Top Ten Summer Films/Shows

Summer is approaching, and with school coming to an end, here are our top ten film recommendations that will brighten up your summer!

1. Outer Banks

This 2020 Netflix series focuses on a group of friends solving mysteries and chasing adventures in the heat of the summer. With each season, these friends go on a journey searching for hidden treasure. However, finding the treasure becomes increasingly difficult, and the teens' actions grow more reckless. This show has many tropes, consisting of enemies-to-lovers, found family, friends-to-lovers, and love triangles. Outer Banks is the perfect show for your next summer watch!

2. The Summer I Turned Pretty

Originally written as a book trilogy by Jenny Han, this series follows the story of a teenage girl nicknamed Belly who finds herself torn between two brothers over the course of multiple summers. Belly and the Fisher brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah, spend every summer at their family beach house located in Cousins Beach. We see Belly make dumb decisions while trying to figure out which boy is the best for her. 

3. High School Musical 2

This sequel bursts with sunny energy— set during a sun-soaked summer break, it’s all about pool parties, carefree days, and youthful adventures that capture the feeling of endless freedom, friendship, and fun under the blazing sun. 

4. Teen Beach Movie

This movie/musical is full of bright and bubbly energy that will, without a doubt, get you in the summer mood. With throwbacks to classic 60’s films, catchy songs, and the never-ending chaos of young love, this franchise will check everyone's boxes. 

5.  Dawson's Creek

Dawson’s Creek is an iconic, bittersweet summer series drenched in nostalgic coastal vibes.  It is full of heartfelt teen drama, late-night talks, and the intense emotions of growing up by the beach. It captures the mix of sun-soaked freedom and the stormy feelings of first love, friendship, and figuring out your place in the world, all set against the backdrop of endless summer days in a small, close-knit town.  

6. Camp Rock

Camp Rock is an action-packed, summer-time thrill filled with song, love, and a little bit of competition. Set at a music camp, it's all about rocking out, bonfire sing-alongs, and some unforgettable moments. Starring the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, this movie sure is a throwback!

7.  Mamma Mia

This 2008 movie was adapted from the 1999 stage musical inspired by the famous band ABBA. Mamma Mia is set in Greece and focuses on a young girl's summer wedding. Sophie is getting married and throughout the movie we see how she overcomes the stress of growing up, all while building an unbreakable bond with her mother, Donna, the dancing queen. 

8. Blended 

This Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler movie is a hilarious, heart-warming summer rom-com that perfectly captures the chaos and joy of family vacations under the hot sun, in this case, Africa. With wild animals, hotel mishaps, and unexpected romance, Blended is the kind of feel-good movie that combines the carefree spirit of a getaway vacation with new beginnings. 

9. Dirty Dancing

During the summer of 1963, a young girl nicknamed Baby goes on vacation with her family to a wealthy resort. Baby discovers the private dance parties and meets Johnny, who is considered to be the best dancer there. When Johnny is in desperate need of a partner, Baby steps up and is willing to learn how to dance in order to save Johnny's career. Dirty Dancing is filled with love, nostalgia, and classic hits that make it a perfect movie for summer.

10.  Surviving Summer

This Netflix original series follows a rebellious teen, Summer Torres. Summer is a New Yorker who doesn't do well with change, so when she finds out she's staying with a family friend in Australia all summer, she isn't too pleased. To channel her emotions, she starts surfing which leads to lifelong friendships. Between the gorgeous setting and relatable characters, Surviving Summer is an awesome show to capture the essence of Summer.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Love Island

Love Island is the perfect reality TV show for summer. Each season, five single males and five single females enter a villa where they will spend their summer. The objective of the show is to find love, stay coupled up, and win thousands of dollars! What makes this show so different from others is that episodes drop daily throughout summer and fans watching are able to vote for their favorite couples to stay in the villa and win.

2. Call Me by Your Name

Starring Timothee Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name is an elegant and deeply emotional summer film. Set during the summer of 1983 in the countryside of Italy, the story follows Elio, an intelligent 17-year-old. When an intern student, Oliver, comes to stay with Elio and his family, Elio finds himself falling for the American. What starts as an innocent friendship between the two slowly blossoms into a passionate romance.

3. Stranger Things

Stranger Things might be known for its supernatural thrills and nostalgic '80s vibes, but Season 3 cranks up the summer energy like never before, making it the most summery of them all. Set during the Fourth of July, with neon-lit nights, pool parties, mall adventures, and the kind of sweaty, sun-soaked freedom that only comes with summer break, it blends carefree fun with eerie mystery. It's the season where fireworks light up the sky— and the Upside Down creeps just beneath Hawkins, Indiana.