10 Great Summertime Films to Watch

Looking for a way to enjoy summer without actually being outside, in the heat? Want to experience popular holiday destinations without the crowds? Or maybe you'd like to forget winter ever existed? We got you.

Look no further than our ultimate list of 10 great summertime films to watch that deliver all the vibes without the hassle.

10 Summertime Films to Watch

1. SWIMMING POOL (2003)

A crime/thriller from François Ozon.

Charlotte Rampling plays a middle-aged crime novelist in the south of France struggling to write her next book when she gets an unexpected visitor and a writing prompt she never bargained for. Just goes to prove that writers will do anything to cure writer's block.

2. MAMMA MIA (2008)

A musical comedy directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

Go on, you know you want to. It's guaranteed to put a smile on your face, regardless. Meryl Streep. Singing. In Greece. What more could you want? This is the movie that put "feel good" back into film. It's up there with those other classic, summer musicals: GREASE and DIRTY DANCING. Is it cringe? YES. And that's why we love it.

3. VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (2008)

A romantic comedy-drama from Woody Allen.

A film packed with a ridiculously good-looking, charismatic cast (Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem) getting flirty in Barcelona. Sounds pretty high concept to us. Two best friends from the U.S. travel to Spain and both fall for a sexy artist whose eccentric and temperamental ex-wife is about to crash the party.

4. THE WAY WAY BACK (2013)

A coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Jim Rash and Nat Faxon.

If you haven't seen it, just do yourself a favour & watch it asap. It's a gem of film about a shy boy forced to holiday with his mum and her boyfriend in a seaside town where he finds an unlikely mentor. Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette. Dream casting right there. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll regain hope in humanity.

5. GLASS ONION: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

A mystery film from Rian Johnson.

Remember the days when a sequel to a film could stir up unimaginable controversy because it was thought not to meet the standards of the first? Yeah, those were the days. And also, we didn't agree. So, if there has to be one murder mystery on the list, this is it. Summer vibes & rich people getting taken down a notch. Yes, please!

6. THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY

A thriller/crime film from Anthony Minghella, based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel.

A con artist in Italy takes things a little too far. Going old school by choosing the original 1999 version. This is a movie list after all, so no shade to the Netflix version with Andrew Scott–which was brilliant, but seemed a lot darker in tone? The film stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law & Cate Blanchett.

7. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017)

A coming-of-age romantic drama directed by Luca Guadagnino

Still in Italy, this is another fine adaptation based on the book by André Aciman. A gentle tale about a blossoming romance between two beautiful young American men in beautiful northern Italy in the 1980s, and the ensuing fall-out when their time comes to a close.

8. MIDSOMMAR (2019)

A horror from Ari Aster.

This Swedish folk horror will get the blood pumping. A couple visit a rural town famed for its midsummer festival. As you can guess, things quickly unravel in an unpleasant way, involving a pagan cult. Starring Florence Pugh.

9. MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012)

A coming-of-age comedy-drama from Wes Anderson.

No film list is complete without a Wes Anderson film and this one seems to fit the bill. It's set in the summer of 1965 on an island off New England where two twelve-year-olds fall in love and decide to run away, just as a violent storm brews on the horizon.

10. MY SUMMER OF LOVE (2004)

A romance/thriller from Pawel Pawlikowski.

Emily Blunt's break-out film back in the day, this film explores the romantic relationship between two girls from different ends of the class spectrum, drawn together through secrets they share of their respective dysfunctional families.

What are your favourite summertime films?

Story Inkubator was founded by writer, scriptwriter and teacher, Kristina Jilly, an Australian living in Central Europe who's written for HBO Europe and RTL Television. A teacher at the University of Applied Sciences in Upper Austria, Kristina also writes online content about the art of storytelling and topics that inspire creativity. 

Subscribe to Story Inkubator for our monthly newsletter and get two free workbooks on creating multi-dimensional characters and solid story concepts delivered to your email.

If you’re interested in learning more about storytelling, or would like to improve your English through story, check out our courses here.