Written by Mariane Tremblay
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Happy first day of summer, fellow movie lovers! To celebrate the changing of the seasons, the W Spotlight team has curated a watchlist filled with films that are perfect to watch as the warm summer breeze arrives. Whether you're looking for films that capture the spirit of the season, iconic summer blockbusters, or summerween favourites, we're sure you'll find something for everyone.
I wholeheartedly believe that this is one of the most underrated comedies in recent years, and it has amazing rewatch value. Written by and starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo as the titular characters, the film follows best friends Barb and Star as they step out of their comfort zone and leave routines behind to vacation at the picturesque Vista Del Mar, Florida. Little do they know that larger-than-life villain Sharon Fisherman (also played by Wiig) is plotting a deadly surprise for the tourist locale. There’s song and dance, killer mosquitoes, and some amazing culottes. You either get it, or you don’t.
Where to watch: Available on Prime Video (Canada), and to rent or buy at home
Directed by the king of real-time aging films, Richard Linklater, the first film in this trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy remains one of the most romantic movies ever made, in my eyes. The film follows two strangers who meet on a train through Vienna and decide to get off and explore the city together in what is potentially their one and only night together. Their immediate connection leads to hours of talking about the complexities of life and love, perfectly depicting a fleeting Summer night in Europe, unravelling life’s truths and realities. Before Sunrise’s cinematography screams Summer, with warm, sunset hues transporting audiences to an almost nostalgic late 90’s evening in an unfamiliar European city. The film somehow captures the thrill and excitement of a Summer fling, and embodies the feeling of both a romantic evening that you know must eventually come to an end, but also of the season itself. This is truly my perfect Summer romance film that makes me want to book a one-way plane ticket to a city I’ve never been to. — Megan
Where to watch: Available on Crave (Canada), on Netflix (U.S), and to rent or buy at home
Beau Travail (1999)
Directed by Claire Denis
Directed by Claire Denis
Claire Denis explores, in this masterpiece of a film, the intertwinement of power, masculinity, and fear through an army regiment. Set in Djibouti, the strong light is unforgiving, cutting through the men's bodies, isolating their arms, torso, and legs, and making those do the speaking. Of few words indeed, it meshes the never-ending movements of these men exercising, with the environment in which they find themselves: infinite deserts. Their souls end up just as bare as the absolute blue sky that is always accompanying them. Not a cloud can be seen, and the emotions are out of sight. — Kenza
Where to watch: Available on the Criterion Channel (Canada, U.S), on HBO Max (U.S), and to rent or buy at home
Not to sound too cliché, but this is one of the best movies ever made — and it just gets better every time I rewatch it. Is there anything better than a summer love?
Honestly, I don’t know what they put in this movie (apart from Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey) that’s had girls going crazy for nearly 40 years, but it just never gets old. And it never will. Dirty Dancing is a perfect summer coming-of-age story [with a banger soundtrack] about exploring your sexuality, discovering your independence, and awakening to the realities of the world beyond your sheltered, privileged bubble. And I'll never get tired of rewatching it, especially when you can feel the first hint of the summer breeze. — Mariane
Where to watch: Available on Crave (Canada), and to rent or buy at home
If there is a film that is the perfect encapsulation of the American Summer Blockbuster, it would be Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. Premiering in 1996, it took the world by storm. Its narrative is simple: the world is being invaded by a technologically advanced alien civilization that is going to kill all life on Earth and mine the planet dry of its resources. Humanity is outmatched in every regard, and its chances of defeating the aliens are bleak. It is a classic David VS. Goliath tale, but this time the entire world is at stake. And within that classic narrative, Independence Day delivers a high-octane action thriller that is a pure, crowd-pleasing spectacle. Featuring thrilling aerial dogfights, explosive city destruction, and the right amount of American Patriotism, it is hard not to get up on your feet and celebrate humanity fighting aliens on the 4th of July. The perfect encapsulation of the American Summer Blockbuster. — Elizabeth
Where to watch: Available on Crave, Disney+ (Canada), Tubi (Canada, U.S), on Hulu (U.S), and to rent or buy at home
Hear me out! Don't all the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies feel like Summer? The characters always end up in tank tops, shorts, ripped skirts, no shoes, and unbuttoned shirts (looking at you, Jeff Goldblum). The feeling of "Summer is in the air" is very much present in every movie...or maybe that's just me. But if you are looking for something to watch (or rewatch, hopefully), this franchise should definitely be at the top of your list. Not only does it have dinosaurs (do you really need another reason?), but it also has a long list of movies you can watch and be entertained all Summer long. — Lara
Where to watch: Available on Crave and Netflix (Canada), on Peacock (U.S), and to rent or buy at home
La Chimera (2023)
Directed by Alice Rohrwacher
An Italian summer revisited. Josh O’Connor sweating through his suits while digging up ancient artefacts. Stunning countryside landscapes accompanied by local Italian music. Shenanigans leading you to explore tombs on the seaside, in the middle of forests, and fields of sunflowers. It makes you travel, transports you right into a house overseen by the matriarch Isabella Rossellini, as refreshing lemonades are being served to the whole family operating around the place, and their children playing in the vast open garden. Magically full of life, "Those things are not meant for human eyes, but those of the soul," they say in the film. It’s exactly how I feel about it. — Kenza
Where to watch: Available on Hulu (U.S), and to rent or buy at home
Jacques Deray’s psychological thriller is one of the best films to watch when summer is around the corner, especially when travelling isn’t an option. Set beneath the blazing light of the French Riviera, La Piscine unfolds like a postcard slowly coming to life, drawing you into sun-drenched Saint-Tropez, where the air is filled with heat, desire, and unspoken tension, with a cast as hot as the sun. But beneath the shimmer of it all, the film turns heavier than it might suggest, exploring sexual jealousy and possessiveness with an intensity that can unsettle as much as it seduces. An undeniable must-watch during summertime. — Mariane
Where to watch: Available on the Criterion Channel (Canada, U.S), and to rent or buy at home
Antonioni transforms a Mediterranean vacation into a haunting, existential drama by the sea, captured in stunning black and white. The opening chapter of his acclaimed "Alienation Trilogy," the film begins with a woman’s sudden disappearance during a yacht trip, leaving a group of wealthy friends — with a young Monica Vitti effortlessly chic in her timeless summer wardrobe — stranded on an island of emotional detachment. With the investigation leading to dead ends and unspoken silences, the plot abandons conventional rules, shifting from a classic puzzle into an exploration of empty desires. As the search unfolds across barren, sun-bleached cliffs, the shimmering heat of summer beautifully amplifies a heavy, seductive sense of longing.
Where to watch: Available on the Criterion Channel (Canada, U.S), HBO Max (U.S), and to rent or buy at home
Lazzaro Felice (2018)
Directed by Alice Rohrwacher
Rohrwacher’s delicate touch captures the dusty atmosphere of a rural Italian summer with a sense of pure magical realism. A timeless fable, the film follows an isolated family community bound by hard work and deep secrets. At the centre of it all is a young peasant whose unwavering kindness shines against a backdrop of harsh exploitation, until an unexpected friendship changes everything. Exploring something deeply human yet profoundly otherworldly, the story hinges on a purity so absolute it almost feels sacred. In the end, the sun-drenched tobacco fields and the hazy, golden light evoke a deep, melancholic sense of nostalgia and ancient innocence, resembling a fading dream. — Giorgia
Where to watch: Available on Netflix (Canada, U.S)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton
Little Miss Sunshine somehow does the impossible and captures the imperfect and chaotic energy of a Summer road trip with your family. The hazy, overstimulating combination of a high UV and a near-drought sounds closer to a nightmare than a vacation to many, and acts as the backdrop to this coming-of-age comedy. Following a family travelling in a barely-functioning yellow Volkswagen van from New Mexico to California for their daughter’s beauty pageant, Little Miss Sunshine is quirky and messy, making it a hilarious Summer night watch. Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, I think the film’s central themes will ring true to most audiences as it tries to find silver linings in a deeply irritating road trip that should have been over days ago. The mental and physical obstacles that the Hoover family overcome speak to the value of the journey itself and the lessons that come with unity even in the face of adversity. — Megan
Where to watch: Available on Disney+
This movie marked Emily Blunt’s theatrical film debut and tells the story of two girls from different classes who strike up a relationship during the summer. The Yorkshire countryside provides an ultra-summery backdrop to this engaging (if not slightly unhinged) coming-of-age lesbian romance. If you want to watch Emily Blunt muse about Nietzsche, Édith Piaf, and (really) play the cello, then this is the film for you! — Andie
Where to watch: Available to rent or buy at home
Nos jours heureux is one of France’s best comedies, directed by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, who we owe Intouchables (2011) and Le sens de la Fête (2017) to. This movie follows a group of teenagers and their camp counsellors in a three-week-long chaotic summer camp. Between love stories, first kisses, runaways, strong personalities, laughs, tears, and iconic one-liners, we get one hell of a show. I guess you could compare it to the amazing Wet Hot American Summer (2001) and the eponymous series. It is a movie that will be passed down from generation to generation, an essential summer watch! — Laurine
Robin Williams delivered one of the funniest performances of his career in RV. Truthfully, I believe this is an incredibly underrated movie that everyone should watch at least once in their lives. It's the kind of movie that brings you into a chaotic, bizarre, and extraordinary world that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime. There is chaos, family drama, annoying characters who you end up loving, and a resolution that makes everyone happy. While Williams absolutely carried the movie on his shoulders, the performances of Cheryl Hines, Kristin Chenoweth, Jeff Daniels, Chloe Sonnenfeld, and Josh Hutcherson are just as funny. Definitely a must-watch for every Summer. — Lara
Where to watch: Netflix Canada
Stoker (2013)
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook’s English-language debut is another underrated gem. The cast alone is incredible, starring Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, and Nicole Kidman as members of a very… dysfunctional family. Violence and toxic relationships abound in this Southern-Gothic thriller, and the summer heat is palpable in a claustrophobic yet beautiful way. Any movie that can pull off a transition that blends Nicole Kidman’s hair with a field of grass is worth a watch in my book. — Andie
Where to watch: Disney+ (Canada), and to rent or buy at home
Summertime (1955)
Directed by David Lean
A visual love letter to Venice and romance, following a middle-aged American woman — played by a radiant, never-looked-better Katharine Hepburn — whose solo journey to Italy during a fleeting summer leads her into a passionate love affair with a mysterious man. Eternally poetic in its vibrant, remarkably natural Technicolour palette, the film breathes through the authentic texture of historic architecture and sunlit canals that seem to leap off the screen. A story about romanticising your life while remaining grounded in the bittersweet contradictions of reality, it leaves you with an irresistible urge to sit in Piazza San Marco, sip a coffee, and simply watch the world go by.
Where to watch: Available on the Criterion Channel (Canada, U.S), HBO Max (U.S), and available to rent or buy at home
And for our horror lovers...
Summerween
I absolutely love slashers and horror movies taking place during summer — ideally in a summer camp. A lot of movies come to my mind when I think about Summerween, such as Friday the 13th (1980), IT (2017), IT: Chapter 2 (2019), Scream (1996), and Totally Killer (2023). But there's a franchise I particularly love, and it's the Fear Street quadrilogy, more precisely, the second movie, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021). And I think it's probably because I watched them all on Netflix during one particularly stressful summer.
Fear Street is a multi-episode slasher about teenagers, whether it's in the 70’s during a summer camp, in the 80’s for prom night, or in the 90’s in a small town cursed by a witch from 1666 — this quadrilogy has everything.
But Summerween really can be about any Halloween-related movie. It is for anyone who loves the darker months and is too impatient to wait for gloomy nights to get a little fright. Picture a rainy and warm summer evening, friends, popcorn, either the neon lights of a fun fair, a comfy couch, or horror stories told around a bonfire with s’mores, and boom, you get the Summerween vibe! And it's for these exact reasons that I can't wait any longer for Teenage Death and Sex at Camp Miasma (2026). — Laurine
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
When I think of summer, I think of ice cream, diving into a cold lake, tan lines, and cold drinks on a sunny day. Then I think about the reality, an unromanticized memory of summertime. The sticky mess of melted ice cream dripping down your wrist, blistering heat that plasters your clothes to your skin, with nowhere to cool off, sunburns, and constant thirst. There is no film that better embodies the disgust and anguish of the worst of a hot summer day than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The film is crafted in such a way that from your air-conditioned bedroom, you can feel the heat burning your skin, you can almost smell the stench of rotting flesh. By the end of the 83-minute runtime, it’s become hard to breathe as the claustrophobia of a suffocating heat has successfully made its way from the screen into your own flesh. Not every summer feels like Call Me by Your Name (2017). Sometimes, summer feels like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. — Paige
Where to watch: Available on Prime Video, Peacock (U.S), and Tubi (Canada, U.S)
Photos: Letterboxd
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