The 2025 summer season is just a hop, skip, and a jump away (Thank God!) Here are three fresh films full of romance, dreamy coloring, and nostalgia to accompany the warm months ahead.
Hot Summer Nights
This 2017 film, written and directed by Elijah Bynum, is an action/drama/romance that follows an 18-year-old boy on summer vacation in 1991 on Cape Cod. Danny, played by Timothée Chalamet, is a naive, wide-eyed character who ultimately comes of age during his time at the Cape. He finds love, makes friends with the local “bad boy,” and becomes entangled in enormous drug dealings. The neo-noir film has a youthful, cinematic tone, set against the backdrop of house parties, drive-ins, and a carnival. The ensemble cast of young-adult stars, including Alex Roe, Maika Monroe, and Maia Mitchell, bring their own flair to the film. Hunter Strawberry (Roe) is edgy and misunderstood, McKayla Strawberry (Monroe) is angsty and lonesome, and Amy (Mitchell) is innocently sweet. Even though you may not have experienced Cape Cod in the summertime during the early nineties, you will feel as though you spent some time there by the end of this film. Bonus points for the featured ‘80s and ‘90s yacht-rock hits!
Adventureland
Adventureland was released in 2009 and was written and directed by Greg Mottola. This slower-paced, stoner film transports the audience to the summer of 1987 at an amusement park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The main characters, James (Jesse Eisenberg) and Em (Kristen Stewart), spend their summers picking up shifts at the park, forming an unlikely friendship and romance. James and Em, along with the other Adventureland workers, ward off aggressive park visitors, bond over family drama, and throw vibey backyard parties. If you want to live vicariously through Eisenberg and Stewart’s raw, adorable connection or just listen to Lou Reed for almost two hours, this is the film for you!
Almost Famous
Almost Famous, written and directed by the genius Cameron Crowe, is a heartwarming masterpiece of a film. The movie stars Patrick Fugit, who plays an aspiring journalist and music enthusiast in 1973 San Diego, California. Fugit’s fifteen-year-old character, William, is equal parts ambitious and naive. He gets the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band, Stillwater. He joins the group on tour where he meets “band-aid” Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), who is the ultimate “manic-pixie-dream-girl,” and Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), who is a dreamy, but self-obsessed band-member. William learns about love, friendship, and the challenges of the journalism world. The movie’s soundtrack is outstanding, starting with Motown and folk-pop beats, then venturing into classic 70s pop-rock. Although the film is whimsical and idealistic, it also offers an honest critique of rock stars and their fans’ perceptions of them. I would recommend this thought-provoking, delightfully entertaining drama to anyone with fabulous taste!
Give these indie summer flicks a watch if you want to properly romanticize the coming summer season!
