Our List Of Quintessential Summer Movies To Watch
As the days grow longer and the Florida sunshine beats down, it is clear summer’s arrival is imminent. After dreary spring showers, it’s time to embrace the season. What better way to do so than with a lineup of quintessentially summer movies? Whether you’re looking for a sun-kissed romance, a horror flick, or something in between, here are some of my top picks to help kick off the sunshine season and bring on those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
Mamma Mia!
The picturesque Greek island Kalokairi awaits audiences in Mamma Mia!. The film tells the story of Sophie Sheridan as she prepares for her wedding and tries to uncover the mystery of who her father is. The sunshine settings and ABBA exclusive soundtrack provide a backdrop for an endearing ensemble cast and a story filled with nostalgia, comedy, and love. At the heart of the movie is a powerful relationship between the mother-daughter duo of Donna and Sophie Sheridan. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of musicals, ABBA’s classic hits such as Dancing Queen and Our Last Summer, coupled with glimmering oceans and Greece’s cobblestone streets, never fail to evoke the essence of summer.
Letters to Juliet
The charming romantic comedy-drama Letters to Juliet enchants audiences with the inherently romantic background of Verona, Italy, where Shakespeare’s infamous Romeo and Juliet take place. The movie follows a young American, Sophie, and her fiance, Victor, as they embark on a pre-honeymoon to Verona. As her husband works to conduct research for his upcoming restaurant, Sophie learns about the Secretaries of Juliet, who respond to letters about love. Sophie writes back to an unanswered letter from 1957 and soon finds herself on a journey to help the author find lost love and maybe find her true love along the way. The sprawling vineyards and inherently romantic Verona give the perfect summer love story.
Call Me By Your Name
Under peach trees and lush greenery, somewhere in northern Italy in 1983, director Luca Guadagnino captures summer malaise in his film Call Me By Your Name. Based on the book of the same name, Call Me By Your Name is the story of Elio Pearlman as he meets and becomes enamored with Oliver, a charming, older doctoral student staying with Elio’s family to work under his father. The undeniably gorgeous cinematography and atmospheric soundtrack aid the film’s languid pace as it tells a story of obsession, longing, and introspection. The stills from this movie have shown up on summer mood boards since its release in 2018 and have ignited new desires for European Summer trips worldwide.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer, takes place in the sleepy fishermen’s town of Southport, North Carolina. It follows a group of teenagers who reunite after attempting to cover up a fatal accident on July 4th of the previous year, when the final girl, Julie James, receives a letter stating, “I know what you did last summer!” As the title suggests, the film utilizes eerie summer nights to portray the mystery and dread permeating the movie. While it isn’t the best horror flick out there, it’s filled with iconic moments like the masterful chase scene with Helen Shivers. It’s a juxtaposition to the bright summer fun, taking advantage of the balmy summer weather and eerie small-town vibes to create a classic summer horror movie.
Dazed and Confused
The early 1990s coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused is set during the last day of school in Austin, Texas, in 1976. The film captures the carefree spirit of the ensemble cast as the characters embark on a journey of teenage rebellion and self-discovery. The nonlinear plotlines depict the journeys of incoming first-year high schoolers and soon-to-graduate seniors through the tribulations of high school pressures. Under the hazy and sun-soaked Texan landscape, the movie encapsulates summer adventures with friends and the possibilities that fill the future. It is filled with classic 1970s rock hits and dynamic characters; Dazed and Confused portrays nostalgia for a bygone era and the golden days of teenagehood.
