Whether you’re hanging out with friends or having an evening at home alone, movies are a perfect way to spend those summer nights, but deciding on what to watch is difficult, to say the least. So, before spending hours debating on what to watch, here are 10 films that will make for the perfect summer movie night.
“Dune”
No. Not that one. The other one. David Lynch’s “Dune” from 1984 is more akin to if Stanley Kubrick made “Star Wars” than Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-winning two-part masterpiece. That isn’t to say 1984’s “Dune” is bad, in fact, it is quite the opposite. Where Villeneuve’s modern adaptation of Dune is very polished, serious and for lack of a better word, attractive, Lynch’s version captures the creepiness, griminess and disgusting nature of Frank Herbert’s original novel, making it a better adaptation in that sense. The Spacing Guild, something Villeneuve didn’t even attempt to bring to the screen, are disgusting metamorphic slug monsters who live in portable aquariums because their addiction to Spice has corrupted their human form. Vladimir Harkonnen is a sweaty rotund beast of a man who is covered in boils and patches of balding red hair. Sting is wearing a Speedo. The Fremen are not Hollywood supermodels, but just a bunch of dudes with curly hair and beards. While the modern remake might be an objectively better film, “Dune” from 1984 is an unforgettable adaptation in its own right.
“Career Opportunities”
Frank Whaley and Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly fulfill every eight-year-old’s dream: getting locked in a Target. “Career Opportunities” is a wonderfully silly rom-com that takes full advantage of its simple premise. Jim Dodge (Whaley) is a directionless loser who hates his dad and finds employment at the local Target. Josie McClellan (Connelly) is a rich girl looking to get into trouble because she hates her dad, and thus breaks into the local Target. From there, the two get into all the hilarious hijinks audiences would expect. They roller skate down all the isles, try on all the clothes, steal food from the food court and eventually have to apprehend a robbery. While “Career Opportunities” is not what anyone would define as “cinema,” it is an absolute blast of a movie people will have a great time watching.
“The Rocketeer”
One of Disney’s earlier comic book movies is still one of its best. Based on the cereal box comic series of the same name, “The Rocketeer” is about a stunt pilot named Cliff who stumbles upon a prototype jetpack and uses it to fight Nazis. The film is an unashamedly campy ride with a surprising amount of talent in front of and behind the camera. The movie is directed by Joe Johnston who not only worked on the original Star Wars trilogy, but would go on to direct “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Jennifer Connelly is hot off the heels of “Career Opportunities” and while she isn’t given much to do, she manages to do a lot with a limited performance. The villain of the film is James Bond himself, Timothy Dalton. Dalton’s performance is a criminally underrated comic book villain performance as he eats up every bit of dialogue and absolutely chews up the scenery. While this movie isn’t “Avengers: Endgame” levels of incredible or “The Dark Knight” levels of cinema, it isn’t trying to be. “The Rocketeer” is a fun throwback adventure flick with a lot of heart, something that is hard to find in this CGI blockbuster age of cinema.
“The Nice Guys”
While Ryan Gosling is on top of the world, go back and check out one of his lesser-known films. “The Nice Guys” is a hyper-stylized buddy-cop film set in 1970s Los Angeles with all the wit, laugh-out-loud moments and clever subversions writer and director Shane Black is known for. Russell Crow and Gosling are the film’s two leads and they play off of each other expertly. Crow’s no-nonsense sensibilities and dry sense of humor balance out Gosling’s more exaggerated and physical comedic performance. The movie is not purely a comedic vehicle, however, and also has a surprisingly good mystery at its center as Crow and Gosling investigate the death of a famous porn star. Twists and turns, fun action sequences and brilliant comedic performances make “The Nice Guys” a perfectly balanced movie to watch with friends.
“Couples Retreat”
A film that gets way too much hate might actually be one of the greatest summer comedies of all time. The plot of “Couples Retreat” is in the name – a bunch of unhappy couples go on a retreat to a tropical island in the hopes of rekindling their marriages. While this may seem like today’s network television, because it is, the comedic scenarios this movie creates will never be anything but falling-on-the-floor laughter inducing. Yoga classes, shark “attacks,” couples counseling and even just being on the beach are laugh-out-loud moments in this film. Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman and Faizon Love all play off each other so incredibly well. They each have distinct comedic styles that make all the gags dynamic by bringing different layers to the jokes. “Couples Retreat” is an outrageous rated-R comedy that has all the beautiful island scenery and grown men making fools of themselves audiences want from their summer comedies.
“Love and Monsters”
For a direct-to-streaming movie that was released in 2020, “Love and Monsters” is better than it has any right to be. Seven years after surviving the monster apocalypse, Joel Dawson (Dylan O’Brien), leaves his underground fallout shelter to reunite with his high school sweetheart. The movie excels in large part due to O’Brien’s performance. He manages to be naive yet brave, scared yet confident and wraps it all up in his natural charisma. The film is also surprisingly deep and filled with rich emotions audiences would not necessarily expect from a monster movie. There is an incredible scene where Joel and a robot are talking about love and the meaning of life and, although it may sound corny, it is the most powerful scene in the film. Since this is a monster movie, it does deliver all the action spectacle people want from it. The monster designs are creative, and the CGI is pretty good, making for some fun action beats that O’Brien absolutely sells. For an ultra enjoyable watch, “Love and Monsters” is one of those “four-quadrant” blockbusters that nails every mark.
“A Beautiful Mind”
“Oppenheimer” meets “Fight Club” in a beautifully complex piece of cinema that will have viewers emotionally engaged from beginning to end. “A Beautiful Mind” is the story of mathematical genius, John Nash (Russell Crow), who makes an astonishing discovery that could win him a Nobel Prize. However, Nash’s world gets flipped upside down when he falls into a world of Soviet espionage and a battle with mental illness. Crow won an Oscar for his performance as Nash and it is beyond well deserved. He perfectly captures the intelligence, arrogance, paranoia and heart-breaking internal struggles of his character. Jennifer Connelly, of “Career Opportunities” and “The Rocketeer,” gives a performance that won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. In her role as Nash’s wife Alice, she expertly grounds the complex narrative with her caring yet strong demeanor. Also, Paul Bettany is delightfully fun in his limited role as Charles. For anyone looking for a serious work of cinema to impress their friends with this summer, “A Beautiful Mind” is a must-watch.
“Sing Street”
A non-stop and heartfelt 80s-style romp with the music to match, “Sing Street” has a simple premise – a guy starts a band to impress a girl, but the band he starts is better than most real ones today. Since the film is set in the magical year that is 1985, the musical influences are incredible. Duran Duran, A-ha, Hall & Oates, Depeche Mode and so many more iconic groups fill out the synth soundscape of “Sing Street.” Not only are the needle drops amazing, but the original music is somehow just as phenomenal. “Drive It Like You Stole It” perfectly captures the fun upbeat poppiness that makes 80s music so memorable. The movie is not only a nostalgia-fest for 50-year-olds, but is the cherry on top of a feel-good story. Watching this group of Irish schoolboys gain the confidence to become the rockstars of their nowhere town is powerful. The love story that sparks the plot is one that audiences will root for. “Sing Street,” while a simple film at its core, has so much to offer that viewers will absolutely fall in love with it.
“The Freshman”
The two-time Oscar winner Marlon Brando shares the screen with Matthew Broderick in a film made for everyone who hates “The Godfather.” “The Freshman” follows a first-year New York City film student, Klark Kelloff (Broderick), who gets tied up in the nefarious dealings of a local mobster, Carmine Sabatini (Brando). While Broderick is great in the movie and brings the charisma and comedic timing he is known for in films like “War Games” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Brando steals the show. He plays every scene with the same Oscar-worthy intensity he brought to “The Godfather.” It doesn’t matter that the criminal dealings in this film revolve around acquiring a Komodo dragon and an illegal restaurant that serves endangered animals as the main course, Brando plays all of it completely straight and it is magnificent. Also, most of Brando’s scenes are shot to mimic the style and cinematography of the aforementioned mobster film, adding to the movie’s comedic absurdity. For a movie that pokes fun at one of the most iconic films in all of cinema, “The Freshman” is a one-of-a-kind comedic outing.
“American Graffiti”
Before George Lucas traveled to a galaxy far, far away, he took a trip to California’s Central Valley. Set in the year 1962, “American Graffiti” follows a group of teenagers during their last night of summer shenanigans before they have to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives. The film elicits nostalgia because of how expertly it recreates that infinite feeling of spending time with friends and listening to music. When characters are driving around, audiences are right there in the car with them in the middle of their conversations. The radio is never turned off so every scene is dripping with the ambient sound of a lived-in world where the do-op never stops. The characters all feel like real people that viewers will want to be friends with. While they exist in this one perfect night, their problems are relatable and explored in such a human way. This movie is so good, in fact, that it allowed Lucas to fund the billion-dollar franchise that is Star Wars. “American Graffiti” is quite possibly one of the best films people have never seen and the best film on this list by a mile.
No matter the occasion or the company, these 10 films are perfect summer movies people must watch.
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Featured Image via Adobe Stock
