Ah, summer. Sun and swim. Blue skies and barbecues. Picnics and pitying yourself as you scroll through social media and wonder, “How the fuck can all of these people afford European vacations?” I hate it. This season—like Christmas—just isn’t for me. Firstly, I strongly dislike sweating and smelling the perspiration of others on the subway. Secondly, multiple patriotic holidays, as we face staggeringly high heat? I’ll pass.
But as much as I hate it, I’ll admit it’s inspired many of the movies I find myself returning to even long after temperatures return to some level of livable in New York. A group of teenagers terrorized by the man they thought they killed? A historic music festival that convened the most brilliant musicians of all time? A horny baseball team on Cape Cod being...a horny baseball team? These are the stories that—to quote Nicole Kidman—inspire us “to laugh, to cry, to care. Because we need that. All of us.” Especially in A/C.
And because a shocking amount of them have “summer” in their titles, here’s 11 that are worth revisiting as the world burns and your colleagues continue to brag on Instagram.
