Movies You Should Watch This Summer
Summer. It’s finally here at long last. No more deadlines. No more tests. Instead of waking up at six a.m. to start your day, you’re finally able to end your days at dawn. More sleeping, more laughing, and my favorite of all: more time to watch films! Summer is the time where I catch up on all of the films I wasn’t able to watch during the school year, revisit my favorite films, and anticipate what’s next in Hollywood in the coming months. This month, I’ve decided to provide you with six movies that are perfect to watch on your summer vacation. Hopefully by the time you finish reading this, you’ll no longer have to search on Google “what movie should I watch tonight?”
1. Empire Records (1995)
Anyone who knows me knows that I will say that this is my favorite movie with the utmost pride! Empire Records follows the antics of some teenagers as well as the manager of an independent record store in Delaware. Empire Records is run by Joe Reaves (Anthony LaPaglia) who is trying to keep the store from being sold to a larger chain called Music Town. After finding out about the possibility of being sold to a chain, Lucas (Rory Cochrane) takes it upon himself to save Empire Records. After betting big and losing all of the store’s savings in Atlantic City, Lucas returns home, and the Empire Records crew has to find a way to save the store. If that wasn’t enough stress, each character has their own issues that they’re dealing with in the movie. And on top of all of that, it’s Rex Manning Day! To understand the significance of that statement, listen to an amazing soundtrack, and have an all around good time. Watch Empire Records. This movie is streaming on Netflix!
2. Dazed and Confused (1993)
While we’re on the topic of cult classics, I introduce to you Dazed and Confused. This movie follows a large group of teenagers in Austin, Texas on their last day of school in 1976. This film is perfect to watch when you’re fresh out of school because it signifies the start of summer. This is an ensemble film and is honestly a little hard to explain without watching it. There are a lot of characters in this movie and a lot of things going on. The rising seniors are out and about looking for parties where they can get free booze, get free weed, and be able to prepare for the upcoming Aerosmith show. What else would you need to do in the summer before senior year? The incoming freshman are trying to dodge the wrath of senior hazing because back in 1976, because nothing says the start of summer more than being able to rightfully terrorize the fresh-meat of your school. Although I’m poking fun at this movie a little bit, it is one of the most well-made coming-of-age movies of all time. This movie encapsulates what being a teenager in the 70s is like. Even though I can’t tell you for sure, Richard Linklater makes sure that by the end of the movie you have a pretty good idea of how it was like to be a teen during this time. This movie showcases teenage angst, forming your own outlook on life. So watch Dazed and Confused to live vicariously through these 70’s teenagers. They’re just livin’ man. L-I-V-I-N. Dazed and Confused is streaming on Hulu!
3. Booksmart (2019)
This was my favorite release of 2019. I think I enjoyed this movie so much because it portrayed the female friendships in the most positive light. Booksmart is the story of two over-achievers, Amy and Molly, trying to fit their entire high school experience in on one day—the day before graduation. This is Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, and she did not disappoint. This film is well-crafted and made with lots of love, and Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever make outstanding performances as the leads of the movies. The chemistry between the two will go down in film history books. If I could say one thing I enjoyed, out of the many in this film, it would be the comedy. The comedic timing and how the actors brought each each joke to life was amazing. Each actor had the special talent of making the whole movie not feel like acting. It felt like I was actually watching their lives. Booksmart is going to go down in history for one of the best coming-of-age movies of the 21st century and it would be a shame if you didn’t take advantage of its greatness. Booksmart can be streamed on Netflix!
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
In honor of talking about favorite releases, I present to you my favorite release of 2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This Oscar-winning film tells the story of Miles Morales, a kid from Brooklyn, who suddenly becomes his dimension's Spider-Man. During this movie, Miles is introduced to different Spider-Men (and women!) from alternate dimensions. Their task is to figure out how to get each spider-person back to their respective dimension. I personally believe the most outstanding aspect of this movie is the animation, and it’s a breath of fresh air in comparison to the more realistic styles that animated films in the past years have chosen to take. Spider-Verse is a comic book movie, and the animation style fully embraces that. It is literally as if you are flipping through a comic book with your mind. Not to mention, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse broke the eight-year Pixar streak for best animated film. Every time I watch Spider-Verse, it feels like the first time. Because the universe is so well developed, you will always find something new to focus on every time you watch it. By the end of the movie, you will have laughed and maybe even cried because it’s just that good. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse has been streaming on Netflix since June 27th, 2019. If you don’t watch any other movie out of this whole list, make sure to watch this one.
5. High School Musical 2 (2007)
Nothing screams summer like High School Musical 2. I mean this quite literally. The first musical number in this whole film is about the start of summer. I feel like this movie needs no explanation, but if you have been sleeping under a rock for pretty much all of the 2000s and 2010s, this is for you. The East High wildcats are back! And it’s summer! After finishing their junior year and realizing that they are completely broke, the gang opts to work at Sharpay and Ryan Evan’s family resort. Troy Bolton has to try to juggle securing his bag (in this case, a basketball scholarship), his relationship with Gabriella, and the major dating advances Sharpay makes on him throughout the summer. And if that wasn’t dramatic enough, there is a big talent show at the end of the summer that no one can seem to agree on performing in. Sarcastic explaining aside, High School Musical 2 is my absolute favorite movie in the High School Musical series. Its plot is the most interesting of the three because every character is physically unable mind their own business. The soundtrack also happens to have some hits in it as well such as (the most dramatic) “Gotta Go My Own Way”, (the heart-wrenching) “Everyday”, and (the dance-inducing) “I Don’t Dance”. If you’ve already seen it, think about revisiting this movie on one of your days off. If you’ve never even heard of it before, I suggest you watch all three movies because you have a whole pop-culture phenomenon to catch up on. High School Musical 2 (2007) is streaming on Disney Go!
6. LOL (2012)
Now I know you’re probably thinking, “Camilla, this movie is trash. Absolutely terrible.” I am here to tell you that I agree with you one-hundred percent. I do. I really do, but there is something that I love about this movie, and I can’t put my finger on it. This movie is my guilty pleasure and I am not ashamed to admit that. LOL is about Lola (Miley Cyrus) and her high school experience. This movie focuses on Lola’s relationship with her mom, Anne (Demi Moore). Although I can’t quite relate to Lola and Anne’s interactions, I think every girl can relate to how Lola and Anne love each other. I think it’s just something in the mother-daughter experience. This movie also focuses on the lives of Lola’s friends. You have the jerk, the boy in the band, the dork, the hot girl that falls for the dork, the mean girl, and many other stereotypical high school personalities. I really can’t explain my love for this movie because it doesn’t make sense to me. But I think it has something to do with how the thing is so cliché in the most not-cliché way possible. This movie is what you think high school is going to mimic, but it has no similarities to the actual high school experience at all. It’s summer. You won’t be in school for two months, and you most likely won’t experience high school how Lola and her friends do, so I think it’s the perfect time to watch this movie. LOL is streaming on Hulu!
I hope that you’ve found something to watch by now! If not, you should check out my Letterboxd account (@wondergirl) for my film recommendations and to track what I’m watching this summer! Happy summer, and happy film-watching!