Ice cream, barbeques, long days of warm weather, vacations at the beach, reading on the balcony, family get-togethers - summer is the best. What’s even better? Finding your nearest box of ice cream and lying in bed watching a sunny romance.
Picturesque islands, delightful music tracks, and a whirlwind romance waiting to happen, everything coupled with the perfect setting to make you swoon. While set in summer, these movies can be watched all year long.
Mamma Mia (2008)
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Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) is busy planning her daughter’s marriage. Her daughter, Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried), on the other hand, is set on finding her father. She finds the names of the three men her mother had sex with, just before she was conceived, in her mother’s diary, and invites them to the wedding. The chaos that ensues makes a terrific comedy and a sweeter, almost emotional, happy ending.
Mamma Mia has an amazing plot, with picturesque Greek islands framing the background, and the ABBA songs make the perfect summer track.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
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When 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) decided to spend the summer in Italy with his dad, he didn’t know what he was signing up for. Enters Oliver (Armie Hammer), a 24-year-old doctoral student interning for his dad, and love decides to take over the driving wheel. The two men develop an intense emotional connection that made audiences swoon.
Regardless of its (not so happy) ending, Call Me By Your Name is an incredible movie, and one of the most loved summer romances with LGBT representation.
In The Heights (2021)
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Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos) tells a group of children the story of his life from ten years ago. A bodega owner, Anthony struggles with mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic or staying in Washington Heights.
Based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical, In The Heights celebrated the vibrant culture of Washington Heights during a life-changing summer. While the movie went under the radar, it didn’t disappoint lovers of the musical and left a mark on the viewers.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
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When Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) learns that she qualified for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, her entire family takes a road trip down to Redondo Beach, California from their house in New Mexico. The impossible bunch, including Sheryl Hoover (Toni Collette), Olive’s mother; Olive’s uncle, Frank (Steve Carell), Olive’s father, Richard (Greg Kinnear), her half-brother, Dwayne (Paul Dano), and her grandfather, Edwin (Alan Arkin), who with all their eccentricities, prove that there couldn’t be a more dysfunctional group.
With their amazing backgrounds and character descriptions, you know Little Miss Sunshine is a disaster scheduled to happen, but you end up laughing your butt off anyway. The movie also features one of the most dramatic performances by Steve Carell.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
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Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) is a professor in Economics at NYU and is in a healthy relationship with Nick Young (Henry Golding). When Nick invites Rachel to Singapore for his best friend's wedding, she is excited to meet his family and reconnect with her college best friend, Peik Lin (Awkwafina). What she doesn’t see coming is that Nick’s family is one of Asia’s richest.
She realizes she isn’t the one Nick’s mother (Michelle Yeoh) had in mind for her son, and all eyes at the wedding, and in Singapore, are stuck on her. With their picturesque houses and money-screaming destinations, the movie makes you wanna abandon love and run behind money.
Set It Up (2018)
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Harper Moore (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie Young (Glen Powell) are executive assistants who have been overworked by their bosses. In an attempt to get them laid, they decide to set their bosses up with each other, only to realize they might have committed a disaster.
While Harper loses her job trying to undo their mistakes, Charlie decides to quit and save the day. While finally leaving her offices for the last time, she’s faced with Charlie, and he has a revelation to make. Harper and Charlie have one of the best meet-cutes ever. While they are oblivious to it, they share a crackling chemistry.
Palm Springs (2020)
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Nyles (Andy Samberg) traveled all the way to Palm Springs for a wedding, only to discover his girlfriend was cheating on him. Sarah (Cristin Milioti) is stuck being the maid of honor at her sister’s wedding when all she wants is to annihilate the groom. Their chance encounter takes a shocking turn when they find themselves trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day, over and over again.
While absolutely hilarious, the movie makes you want to stop and revel in the moment, because, unlike the movie, there are no second chances here.
Booksmart (2019)
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Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are best friends who’ve spent their entire high school striving to get into their dream colleges. When they realize that the students who slacked off in school are also admitted to top-notch colleges, they regret their choice of being academic overachievers and decide to live all their dreams in one night.
The pair decide to attend the biggest party of the year, only to end up tangled in more wild antics. Booksmart, albeit eventful, helps you live vicariously through the characters having the time of their lives.
Something Borrowed (2011)
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Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a serious-minded single attorney in New York City. When her friend Darcy (Kate Hudson) throws her a surprise party on her 30th birthday, one too many drinks lead to her landing in bed with Dex (Colin Egglesfield), Darcy’s fiancé.
While Rachel tries to salvage the situation, her longtime confidant Ethan (John Krasinski) appears with his own confession to make. Something Borrowed showcases love, friendship, and betrayal, all in a lighthearted yet wholesome setting, leaving you both touched and emotional.
The Kissing Booth 3 (2021)
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As her college semester appears closer, Elle (Joey King) decides to make the most of her last summer at her home. Lee (Joel Courtney) and Elle curated a list as kids, and decide to strike everything off their checklist in their last summer before college.
When Noah (Jacob Elordi) and Elle’s relationship turns rocky after the revelation of Elle’s college decision, Marco’s (Taylor Zakhar Perez) return starts a storm of misunderstandings. With their beautiful summerhouse and amazing college acceptances of all the characters, The Kissing Booth franchise presents a life situation to covet.