For most of us, summer is synonymous with pool days, barbecues, and ice cream cones. In the world of movies, it’s also the time for steamy flings, explosive stunts, and vacations rife with murder and mayhem. No shade to the other seasons, but summer movies have an extra shine to them. 

Whether you’re in the mood for a hot romance, a popcorn blockbuster, or a trip to camp, these 16 films capture that summertime magic, without ever having to worry about a sunburn. 

Along for the Ride

Ride high on summer love. In this swoon-worthy romance directed by Sofia Alvarez, recent high school grad Auden (Emma Pasarow) moves to her father’s sleepy beachside town for the summer before college. She meets fellow insomniac and mysterious BMX biker Eli (Belmont Cameli), and the two embark on nightly adventures so Auden can experience the carefree childhood she missed out on. Along for the Ride has all the summer rom-com staples — mini golf, drive-in movies, beach bike rides, and (literal and figurative) fireworks. 

Along for the Ride

1h 48m   TV-14   2022

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American Graffiti

Throw it back to the summer of 1962 with this classic coming-of-age film, directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. On their final evening of summer vacation before heading to college, a group of friends spend one last wild night cruising around their small Northern California town, getting into trouble, and chasing a mystery blonde in a Ford Thunderbird. You’ll be transported to a time of sock hops, greasers, and the early days of rock ’n’ roll. American Graffiti helped launch the careers of stars like Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ron Howard. Decades later, it still feels like a timeless tale of summer. 

American Graffiti

1h 52m   PG   1973

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Anyone But You

Equal parts raunchy, raucous, and romantic, Anyone But You is anything but dull. This rom-com — directed by Will Gluck and loosely based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing — made a splash at the box office and is now the perfect steamy streamer. Ben (Glen Powell) and Bea (Sydney Sweeney) meet cute in a coffee shop and go on one magical date, but a misunderstanding drives them apart. Six months later, they’re thrown back together, much to their horror, when Bea’s sister gets engaged to Ben’s best friend’s sister. Suddenly, they’re stuck together in a wedding party and pretending to date to make their loved ones happy (and their exes jealous). Whether they’re playing enemies or lovers, Powell and Sweeney’s chemistry is as sizzling as the summer sun. 

Anyone But You

1h 43m   R

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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Get your popcorn ready for a blockbuster smash. In the fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop film series, directed by Mark Molloy, detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat and bringing serious heat. When Axel’s daughter Jane’s (Taylour Paige) life is threatened, he joins forces with her ex-boyfriend Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to untangle a dangerous conspiracy. Hit play and get hyped for shootouts, car chases, and all the action you crave from the Beverly Hills cop. 

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

1h 57m   R   2024

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Eternal Summer

Eternal Summer is a love story for the ages — and for all seasons. This 2006 Taiwanese film, directed by Leste Chen, chronicles the close yet complex bond between three friends as they navigate yearning, loss, and struggling with their identities. In a seaside town in Southern Taiwan, quiet and studious Kang Cheng-hsing (Ray Chang) befriends his troublemaking classmate Yu Shou-heng (Joseph Chang), and the two become inseparable. But in high school, their world is turned upside down by the arrival of new girl Hui-chia (Kate Yeung). Throughout the years, the trio experiences secret relationships, unrequited love, and enduring friendship.  

Eternal Summer

1h 36m   TV-14   2006

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Extraction 2

Buckle up for a double feature with twice the thrills. In 2020’s Extraction — based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, and Anthony Russo — you’re introduced to Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), a black ops mercenary on a mission. Now Hemsworth and director Sam Hargrave are back in action with Extraction 2. After narrowly escaping death, Tyler must confront his mysterious past in order to rescue a family imprisoned by a ruthless gangster. The stakes are higher, the stunts are bigger and the drama is even more combustible. The first film boasts a gripping action scene made to look like a single take, and the sequel raises the stakes even higher with a 21-minute sequence featuring a real helicopter landing on a moving train. 

Extraction 2

2h 3m   R   2023

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Fear Street Part 2: 1978

Nostalgic for your days at summer camp? You probably didn’t go to Camp Nightwing, where a supernatural slasher terrorizes the campers. Based on the book series by R.L. Stine, Fear Street: Part Two is the second installment in a spooky trilogy (its fourth installment, the film Fear Street: Prom Queen, is also now streaming). It stars Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd and Ryan Simpkins as campers and counselors who try desperately to survive when their dream summer turns into a nightmare plagued by curses, witches, and gruesome murders. And you thought having spiders in your camp bunk was scary!

Fear Street Part 2: 1978

1h 50m   R   2021

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Sun’s out, knives out. Glass Onion is a stand-alone sequel in writer-director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out whodunit series. Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back on the case, this time peeling back the layers of a mystery surrounding tech mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton) and his crew of striving, hanger-on misfits, including fashion entrepreneur Birdie (Kate Hudson), Senate candidate Claire (Kathryn Hahn), scientist Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), and macho YouTuber Duke (Dave Bautista). This installment trades chunky knits (who could forget Chris Evans’ famous sweater?) for bikinis and breezy linens, and swaps the New England setting for a picturesque private island in Greece. The movie’s whole vibe screams summer vacation — but for billionaires. 

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

2h 21m   PG-13   2022

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Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between

We all know the joy of summer love, but what about a summer breakup? In this YA romance, Clare (Talia Ryder) and Aidan (Jordan Fisher) meet at a Halloween party and by the end of the night, they’re both smitten. One snag: Vowing not to make the same mistake her divorced parents did at her age, Clare is determined to start college the next year with no attachments. So Aidan proposes a “breakup pact.” The two of them will date their senior year, get to the end of the summer, and then go on one last epic date before parting ways. Of course, that final summer night could make them rethink everything.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between

1h 24m   TV-14   2022

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Jaws

Nothing screams summer like the OG summer blockbuster that started it all. And we do literally mean “scream.” Steven Spielberg’s Jaws — which first terrorized audiences 50 years ago — is set in peak New England coastal summer, with an influx of beachgoers and swimmers who are the potential prey of one very large, very bloodthirsty shark. Local police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) has his hands full trying to prevent the shark from snacking on the tourists flooding the beaches of Amity Island. He enlists the help of a rugged ship captain (Robert Shaw) and a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) to help him hunt down and kill the giant animal.

Jaws

2h 4m   PG   1975

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The Kissing Booth

A school carnival. A raucous pool party. A rain-soaked cinematic kiss. This one has all the makings of a frothy summer teen rom-com — even though most of it takes place during the school year. Based on the novel of the same name by Beth Reekles, The Kissing Booth stars Joey King as Elle, a late bloomer who falls hard for her best friend’s bad-boy older brother, Noah (Jacob Elordi). They embark on a whirlwind secret romance, while Elle tries to keep the truth from her lifelong bestie, Lee (Joel Courtney). After falling in love with this movie, you can watch its follow-ups, The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3 — the final film takes place the summer before Elle leaves for college. 

The Kissing Booth

1h 46m   TV-14   2018

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The Last Summer

If the title didn’t tip you off, this one’s all about the final summer before college — following a group of connected recent high school graduates determined to make the most of it. First is the artistic boy who finally pursues the artistic girl he’s crushed on forever. Then there’s the high school power couple who break up to to explore other relationships, and the horny best friend determined to get through a laundry list of women. There’s a waitlisted student taking on a thankless job while figuring out her life. And last is the nerdy duo who break out of their shells and come up with an unconventional way to get the attention they crave. In the world of this rom-com, who knows where the summer will take them all?

The Last Summer

1h 49m   TV-14   2019

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Mother of the Bride

You’re invited to another wedding season rom-com romp — and you’ll want to RSVP “yes” to this sunny love story set in tropical paradise. Directed by Mark Waters, Mother of the Bride centers around a mother-daughter duo. When Emma (Miranda Cosgrove) returns home from traveling abroad, she has some bombshell news for her mom, Lana (Brooke Shields). She’s getting married in Thailand in a month, but there’s a big hitch before they get hitched: Lana learns that the groom’s father is none other than Will (Benjamin Bratt), the man who broke her heart years ago. Here comes the bride’s mom with lots of family drama, awkward run-ins, and just maybe some rekindled romance. 

Mother of the Bride

1h 30m   TV-PG   2024

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Someone Great

Music journalist Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) is not having a great time. After her boyfriend of nine years dumps her right before she leaves New York City for her dream job in San Francisco, Jenny rallies her best friends Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow) for one last epic romp around the city. This breezy rom-com, written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, is a love letter to die-hard friendships, the Big Apple, and that last-day-of-summer feeling when you want to soak up every last moment before the season changes. 

Someone Great

1h 32m   R   2019

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A Week Away

This pick is for the theater kids. Directed by Roman White, this wholesome musical drama follows troubled teen Will (Kevin Quinn). When he breaks the law and has to face the music, his supportive foster mom, Kristin (Sherri Shepherd), advocates for him to go to church camp. There he bonds with foster brother George (Jahbril Cook) and connects with camp crush Avery (Bailee Madison) to the tune of catchy original songs and choreographed dance numbers. 

A Week Away

1h 37m   TV-PG   2021

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50 First Dates

This romantic comedy takes us to dreamy Oahu, Hawaii, where the water is clear, the sky is blue, and the sun is always shining. It’s the perfect place to fall in love — again, and again, and again, which is exactly what happens when Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) crosses paths with Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore) during breakfast at the Hukilau Café. Little does he know upon their first encounter that Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss, and she won’t remember him by the next morning. Though commitment isn’t Henry’s “thing,” he’s so captivated by Lucy that he sets out to build a meaningful relationship with her, even if it takes 50 first dates.

50 First Dates

1h 39m   PG-13   2004

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Additional reporting by Ananda Dillon