What’s the best part of summer? Hitting the air-conditioners at just the right temperature, junking on some icy snack, and watching the best holiday movies.
See the protagonists go to new places, meet new people, and casually contemplate their lives while sunbathing or just being in the pool. Since we are around that time of the year, here’s a list of the ten best summer holiday movies that transport you to the much-needed vacay!
10. The Kings Of Summer (2013)
We’ve all been here at some point. Life feels impossible until you and your friends decide to run away together. ‘The Kings Of Summer’ is a similar coming-of-age story of a friend group who taste freedom for the first time when they set off into the woods and build houses.
You’ll get to see them exploring their own backstories, history of broken families, and their first dive into reality. The film feels almost like a dream. Except, now you have to return to reality and face the truth; you’re growing up, and you can’t escape it.
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9. Unrelated (2007)
Hollywood can’t resist the allure of the Italian countryside in the summer. Let’s just say, ‘Unrelated’ nails it with some really good shots. Set in Tuscany, the film follows Anna, a woman in an unhappy marriage who takes refuge in a secluded place.
Joining her are her friends, but she starts hanging out with their teenage kids instead. Unlike typical summer movies, the film isn’t a dramatic take on self-discovery and realisation. It’s quite slow and oddly realistic as Anna realises why she truly never fits in.
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8. Aftersun (2022)
The film ‘Aftersun’ has the usual glee and warmth of summer movies, but in dual timelines. It follows a daughter who recollects a holiday with her father. Initially, the setting feels fun, with father-daughter time in pools, sunny resorts, and a coastal getaway.
But for Sophie, the childhood memory is thought of differently as an adult. While she loved her father as a child, she did not truly understand him until adulthood. It takes the mask of summer escapism and makes it literal.
7. Summer of ’85 (2020)
Two teenagers, a summer vacation, and the French coast come together in a summer romance – sounds like the perfect recipe for a feel-good movie. Except ‘Summer of ’85’ has a great deal of tragic moments as well.
At 16, Alex finds everything he’s looking for in David. That’s until unpredictability meets him midway in the form of death. The film perfectly mirrors the season’s temporality. Summer and good times don’t always last. You ultimately have to move on.
6. A Bigger Splash (2015)
A luxurious summer getaway turns emotionally chaotic in this 2015 film starring Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes. Marianne and Paul are a couple who spend time at an Italian resort until other guests threaten their sanctuary.
Exs appear, past feelings resurface, momentary lapses occur, and everything ruptures. ‘A Bigger Splash’ treats summer as a messy, impulsive, and intense window for letting loose. Before you realize what you’ve done, the getaway is already over.
5. Stand by Me (1985)
While the song of Ben E King might be sweet, the film ‘Stand by Me’ is definitely not! It follows a slightly unconventional group of teenagers who search for a boy perceived to be dead in the summer.
Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern become friends through the hike, even if the adventure is to identify a dead body. Ultimately, the trip transforms into a defining moment in their lives. The plot of the movie is quite mature!
4. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Self-discovery and forbidden love meet the Italian Countryside in 1983. There are many reasons fans love this one. Sufjan Stevens’ soundtrack, Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer’s chemistry, and the film’s bright, nostalgic hues blend well with summer aesthetics.
The film presents summer as a very special season for the teenager Elio and the graduate student Oliver, who is invited to Elio’s family’s home. Every day counts, and feels equally precarious as they begin to develop feelings for one another.
3. American Graffiti (1973)
This one focuses on a single summer night where people try to make the most out of it. Curt and Steve meet up with their friends and decide to have one last fun time before college. Except things don’t go as planned.
The summer trip acts like a final pause to let loose before you confront growing up. Pairing that with serene cruising and warm California sun, the film turns the night into a transitional point in their lives.
2. Before Sunrise (1995)
Starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, ‘Before Sunrise’ follows two strangers who decide to spend a summer night in Europe, being reckless and unbothered. You have beautiful summertime Vienna locations, complementing Hawke and Delpy’s Jesse and Céline as they fall in love.
However, the two end up parting ways despite the lingering feelings by the end of the film. Except, a decade later, we do get a sequel film, and then another!
1. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
We’re right back to Italy for the top of the list, but this time, summer is disguised in seductive allure. At a glance, Tom paints the perfect picture of a gentleman befriending Dickie and his girlfriend.
But in reality, his presence in Dickie’s life is met with identity theft and murder. Tom’s loneliness and envy grow with the summer heat, and he becomes more ruthless as the film progresses.
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