summer watching: movies that feel like summertime
four films + one trilogy that will instantly transport you to summertime.
The long summer nights are the perfect time to hunker down with a film! Whether you have a fancy backyard projector set-up or are snuggling down on the couch, watching a sun-drenched movie is one of the best ways to spend a summer evening. These are some of my all-time favorite films that just feel like summer. While none of these films would be classified as a traditional rom-com, I did notice a common theme throughout the list is love, falling in and out and back in to love again. Is there a better time than summer for a new romance? Maybe you prefer comedies or adventure movies in summer time, but a dash of romance fits the summer movie bill for me. On to the list!
Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), Before Midnight (2013)
This trilogy of films by Richard Linklater tell a beautiful love story between Jesse and Celine. After meeting on a train to Vienna, they spend one night together walking around the city and falling in love before Jesse has to get on an early morning flight. If you have seen Richard Linklater’s film Boyhood, you’ll have a good idea of his slice-of-life filmmaking style. All three of the movies in the trilogy are more or less two hours of two people talking. Their conversations feel so authentic in a way that you rarely see on screen. Set in Vienna, Paris and finally Greece, the settings transport you to a lingering summer evening in Europe falling in love.
The Parent Trap (1998)
The Parent Trap is pure nostalgia and summertime. From the music (like this!) to the summer camp setting to the teenage high jinks, watching the Parent Trap makes you feel like a kid again. I recently saw Brittany Viklund share that she kicks off every summer by watching this movie and I will definitely be starting that annual tradition myself.
Do the Right Thing (1989)
This Spike Lee film takes course over one long, very hot summer day in Brooklyn. There are kids playing on the sidewalk, neighborhood banter, and a very loud boombox. The movie focuses on tensions between communities in Bed-Stuy rising throughout the day and finally boiling over.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Wes Anderson movies are over-the-top stylized and full of beautiful scenes that look like a composed painting. In Moonrise Kingdom, a khaki scout in Maine runs away from his troop with his pen pal Suzy. They set up camp at Mile 3.25 Tidal Inlet while being chased down by Suzy’s parents and the troop of khaki scouts. Full of adventure, camping and a pending summer storm, this movie is a summertime classic.
The Worst Person in the World (2021)
I think this may be my favorite film. It tells the story of Julie in her twenties as she navigates different partners and finding her path. There are discussions of women in society, lots on the power of words and using your voice. There is grief and joy and adventure and really tender moments. It has a few very experimental sequences so it may not be for everyone, but I absolutely love it. Split into various chapters of Julie’s life, we join her for several specific evenings - one long night crashing a wedding and another staying with friends in a cabin in the countryside. It feels like most of the film is set over the course of long summer sunsets.
These are all the films I love rewatching as soon as summertime rolls around. Do you have any favorite summer films or movie traditions? I’m always looking to add to my list!
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Oh, I have so many, but two of my favorites are "M. Hulot's Holiday" and "Meet Me in St. Louis" (the scene in summer when they're making ketchup!)
A few other favorites: Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, How Stella Got Her Groove Back (that one always encourages me to get back on track after a long hot summer), American Graffiti, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, On Moonlight Bay, In the Light of the Silvery Moon, the new Thomas Crown Affair (the one with Renee Russo), Driving Miss Daisy, Fried Green Tomatoes.