously written for Cosmopolitan and Town & Country. Her passions include travel, buffalo sauce, and sustainability. She will never stop hoping for a One Direction reunion tour.
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