15 Movies That Feel Like the Last Days of Summer
15 nostalgic end-of-summer movies about friendship, first loves, childhood adventures, coming of age, and the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to summer.
I have been, and always will be, a fall girl. Give me crisp mornings, hot drinks, spooky season, and a cozy sweater, and I am a happy camper. But even I have to admit that there is something bittersweet about the end of summer.
A summertime sadness, if you will.
The days are still warm, the sun still sets late, and there’s technically plenty of summer left—especially here in Southern California—but somehow you can already feel the season slipping away. Trips to the beach become fewer and farther between. Vacation photos start appearing in your camera roll. Back-to-school season is creeping onto store shelves. And then, all of a sudden, those long, lazy days that seemed like they would last forever become memories.
Maybe that is why some of my favorite summer movies aren’t really about summer at all. They’re about the feeling of summer: freedom, friendship, adventure, first loves, growing up, and those fleeting moments when you know something is about to change, even if you aren’t quite ready to let go.
With the Autumnal Equinox just around the corner, I wanted to compile a list of movies that capture the feeling of the last days of summer so we can enjoy the season a bit longer. These films feature childhood adventures, friendships, summer romances, and coming-of-age stories, all filled with nostalgia and a touch of melancholy to remind us why the end of summer is special.
Whether you want to revisit a favorite childhood movie, indulge in a little nostalgia, or simply find something to watch as you squeeze the last bit of summer out of the calendar, there should be something here for you.
You’ll find streaming links and trivia for each movie, and I’ve broken down the list into five categories to suit every mood:
The Last Great Adventure
The Summer You’ll Always Remember
Summer Love & Heartbreak
Before Everything Changes
Bittersweet Summer Nostalgia
So grab some popcorn, settle in, and let’s hold on to summer for just a little bit longer.
The Last Great Adventure
Some summers are defined by the adventures we had with our friends—the kind that seemed ordinary at the time but became legendary in our memories.
Stand by Me (1986)
Director: Rob Reiner
Screenwriters: Rob Reiner, Raynold Gideon & Bruce A. Evans
Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Casey Siemaszko, Gary Riley, Bradley Gregg & Jason Oliver
After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four Oregon boys decide to go see the body. On the way, Gordie Lachance, Vern Tessio, Chris Chambers, and Teddy Duchamp encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, as they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. What starts as a lark becomes a defining moment in their lives.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | HBO Max | Hulu
Why It's Worth the Watch:
Few movies capture the feeling of one last childhood adventure quite like Stand by Me. Set over Labor Day weekend, the film follows four friends on a journey that starts as a simple adventure and becomes a defining moment in their lives. There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about watching these boys race through the Oregon wilderness, knowing that the carefree world of childhood they’re in won’t last forever. It’s funny, heartfelt, occasionally heartbreaking, and ultimately a beautiful reminder that some friendships—and some summers—stay with us long after they’re over.
Additional Viewing: The Outsiders (1983) | The Goonies (1985) | Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Did You Know?
After director Rob Reiner screened Stand by Me for Stephen King, he noticed that King was visibly shaking and silent. He left the room and, when he returned, told Reiner the movie was the best adaptation of his work he had ever seen. The film went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Sandlot (1993)
Director: David Mickey Evans
Screenwriters: David Mickey Evans & Robert Gunter
Starring: Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna, Chauncey Leopardi, Marty York, Brandon Quintin Adams, Grant Gelt, Victor DiMattia, Shane Obedzinski, Denis Leary, Karen Allen, James Earl Jones & Art LaFleur
In the summer of 1962, Scotty Smalls is the new kid in town and is taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his rowdy group of friends who play pickup baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on a series of funny and touching adventures. The boys run into trouble when Smalls borrows a ball from his stepdad, and it gets hit over a fence, right into the lair of the legendary ball-eating dog called “The Beast,” and the kids inevitably must face their fears to get the ball back.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Disney+ | Hulu
Why It's Worth the Watch:
If you want a movie that practically smells like chlorine, baseball dirt, and s’mores, look no further. The Sandlot turns one seemingly endless summer into a collection of childhood adventures, friendships, neighborhood rivalries, and larger-than-life legends. There’s a reason so many people remember it with such affection: it captures that magical age when a summer afternoon could feel like an entire lifetime. And, of course, it wouldn’t be summer without a little trouble involving a baseball, a backyard fence, and a very good dog.
Additional Viewing: The Goonies (1985) | Heavyweights (1995) | Remember the Titans (2000)
Did You Know?
Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez was played by real-life brothers Mike Vitar and Pablo Vitar, with Mike playing 12-year-old Benny and Pablo playing adult Benny in the major leagues.
The Kings of Summer (2013)
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Screenwriter: Chris Galletta
Starring: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moisés Arias, Nick Offerman, Erin Moriarty, Alison Brie, Megan Mullally, Marc Evan Jackson, Eugene Cordero, Gillian Vigman, Mary Lynn Rajskun & Thomas Middleditch
Frustrated with their overbearing and dysfunctional parents, three teenagers on the verge of adulthood carry out a plan to leave their families behind to build a house in the woods and live off the land, taking their destiny into their own hands.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
What happens when you’re convinced that adulthood has everything figured out, and you’d rather build your own world in the woods? The Kings of Summer turns teenage rebellion into a funny, awkward, and surprisingly heartfelt coming-of-age adventure. The boys’ attempt to escape their parents and live independently captures one of summer’s defining fantasies: disappearing from your responsibilities and making your own rules. But of course, growing up has a funny way of following you wherever you go.
Additional Viewing: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) | The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Did You Know?
Screenwriter Chris Galletta’s script, originally titled Toy’s House, was featured on The Black List in 2009, an annual comprehensive list of Hollywood’s best unproduced scripts. Other notable scripts featured that year include Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Network (2010), Phil Johnston’s Cedar Rapids (2011), and Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz (2011).
The Summer You'll Always Remember
These movies look back on the summers that stay with us long after the weather changes. Whether they involve lifelong friendships, family reunions, or growing pains, these movies capture the memories we carry with us into adulthood.
Now and Then (1995)
Director: Lesli Linka Glatter
Screenwriter: I. Marlene King
Starring: Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffman, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Rita Wilson, Devon Sawa, Walter Sparrow, Cloris Leachman, Lolita Davidovich, Janeane Garofalo, Hank Azaria, Bonnie Hunt & Brendan Fraser
Three strong women—Roberta Martin, Samantha Albertson, and Tina “Teeny” Tercel—return home to reunite with their childhood friend Chrissy DeWitt Williams and see her through the end of her first pregnancy. The four lifelong friends share memories of their magical summer of 1970, as they navigated the joys and pains of adolescence, confronting love, loss, and looming adulthood.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
Now and Then understands that the summers we remember most aren’t necessarily the ones when something extraordinary happened. Sometimes they’re simply the summers when we were with the people who mattered. Through the memories of four lifelong friends, the film explores friendship, first loves, family struggles, grief, and the complicated process of growing up. Its bittersweet look back at the summer of 1970 feels like a cinematic scrapbook filled with memories that grow more precious as time passes.
Additional Viewing: Beaches (1988) | My Girl (1991) | Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
Did You Know?
The little girl who plays Samantha’s sister, Angela, is Rumer Willis, Demi Moore’s daughter. It was Willis’ first acting role, and she was credited as “Willa Glen.”
The Parent Trap (1998)
Director: Nancy Meyers
Screenwriters: David Swift, Nancy Meyers & Charles Shyer
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson, Lindsay Lohan, Elaine Hendrix, Lisa Ann Walter, Simon Kunz, Polly Holliday, Maggie Wheeler, Ronnie Stevens, Joanna Barnes & J. Patrick McCormack
Hallie Parker, a hip Californian, and Annie James, a proper London miss, are identical twins who don’t even know each other exists—until they accidentally meet at summer camp. Now they’re up to their freckles in schemes and dream of switching places, getting their parents back together, and having the family they’ve always wanted.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Disney+ | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
Summer camp has rarely looked this much fun. Or this chaotic. The Parent Trap gives us all the classic ingredients of an unforgettable summer: camp friendships, secret schemes, family drama, new discoveries, and the feeling that absolutely anything might happen before the season ends. Lindsay Lohan’s dual performance as Hallie and Annie carries the movie, but the film’s broader sense of summer makes it a perfect nostalgic rewatch.
Additional Viewing: The Parent Trap (1961) | It Takes Two (1995) | Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
Did You Know?
Actress Joanna Barnes played the “wicked” girlfriend in the original The Parent Trap (1961) and returned for the 1998 remake as the potential mother-in-law. Although the new girlfriend character is named Meredith instead of Vicky, Barnes’ character was still named Vicky in the remake.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
Director: Ken Kwapis
Screenwriters: Delia Ephron & Elizabeth Chandler
Starring: Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, Bradley Whitford, Nancy Travis, Rachel Ticotin, Jenna Boyd, Mike Vogel, Michael Rady, Leonardo Nam, Kyle Schmid & Emily Tennant
Bridget, Carmen, Lena, and Tibby are best friends living in Maryland. After many summers together, the four are finally going their separate ways for a few months: Bridget heads to Mexico, Lena visits family in Greece, and Carmen and Tibby stay closer to home. No matter where they are, they stay connected through a pair of jeans they take turns sharing, pants that fit all four girls and reflect their tight bond.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
There’s something inherently bittersweet about the summer when your best friends start heading in different directions. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants captures that feeling while reminding us that distance doesn’t have to end a friendship. Bridget, Carmen, Lena, and Tibby each experience a different kind of summer, yet their shared pair of jeans keeps them connected through love, heartbreak, and growing pains. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best way to hold on to a friendship is to let it grow with you.
Additional Viewing: Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead (1991) | Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) | Dumplin’ (2018)
Did You Know?
Director Ken Kwapis never used the phrase “Action!” on set to start a scene. Instead, he would say, “Quiet, please, and um, uh, g’head.” This method was more relaxed and let the actors start the scene at their own pace. However, Kwapis was teased about it on set; someone even printed bright orange T-shirts quoting him and gave them out to the crew.
Summer Love & Heartbreak
Summer has a way of making everything feel a little more intense, including falling in love. These films capture summer romances, first loves, heartbreak, and the bittersweet knowledge that some relationships are tied to a particular time and place.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Director: Emile Ardolino
Screenwriter: Eleanor Bergstein
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes, Jack Weston, Jane Brucker, Kelly Bishop, Lonny Price, Max Cantor, Charles “Honi” Coles, Neal Jones, Wayne Knight, Paula Trueman, Alvin Myerovich, Miranda Garrison & Garry Goodrow
Baby is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she’s disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny, enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby’s father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she’s determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Pluto | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
Dirty Dancing is still one of the quintessential summer romances for a reason. Baby arrives at Kellerman’s expecting a quiet family vacation and instead finds herself dancing, falling in love, challenging her father’s expectations, and discovering who she wants to become. The looming end of summer gives the romance an extra sense of urgency: everyone knows their time together is limited. And that makes the final dance feel like more than a performance; it’s a celebration of one unforgettable summer before everyone goes their separate ways.
Additional Viewing: Summer of ’42 (1971) | Grease (1978) | A Walk to Remember (2002)
Did You Know?
The Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia, where many Kellerman scenes were filmed, hosts three Dirty Dancing-themed weekends a year, including dinners, a sock hop, a movie screening, a watermelon toss, group dance lessons, and a Dirty Dancing scavenger hunt.
The Spectacular Now (2013)
Director: James Ponsoldt
Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
Starring: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Bob Odenkirk, Kaitlyn Dever, Andre Royo, Masam Holden, Dayo Okeniyi, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyle Chandler & Gary Weeks
High school senior Sutter Keely is an effortless charmer and self-proclaimed life of the party who unexpectedly falls for the nice girl Aimee Finecky. While Aimee dreams of the future, Sutter lives in the now. And yet somehow, they’re drawn together. What starts as an unlikely romance becomes a sharp-eyed, straight-up snapshot of the heady confusion and haunting passion of youth—one that doesn’t look for tidy truths.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | HBO Max | Hulu | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
Summer can make the future seem far away, but eventually, it always arrives. The Spectacular Now shows the uncertainty of youth and the transition into adulthood, with one person living in the moment and another thinking about the future. Beneath its romantic story is a thoughtful coming-of-age tale about growing up, facing tough realities, and discovering who you want to be. It’s a good match for that awkward time when summer ends, and a new chapter is just around the corner.
Additional Viewing: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) | Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) | The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Did You Know?
The Spectacular Now was the last film Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert gave a 4-star rating to before his death.
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Screenwriter: James Ivory
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, Victoire Du Bois, Vanda Capriolo, Antonio Rimoldi, Elena Bucci, Marco Sgrosso, André Aciman, Peter Spears & Beppe Grillo
It’s the summer of 1983, and precocious 17-year-old Elio Perlman is spending his days with his family at their 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy. He soon meets Oliver, a handsome doctoral student working as an intern for Elio’s father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of their surroundings, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will change their lives forever.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
Few movies capture the fleeting beauty of summer quite like Call Me by Your Name. Its sun-drenched Italian setting, relaxed afternoons, bicycle rides, swimming, music, food, and romance evoke a summer that feels outside ordinary time. But the film’s beauty is inherently tied to the story’s fleetingness. Elio and Oliver’s relationship unfolds with the knowledge that summer, and their time together, will eventually end. It’s romantic, sensual, nostalgic, and deeply bittersweet, exactly like late summer can be.
Additional Viewing: The Last Picture Show (1971) | Moonrise Kingdom (2012) | A Bigger Splash (2015)
Did You Know?
Call Me by Your Name is often described as the final film in Luca Guadagnino’s “Desire” trilogy, alongside I Am Love (2009) and A Bigger Splash (2015). Guadagnino has explained that he recognized the thematic connection after making the films rather than conceiving them as a trilogy from the beginning.
Before Everything Changes
There comes a moment when you realize the next chapter is waiting. These coming-of-age movies capture that strange space between who we were and who we're becoming, when the future feels both exciting and terrifying.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Director & Screenwriter: Richard Linklater
Starring: Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Milla Jovovich, Shawn Andrews, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Sasha Jenson, Marissa Ribisi, Deena Martin, Michelle Burke, Cole Hauser, Christine Harnos, Wiley Wiggins, Mark Vandermeulen, Esteban Powell, Jeremy Fox, Ben Affleck, Jason O. Smith, Christin Hinojosa, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughey, Catherine Avril Morris, Nickey Katt, Renée Zellweger & Kim Krizan
This coming-of-age film follows the chaos of a group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas, as they celebrate the last day of high school in 1976. The graduating class heads to a popular pool hall and joins an impromptu keg party; however, star football player Randall “Pink” Floyd has promised to focus on the championship game and abstain from partying. Meanwhile, incoming freshmen try to avoid being hazed by the seniors, most notably the sadistic bully Fred O’Bannion.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
If Stand by Me captures the end of childhood, Dazed and Confused captures the strange limbo between adolescence and whatever the hell comes next. Set on the final day of high school in 1976, the film follows a group of teenagers as they party, cruise around town, flirt, argue, and just try to figure out where they fit in. There’s no grand quest or tidy coming-of-age revelation, just one long, memorable night before life begins to change. And sometimes that’s exactly what the end of summer feels like.
Additional Viewing: American Graffiti (1973) | Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) | Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
Did You Know?
Reportedly, one-sixth of the film’s budget went to acquiring the rights to 1970s pop hits for the soundtrack.
Superbad (2007)
Director: Greg Mottola
Screenwriters: Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Martha MacIsaac, Emma Stone, Kevin Corrigan, Joe Lo Truglio, Aviva Baumann & Dave Franco
Two inseparable best friends are determined to make their final stretch of high school unforgettable before they head off to college. When they’re invited to a huge house party, they embark on an increasingly ridiculous quest to find alcohol and impress the girls they’ve been crushing on—all while realizing that their friendship is about to enter a new chapter.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Tubi | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
At its heart, Superbad is less about the epic party than about two best friends realizing their lives are about to change. Seth and Evan have spent years inseparable, but college awaits on the other side of summer. Their increasingly ridiculous attempt to make one last night together unforgettable becomes a surprisingly sincere story about friendship, growing up, and being terrified that the people you love might move on without you. Beneath all the raunchy comedy lies a very recognizable end-of-an-era feeling.
Additional Viewing: American Pie (1999) | Booksmart (2019) | Good Boys (2019)
Did You Know?
Writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg began writing the Superbad script when they were just thirteen years old because they “just wanted to see if we could write a movie.”
Adventureland (2009)
Director & Screenwriter: Greg Mottola
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Martin Starr, Margarita Levieva, Jack Gilpin, Wendie Malick, Josh Pais, Mary Birdsong, Matt Bush, Paige Howard, Dan Bittner, Michael Zegan, Barrett Hackney & Ryan McFarland
It’s the summer of 1987, and recent college grad James Brennan can’t wait to begin his long-anticipated dream trip to Europe. Unfortunately, James’ plans come to a screeching halt when his parents announce they can’t subsidize his trip. Forced to take a job at the local amusement park, James prepares for the worst summer ever, until he finds love with a captivating coworker named Em.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Pluto | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
Not every summer is glamorous. Sometimes summer means taking a job you didn’t want, living at home longer than expected, and wondering what happened to the future you thought you had planned. Adventureland finds the humor and romance in that awkward in-between period. James’ disappointing summer job at an amusement park becomes an unexpected season of friendship, heartbreak, and self-discovery. It’s a great reminder that the summers we dread can sometimes become the ones we remember most.
Additional Viewing: Garden State (2004) | Waiting... (2005) | The Wackness (2008)
Did You Know?
The real Adventureland park, which the movie is based on, is in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York, not far from where filmmaker Greg Mottola grew up. Mottola originally planned to shoot the movie at the real Adventureland park but decided against it because the park had been extensively remodeled since he had worked there. Instead, Adventureland was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at Kennywood Park. The rides shown in the movie are real rides, though the names of the games were changed.
Bittersweet Summer Nostalgia
Not every summer is carefree, and not every summer memory is uncomplicated. These films explore the messier side of nostalgia, finding beauty, humor, friendship, and hope in the moments we don't fully appreciate until we look back.
The Way Way Back (2013)
Directors & Screenwriters: Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Starring: Liam James, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon, Robert Capron, River Alexander, Ava Deluca Verley, Zoe Levin, Adam Riegler & Jake Picking
Duncan is an awkward teen who must spend the summer at a beach house with his mother, her boyfriend Trent, and Trent’s obnoxious daughter. Trent can’t resist badgering Duncan, so Duncan steals away to a water park and takes a job to stay off Trent’s radar. As Duncan tends the slides and pools of the aging park, he finds a father figure in the wisecracking park manager Owen, at a time when he desperately needs one.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
The Way Way Back understands the particular awkwardness of being a teenager who hasn’t quite figured out where they belong. Duncan’s summer is supposed to be a family vacation, but an unhappy home life sends him searching for somewhere, and someone, who makes him feel like himself. His job at the water park becomes an unexpected refuge, while his relationship with Owen gives him the confidence to see himself differently. It’s funny, tender, and ultimately hopeful without pretending that growing up is easy.
Additional Viewing: The Sandlot (1993) | Little Miss Sunshine (2006) | Adventureland (2009)
Did You Know?
The script was written in 2007 as The Way Back, but the title was changed to avoid confusion with the 2010 film The Way Back. The title references the “way back seat,” a 1970s colloquialism for the third, often hidden seat in a station wagon’s cargo area.
The Florida Project (2017)
Director: Sean Baker
Screenwriter: Sean Baker & Chris Bergoch
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Kimberly Prince, Bria Vinaite, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, Caleb Landry Jones, Aiden Malik, Josie Olivo, Edward “Punky” Pagan, Patti Wiley, Rosa Medina Perez, Mela Murder, Sandy Kane, Terry Allen Jones & Karren Karagulian
Six-year-old Moonee creates her own adventures with her friends while living with her young mother, Halley, in a run-down motel near Disney World. With the help of a kind hotel manager and her fierce positivity, Moonee tries to avoid the harsh reality around her.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Pluto | Tubi | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
The Florida Project offers a very different vision of summer nostalgia. Through six-year-old Moonee’s eyes, an ordinary summer becomes an endless series of adventures, games, and discoveries, even as the adults around her struggle with realities she doesn’t fully understand. The film finds magic and joy in childhood without ignoring the instability surrounding Moonee and her mother. The result is a poignant reminder that childhood memories can feel magical even when the circumstances behind them are anything but.
Additional Viewing: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) | Moonrise Kingdom (2012) | Tangerine (2015)
Did You Know?
Christopher Rivera, who played Moonee’s friend Scooty, was 8 years old and living with his mother at the Paradise Inn in Kissimmee, Florida, when crew members scouted him. Rivera earned enough money from the film for his family to move out of the motel and into an apartment. After the film came out, he was offered a full scholarship to Rollins College, a private four-year college in Winter Park, Florida, along with ongoing support to prepare him for college.
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Director & Screenwriter: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie, Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, John Michael Higgins, Christine Ebersole, Harriet Sansom Harris, Ryan Heffington, Nate Mann, Joseph Cross, Isabelle Kusan, Destry Allyn Spielberg, George DiCaprio, Iyana Halley, Ray Chase, Emma Dumont, Yumi Mizui, Megumi Anjo, Maya Rudolph, Tim Conway Jr., Emily Althaus & Milo Herschlag
San Fernando Valley, 1973. Fifteen-year-old child actor Gary Valentine develops a fascination with 25-year-old Alana Kane, a photographer’s assistant who reluctantly agrees to go out for a drink with him. As the two become unlikely friends and business partners, they drift through a series of strange adventures while trying to figure out who they are and what they want.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video | YouTube
Why It's Worth the Watch:
Few recent movies capture the loose, sun-soaked feeling of an endless summer quite like Licorice Pizza. Set in California’s San Fernando Valley in 1973, the film drifts from one strange adventure to another as Gary and Alana navigate friendship, ambition, business schemes, and an increasingly complicated relationship. Its episodic structure makes the movie feel almost like flipping through a stack of Polaroids—some funny, some bizarre, some nostalgic, and some that only make sense years later. It’s a perfect final stop on this list for anyone who wants to linger in summer just a little longer.
Additional Viewing: American Graffiti (1973) | Boogie Nights (1997) | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Did You Know?
Alana’s family is played by her real-life family members. She and her sisters are members of the Grammy-nominated rock band Haim, and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson previously directed several of their music videos. When Anderson was a child, their mother, Donna Haim, taught art at his elementary school; the film was partly inspired by a crush he had on her while she was his teacher.
And there you have it: 15 movies that capture the magic, messiness, nostalgia, and melancholy of the last days of summer.
Some of these films are about literal summer adventures. Others are about first loves, childhood friendships, growing pains, or the realization that a particular chapter of your life is ending. But they all have something in common: they capture that fleeting feeling of knowing that things are about to change.
That’s what I love about movies. A good film can take us somewhere else, but a really good one can bring back a particular feeling, like a friend I haven’t seen in years, a summer I wish I could relive, the person I used to be, or a season of life that ended before I realized. And while I’m still very much looking forward to fall (give me those crunchy leaves and Halloween movie marathons!), there’s no harm in giving summer one last hurrah.
Have you seen any of these summer favorites? What movie makes you think of summer’s last days? Maybe it’s a childhood classic, a coming-of-age favorite, a summer romance, or something completely unexpected. Let me know in the comments below, and if it’s not already on my watchlist, you might just pick my next movie night movie!
Until then, I’ll be over here savoring the last golden rays of summer, one movie at a time.
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