What’s summer all about?
It’s about beaches, baseball, camping, road trips, amusement parks, treasure hunting, globetrotting to exotic locations, and sharing a pitcher of margaritas with friends.
These films and TV shows capture the essence of summer.
Blue Crush
Set in Hawaii, Blue Crush is about women surfers working to achieve the dream of surfing the famed North Shore.
Blue Crush balances the glamorous — a pro-football player romances the lead character — with the not-so-glamorous — the heroines spend their days’ training and working as hotel maids.
Most of all, it has plenty of surf action and waves — those gigantic, gorgeous North Shore waves. You can stream Blue Crush on Redbox, Amazon Prime Video, or Tubi.
Burn Notice
Or you could travel to the other side of the United States with Burn Notice.
Michael Weston is a burned spy stranded in Miami. This means reconnaissance missions and fights go down in nightclubs, and clandestine meetings occur in jacuzzis.
Plus, Bruce Campbell plays Michael’s buddy, Sam Axe, and delivers plenty of witticisms.
You can stream Burn Notice on Amazon Prime Video.
The Goonies
If you’re not so interested in surf and sun and more interested in hunting for pirate treasure, check out a seminal 80s film, The Goonies.
To save their homes, a group of young misfits searches for the treasure of the infamous pirate, One-Eyed Willie.
Along the way, they have to survive death traps and outwit a family of thieves.
It’s a fun story with a charismatic cast, and the effects hold up. You can stream it on HBO Max.
Our Flag Means Death
If you’re looking for more pirates and something more recent but is also a period piece, you might be interested in Our Flag Means Death.
Stede Bonnet gives up his upper-crust lifestyle to be a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy.
Way out of his depth, he finds a mentor and more in the infamous Blackbeard.
You can stream Our Flag Means Death on HBO Max.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Island life isn’t always sunshiney bliss.
Amazon’s update of I Know What You Did Last Summer moves the action to Hawaii.
There’s still murder and revenge, but the Hawaiian setting gives it extra ambiance.
You can stream I Know What You Did Last Summer on Amazon Prime Video.
Jaws
Of course, the greatest beach horror story will always be Jaws.
So what if the shark doesn’t look convincing? The way the story ratchets up the tension and the iconic score reel you in regardless.
You can stream Jaws on Peacock.
However, if you still want to spend time at the beach, maybe hold off until August.
Virgin River
If beaches aren’t your thing, how about the woods.
Yes, Virgin River has the medical drama aspect to it, but what we’re here for is the Mel and Jack romance.
It playing out in a quirky, woodsy, Northern California town where the two can banter while fishing and rendezvous at Mel’s cabin only makes it hotter.
You can stream Virgin River on Netflix.
Wet Hot American Summer
There’s Wet Hot American Summer for those looking for something more comedic and raunchier.
The 2001 film is about a day in a life of a group of camp counselors.
There’s a talent show, sexual escapades, a talking can of mixed vegetables, and a very recognizable cast.
You can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Redbox. The film also spawned a sequel and prequel series you can stream on Netflix.
Salute Your Shorts
The 90s Nickelodeon classic Salute Your Shorts also provides plenty of wacky — albeit more innocent — summer camp antics.
Join the campers at Camp Anawanna as they play capture the flag, smuggle in outside food, and outwit camp counselor Ug.
The theme song will never leave your head.
You can stream Salute Your Shorts on Paramount+.
Adventureland
Expertly mixing angst, romance, and humor, Adventureland tells the stories of a group of twenty-somethings working at an amusement park over the summer.
Jesse Eisenberg leads an all-star cast featuring many film and TV favorites.
It also has a kickass soundtrack.
You can stream Adventureland on HBO Max.
The Way Way Back
Like Adventureland, The Way Way Back explores the highs and lows of summer through the prism of working at an amusement park, this time a waterpark.
Thanks to having a younger protagonist, it explores topics like family and young love from a different perspective.
Academy Award winner Jim Rash co-wrote and co-directed the movie.
You can stream The Way Way Back on HBO Max.
The Sandlot
Sometimes there’s no way to spend a summer day than playing baseball.
Actually, the better way to spend the day is to watch The Sandlot.
It gives you all the feels of playing ball with your childhood friends without the fear you’ll hit a ball into the backyard with a scary dog.
You can stream The Sandlot on Amazon Prime.
A League of Their Own
Baseball doesn’t belong only to the fellas.
A League of Their Own is a fictionalized account of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1940s.
The film also features the immortal line, “There’s no crying in baseball!”
You can stream A League of Their Own on Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime will be premiering A League of Their Own as a TV series on August 12, 2022.
Sweet Magnolias
And sometimes summer is just about hanging out with friends.
Sweet Magnolias is about three childhood friends who navigate careers, love, and family in Serenity, South Carolina.
The show celebrates friendships and margaritas.
You can stream Sweet Magnolias on Netflix.
Over to you, TV Fanatics?
Will you be checking out these sunny streamers?
Hit the comments below.
Becca Newton is a staff writer for TV Fanatic.
