What are your favorite summer movies? Beachy, sweaty, 80s neon, thrillers, creature features. Give me something you’d put on during an afternoon thunderstorm.

Question

What are your favorite summer movies? Beachy, sweaty, 80s neon, thrillers, creature features. Give me something  you’d put on during an afternoon thunderstorm.

Elena · Answer

My Old Ass: One of the best films of the last decade, so hilarious, heartwarming, and wise

liz :] · Answer

Do the Right Thing (1989): If you’re looking for sweaty,  this one right here. A movie that reminds me of the summer heat. Great story that turns sweet at first but goes sour.

Eric · Answer

The Goonies: One of my all time favorite movies!

Eric F · Answer

Heavyweights (1995) 🏋️‍♂️: One of the funniest kids films ever created and perhaps Ben Stiller’s greatest role? An early Judd Apatow production with great summer camp vibes.

Dylan · Answer

Now and Then (1995): With the benefit of hindsight, I realise I was so obsessed with this movie as a kid because I was a raging queer, and also as a kid, I was told I looked like Christina Ricci, so obviously that made me love it even more. GIRLHOOD!!!

raul g · Answer

A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints (2006): When I first watched this movie, I watched it twice more within the same week.

This movie made you feel like you knew what it was like to grow up in NY — while also tapping into a story about family that is so specific yet so familiar

Aside from all that, watching Shia and Channing do their thing was dope—

Cate Donohue · Answer

Dirty Dancing!

Alli Lee · Answer

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)

Sarah Bohl · Answer

Dan in Real Life: This is one of the most underrated romantic comedies of all time. Steve Carell is gold here. Best use of Dane Cook (yeah, he’s in here) and Juliette Binoche is her perfect self. Dianne Wiest, Emily Blunt… what more can I say?

Renee Okay · Answer

Now and Then : Perfect cast. Bike riding. Tree houses. Jumping in the pond with your clothes on.

PJ and Thomas · Answer

The Sandlot: Does this movie ever get old? (spoiler: no, it does not)

Jon Contino · Answer

The 'Burbs: It’s not exactly a “summer movie” but it’s definitely an awesome “hanging out in the neighborhood getting up to mischief in the summer” movie. And it’s got the Joe Dante charm that pushes it over the edge into all-time favorite.

Minna Kelly · Answer

The Swimmer (1968): Woefully underrated movie starring the endlessly charismatic Burt Lancaster as Ned, a man who decides to swim home one summer day through all his neighbor's pools in the upper middle class suburbs of Connecticut. If you're slightly confused but intrigued, you'll love it. It's a perfect entry into the midcentury white suburban malaise sub-genre that I personally love, based on a very good short story by John Cheever that first appeared in the New Yorker in 1964.

Laurie Thompson · Answer

Jaws!: The best.

Taylor Bitt · Answer

blue crush: The ultimate beach movie. Ignites my drive to become a surfer every time I see it. Peak 2000s summer film.

Lizzie · Answer

The Mean Season (1985): A little on the nose…a movie about summer thunderstorms, but it’s creepy and cozy and peak Kurt Russell hotness.

Laura Messersmith · Answer

Summer School (1987): Ooh, great question! I went through a Mark Harmon crush awhile back (please tell me he’s still in the good books and hasn’t been cancelled). Hawaiian shirt threat-levels are high. Due for a re-watch on this one!

Anna · Answer

Bottoms (2023): A perfect summer flick for me has to be chaotic. And Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri are so endearing in everything they do. This is just your classic high school scheme to lose your virginity and all hell breaks loose.

Mary · Answer

The Long, Hot Summer: A great classic that really captures the uncomfortable heat and humidity of summer in the South. Also, starting Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward who married not long after the movie.

lauren o · Answer

Crabs!: A loving mashup of '80s creature features like GREMLINS, kaiju megabattles, beachy slashers and a zillion other subgenres, CRABS! also has a killer earworm of a hidden theme song that rolls out during the end credits (and while it doesn't actually include the exact line, "Will they be nice to you? NO!!" my heart says it does). If you need to see mutant horseshoe crabs attack a DJ booth on prom night (and real talk, who doesn't), CRABS! is for you; there's a reason species keep evolving into them over and over again (and why the universe turned out the horseshoe crab and was like, "yep, perfect, no notes"). Free to stream on Tubi, available a million other places.

B. A. Griffin · Answer

The Great Outdoors: My family does, in fact, watch this on rainy afternoons at the cottage. Such a classic! Never gets old.

Babuji · Answer

Shag: Phoebe Cates, Bridget Fonda and Annabelle Gish star in this female directed summer movie set in the sixties and made in the eighties. Fun dancing and music.conventional story but really good performances.

Sarah Cooney · Answer

Sabrina: The most iconic summer on the North Shore of Long Island movie (apologies to the original--also excellent but this captures the season the way no other movie could! And I can say that because I'm related to Bogie). The scene when Greg Kinnear picks Julia Ormond up from the Locust Valley train station and drives her back to Dosoris Lane (really Dosoris Island) is everything.

Sarah Cooney · Answer

Wind (1992 film) - Wikipedia: THIS IS THE BEST SUMMER MOVIE, especially if you're a sailor. The racing scenes are epic and it's just SO good. An underrated classic. The best underdog sports movie of all time, except Seabiscuit (I meant what I said).

Babuji · Answer

Blame it on Rio (1984): The most cringey premise imaginable, totally inappropriate movie starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore. Incredible fashion.

mili · Answer

La Cienaga: Bored bourgeoise Argentinian teens get into shenanigans in the hot humid summer.

Perfect to view during a summer thunderstorm!

Spines, Flicks, and Wax · Answer

Nightmare Beach (4KUHD): Just a fun, 80s Italian horror film.

Like many 80s Italian horror films, I don't remember it making a whole lot of sense but it's a blast and John Saxon just makes me swoon 😆