6 perfect summer movies on Netflix

During the year, we're all so busy, and we never have time to relax. Summer is the ideal time to watch some fun and breezy Netflix movies with your friends. Summer movies have that special vibe, since they usually include carnivals, summer getaways, or a tinge of nostalgia.

Whether you want to revisit summer camp, travel around the world, or feel like a nostalgic teen flick, Netflix has you covered. I love that many of Netflix's rom-coms and horror films remind me of the 1990s, and that's when some of my favorite movies were made.

The Kissing Booth

The Kissing Booth reminded me of old-school rom-coms because it featured a girl crushing on a friend's older brother and their relationship evolving from casual friends to a romantic connection. Joey King plays Elle, who has crushed on her best friend Lee's older brother, Noah (Jacob Elordi), but he sees her only as another kid sibling.

Until one of Elle's plans backfires, the entire film is based around the kissing booth Elle hosts at the spring carnival, and when Elle and Noah accidentally kiss, sparks fly. A secret romance begins, and watching as they fight their feelings and keep it from his brother is part of the fun.

After binging this movie, be sure to check out the sequels — The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3. They contain even more summer themes, including a Ferris wheel at the boardwalk, late-night beach talks, and the infamous beach house. All three feature summer nostalgia.

He's All That

In 2021, Netflix rebooted a longtime favorite rom-com, She's All That, but they gender-swapped the roles by having a popular social media influencer, Padgett (Addison Rae), get dumped and needing a date to prom. In the reboot, He's All That, Addison bets that she can turn scruffy, cynical, and shy Cameron (Tanner Buchanan) into the Prom King.

The script is similar, but adding original actor Rachel Leigh Cook as Padgett's mom was a genius move. Director Mark Waters also works his magic with choreographed dance scenes and brings out emotional beats from the teenagers as Padgett and Cameron form their connection.

While new generations will likely enjoy He's All That, this teen flick will hit their parents with the Easter eggs from the original. You'll find the infamous trying-on-clothes scene, and Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me" plays at the ideal romantic moment, and it balances emotional growth and cheesy high school fun.

A Week Away

A Week Away feels reminiscent of High School Musical or Camp Rock, but with a Christian twist. The same creative team worked on all three films, and the film's music producer, Adam Watts, created four original songs that fit seamlessly with the other Christian hits.

Many of us have been to summer camp, but not this kind. Will Hawkins (Kevin Quinn) has been in and out of foster homes for years, and he's given a choice — to attend this camp or go to juvie. He's angry and defeated, but one of the camp co-owners, Kristin (Sherri Shepherd), and her son, George, befriend him.

Will's life changes when he meets Avery (Bailee Madison). He's never met anyone like her, and he's experienced faith before. All Will wants is a chance to reinvent himself, but will he ever have the chance to feel unconditional love not only from God but also from an earthly family? A Week Away shows that love, forgiveness, and compassion come in all different forms.

Fear Street Part Two: 1978

If Christian summer camp isn't your thing, maybe nostalgic horror is. I grew up reading R.L. Stine, so his Fear Street trilogy is summer scary goodness. When we left Fear Street Part One: 1994, Deena (Kiana Madeira) and Josh (Benjamin Flores, Jr.) were on a mission to save Sam's girlfriend, Deena, since the Shadyside witch had possessed her.

In Fear Street Part Two: 1978, Deena and Josh ask C. Bergman, the only survivor of the 1978 Massacre of Camp Nightwing, and they weren't prepared for the details. This isn't your typical summer camp.

Fear Street Part Two:1978 is the best film of the trilogy and is led by Sadie Sink (Stranger Things). Most of the film focuses on how a group of teens deals with a terrifying killing spree connected to Shadyside's dark past. Will this help Deeena and Josh in time?

I Know What You Did Last Summer

I Know What You Did Last Summer is the perfect slasher film for summer. If you grew up on the 1997 version, you'll appreciate Southport, North Carolina, being terrorized by a fisherman again. The story sounds familiar. A group of best friends reunited for Danica (Madelyn Cline) and Teddy's (Tyriq Withers) engagement party, but tragedy struck when they invited their friend Stevie to watch the fireworks with them.

As the friends were by the bluffs, they distracted another driver, causing the driver to drive off the cliff. Just like before, the group makes a pact to keep this quiet, but we know secrets never stay quiet, and when the friends regroup a year later for Danica and Teddy's wedding festivities, the secret has changed them. It's not just the ominous letter they received that sets off the mystery.

Ava (Chase Sui Wonders) is like a modern-day Nancy Drew, collecting clues, and that's how the vets appear as she searches for answers, especially from Julia James (Jennifer Love Hewitt).

People We Meet on Vacation

If you think summer is for traveling and best friends, then People You Meet on Vacation is just the Netflix rom-com for you. Alex (Tom Blyth) and Poppy (Emily Bader) met in college, sharing a ride home, and were the epitome of opposites-attract. Poppy was a free spirit, longing to travel the world, while Alex always planned ahead. However, that didn't stop them from becoming unlikely friends and taking yearly vacations.

It's the perfect set up because as the years go by, it gets more challenging to deny that they're just friends, but they don't want to lose the bond they share. It wouldn't be a rom-com without a misunderstanding, but can Poppy and Alex risk it all and take a journey of love?

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