15 summer films perfect for outdoor movie nights
The first step is to consider your space and your audience. Keep in mind that it gets dark later in the evening, so be mindful of noise levels, movie ratings and your neighbours.
Most importantly, have fun choosing your movie. Creature features, vampire flicks and slashers are ideal for outdoor screenings. They encompass the feeling of the gruelling heat and ignite a fear of what's lurking outside on a balmy night. Then there's the summer romance; whether you're in the mood for a seasonal fling, life-long commitment or a journey of friendship and finding yourself, this is the perfect time for love stories.
With all that in mind, here are 15 movies that will spark your passion for the season.
Jaws and other creature features
Jaws (1975)
What better time to press play on the original summer blockbuster than on the 50th anniversary of its release? Steven Spielberg's cult classic takes place in the idyllic beach town of Amity Island, which brings in swarms of people over the summer. This creates the perfect scenario for a great white shark on the hunt for swimmers, so police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and local fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) join forces to take the creature down.
It's amid this madness that Brody's iconic line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat" is born. And while there isn't a ton of gore, Jaws lays the groundwork for the killer-shark movie trope we've come to know and love. If you want a movie that'll have you on edge all night (and maybe a little scared of your next beach day), this is the one.
Crawl (2019)
When we think of creature features, we tend to think about sharks, but we can't forget about their fellow predators lurking in the water. In the 2019 film Crawl, Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) is trying to escape a Florida hurricane — and a bunch of alligators. After she rescues her dad (Barry Pepper), they both get trapped in the crawl space of his house as water levels, and tensions, rise. This movie will have you jumping out of your seat.
Beast (2022)
This action-packed film is a story of man versus beast. Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) and his two daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries), visit a game reserve in South Africa to spend time together after the loss of the girls' mother (Naledi Mogadime), but chaos ensues as a lion — the only surviving member of its pride after a poacher attack — stalks them.
This survival flick will have you clutching your popcorn while also admiring the beauty of the landscape and its wildlife. However, at its core, it's a thrilling revenge tale for the creature that lost its family.
Sinners and other vampire flicks
Sinners (2025)
Ryan Coogler's Sinners is a genre-defying take on the vampire horror film. Set in Mississippi in 1932 and taking place over the course of a single day, the movie stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Stack and Smoke, who have returned from Chicago with a dream and an infamous reputation.
The twins open up a juke joint where the Black community and other people of colour can let loose with soulful music and plenty of dancing. Irish vampire Remmick (Jack O'Connell) is moved by the music and wants to bring everyone there over to the dark side. What ensues is a night of spicy love scenes, addictive musical numbers and, of course, bloody murder. Hot tip: watch through the credits for two additional scenes!
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
Although watching the entire Twilight series would make for a fun movie night, let me make a case for its fourth installment. In The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) have defied all odds to be together. They finally tie the knot and head off on their honeymoon to a small island off the coast of Brazil where the weather isn't the only thing that gets steamy. Bella finds herself pregnant and they head back to Forks, Washington, to deal with the impact of their half-vampire baby.
In addition to romance and vampires, this is the perfect summer watch because it opens with a beautiful outdoor wedding — ideal inspo for wedding season.
Abigail (2024)
Starring Alisha Weir in the titular role, Abigail is about a most unexpected kind of vampire: a young ballerina. A group of criminals is tasked with kidnapping a rich little girl and holding her for ransom overnight in an abandoned building, but they have no idea who they are actually trapped with.
This film puts a fun and creepy twist on the classic vampire flick. It features an ensemble cast including Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton and Angus Cloud, who provide comic relief in contrast to the creepy vampire who enjoys dancing as much as draining blood. Add this to your watchlist if you enjoy a horror movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Friday the 13th and other summer slashers
Friday the 13th (1980)
For horror fans, nothing screams quintessential summer viewing like Friday the 13th. The cult movie is set in 1979 at Camp Crystal Lake, which has reopened after being shut down decades prior due to the drowning of a boy named Jason Vorhees in 1957 and the murder of camp counselors a year later. What starts as a fun, lust-filled summer for a bunch of teens ends with them getting picked off one by one.
This film is a summer camp classic — and spawned a franchise with one of the most iconic villains of all time. With plenty of gory scenes, this slasher might have you rethinking your next visit to the lake.
Hell of a Summer (2023)
Canadians take the lead in this independent horror-comedy starring and co-directed by Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard. Filmed in Ontario, Hell of a Summer takes on the classic formula of a summer-camp slasher, but leans heavily into comedy. Camp counselors get taken out by a mysterious figure in a devil mask, and through gory kills — and big laughs — the audience is left guessing who the culprit is until the very end.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
There's nothing like summer fun with friends, and for these teens, that means covering up a murder. I Know What You Did Last Summer popularized the slasher trope you've come to know: being stalked by an unknown figure who knows your deepest, darkest secrets.
In addition to its summertime setting, and cast of icons such as Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ryan Phillippe, it's the ideal time to watch this 1997 film because a sequel is being released on July 18.
50 First Dates and other summer romances
50 First Dates (2004)
There's nothing more romantic than a love story that defies all odds — and takes place somewhere breathtaking. Both of these describe the beloved rom-com 50 First Dates. On Oahu, Hawaii, Henry (Adam Sandler) decides to give up his playboy ways when he hits it off with Lucy (Drew Barrymore), only to find out she has short-term memory loss and will forget him every morning. What follows is a hilarious but endearing story where he fights for her love each day. This pick will have you laughing out loud and tearing up all in the same night.
The Last Song (2010)
Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, the king of romantic drama, this 2010 film is a story about family and first loves. Ronnie Miller (Miley Cyrus) is sent to a small beach town for the summer to stay with her father, Steve (Greg Kinnear). There she meets Will Blakelee (Liam Hemsworth), who reignites her passion for music — an interest that also helps her to reconnect with her dad. Grab some tissues and prepare for a night of tears, an occasional "aww" and the inevitable heartbreak that stories by Sparks are known for.
Wedding Season (2022)
A classic fake-relationship rom-com with a fresh take (this interpretation factors in the characters' South Asian backgrounds), Wedding Season was shot in Toronto and features no fewer than 15 nuptials.
Asha (Pallavi Sharda) and Ravi's (Suraj Sharma) immigrant parents are hounding them about when it's their turn to get married, so they pretend to date to get them off their backs. Take inspiration from the beautiful outdoor wedding scenes and maybe even add your own open bar to your outdoor screening!
Mamma Mia! and other summer travel tales
Mamma Mia! (2008)
If any movie could inspire you to take that summer trip, attend a destination wedding or live vicariously through unforgettable summer adventures, it's this one.
Starring icons such as Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan, Mamma Mia! uses Abba songs and the beautiful backdrop of a fictional Greek island to tell its story. Sophie, who is about to get married, hopes to find out who her father truly is by inviting three of her mother's former partners to her wedding.
No matter the audience, this jukebox musical will have your guests laughing, singing and dancing the night away. Best to save this for a weekend screening!
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
Perfect for girls' night, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is as much about the beauty of friendship as it is about summer romance. Starring Y2K queens Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn, this film is fun, flirty and tugs at the heartstrings.
Four best friends are separated for the summer by jobs and vacations, but keep in touch with a pair of magical pants that happen to fit each one of them perfectly, even though they're all different sizes and shapes. Plus, there's a dreamy meet-cute and plenty of inspo for your next European getaway.
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
After an unexpected divorce, Frances (Diane Lane) heads to Tuscany with her best friend Patti, played by Canadian icon Sandra Oh. She hopes to get over her writer's block and her ex on this trip, but instead buys herself a rundown villa to restart her life.
Even if we can't all afford an Italian villa, this film reminds us of the beauty of travel and friendship. Whether it gets you to step out of your comfort zone, block your ex or book an Italian getaway, this film is the perfect pick for a summer movie night.
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