Imagine it is a sweltering summer day outside, and you do not want to go outside in the heat. But you stay in your nice, air-conditioned house, and you have no idea what to do inside. But then you decide to watch a movie and have no clue what movie to watch. Here are some good summer movies that will make you feel that you are in that movie.
(Warning: There may be minor spoilers ahead if you are completely unfamiliar with any of these movies!)
Wanna watch a scary movie on a Friday night with your friends? Watch Friday the 13th (1980). The movie starts with the backstory of Jason Voorhees, who was a young boy that drowned in Camp Crystal Lakes due to negligence from the camp counselors. Years later, a new group of teenagers arrives to reopen the camp, ignoring the local warnings about its “bloody” history. As a summer storm rolls in, the counselors are picked off one by one by an unseen assailant. It is the ultimate summer camp nightmare that will make you glad you are safe inside your own home.
If you are looking for a movie that makes you feel the salt spray and the panic of a crowded beach, Jaws (1975) is the ultimate choice. Set on the quiet island of Amity, a massive Great White shark begins attacking swimmers right before the busy fourth of July weekend. Police chief Martin Brody, who ironically has a phobia of water, must team up with a sarcastic marine biologist and a grizzled shark hunter to track the beast down. The film perfectly captures the sweltering heat of a tourist town and the terrifying isolation of being on a small boat in the open ocean.
For a lighter, more nostalgic summer vibe, The Parent Trap (1998) follows identical twins Hallie and Annie who meet by chance at an isolated summer camp and realize they were separated at birth. After discovering their parents divorced years ago and each took one child, the girls hatched a plan to switch places, one heading to London and the other to California to trick their parents into reuniting. The movie is filled with the sights and sounds of summer, from lakeside cabins and mountain hikes to sunny vineyards.
Since you’re already stuck inside to avoid the sun, Rear Window (1954) is a perfect thematic fit as it centers on a photographer named Jeff who is confined to his apartment with a broken leg during a brutal New York City heatwave. To pass the time, he spends his days watching his neighbors through their open windows, but his curiosity turns dread when he becomes convinced he has witnessed a murder across the courtyard. You can almost feel the humidity and the frustration of being trapped indoors as the mystery unfolds.
Nothing captures the spirit of a childhood summer quite like The Sandlot (1993), which follows the new kid in town, Scotty Smalls, as he joins a group of neighborhood boys who spend every waking hour playing baseball. Their carefree summer of fireworks and pool days takes a turn for the intense when a ball signed by Babe Ruth is hit over a fence into the territory of “The Beast,” a legendary giant dog rumored to eat anyone who enters its yard. It is a heartwarming story about friendship and the legends we create as kids.
