The 70 Best Summer Movies of All Time & Where to Watch Them (2024)

Table of Contents
like 'National Lampoon's Vacation' and 'Goonies' 6. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) 7. Girls Trip (2017) 8. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 9. The Karate Kid (1984) 10. The Sandlot (1993) 11. The Endless Summer (1966) 12. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) 13. The Way, Way Back (2013) 14. In the Heights (2021) 15. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) 16. Dirty Dancing (1987) 17. Crazy Rich Asians (2018) 18. Bull Durham (1988) 19. Tin Cup (1996) 20. The Goonies (1985) 21. Stand by Me (1986) 22. Grease (1978) 23. Daddy Day Care (2003) 24. Dazed and Confused (1993) 25. The Great Outdoors (1988) 26. Risky Business (1983) 27. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 28. The Seven Year Itch (1955) 29. Little Darlings (1980) 30. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) 31. Flamingo Kid (1984) 32. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) 33. Jaws (1975) 34. Call Me By Your Name (2018) 35. Wine Country (2019) 36. Adventureland (2009) 37. Heavyweights (1995) 38. The Notebook (2004) 39. (500) Days of Summer (2009) 40. Now and Then (1995) 41. Thelma and Louise (1991) 42. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) 43. Something's Gotta Give (2003) 44. Wet Hot American Summer (2001) 45. It Takes Two (1995) 46. Indian Summer (1993) 47. Blue Crush (2002) 48. A League of Their Own (1992) 49. Breaking Away (1979) 50. Dr. Dolittle (1998) 51. Sylvie's Love (2020) 52. Do the Right Thing (1989) 53. How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) 54. Bend It Like Beckham (2002) 55. Real Women Have Curves (2002) 56. Crooklyn (1994) 57. The Inkwell (1994) 58. Dope (2015) 59. The Photograph (2020) 60. The Parent Trap (1998) 61. The Graduate (1967) 62. Mystic Pizza (1988) 63. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) 64. Ghostbusters (1984) 65. Hot Summer Nights (2017) 66. Fire Island (2022) 67. Summer '03 (2018) 68. The Last Summer (2019) 69. Teen Beach Movie (2013) 70. My Best Summer (2019) Associate Editor, News and Entertainment References

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like 'National Lampoon's Vacation' and 'Goonies'

The 70 Best Summer Movies of All Time & Where to Watch Them (1)

By Alexandra Hough

Published Mar 28, 2024

Additional reporting by

Nakeisha Campbell

&

Marissa Wu

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The 70 Best Summer Movies of All Time & Where to Watch Them (2)

Warner Bros.

Though our favorite season of hot, sunny beach days and warm nights may only last a few fleeting months, summer movies are forever (and they can be enjoyed year-round). The options are endless, whether you’re up for scary movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer, classics like Dirty Dancing or family comedies like National Lampoon's Vacation. Here's our list of the 70 best summer movies out there and where to watch them, including Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and more. Surfs up.

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The 70 Best Summer Movies of All Time & Where to Watch Them (3)

IMDb

1. ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ (2023)

  • Who’s in it? Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Four friends and book club members embark on a crazy Italian adventure through Venice, Rome and Tuscany, only to find that real life mirrors their current read more than they were anticipating. If you love Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, hot policemen and ladies bickering in jail, this is one of the best summer movies to add to your list.

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IMDb

2. ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ (2019)

  • Who’s in it? Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Austin Butler, Margaret Qualley, Dakota Fanning
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours 40 minutes

It's 1969 Los Angeles. Rick Dalton is a fading Hollywood star looking to revive his career. Instead, he and his stunt double, Cliff Booth, are pulled into a wild murder plot involving the notorious Manson family.

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3. ‘Midsommar’ (2019)

  • Who’s in it? Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours 28 minutes

Florence Pugh stars as a grieving college student, who, along with several friends, find themselves unwittingly lured into a ritual that sees a sinister cult collide with the Scandinavian tradition of Midsommar.

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IMDb

4. ‘Booksmart’ (2019)

  • Who’s in it? Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes

On the eve of high school graduation, studious best friends Molly and Amy realize they may have done it all wrong. In attempt to experience everything they missed over the last four years, they have one adventurous night, including psychedelics, beer pong and a murderous pizza deliver man.

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5. ‘Licorice Pizza’ (2021)

  • Who’s in it? Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours 13 minutes

This critically-acclaimed coming-of-age film tells the story of 15-year-old Gary Valentine and his pursuit of 25-year-old Alana Kane in the 1970s San Fernando Valley. Water beds, pinball machines and bouts of jealousy all included.

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Warner Bros

6. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

  • Who’s in it: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 38 minutes

Chevy Chase is the hapless moral center of this road trip movie that moves from Chicago to the Grand Canyon to a shuttered Los Angeles amusement park. Fun fact: Director John Hughes wrote the script based on his own childhood vacations.

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES

7. Girls Trip (2017)

  • Who’s in it: Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours 2 minutes

In this comedy, four friends, aka “The Flossy Posse,” take a trip to the annual Essence Festival to relive their college days.

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES

8. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

  • Who’s in it: Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes

Steven Spielberg’s 1982 sci-fi movie—the highest-grossing film of its decade—was based on an imaginary friend the director created following his parents’ divorce.

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Columbia Pictures

9. The Karate Kid (1984)

  • Who’s in it: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 2 hours 6 minutes

After a life-changing summer, Daniel can’t seem to shake a group of bullies. So, he enlists a repairman (who just so happens to be a martial arts master) to train him for battle.

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TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

10. The Sandlot (1993)

  • Who’s in it: Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna, James Earl Jones
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes

In the summer of 1962, a new kid in town is taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his rowdy team. And boy do they have fun.

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Bruce Brown Films

11. The Endless Summer (1966)

  • Who’s in it: Robert August, Michael Hynson
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 32 minutes

Bruce Brown’s seminal 1966 surf film was a trailblazer because it introduced the newly popular California sport to a wider American audience.

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The Weinstein Company

12. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

  • Who’s in it: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Messina, Patricia Clarkson, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 36 minutes

A summertime fling with Javier Bardem causes all kinds of havoc when two American women vie with Penélope Cruz for his affections (hey, we get it).

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Fox Searchlight Pictures

13. The Way, Way Back (2013)

  • Who’s in it: Liam James, Maya Rudolph, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, AnnaSophia Robb, Allison Janney, Toni Collette
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 44 minutes

Teenage Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, he finds an unexpected friend in Owen, the manager of the Water Wizz water park.

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Macall Polay / Warner Bros

14. In the Heights (2021)

  • Who’s in it? Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 2 hours 23 minutes

From Lin-Manuel Miranda, the mastermind behind Hamilton, comes this vibrant musical about an ambitious New Yorker and bodega owner who wants to pursue a better life (and win the girl of his dreams).

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Columbia Pictures

15. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

  • Who’s in it: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Heche, Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Phillippe
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 41 minutes

This teen slasher film kept the summer thrills going when it opened in October 1997, thanks to writer Kevin Williamson's (Scream, Dawson’s Creek) mastery of teen angst and well-paced scares.

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Vestron Pictures

16. Dirty Dancing (1987)

  • Who’s in it: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 37 minutes

While this classic 1987 film about a Catskills summer resort is remembered for fun dance scenes and nostalgic set pieces, it’s also a surprisingly gritty tale of class anxiety, sexual freedom and, um, abortion.

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Warner Bros. Entertainment

17. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

  • Who’s in it: Constance Wu, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 2 hours 1 minute

Rachel has been dating Nick for several years, but she’s never met his family. That all changes when she’s invited to a summer wedding in Singapore, where she’s introduced to Nick’s wealthy upbringing. Cue the hard-to-please mother-in-law.

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Orion Pictures

18. Bull Durham (1988)

  • Who’s in it: Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 48 minutes

You don’t have to like baseball, Kevin Costner or even romantic comedies to be won over by this story of a veteran catcher whose silly, soulful romance with a baseball groupie is second only to his love of the game itself.

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WARNER BROS.

19. Tin Cup (1996)

  • Who’s in it: Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Think Bull Durham, but with golf. In this romcom, Costner plays Roy McAvoy, a pro golfer who falls for his rival's girlfriend.

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Warner Bros. Entertainment

20. The Goonies (1985)

  • Who’s in it? Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 54 minutes

A group of brave young kids embark on a mission to save their homes from getting destroyed. But along the way, they come across an ancient map that takes them on the ultimate adventure.

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Columbia Pictures

21. Stand by Me (1986)

  • Who’s in it: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes

A poignant film about growing up, made even more so by the real-life tragic death of one of its lead young actors, River Phoenix.

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Paramount Pictures

22. Grease (1978)

  • Who’s in it: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 50 minutes

The high school musical to end all high school musicals, this story of a greaser in love with a good girl is as sweet and iconic as they come. (Minus the teenaged pregnancy subplot.)

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Columbia Pictures

23. Daddy Day Care (2003)

  • Who’s in it: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Steve Zahn
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 32 minutes

A recently unemployed father turns his home into a daycare center. The relatable scenes will make every parent with kids on summer break say, “same.”

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Gramercy Pictures

24. Dazed and Confused (1993)

  • Who’s in it: Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, Matthew McConaughey, Jason London, Wiley Wiggins
  • Rating: 18+
  • Run time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Texas teens ramble on in this shaggy dog of a stoner story about the last day of high school in 1976.

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES

25. The Great Outdoors (1988)

  • Who’s in it: Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening, John Candy, Dan Aykroyd
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 31 minutes

The year was 1988. John Hughes had started making movies for grown-ups. In this, the second in the glorious “Candy trilogy” (along with Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Uncle Buck), two in-laws tangle with a bear in a lake cabin.

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Warner Bros.

26. Risky Business (1983)

  • Who’s in it: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 38 minutes

It’s like F. Scott Fitzgerald, but with a 1983 bent: The story of a prostitute and a privileged high school boy manages to be heartwarming despite its crassness. And, umm, hello, Tom Cruise in tighty whities.

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Fox Searchlight Pictures

27. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

  • Who’s in it: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 41 minutes

A meta-meditation on the triumph of the underdog, this 2006 comedy-drama road trip flick saw Steve Carell ace his first dramatic role. Made for $8 million, it grossed $100 million worldwide.

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TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

28. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

  • Who’s in it: Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Evelyn Keyes
  • Rating: 7+
  • Run time: 1 hour 45 minutes

When his family goes away for the summer, a faithful husband with an overactive imagination is tempted by a beautiful neighbor—Marilyn Monroe.

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Paramount Pictures

29. Little Darlings (1980)

  • Who’s in it: Tatum O'Neal, Kristy McNichol, Armand Assante
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 36 minutes

This 1980 hit film has largely been forgotten, but the tale of two 15-year-olds who make a virginity-losing bet is a surprisingly nuanced look at young love.

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Columbia Pictures

30. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

  • Who’s in it: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Madison Iseman
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 59 minutes

It’s the same old Jumanji we love to hate. And like last time, the game is fighting back against the players.

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Twentieth Century Fox

31. Flamingo Kid (1984)

  • Who’s in it: Matt Dillon, Héctor Elizondo, Molly McCarthy, Martha Gehman
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Will dreamy, 19-year-old Matt Dillon be corrupted during his summer as a private beach club cabana boy? This 1984 rom-com is as clean-cut as old Matty was back then.

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Focus Features

32. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

  • Who’s in it: Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Jared Gilman
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes

This completely fresh and sweet film about two kids who run away together is so retro-dreamy, it had to come from the brain of Wes Anderson.

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES

33. Jaws (1975)

  • Who’s in it: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 2 hour 10 minutes

This Academy Award-winning thriller tells the story of a rogue shark who is terrorizing a beach town. Easily a classic.

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Memento Films

34. Call Me By Your Name (2018)

  • Who’s in it: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours 10 minutes

In 1980s Italy, romance blossoms between a 17-year-old student and the older man hired as his father's research assistant.

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Netflix

35. Wine Country (2019)

  • Who’s in it: Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes

Amy Poehler directs and stars in this comedy about a vacation to Napa Valley, where a group of long-time friends reunites and revisits their past life choices.

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Miramax

36. Adventureland (2009)

  • Who’s in it: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 47 minutes

A college graduate takes a tedious job at his local amusement park, which turns out to be way more exciting than it seems.

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Walt Disney Pictures

37. Heavyweights (1995)

  • Who’s in it: Tom McGowan, Aaron Schwartz, Ben Stiller
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 40 minutes

This 1995 cult comedy co-written by Judd Apatow and Steven Brill stars Ben Stiller as a manic fitness instructor who terrorizes a children’s fat camp—until the kids triumph.

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New Line Cinema

38. The Notebook (2004)

  • Who’s in it: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Kevin Connolly
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 2 hours 1 minute

In 1940s South Carolina, mill worker Noah and rich girl Allie fall in love, but must separate because of their social differences.

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Fox Searchlight

39. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

  • Who’s in it: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 35 minutes

An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her. Just a warning—this one’s a tearjerker.

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New Line Cinema

40. Now and Then (1995)

  • Who’s in it: Melanie Griffith, Thora Birch, Rosie O'Donnell, Christina Ricci, Rita Wilson, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Demi Moore, Gaby Hoffmann
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 38 minutes

Follow the story of four 12-year-old girls and the eventful summer they spend together in their small town in 1970.

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.

41. Thelma and Louise (1991)

  • Who’s in it: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours 10 minutes

If you’re looking for a summer road trip flick with two badass all-star female leads, then Thelma and Louise is the film for you. The classic comedy tells the story of two best friends, Thelma and Louise, who run into a wee bit of trouble together and subsequently decide to flee to Mexico in a 1966 Ford Thunderbird.

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Warner Bros

42. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

  • Who’s in it: Blake Lively, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 59 minutes

Before Blake Lively had a website, before America Ferrera was Ugly Betty, before Alexis Bledel married Pete from Mad Men and Amber Tamblyn got hitched to funny guy David Cross, they starred in this beloved film about four friends who share a pair of Levi’s.

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Columbia Pictures

43. Something's Gotta Give (2003)

  • Who’s in it: Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 2 hours 13 minutes

Two mature singles Erica Barry and Harry Sanborn end up living together in the Hamptons after Harry (who is dating Erica's daughter) has a heart attack. As you can probably guess, the duo fall in love.

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Eureka Pictures

44. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

  • Who’s in it: Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 37 minutes

This 2001 summer camp spoof movie follows a group of counselors try to complete their unfinished business before the last day of camp ends.

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Warner Bros. Family Entertainment

45. It Takes Two (1995)

  • Who’s in it: Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Kirstie Alley, Steve Guttenberg
  • Rating: 13+
  • Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes

This 1995 flick takes place mostly at summer camp and has a similar plot to The Parent Trap. The film follows twins who were separated at birth and meet up at summer camp and hijinx ensues.

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Touchstone Pictures

46. Indian Summer (1993)

  • Who’s in it: Alan Arkin, Matt Craven, Diane Lane, Bill Paxton
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 38 minutes

Indian Summer is essentially Big Chill on the water as a bunch of former campers have a reunion before the old camp closes.

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES

47. Blue Crush (2002)

  • Who’s in it: Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 50 minutes

As a hard-core surfer girl prepares for a big competition, she finds herself falling for a football player. But we love it for the Hawaiian scenery, the girl-bonding-training-montage and the fairy-tale ending.

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Columbia Pictures

48. A League of Their Own (1992)

  • Who’s in it: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 2 hours 8 minutes

Two sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amidst their own growing rivalry. They also learn that there’s “no crying in baseball,” from their washed-up, alcoholic coach.

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TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

49. Breaking Away (1979)

  • Who’s in it: Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 41 minutes

On the surface, this is a story about worthy underdog cyclists competing against entitled university kids. But really, this classic sports movie addresses something more universal—what the heck is there to life after high school?

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20th Century Fox

50. Dr. Dolittle (1998)

  • Who’s in it: Eddie Murphy, Oliver Platt, Ossie Davis
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 30 minutes

The whole family can take a break from the summer heat to watch this movie about a doctor who’s able to communicate with animals.

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Iam21 Entertainment

51. Sylvie's Love (2020)

  • Who’s in it: Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Aja Naomi King, Eva Longoria
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 54 minutes

Up for a feel-good summer romance that’ll have you grinning from start to finish? Sylvie’s Love is sure to do the trick. Set in New York during the 1960s, we follow Sylvie Parker, an aspiring filmmaker who falls in love with an up-and-coming musician, Robert Halloway. However, their careers seem to keep pulling them apart. Can they make this relationship work?

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Anthony Barboza / Getty Images

52. Do the Right Thing (1989)

  • Who’s in it: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Rosie Perez, Martin Lawrence, Spike Lee, John Turturro
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours

On a hot summer day in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, racial tensions rise to the point of violence after Mookie and his peers learn that the local pizzeria's Wall of Fame features no Black actors.

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20th Century Fox

53. How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

  • Who’s in it: Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Regina King, Whoopi Goldberg
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Stella Payne is a hard-working 40-year-old stockbroker who sets off to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for a well-deserved break. While there, she strikes up a romance with a gorgeous young man named Winston…who happens to be 20 years her junior.

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Kintop Pictures

54. Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

  • Who’s in it: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Archie Panjabi
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 52 minutes

Jesminder Bhamra, better known as Jess, is passionate about football (aka soccer to us Americans), but unfortunately, her strict conservative family refuses to let her play because of her gender. Still, she sneaks behind their backs and joins the local women's football team.

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Newmarket Films

55. Real Women Have Curves (2002)

  • Who’s in it: America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros, George Lopez, Ingrid Oliu, Brian Sites
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes

America Ferrera made her feature film debut in this comedy drama, which is based on Josefina López's play of the same name. Ferrera stars as a Mexican-American teenager Ana García, who's torn between following her dream of going to college and following cultural traditions.

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40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks

56. Crooklyn (1994)

  • Who’s in it: Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo, Spike Lee, Zelda Harris
  • Rating: 18+
  • Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes

We follow 9-year-old Troy Carmichael, who lives with her parents and four brothers in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn during the summer of 1973. After Troy goes to visit her aunt in the south, she returns home and is greeted with some unexpected news.

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Touchstone Pictures

57. The Inkwell (1994)

  • Who’s in it: Larenz Tate, Joe Morton, Suzzanne Douglas, Glynn Turman, Morris Chestnut, Jada Pinkett Smith
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 52 minutes

While vacationing with his family on Martha's Vineyard, 16-year-old Drew Tate stumbles upon an upper-class Black community of party lovers known as The Inkwell. While there, he finds himself caught in a love triangle between Heather Lee and Lauren Kelly.

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Significant Productions

58. Dope (2015)

  • Who’s in it: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Kimberly Elise, Chanel Iman, Lakeith Stanfield, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes

Meet Malcolm, a brilliant teen who happens to live in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in California. After he encounters a drug dealer named Dom, he winds up at a nightclub party that turns violent. Things get even messier when Malcolm leaves and discovers that drugs were stashed in his backpack.

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Will Packer Productions

59. The Photograph (2020)

  • Who’s in it: Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield, Chelsea Peretti, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chanté Adams
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 46 minutes

After famous photographer Christina Eames passes away, her estranged daughter, Mae, stumbles upon a few of her photographs, which prompts her to investigate her late mother’s early life. When Michael Block, a reporter, also takes an interest in Christina's work, he meets and falls in love with Mae.

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Walt Disney Pictures

60. The Parent Trap (1998)

  • Who’s in it: Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson, Elaine Hendrix, Lisa Ann Walter
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 2 hours 8 minutes

We could never get tired of seeing Annie and Hallie (both played by Lindsay Lohan) perform the classic switcheroo and fool their parents. In this romcom classic, the young twins, who were separated at birth, meet each other for the first time when their parents send them to the same summer camp. But instead of returning to their actual homes, they switch places in an effort to bond with the other parent.

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Embassy Pictures

61. The Graduate (1967)

  • Who’s in it: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross, William Daniels
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 46 minutes

Simon and Garfunkel! Sixties counterculture! Mrs. Robinson! Plastics! This 1967 comedy-drama about a disillusioned college graduate has it all.

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The Samuel Goldwyn Company

62. Mystic Pizza (1988)

  • Who’s in it? Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 44 minutes

Feeling nostalgic? Revisit Roberts in one of her earliest roles, where she plays one of three close teenage friends who navigate dating and relationships while working at a pizza parlor.

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Touchstone Pictures

63. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

  • Who’s in it? Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Run time: 1 hour 53 minutes

It’s almost impossible to watch this film without feeling tempted to book a flight to Italy. Based on Frances Mayes's namesake memoir, it follows a divorced writer who travels Tuscany in hopes of getting a fresh start.

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Columbia Pictures

64. Ghostbusters (1984)

  • Who’s in it: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
  • Rating: PG
  • Run time: 1 hour 45 minutes

So much to love about this supernatural comedy: New York in summertime, Bill Murray as a charmingly oily ghost exterminator and, of course, the evil Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

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Imperative Entertainment

65. Hot Summer Nights (2017)

  • Who’s in it: Timothée Chalamet, Maika Monroe, Alex Roe
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 2 hours

Set in 1991, the film revolves around a teenager named Daniel (Chalamet), who gets involved in the drug trade after moving to Cape Cod to spend the summer with his aunt. Chalamet's acting chops are top-notch in this coming-of-age drama.

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Jeong Park/20th Century Studios

66. Fire Island (2022)

  • Who’s in it: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora
  • Rating: R
  • Run time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this rom-com follows a group of queer BFFs as they try to make the most of their vacation at Fire Island Pines, though it proves to be more challenging than they anticipated. In his review of the film, PureWow Assistant Editor Joel Calfee wrote, "It feels honest and genuine without conforming to any standards. It's funny without trying too hard and it's romantic enough to hold its own against the rom-com classics of the past."

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Blue Fox Entertainment

67. Summer '03 (2018)

  • Who’s in it: Joey King, Paul Scheer, Andrea Savage
  • Rating: 16+
  • Run time: 1 hour 35 minutes

As sixteen-year-old Jamie's grandmother lies on her deathbed, she unveils a number of shocking family secrets. Meanwhile, Jamie spends her summer exploring her sexuality while dealing with an overbearing mom.

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Dan Henterly/Netflix

68. The Last Summer (2019)

  • Who’s in it: KJ Apa, Maia Mitchell, Tyler Posey
  • Rating: TV-14
  • Run time: 1 hour 50 minutes

A group of high school graduates experiences their last summer before heading off to college. The central characters, Erin and Alec, agree to break up before parting ways, but this proves to be a challenge when Alec quickly moves on.

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Rain Forest Productions

69. Teen Beach Movie (2013)

  • Who’s in it: Ross, Lynch, Maia Mitchell, Grace Phipps, Jordan Fisher
  • Rating: TV-G
  • Run time: 1 hour 50 minutes

When teen surfers Brady and Mack ride a 40-foot wave at the beach, they're both swept away into a musical movie called Wet Side Story. When the film's main characters start to fall for the surfers instead of each other, it becomes a different storyline altogether.

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China Film Group Corporation

70. My Best Summer (2019)

  • Who’s in it? Landou He, Arthur Chen
  • Rating: 18+
  • Run time: 1 hour 50 minutes

We're always down for a cheesy love story that gives us all the feels. In this YA romance film, a young girl named Geng Geng enrolls at a prestigious school, where she meets and falls for Huai Yu.

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