Summer is here, which means it's time to hide inside, away from the hot sun, and enjoy a slate of movies that emit a uniquely summery vibe. Whether it’s because of their setting or their release dates, some films are best enjoyed in the coming months after returning from the beach, a long hike, or when you’re just hiding away from the heat.
Movies are best experienced with others. In theaters or at home, watching these movies with friends will make them even more fun than they are on their own. These films deserve the whole package; snacks, cold drinks, and a dark room. And by the time viewers have finished watching them, the hot summer nights will have given way to the cool crisp days of fall.
10 Top Gun: Maverick Proves That Legacy Sequels Can Be Successful
During the era of legacy sequels, Top Gun: Maverick may be the most popular one yet. Top Gun was released in 1986, so for fans of the original film, the wait has been long and worth it, and for new fans of the franchise, this sequel hasn’t disappointed.
Starring Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, and Miles Teller, Maverick is directed by Joseph Kosinski, who has worked with the actors in the past. The film follows Maverick (Cruise) three decades after and now serving as a Navy test pilot when he’s sent back to TOPGUN to train a group of elite aviators assembled for an urgent mission. Top Gun: Maverick will be released on Paramount+ after its theatrical run.
9 X Revives The Slasher Genre
Directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Kid Cudi, X is an exciting take on the slasher formula that was released by A24 in March 2022. It follows a group of performers, their videographer, and his girlfriend who rent out a home on an elderly couple’s secluded property in rural Texas to make an adult film when they suddenly find themselves being picked off by a killer.
Slasher films have always been a summer staple, from Scream to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and X brings back that classic feel that horror fans have been looking for since the golden age of the slashers ended. While not for the squeamish, X is exactly what horror fans need to have a great night together.
8 Hunt For The Wilderpeople Is A Heartwarming Comedy-Drama
Hunt for the Wilderpeople stars Julian Dennison and Sam Neill as Ricky Baker and “Uncle” Hector, a foster son and his foster parent who are on the run from various authorities in the thick New Zealand forest after a chain of events leads to the possibility of Ricky being returned to foster care. Written and directed by Taika Waititi and adapted from the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a good choice for a fun family night in front of the TV.
7 Everything Everywhere All At Once Is An Emotional Multiverse Movie
A24’s current hit is the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once starring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu. Yeoh plays the role of Evelyn, a Chinese-American woman running a laundromat with her husband Waymond (Quan) that is being audited by the IRS. Evelyn is suddenly sucked into the multiverse by another universe’s version of Waymond, telling her that she is the key to saving the multiverse from a villain named Jobu Tupaki.
This film has a healthy mix of action, comedy, and emotional elements, making it an excellent choice to watch with friends while winding down after an exciting summer day. Viewers may need to keep a box of tissues on standby, though.
6 Nic Cage Plays Himself In The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent
Action comedies are perfect for the summer, which is why The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an excellent summer watch. Starring Nicolas Cage as himself and Pedro Pascal as a Spanish billionaire named Javi Gutierrez, Unbearable Weight follows Cage and his fading career as he accepts $1 million to meet Gutierrez and be a guest at his birthday party. Through it all, Cage unwittingly becomes a spy for the CIA.
Directed by Tom Gormican, who co-wrote the script with Kevin Etten, Unbearable Weight flew under the radar upon its release but deserves all the attention it can get thanks to its performances and the unique storyline.
5 Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch Is A Love Letter To Journalists
Wes Anderson’s newest film, The French Dispatch, has been described by Anderson as “a love letter to journalists.” The film is an anthology of a fictional newspaper’s stories, split into four sections (and an epilogue) and starring four separate casts. The French Dispatch has the classic Wes Anderson colors, sans its second story, titled “The Concrete Masterpiece,” which is almost entirely in black-and-white.
All Wes Anderson films are appropriate for any time of year, but The French Dispatch is perhaps most appropriate for the summer, given its busy opener of Owen Wilson’s character giving viewers a cycling tour of the newspaper’s French headquarters; a fictional town called Ennui-sur-Blasé, a homely and warm town with the vibe of a summer vacation stop. This is the perfect lazy summer day movie.
4 Jackass Forever Has Great New Castmembers
The newest installment of the Jackass franchise, Jackass Forever sees the Jackass crew reunite twelve years after Jackass 3D so they can once again cause themselves bodily harm for the amusement of audiences. It stars almost the entire original cast, plus new additions like Zach Holmes, Poopies, and stand-up comedian Rachel Wolfson as the crew performs stunts that are even more intense and painful than in previous Jackass installments.
The film opens with a big-budget Godzilla tribute featuring the main cast and several cameos, and additional cameos throughout the film include Tyler the Creator, Eric Andre, hockey player P.K. Subban, and Spike Jonze, who is also a producer on the film.
3 Ambulance Is A Classic Michael Bay Film
Michael Bay’s newest blockbuster, Ambulance, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as adoptive brothers who, when a robbery goes wrong, hijack an ambulance and in the process, take an EMT and an injured police officer hostage on an intense police chase through Los Angeles.
Ambulance features impressive cinematography, including unique drone shots and an extensive amount of practical effects, which are a staple of director Michael Bay’s filmography. From Armageddon to the Transformers series, Bay's blockbusters are a staple of summer films, so this film’s release, just before the summer of 2022, can be enjoyed all summer long.
2 Uncharted Is A Great Video Game Adaptation
Based on the video game of the same name, Uncharted stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor “Sully” Sullivan, who team up to find a hidden fortune before a corrupt billionaire (Antonio Banderas) and mercenary (Tati Gabrielle) find it first.
Uncharted was released in early 2022 to mediocre reviews, but despite its middling critical response, it’s a fun and entertaining movie to gather a group of friends together to watch. Tom Holland brings the charm he has in the Spider-Man films to this new franchise, and the action sequences are sure to keep viewers entertained.
1 Ryan Reynolds Takes On Some Drama In The Adam Project
The Adam Project follows 12-year-old Adam (Walker Scobell) in the year 2022, who, through a series of unfortunate, dystopian events, meets the future, adult version of himself (Ryan Reynolds) from the year 2050, who has crash-landed in 2022. The pair must work together to save both 2022 and 2050 from the future leader of the world.
Any Ryan Reynolds film is an excellent choice for a summer film to enjoy with friends, considering his filmography includes the likes of Deadpool and the video game based adventure comedy Free Guy, but a sci-fi family drama might be one of the best choices for a warm summer evening.