Streaming > Streaming TV, Movies, & More The 10 Best Summer Movies to Watch Right Now From blockbusters to quiet hits, these movies sizzle By Molly McLaughlin Molly McLaughlin Twitter Senior Editor & Content Strategist Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on December 30, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Streaming TV, Movies, & More Netflix Hulu Disney+ Prime Video Apple TV+ Favorite Events Summer movies mean road trips, summer jobs, summer love, and so much more. We've compiled the best summer movies, including comedies, romances, horror films, and musicals. 01 of 10 Jaws (1975): Best Mayoral Re-Election Campaign Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images IMDb rating: 8.0Genre: Adventure, ThrillerStarring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard DreyfussDirector: Steven SpielbergMotion Picture Rating: PGRunning Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes When a great white shark starts attacking swimmers in a fictional New England town, the mayor's top priority is tourism. He claims it's perfectly safe to swim, even after multiple attacks. Despite this (spoiler alert), he's still mayor in the sequel. Richard Dreyfuss plays a marine biologist who joins forces with the town's sheriff and a local man to dispatch the shark. Watch Jaws on HBO Max Now 02 of 10 Dirty Dancing (1987): Best Summer in the Catskills Love Story IMDb rating: 7.0Genre: Drama, Music, RomanceStarring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry OrbachDirector: Emile ArdolinoMotion Picture Rating: PG-13Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes A college-bound teen joins her family on vacation in the Catskills, where she pretty quickly falls for the dance instructor. The film has great dancing sequences and an excellent soundtrack. It even won an Oscar for the best original song: (I've Had) The Time of My Life. Watch Dirty Dancing on Hulu Now 03 of 10 Do The Right Thing (1989): Spike Lee’s Take on a Brooklyn Summer Noam Galai/WireImage/Getty IMDb rating: 8.0Genre: Comedy, DramaStarring: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby DeeDirector: Spike LeeMotion Picture Rating: RRunning Time: 2 hours This movie takes place in one day, but not one that repeats. Spike Lee plays Mookie, who delivers pizza in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn while dealing with workplace and romantic drama. Highlighting racial tensions on the hottest day of the year, Do The Right Thing is a portrait of a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone else's business for better or worse. Watch Do the Right Thing on Amazon Prime Video Now 04 of 10 Palm Springs (2020): A Charming Love Story That Repeats Over and Over David Becker / Stringer / Getty IMDb rating: 7.4Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, MysteryStarring: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. SimmonsDirector: Max BarbakowMotion Picture Rating: RRunning Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Imagine reliving the same day over and over, but instead of a Groundhog Day celebration, you're at a wedding. And you fall for another wedding guest who is also reliving the day. Palm Springs is a fun take on the rom-com, featuring the relentlessly charming Andy Samberg as the protagonist. Watch Palm Springs on Hulu Now 05 of 10 Adventureland (2009): A Roller Coaster of a Summer Job IMDb rating: 6.8Genre: Comedy, Drama, RomanceStarring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan ReynoldsDirector: Greg MottolaMotion Picture Rating: RRunning Time: 1 hour, 47 minutes Taking place in 1987, Adventureland is the titular workplace of the main characters. Love and drama quickly ensue amid the rides and attractions. Jesse Eisenberg plays James Brennan, a college graduate who needs money and settles for a job in the park's games section. (Running the rides requires seniority.) Ryan Reynolds is Mike Connell, a villain of sorts and a romantic rival to James. Watch Adventureland on Vudu Now 06 of 10 Midsommar (2019): If You Like Unsettling Pagan Rituals IMDb rating: 7.1Genre: Drama, Horror, MysteryStarring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm BlomgrenDirector: Ari AsterMotion Picture Rating: RRunning Time: 2 hours, 28 minutes A trip to Sweden for a mid-summer festival is charming until people start disappearing and the main characters are forced into peculiar contests. Midsommar is shocking, entertaining, and disturbing, and you'll continue thinking about it for weeks. Florence Pugh, who starred in Little Women the year before, gives an incredible performance. Watch Midsommar on Amazon Prime Video Now 07 of 10 Wet Hot American Summer (2001): Summer Camp From the Counselors’ POV IMDb rating: 6.6Genre: Comedy, RomanceStarring: Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael ShowalterDirector: David WainMotion Picture Rating: RRunning Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes It's the last day of summer camp in 1981, and the counselors have a lot to do. There is a lot to love about this movie, mostly the cast, which includes Paul Rudd, who has literally not aged. Christopher Meloni plays the foul-mouthed and wildly inappropriate camp chef. Janeane Garafalo and Amy Poehler play drama instructors trying to put on the best talent show in the camp's history. The movie also stars David Hyde Pierce, Bradley Cooper, and Molly Shannon. Watch Wet Hot American Summer on Peacock Now 08 of 10 Dazed and Confused (1993): School’s Out For Summer IMDb rating: 7.6Genre: ComedyStarring: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaugheyDirector: Richard LinklaterMotion Picture Rating: RRunning Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes It's 1976 and the last day of school for students from a Texas high school and middle school. It features many teenagers looking to party and avoid hazing, and Matthew McConaughey uttering his classic line "Alright, Alright, Alright." Watch Dazed and Confused on YouTube Now 09 of 10 I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997): PSA For Not Committing a Hit and Run Columbia Pictures / Getty Images IMDb rating: 5.7Genre: Horror, MysteryStarring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne HecheDirector: Jim GillespieMotion Picture Rating: RRunning Time: 1 hour, 41 minutes This movie is about four teens who do something terrible, cover it up, and are pursued by a hook-wielding man intent on revenge. Featuring nineties stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar, the movie isn't overly gory, but still terrifying. Maybe consider it a cautionary tale? Watch I Know What You Did Last Summer on Amazon Prime Video Now 10 of 10 Grease (1978): Best Summer-Themed Musical Francesco Prandoni / Getty Images IMDb rating: 7.2Genre: Musical, RomanceStarring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard ChanningDirector: Randal KleiserMotion Picture Rating: PGRunning Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes Though nearly all the action in this movie takes place during the school year, the plot is driven by a summer romance. Grease, which is based on a musical of the same name, is a lot of fun and it's hard not to sing along. It was nominated for an Oscar for its original song Hopelessly Devoted to You. And in 2020, Grease was selected by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Film Registry. Watch Grease on Amazon Prime Video Now Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit