Without countless new movies releasing in theaters and heaps more free time, the world should expect to see a few more teen summer movies release on streaming platforms or in cinemas. Summer movies can be a great way of capturing the warmth and familiarity of the season, and there are plenty of great options from all throughout cinema history. Whether that’s stories that actually take place during the summer period or just movies that capture a similar atmosphere, teen movies have always been synonymous with this time of year.
Everyone re the freedom and independence of teenage summers, and movies are a great way of recapturing this feeling from the comfort of your own home. They’re a way of accessing the nostalgia of youth, from all periods of time, and bringing it to the current moment through some atmospheric storytelling and fun characters. More than any other genre, summer movies rely on subjectivity and nostalgia to be successful - but there are certain projects that are objectively timeless and still deserve praise today.
10 The Sandlot
Sports movies are a great subgenre of summer movies that fit perfectly with the season, and The Sandlot is an absolute classic in that regard. The story follows a young boy named Scotty who s the baseball team in his new neighborhood and quickly finds the friends that he’s been searching for his entire life. It’s a touching story of camaraderie and highlights the importance of someone sharing their life with other people, told through the nostalgic lens of childhood and sport. Very few stories have come close to capturing the innocent magic of The Sandlot, which inspired countless other sports movies throughout the ‘90s.
9 The Way Way Back
The Way Way Back offers a more modern spin on the teen summer movie, following a shy teenager named Duncan whose miserable vacation quickly takes a turn when he meets a new friend that opens his eyes to his purpose in the world. The movie takes plenty of classic coming-of-age tropes and reinvents them for a new generation, focusing closely on the concepts of independence and belonging. The Way Way Back is a classic feel-good summer movie in which all audiences should be able to find something to relate and connect to.
8 American Pie
1999’s American Pie was a hugely influential project that essentially birthed a whole new wave of summer teen movies throughout the 2000s, capturing the magic of that specific period through its charming and familiar narrative. The story follows a group of school friends who want to lose their virginity before prom night, trying everything they can think of to finally cross that barrier. There’s a reason American Pie remains so beloved over two decades later, and that’s thanks to its universal charm that effortlessly drags the audience back to their teenage years and brings out a nostalgia that many won’t have even realized they were holding.
7 Dazed And Confused
Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused follows a group of teenagers living in rural Texas, as they celebrate the end of high school by letting loose and doing everything they’ve always been too afraid to do. It’s a hilarious comedy that’s filled with jokes and gags, but the movie also features a surprisingly touching narrative about the importance of becoming an adult and accepting the responsibilities that come with that transformation. Linklater does an excellent job of balancing these two sides of the same coin, which is why Dazed and Confused has remained so popular for all these years.
6 American Graffiti
American Graffiti might not have the bright warmth of a typical summer movie, but its narrative is deeply rooted in that time of year; it follows a group of friends on their last day of summer vacation, attempting to hold onto their childhood for as long as possible before their real lives begin in the morning. George Lucas has directed plenty of movies throughout his career, but this early feature is totally different from anything else he’s ever made. It’s incredibly sentimental and surprisingly emotional, reveling in its intense atmosphere and boasting almost no traditional plot.
5 Spring Breakers
Spring Breakers is a much more comedic and eccentric take on the summer movie, dripping in style and focusing on the more taboo aspects of teenage summers. The story follows a group of college students who travel to Florida for spring break, only to be arrested and promptly bailed out by a drug dealer who’s looking for new employees. The movie explores with several different genres, from crime thriller to teen comedy, but everything about its style is rooted in summer warmth and teenage freedom.
4 Stand By Me
There are few movies that fully understand the spirit of childhood quite like Stand By Me, the story of a group of friends who go searching for a dead body in their local woodlands. It might seem like a dark and depressing story, but Stand By Me is actually a very mature exploration of childhood innocence, and the way everything seems so completely fixed and eternal through a child’s eyes. It’s one of the best Stephen King adaptations too, perfectly capturing the spirit of his story and transferring it over to film.
3 American Honey
Another modern twist on a classic genre, American Honey follows a troubled runaway named Star who finds herself traveling across the American Midwest as a door-to-door salesperson. In her new life, Star finds herself lost in a haze of partying, breaking the law, and finding young love. It’s a very sweet film that perfectly understands the inconsequential spirit of teenage life, living every day for itself and never thinking about the future. It also features some beautiful cinematography that really captures that summer spirit better than most others.
2 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a classic ‘80s coming-of-age movie that takes place entirely in one day, following the titular character as he fakes sickness to get away from school to spend the day with his friends and girlfriend. The movie is brimming with positivity and lightheartedness that really captures a specific nostalgia for high school, even though the characters spend most of their time trying to get away from it. Bueller has no responsibilities and the entire world at his feet, with summer on the horizon and everything he’s running from in the past. It’s the perfect teen movie, with everybody finding something to relate to in Bueller.
1 Wet Hot American Summer
2001’s Wet Hot American Summer follows a group of camp counselors on the last day of summer, with each character fighting to tie up their loose ends before the day is over and they’re forced to go back to their normal lives. The teen summer movie features a brilliant ensemble of comedians, including Paul Rudd, Michael Showalter, Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler, all of whom bring something exciting and entertaining to their characters and capture exactly how it feels to be a young adult with the weight of real life pushing down on you.
