Summer is a great season for being outside and enjoying the pool or the lake, having a backyard barbecue, or reading on the porch. But, let's be real, summer is also the season of stifling heat, hair-frizzing humidity, and mosquitos that see our bodies as walking all-they-can-eat buffets. As much as we love summer (and we do!), sometimes we just want to stay inside, crank up the air conditioning, and chill with a bowl of popcorn and a great movie or TV show.
Just like the seasons in nature, there are seasons for entertainment, too. There are some movies and shows that just give us total summer vibes. Sometimes it is because they are set in the summer — like the new Amazon Prime series The Summer I Turned Pretty or the classic Dirty Dancing — and sometimes it is because they evoke the carefree, fun days of the sunny season. Summer entertainment is all about romantic comedies, superhero sagas (why, yes, we are looking forward to seeing Chris Hemsworth's arms on a big screen again this summer!), and shows that are perfectly bingeable on a rainy summer afternoon. Read on for 20 of our old and new favorites for the season.
'Thor: Love and Thunder'
Really, what is summer without a Marvel movie? We can't wait to see the latest installment in the Thor series, especially since this one was also directed by Taika Waititi, who directed Thor Ragnarok, which is one of our favorite superhero movies ever.
'The Summer I Turned Pretty'
The Summer I Turned Pretty is the buzzy new series on Amazon Prime that is perfect for watching with a YA book-loving teen. The drama is based on the novel by Jenny Han, who also wrote the delightful To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy, so we know she's got all the teenage awkwardness and yearning covered.
'Top Gun'
Top Gun is the Fourth of July of summer movies: over-the-top patriotic but still classic somehow. And, look, we need to be honest. Yes, we still know every word to Danger Zone (shout-out for that earworm, Mr. Kenny Loggins) and we may have watched the beach volleyball scene three times in a row. So sweaty — in the best possible way.
'Top Gun: Maverick'
If we are going to watch the original Top Gun, obviously we're going to grab our popcorn and go see the new sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. We hear that the beach volleyball scene has been updated to be a beach football scene and we need to see how the two compare. We're just film enthusiasts like that.
'The Real Housewives of Dubai'
The latest installment of the Real Housewives franchise is set in the hot desert of Dubai, which is basically like summer year-round. There are no surprises here. We know exactly what we're going to get (cat fights, excessive spending, aggressive Botox), but sometimes we just want to watch TV that is perfect background noise as we pack for vacation or camp.
'Thelma & Louise'
Summer is all about road trips, and has there ever been a more iconic road trip movie than Thelma & Louise? This 1991 classic not only helped bring a young (and deeply hot) Brad Pitt to the big screen, but it also is weirdly inspiring for a movie that doesn't exactly end like we might expect. Every road trip should include the unexpected, right?
'Mamma Mia!'
Maybe we can't swing a vacation in Greece this summer, but we can throw on some overalls, grab some Swedish fish (because: ABBA!), and binge the deeply silly Mamma Mia! movies. They're super fun to watch with any tweens and teens who are on the verge of becoming real musical theater nerds.
'Stranger Things'
The second part of season four of Stranger Things just dropped, and the hype is real! Just ask Netflix, where the release of the latest set of episodes actually caused the service to briefly crash. This is the must-watch of the summer for anyone who wants to stay on top of the hottest thing in pop culture at the moment.
'Grease'
How could we not include a movie that includes a song called "Summer Loving" on our summer movie list? Grease was not only on the slumber party movie rotation for a whole generation of Gen X moms, but it's just a classic summer vibe (let's just ignore the mild slut-shaming aspects of "Summer Nights," OK?).
'Nope'
Some people like a side of creepy with their summer movies, because why should the air conditioning be the only thing causing goosebumps? Horror buffs are looking forward to the latest Jordan Peele movie Nope, which comes out on July 22. It looks very unsettling, but not everyone wants the sweet summer rom-com.
'The Amazing Race'
The Amazing Race is the perfect family reality show to binge during the summer. With 33 seasons (season 34 is due out in September) that take viewers on a tour of the world, it's like a mini-vacation where airport delays and flat tires are actually part of the fun.
'Phineas and Ferb'
Phineas and Ferb is one of those great cartoons aimed at kids that is actually a fun adult watch, too. This series, which is entirely set during summer vacation, is filled with the ridiculous adventures of two kids who aren't on screens all day. Maybe some screen time intervention inspo, maybe a cautionary tale. Watch and find out!
'Dirty Dancing'
Dirty Dancing is always a classic summer movie vibe. Who doesn't relate to the painful awkwardness of the "I carried a watermelon" line? But this summer, with the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, this movie seems especially relevant as a reminder about the dangers of a world in which abortion isn't safe and legal.
'Revenge'
Revenge is a soapy drama set in the Hamptons that ran for four seasons (catch it streaming on Hulu or YouTube) and featured wild plotlines involving good-looking rich people behaving terribly to each other. Is it realistic? Not for a minute. Do we care? Not a bit.
'The Lost City'
For anyone who didn't catch the very fun Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock romantic comedy The Lost City in theaters this spring, the summer is the perfect time to catch up. It is pure escapism and worth the watch just to see Daniel Radcliffe as a villain who absolutely nothing like Harry Potter.
'The Floor Is Lava'
The Floor Is Lava is a perfect game to play on a rainy summer afternoon, and the Netflix show based on it really takes it up many, many levels. This is a fun family watch, though it may result in inspiring kids to level up their own games. Good luck to couches everywhere!
'Class Action Park'
Class Action Park is a 2020 documentary (find it on HBO Max) that is the perfect film for anyone looking for a reason to say "no" to a family trip to the water park. This movie is a wild look at a notorious New Jersey theme park that will make you wonder how the owners didn't end up in prison.
'National Lampoon's Vacation'
Anyone struggling to shake off a vacation that didn't go according to plan (and who can handle some very dated jokes along the way) can revisit this 1983 classic about a family road trip that is filled with misadventures and random sightings of Christie Brinkley. Also, it'll help tide you over until your annual Christmas Vacation rewatch.
'Love Island'
What could be more of a summer vibe than watching hot people in tiny bathing suits making stupid, horny decisions? Love Island (or Love Island USA) is a dating reality show that is as addictive as it is stupid — which is saying something!
'Do the Right Thing'
Few movies capture the feeling of a sweltering summer day like the Spike Lee classic Do the Right Thing. This film isn't perfect, but it's essential viewing for film fans who want a story that challenges them a little bit, even in the summertime!
