For most of us, summer is synonymous with pool days, barbecues, and ice cream cones. And in the world of movies, it’s also the time for steamy flings, explosive stunts, and vacations rife with murder and mayhem. No shade to the other seasons, but summer movies have an extra shine to them. 

Whether you’re in the mood for a hot romance, a popcorn blockbuster, or a trip to camp, these 14 films capture that summertime magic, without ever having to worry about sunburn. (And for even more seasonal streaming, check out collections like Summer Break, Explosive Summer Action, and Summer Love.)

Along for the Ride

Ride high on summer love. In this swoon-worthy romance directed by Sofia Alvarez, recent high school grad Auden (Emma Pasarow) moves to her father’s sleepy beachside town for the summer before college. She meets fellow insomniac and mysterious BMX biker Eli (Belmont Cameli), and the two embark on nightly adventures so Auden can experience the carefree childhood she missed out on. Along for the Ride has all the summer rom-com staples — mini golf, drive-in movies, beach bike rides, and (literal and figurative) fireworks. 

Along for the Ride

2022

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Anyone But You

Equal parts raunchy, raucous, and romantic, Anyone But You is anything but dull. This rom-com — directed by Will Gluck and loosely based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing — made a splash at the box office and is now the perfect steamy streamer. Ben (Glen Powell) and Bea (Sydney Sweeney) meet cute in a coffee shop and go on one magical date, but a misunderstanding drives them apart. Six months later, they’re thrown back together, much to their horror, when Bea’s sister gets engaged to Ben’s best friend’s sister. Suddenly, they’re stuck together in a wedding party and pretending to date to make their loved ones happy (and their exes jealous). Whether they’re playing enemies or lovers, Powell and Sweeney’s chemistry is as sizzling as the summer sun. 

Anyone But You

2023

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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Get your popcorn ready for a blockbuster smash. In the fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop film series, directed by Mark Molloy, detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat and bringing serious heat. When Axel’s daughter Jane’s (Taylour Paige) life is threatened, he joins forces with her ex-boyfriend Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to untangle a dangerous conspiracy. Hit play and get hyped for shootouts, car chases, and all the action you crave from the Beverly Hills cop. 

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

2024

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Call Me by Your Name

This Oscar-winning coming-of-age romantic drama, directed by Luca Guadagnino and based on the novel of the same name, features a surreptitious summer romance, breathtaking ambiance and seasonal produce playing a pivotal — and ahem, juicy — role. In the summer of 1983, 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet, in his breakout role) meets his father’s charismatic research assistant, 24-year-old Oliver (Armie Hammer) while they’re staying at a villa in the Italian countryside. Their chemistry is magnetic, their fling is equal parts steamy and heartbreaking, and the stunning locations their story unfolds around are unmatched. 

Call Me by Your Name

2017

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Extraction 2

Buckle up for a double feature with twice the thrills. In 2020’s Extraction — based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, and Anthony Russo — you’re introduced to Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), a black ops mercenary on a mission. Now, Hemsworth and director Sam Hargrave are back in action with Extraction 2. After narrowly escaping death, Tyler must confront his mysterious past in order to rescue a family imprisoned by a ruthless gangster. The stakes are higher, the stunts are bigger and the drama is even more combustible. The first film boasts a gripping action scene made to look like a single take, and the sequel raises the stakes even higher with a 21-minute sequence featuring a real helicopter landing on a moving train. 

Extraction 2

2023

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Fear Street Part 2: 1978

Nostalgic for your days at summer camp? You probably didn’t go to Camp Nightwing, where a supernatural slasher terrorizes the campers. Based on the book series by R.L. Stine, Fear Street: Part Two is the second installment in a spooky trilogy. It stars Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd and Ryan Simpkins as campers and counselors who try desperately to survive when their dream summer turns into a nightmare plagued by curses, witches, and gruesome murders. And you thought having spiders in your camp bunk was scary!

Fear Street Part 2: 1978

2021

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Sun’s out, knives out. Glass Onion is a stand-alone sequel in writer/director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out whodunit series. Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back on the case, this time peeling back the layers of a mystery surrounding tech mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton) and his crew of striving, hanger-on misfits, including fashion entrepreneur Birdie (Kate Hudson), Senate candidate Claire (Kathryn Hahn), scientist Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), and macho YouTuber Duke (Dave Bautista). This installment traded chunky knits (who could forget Chris Evans’ famous sweater?) for bikinis and breezy linens, and swapped the New England setting for a picturesque private island in Greece. The movie’s whole vibe screams summer vacation — but for billionaires. 

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

2022

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Hit Man

Now on Netflix in select countries*, you can hit play on this romantic action caper from renowned director Richard Linklater. Based on an almost too-wild-to-believe true story, Hit Man follows Gary Johnson (played by summer’s leading man Glen Powell). Gary is a professor turned undercover mole, who poses as different versions of a hit man in police sting operations. But this fake hit man finds real trouble when he meets Maddy Masters (Adria Arjona), a mysterious and intriguing woman who matches him lie for lie and turns his world upside down. 

*United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam

Hit Man

2024

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The Kissing Booth

A school carnival. A raucous pool party. A rain-soaked cinematic kiss. This one has all the makings of a frothy summer teen rom-com — even though most of it takes place during the school year. Based on the novel of the same name by Beth Reekles, The Kissing Booth stars Joey King as Elle, a late bloomer who falls hard for her best friend’s bad-boy older brother, Noah (Jacob Elordi). They embark on a whirlwind secret romance, while Elle tries to keep the truth from her lifelong bestie, Lee (Joel Courtney). After falling in love with this movie, you can watch its follow-ups, The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3 — the final film takes place the summer before Elle leaves for college. 

The Kissing Booth

2018

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Mother of the Bride

You’re invited to another wedding season rom-com romp — and you’ll want to RSVP “yes” to this sunny love story set in tropical paradise. Directed by Mark Waters, Mother of the Bride centers around a mother-daughter duo. When Emma (Miranda Cosgrove) returns home from traveling abroad, she has some bombshell news for her mom, Lana (Brooke Shields). She’s getting married in Thailand in a month, but there’s a big hitch before they get hitched: Lana learns that the groom’s father is none other than Will (Benjamin Bratt), the man who broke her heart years ago. Here comes the bride’s mom with lots of family drama, awkward run-ins, and just maybe some rekindled romance. 

Mother of the Bride

2024

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Rip Tide

In this family-friendly surf flick, a teen hits the break on her summer break. After a humiliating mishap goes viral, American model Cora (Debby Ryan) escapes New York City to an Australian beach town. While Down Under, Cora rises above the embarrassing incident, reconnects with her aunt, makes new friends, discovers a passion for fashion design, and, of course, learns to ride the waves. Rip Tide is full of heartwarming moments and feel-good fun in the sun. 

Rip Tide

2017

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Someone Great

Music journalist Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) is not having a great time. After her boyfriend of nine years dumps her right before she leaves New York City for her dream job in San Francisco, Jenny rallies her best friends Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow) for one last epic romp around the city. This breezy rom-com, written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, is a love letter to die-hard friendships, the Big Apple, and that last-day-of-summer feeling when you want to soak up every last moment before the season changes. 

Someone Great

2019

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie

It’s Mario time! This animated adventure — based on the Nintendo franchise and directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic — is a game changer for summer family fun. It follows brothers Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) as they’re transported from Brooklyn to the fantastical Mushroom Kingdom. Mario teams up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), and more familiar faces to defeat the evil Bowser (Jack Black). Strap in for a fun, twisty ride on the Rainbow Road. Let’s a go!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

2023

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A Week Away

This pick is for the theater kids. Directed by Roman White, this wholesome musical drama follows troubled teen Will (Kevin Quinn). When he breaks the law and has to face the music, his supportive foster mom, Kristin (Sherri Shepherd), advocates for him to go to church camp. There, he bonds with foster brother George (Jahbril Cook) and connects with camp crush Avery (Bailee Madison) to the tune of catchy original songs and choreographed dance numbers. 

A Week Away

2021

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