36 of the Most Iconic Summer Movies of All Time

Can't you just hear the sound of the ocean?

a collage of the best summer movies including now and then dirty dancing and other titles
(Image credit: Vestron Pictures / Universal Pictures / New Line Cinema / 20th Century Fox)

Ah, summer—that magical time of year reserved for lazy days spent catching some rays or reading the best beach reads, frolicking in sundresses, and weekend getaways. No matter what phase of life you're in, the season tends to evoke a range of feelings: nostalgia, blissfulness, boredom, and even malaise. Cinema has long captured the spectrum of those vibes, so whether you're trying to stay in and with the AC or want something to watch to capture the seasonal fling you're in search of, we rounded up the best summer movies of all time.

From coming-of-age movies that will remind you of when school was out to films set in vacation locales to blockbusters, there’s a summer movie here for every film appetite. Below, we give you the best summer movies. (And if the heat has you missing autumn and winter, allow our recommendations of the best fall movies and the best winter movies to take you there mentally.)

'(500) Days of Summer' (2009)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel kiss each other in a park in '500 Days of Summer'

(Image credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Summer’s not always all fun and games—just ask Lana Del Rey. If you’re jonesing for a little “Summertime Sadness” of your own, you can’t do better than 500 Days of Summer, which clocks Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)’s unexpected breakup with his dream girl, well, Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Hint: It doesn’t have the ending you’d expect.

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'Adventureland' (2009)

Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart star in 'Adventureland' in a still of them working at an amusement park game

(Image credit: Miramax)

A summer spent at an amusement park can’t be all that bad—unless you’re recent college grad James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), who's been dreaming of spending it abroad in Europe. Luckily, he goes and falls in love with his Adventureland colleague Em (Kristen Stewart), so all is right in his world again.

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'The Baby-Sitters Club' (1995)

a group of teenage girls hanging out outside in a still from 'The Baby-Sitters Club'

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

1995’s The Baby-Sitters Club, based on Ann M. Martin’s beloved book series of the same name, is a nod to anyone who ever had to spend their three most precious months of the year working. Kristy, Claudia, Mary-Anne, Stacey, Dawn, Jessi, and Mallory, also known as the BSC, can relate: They’re running a day camp out of their parents's backyard. On top of that, they’re busy growing up, learning big life lessons, and developing monster crushes—all in a hard day’s work, are we right?

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'Barbie' (2023)

ken riding in the back of a pink car while barbie drives in a still from the barbie movie

(Image credit: Alamy/Moviestore Collection)

In Barbieland, where everyone’s favorite Mattel doll (brought to life by Margot Robbie) lives, it’s summer every day, with nary a cloud in the sky. Or at least it used to be, before she began to have an existential crisis. Now, it’s fewer beaches and rollerblading, more feminist manifestos—and Barbie’s determined to set her topsy-turvy world right.

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'Blue Crush' (2002)

Michelle Rodriguez and Kate Bosworth in 'Blue Crush' as surfer girls holding their boards on a beach

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Come summer, surf’s up, and that’s pretty much the premise of Blue Crush. While several other plotlines are happening here (like Kate Bosworth’s character Anne struggling to make ends meet while caring for her younger sister), the main thing to know about this seasonal favorite is that our athletic heroine is a total badass in it, crushing it on a board.

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'Call Me by Your Name' (2017)

timothee chalamet as elio wearing sunglasses in a pool in call me by your name

(Image credit: Sony Pictures Classics)

Allow Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of André Aciman's classic queer novel to transport you to summer in the Italian countryside...and back to what it felt like falling for your first love. Teenaged Elio (Timothée Chalamet in his breakout role) finds himself intrigued by a young student (Armie Hammer) who comes to rent a room at his family's country home. Lying by the pool, attending late-night rendezvous, and making the best out of hot, lackadaisical days, he ends up experiencing a whole gamut of emotions in one of the best depictions of yearning, young love, and heartbreak.

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'Crossroads' (2002)

Taryn Manning, Britney Spears, and Zoe Saldana star in 'Crossroads' in a still of them riding in a convertible car

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

If you ask us, road trips, like the one at the heart of the 2002 Britney Spears classic Crossroads, are synonymous with summer. On this one, Lucy (Brit Brit) and her friends Kit (Zoe Saldaña) and Mimi (Taryn Manning) are headed to L.A. from their small hometown in Georgia, each for a different reason. As is often the case with road trips, the journey might prove more important than the destination.

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'Dazed and Confused' (1993)

parker posey and three other teenage girls pointing finger guns in dazed and confused

(Image credit: Gramercy Pictures)

This '90s movie from Richard Linklater is more than "alright, alright, alright;" it might just be the best hang-out movie of all time. Set on the last day of school, rising seniors are hazing rising freshmen, kids with or without their license are aimlessly driving around, and everybody is trying to find a party (and who they are). Let this one take over cruise control and take you right back to the dog days of summer when everything seemed possible, even if you had nothing going on.

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‘Dirty Dancing’ (1987)

Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze do a lift in 'Dirty Dancing' in the water

(Image credit: Vestron Pictures)

Even if you’ve never spent a summer at the Catskills, you’re sure to appreciate its fictional charms as depicted in Dirty Dancing—maybe almost as much as Baby's (Jennifer Grey) '50s wardrobe and Johnny's (Patrick Swayze) abs. A charming love story of two star-crossed resort lovers, this is definitely one for the ages—who hasn’t tried the lift?

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'The Fast and The Furious' (2001)

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker star in 'The Fast and the Furious'

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

A lasting summer franchise was born with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious. And all it took to suck us into the world of illegal street racing for the next two decades was the rev of an engine and a flash of the late Paul Walker’s pearly whites.

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'Fever Pitch' (2005)

Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore star in 'Fever Pitch' as a couple at a red sox baseball game

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

While Fever Pitch’s storyline spans several seasons, most of the sports movie is set smack dab in the middle of summer, when baseball season is in full swing. The comedy follows a guy (Jimmy Fallon) who’s so obsessed with the sport that it starts to overshadow his newfound relationship with his girlfriend (Drew Barrymore). Before there’s trouble in paradise, however, there’s a whole lot of beer, hot dogs, and bat cracking going on—just the way we like it.

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'Girls Trip' (2017)

a group of women partying in the new orleans streets in the movie girls trip

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

No cash saved up for summer vacation? No problem—you can pop Girls Trip on and live vicariously through Dina (Tiffany Haddish), Ryan (Regina Hall), Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Sasha (Queen Latifah). The four friends are headed to the New Orleans Essence Music Festival, where they can finally let loose away from the grueling pressures of their everyday lives. Or at least, that’s the plan…emphasis on that ellipsis!.

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'A Goofy Movie' (1995)

A still from 'A Goofy Movie' of goofy and his son going fishing

(Image credit: Walt Disney Pictures)

Not only does A Goofy Movie have the kind of jams you’ll be belting out all season long (trust us on this), but the movie begins on the last day of school, just as Goofy and his son Max are about to embark on the summer vacation of a lifetime. Unfortunately for Goofy, that vacation is shaping up to look a little…differently from the epic fishing trip he had planned for the two of them.

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014)

Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios)

The summer superheroes have entered the chat. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel) have enough superpowers amongst them to save the galaxy and crack you up in this 2014 Marvel flick. As a bonus, they’ve got your summer playlist covered, and it's chef’s kiss.

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‘Independence Day’ (1996)

Will Smith reads a shocking newspaper in 'Independence Day'

(Image credit: Cinematic / Alamy Stock Photo)

What do you get when you mix Will Smith, a bunch of aliens gunning for world domination, and an F/A-18 Hornet? One hell of a Fourth of July. This apocalyptic sci-fi classic, released on July 3, 1996, follows Smith as a gun-toting marine out to save the planet from certain would-be destruction—and on America's most patriotic summer holiday, too!

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'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984)

Harrison Ford stars in 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' as a man in a jungle with a lasso

(Image credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo)

The warmer months of the year are made for adventure, and any one of the Indiana Jones films will scratch that itch. Our favorite has to be the Temple of Doom, however (yes, it’s the one with the monkey brains), as it had our pre-teen selves holding our breath over the fate of Indy (Harrison Ford) and his colleagues against the temple’s cultish leaders and their pit of flames.

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'How Stella Got Her Groove Back' (1998)

Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg sit on a bench together in 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back'

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Every summer deserves a delicious romance to remember it by, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back delivers in spades. It’s essentially two hours of Angela Bassett living her best life after detaching from her stressful job and finding herself—and a new lover (Taye Diggs)—on a life-changing trip to Jamaica.

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'Jaws' (1975)

A crowed shot at the beach while filming 'Jaws'

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Honestly, sans the blood-thirsty shark that’s trying to eat its beach-goers, the quaint town of Amity Island, where Jaws is set, is pretty idyllic. (As it should be—it was shot in Martha’s Vineyard.) The surf, sand, and beach umbrellas truly capture the essence of summer. And don't the thrills of a classic horror movie take you back to sleepovers or nights at the drive-in?

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'Jurassic Park' (1993)

A scene from 'Jurassic Park' of two children and a man standing in the jungle looking off in the distance

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

With Jurassic World Rebirth set for release this summer, Jurassic Park is another classic to revisit. Not only did this '90s flick starring Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum live up to its summer blockbuster title, raking in more than $350 million stateside, but it also takes place in the middle of the season. The result? Some very lush backgrounds for those running from big teeth and sharp claws.

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'The Last Song' (2010)

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth sitting on lawn chairs on the beach in 'The Last Song'

(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios)

Watch Miley Cyrus and her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth fall in love in real time as they spend a fictional summer together in Georgia, guarding sea turtles and frolicking along the beach. It’s based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, so naturally, this film is a tearjerker, but all in all, it’s a sweet story that will have you longing to dip your toes in the sand.

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'Mamma Mia!' (2008)

Christine Baranski and Meryl Streep dance in 'Mamma Mia'

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

You didn't think you’d make it through a list of the best summer movies without running into a musical, did you? Sophie, portrayed by Amanda Seyfried, is about to get married in Greece, though her mom Donna (Meryl Streep) can’t stand the idea of her walking down the aisle alone. In hopes of finding her biological father, she secretly invites three men from Donna’s past to her wedding, and summer hilarity—and ABBA-fueled showtunes—ensues.

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'My Old Ass' (2024)

Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza in 'My Old Ass' sitting on a log by a campfire

(Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

My Old Ass takes place just before Elliot LaBrant (Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza) heads off to college and leaves her family farm behind for good, our protagonist is busy soaking up the last of the season’s spoils when she makes a few unexpected friends. The first is her family’s new hired hand, Chad, who just so happens to be dashing and full of charm. The second is her future self, who has come back to the past to warn her against getting involved with the boy she’s falling for, fast.

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'National Lampoon's Vacation' (1983)

a photo of the griswolds posing together outside of a cabin in a promotional shot for national lampoon's vacation

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Is it even officially summer if you haven’t yet busted out National Lampoon’s Vacation? Chronicling the misadventures of the Griswold family as they pack up their station wagon for a cross-country trip to the elusive Walley World of patriarch Clark (Chevy Chase)’s childhood, this is pure calamity over 2,000 miles.

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'The Notebook' (2004)

Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling sit in a canoe in 'The Notebook'

(Image credit: New Line Cinema)

Summer love: There’s nothing quite like it. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams take their turn as the enamored young couple Noah and Allie in the throes of it in another one of Nicholas Sparks's romance novels. But what happens when the season comes to an end? That all depends on who you’re asking—Allie’s parents or the woman herself.

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'Now and Then' (1995)

Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Ashleigh Aston Moore, and Gaby Hoffman star in 'Now and Then' as they bike down the road in '70s like clothing

(Image credit: New Line Cinema)

Now and Then is the Stand By Me of its generation. Between its tree houses, bike excursions, skinny dipping, and first kisses, it’s also a perfect ode to summer. Centered on four friends (Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffman, and Ashleigh Aston Moore) who spend their school break attempting to solve the mystery of “Dear Johnny,” a young boy who died mysteriously years before, it will have you longing for a simpler time—and 80-degree temps.

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'The Parent Trap' (1998)

Lindsay Lohan stars as a pair of twins at summer camp in 'The Parent Trap'

(Image credit: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution)

Summer camp is a core seasonal memory, and a single viewing of Lindsay Lohan’s version of The Parent Trap will trigger it in a heartbeat. Even after the counselor hijinks have ended and long-lost twins Annie and Hallie have successfully fooled their parents by switching places, there are still plenty of summery moments to be had. (Yes, we’re talking about that pool scene when Meredith casually sips her cocktail.)

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'Saltburn' (2023)

Barry Keoghan in 'Saltburn' wearing a robe overlooking a lawn covered in disaray

(Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

Set against an idyllic Northamptonshire backdrop known as Drayton House, Saltburn captures summertime England in all its glory. (You know, in between some seriously depraved bath water consumption and a little nude “Murder on the Dance Floor” courtesy of Barry Keoghan.) Even amid the thriller's twisted plot, however, the lush green grass of the grounds, sparkling pool, and blue summer skies won’t be ignored. And, hey, who doesn't engage in a little debauchery as the season rolls around?

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'Something's Gotta Give’ (2003)

Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton star in 'Something's Gotta Give' as they walk down a hamptons beach together

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson may be the stars of Nancy Meyers's beloved rom-com Something’s Gotta Give, but the Hamptons setting where they become acquainted with one another deserves its fair share of credit. (As does Keaton’s coastal fashion.) Turns out, the joys of love don't actually have an expiration date. Who knew?

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'Stand by Me' (1986)

a group of boys walking through the woods in the movie stand by me

(Image credit: Alamy)

Maybe when you're feeling the summer bummer emotions, you think back to the friends you had growing up—because you never have friends like the ones you have when you were 12! This coming-of-age drama may be one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time, following a group of boys as they set out in search of the body of a man killed nearby their town. Along the way, they learn a bit about growing up, each other, and themselves—and you'll feel both nostalgic and glad you don't have to relive adolescence again.

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'Summer Catch' (2001)

Jessica Biel and Freddie Prinze Jr. star in 'Summer Catch' as two teenagers standing on a lawn outside of a suburban home

(Image credit: Cinematic / Alamy Stock Photo)

Teen movie Summer Catch has us harkening back to the days of our youth, when sneaking out to meet your crush was practically a summer prerequisite, even if it was just to the family pool after dark. America’s favorite pastime is a supporting character in this love story, and there’s also plenty of sweet, sweet lawn mowings—we can smell those fresh shavings now!

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'Summer Rental' (1985)

John Candy buried under sand in the movie 'Summer Rental'

(Image credit: Paramont Pictures)

All John Candy’s character Jack Chester wants is a little R&R at the beach with his family. If you guessed that his best-laid vacation plans would quickly be thwarted by meddling beach-goers, an injured leg, and a despicable landlord, however, you’d be exactly right. Despite it all, he finds a newfound sense of purpose in his new summertime hobby: sailing.

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'The Sandlot' (1993)

A scene from 'The Sandlot' of a ton of young boys playing baseball together

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Remember those summers when your friends were your entire world and nothing else mattered? For the new kid in town, Scott “Scotty” Smalls (Tom Guiry), who's just been invited to play ball at his local sandlot, they still are, and they're in for a summer he won't soon forget.

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'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' (2005)

Alexis Bledel, America Ferrara, Amber Tamblyn and Blake Lively star in 'The SIsterhood of the Traveling Pants' as a group of teen girls walking through a field together

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

For the first time in forever, four best friends, Bridget (Blake Lively), Carmen (America Ferrera), Lena (Alexis Bledel), and Tibby (Amber Tamblyn), are going their separate ways for the summer. To keep their friendship alive, they decide to take turns wearing a pair of jeans that miraculously fit all of them despite their different sizes. Based on Ann Brashares's novel of the same name, the movie explores friendship, strong female characters, and lost summer magic.

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'Wedding Crashers' (2005)

Rachel McAdams wearing a grey dress and holding a glass of wine in 'Wedding Crashers'

(Image credit: New Line Cinema)

Between the sailing, the backyard football, and the nod to wedding season, Wedding Crashers is a postcard for the all-American summer. Watching Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn wreak havoc at a string of high-end affairs will also spark joy for anyone who’s been Katherine Heigl-ed into more bridesmaid dresses than they should care to count.

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'Wet Hot American Summer' (2001)

two girls smoke weed together in 70s era clothes at camp in the movie wet hot american summer

(Image credit: USA Films)

With an all-star cast of camp counselors (Janeane Garafolo, Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, and Elizabeth Banks), Wet Hot American Summer acts out every summer camp trope ever—but that’s the point. It is satire, after all, with adult actors playing teen camp counselors. It also serves as archival footage of summer fashions gone by. (Those track shorts! Those striped socks!)

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'White Chicks' (2004)

A beach scene from 'White Chicks'

(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)

Summer in the Hamptons is quite the affair—even more so when it’s being secretly crashed by two undercover FBI agents (Marlon and Shawn Wayans) pretending to be the wealthy socialite Wilson sisters. Their antics include one very spirited sing-along to Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” (iconic), an unforgettable fashion face-off between the real Wilson sisters and their imposters, and dance battle moves you’ll be emulating all season long.

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Nicole Briese

Nicole Briese is a Florida-based editor, writer and content creator who has been writing about all things culture-related since the O.G. Gossip Girl was still on the air. (Read: A lifetime ago.) She is a regular contributor to Marie Claire, covering books, films, and TV shows. In her spare time, when she's not obsessing over her cat, she's devouring all things fashion, beauty, and shopping-related. Check out her blog at Nicolebjean.com

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