The heat is on! And if you're looking to enjoy the summer while staying cozy in an air-conditioned home, we've got you covered.

Each week, our New to Streaming guide offers the best (and worst) titles new to streaming platforms like Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, Apple TV+, and more. Beyond that, we offer watch guides for all of the above streamers, broken down by genres like comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're looking for something that just says "SUMMER" — we're here to help.

Looking across platforms, here are 10 movies that revel in vacation vibes, getaway thrills, and even some steamy romance. All you've got to do is click through and hit play.

Read on for the best summer movies now streaming, plus a wild card that's been heating up on social media.

10. The Sandlot (1993)

Want something family-friendly for a summer movie night in? The Sandlot is a home run.

Set in the summer of 1962, this beloved kids' movie is a look back at a formative summer in which a new kid on the block found his crew in a scrappy team of backyard baseball lovers. In the San Fernando Valley, Scotty Smalls is awkward and far from athletic. But to make friends, he'll do just about anything — even venture into the backyard of local legend The Beast (meaning a big, mean dog that's definitely eaten people before).

Yet this Beast plotline is far from the only summer adventure The Sandlot offers. With a collection of quirky characters like Benny the Jet, Ham Porter, Yeah-Yeah, and Squints, this nostalgic romp is full of fun and funny moments. It's also a charming coming-of-age story that happened to give us a catchphrase that's proved only more useful as we grow up: "You're killing me, Smalls!"

How to watch: The Sandlot is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

9. In the Heights (2021)

Cruelly, summer isn't all about vacations. But even if you're working hard, that doesn't mean love, friendship, and dreamy days of music and summer fun are off the playlist.

Adapted from Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda's other Tony Award–winning musical, In the Heightsstars Anthony Ramos as Usnavi de la Vega, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who's living and loving in the Washington Heights. Directed by Wicked helmer Jon M. Chu, the stage show becomes a cinematic tour across the lively New York City neighborhood, where an ensemble of colorful locals break into song and dance with captivating verve.

Whether in a busy bodega, a popping beauty salon, on the bustling streets, or in a crowded public pool, In the Heights is a celebration of community and the immigrants who built it but are being forced out through gentrification. A story that's moving, timely, and crowd-pleasing, In the Heights will have you jumping out of your seat and singing along.

Starring: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, and Jimmy Smits

How to watch: In the Heights is available for rental or purchase on Prime Video.

8. Dirty Dancing (1987)

"Iconic" is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days. But this summer romance starring Jennifer Grey and a rugged Patrick Swayze is truly iconic. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, Dirty Dancing was dripping with nostalgia for the 1960s with its torrid tale of a teen girl's first love.

Grey stars as Frances "Baby" Houseman, who is less-than-thrilled on vacation at a boring Catskills resort with her preppy family. Then she meets dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze), who inspires a fire inside her that makes her not just want to dance — but to dirty dance.

A sizzling soundtrack and steamy scenes of seduction to a still sexy score make for a movie that's almost too hot to handle. But heads up, the movie's themes of class conflict and a woman's right to her own body are going to feel less dated, and more horridly timely.

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, and Cynthia Rhodes

How to watch: Dirty Dancing is now streaming on MovieSphere+.

7. Girls Trip (2017)

There are several great comedies about girls' trips, from Bridesmaids to Rough Night, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. But Malcolm D. Lee's Girls Trip is undoubtedly the best when it comes to capturing the unique fun, thrills, and mayhem of summer good times.

Written by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver, Girls Trip follows a group of Black friends (Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Queen Latifah) who head to New Orleans for the Essence Music Festival. Praying and partying together since college, their lives have pulled them down different paths, both personal and professional. But on this trip, they'll see a whole new side to one another, and discover things about themselves, be it on a zipline or an absinthe trip!

A wild and warm film that powerfully celebrates Black joy, Girls Trip is side-splittingly funny, with sequences that'll have you cackling — and maybe inspire you to plan a girls' trip of your own.

Starring: Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Larenz Tate, Mike Colter, Kate Walsh, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Queen Latifah

How to watch: Girls Trip is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

6. A Perfect Getaway (2009)

This is one of those movies that just deserved better. Written and directed by David Twohy, A Perfect Getaway is the kind of summer thriller that's so twisted and sexy you're going to want to watch it again immediately. And yet when it came out, it fizzled at the box office and got mixed reviews from critics. But hear me out.

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Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich star as newlyweds, flush with cash from their "wedding haul" and giddy to explore the natural wonders of Hawaii on a long hike into its tropical hiking trails. There's just one problem. News reports say there are a couple of killers on the loose on the island, and they seem to be targeting honeymooners. Several suspects pop up along the trail, like a hippie couple with a hostile edge (played by Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton), or the braggadocio veteran full of tall tales and his hillbilly girlfriend (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez). Who's a threat and who's going to make it out alive?

There's only one way to find out. Watch and see.

Starring: Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Chris Hemsworth, Marley Shelton, Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez

How to watch: A Perfect Getaway is now streaming on HBO Max.

5. Dìdi (2024)

Want to feel like a kid again? Are you sure? One of our favorite films of 2024, Dìdicaptures what it felt like to be coming of age in the 2000s, capturing the good, the bad, and the AIM messaging.

Set in the summer of 2008, the directorial debut of writer/helmer Sean Wang follows a 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy (Izaac Wang) who goes by several names (Chris/Dìdi/Wang Wang), all the better to code-switch for his family, skater friends, school crush, and beyond. As he looks to make the most of his summer, this eager-to-impress hero lays down little white lies, flirts poorly, alienates friends with off-putting anecdotes, and screams at his devoted mom (Joan Chen). And those of us who've lived through such hot, hormonal, and socially awkward days may cringe in recognition every step of the way.

Then, on top of all this, the emotionally intelligent filmmaker also captures the heartache and earnestness a generation first poured into MySpace and AIM Instant Messenger. Watching Dìdi is less like taking a vacation and more like time-traveling, because the director and his young cast so superbly recreate this era and its anxieties. It's not just a good summer movie, or a great coming-of-age movie, it's an excellent movie that's an absolute must-see.

Starring: Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua, Mahaela Park, and Raul Dial

How to watch: Dìdi is now streaming onPrime Video.

4. Independence Day (1996)

'Tis the season to revisit co-writer/director Roland Emmerich's national treasure, Independence Day. This Hollywood blockbuster was not only a hit in its own time, but also stood out as the best of a flood of '90s disaster movies. And it didn't hurt that this one was flooded with famous faces.

Jeff Goldblum (making his first appearance on this list, but not the last!) stars as a scientist who realizes there's something sinister in the arrival of a fleet of UFOs around the world. Naturally, he reaches out to his ex-wife, who is White House communications director (Margaret Colin) to the president (Bill Pullman). After some heart-racing destruction, he and a hot-shot Marine pilot (Will Smith) are pulled into a Hail Mary mission to save all mankind from a ruthless alien invasion.

It's a true ensemble piece that transports audience from the Oval Office to the bustling streets of New York City to humble trailer parks and the mysterious Area 51, along the way introducing a varied array of characters and making the action come to life with a backdrop of ardent humanity. It's a movie about overcoming our differences to fight a greater threat that would rather see us die than coexist. Between Bill Pullman's rousing speech to the explosive finale, Independence Day is a ray of hope, there whenever you need it.

Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner, Harry Connick, Jr., Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, and Harvey Fierstein

How to watch: Independence Day is now streaming on Hulu.

3. Jurassic Park (1993)

Steven Spielberg would come to define summer movies with a series of epic offerings, two of which made this list. Based on the Michael Crichton novel, Jurassic Park dreamed up an absolutely epic amusement park, where families could come and ride rides, buy overpriced merch, and see actual living, breathing dinosaurs. But despite the "spared no expense" enthusiasm of Jurassic Park founder John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), life — uh — found a way. Basically, yeah, the ancient beasts broke loose of our puny modern containment units and turned would-be tourists into prey.

Among those on the run are a trio of experts that Hammond had hoped would endorse his venture. But grumbly paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill), plucky paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and ruthlessly sexy mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) soon go from awed by these resurrected dinosaurs to running away from them. ("Must go faster!")

Spielberg not only managed to make a movie that was so wildly entertaining that other filmmakers are still plagiarizing his sequences 30 years later — looking at youColin Trevorrow! — but also brought together a cast that was as utterly captivating as his jaw-dropping dinosaurs. Neill, Dern, and Goldblum have a hot and chaotic tension that's launched countless crushes and ships. And while you can also stream this movie's many sequels, none will hit quite as hard as the first.

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, B.D. Wong, Ariana Richards, and Joseph Mazzello

How to watch: Jurassic Park is now streaming on Peacock.

2. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)

You might have missed this comedy gem, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to a serious Hollywood shake-up that pushed Barb and Star to a VOD release rather abruptly in Feb. 2021. But it was the summery friendship cocktail we craved in a dark time, and still do, over and over.

Written by and starring Bridesmaids' scribes Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Maris a madcap buddy comedy that balances a tale of middle-age besties looking to get their groove back on a joint vacation to a bubbly beach town with an Austin Powers-worthy supervillain who's looking to annihilate the titular destination. Mumolo and Wiig headline as Barb and Star, roomies who are seeking tit-flapping fun in the sun — and maybe romance! And they find both when they meet a handsome hunk (Fifty Shades of Grey's Jamie Dornan), who is secretly doing the bidding of the wicked, villainous Sharon Fisherman (also Wiig).

If that plot sounds bonkers, oh baby, you don't even know. From Josh Greenbaum, the director of the funny friendship doc Will and Harper, Barb and Star offers the kind of deeply dumb humor that's weirdly brilliant. There's physical comedy, celebrity cameos, quotable lines, and a musical number that's as inexplicable as it is awesome.

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo, Jamie Dornan, Damon Wayans Jr., Andy Garcia, and Reba McEntire

How to watch: Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is now streaming on Hulu.

1. Jaws (1975)

The historical blockbuster is a summer tradition for good reason. When it came out 50 years ago, it scared a generation into being afraid of sharks and the ocean. Since then, it's spawned three sequels (also all streaming) and an array of imitators. Some were good (Deep Blue Sea, 47 Meters Down, The Shallows, Dangerous Animals) and some were very, very bad (Under Paris, Sharknado, Shark Night).

The original was helmed by Steven Spielberg, who feared his unreliable robot shark Bruce would be the end of his burgeoning career. Spoiler: It was not. Instead, Jaws launched Spielberg and became one of the most iconic movies of all time. Roy Scheider stars as Sheriff Martin Brody of Amity Island, a place that absolutely depends on tourists' dollars come summer. When a swimmer turns up chewed to bits on their picturesque beach, the money-hungry mayor (Murray Hamilton) demands the beach stay open on the 4th of July. More deaths will follow, pushing the thalassophobic Brody into the sea aboard the Orca, captained by the surly Quint (Robert Shaw) and aided by the smug shark expert Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss).

Sure, on the surface, this is a creature feature, rich with blood, scary attack sequences, and an epic final showdown. But beneath this splashy spectacle, Jaws is also a tale of greed, masculinity, and family. Fifty years later, it's still making a big splash.

Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss

How to watch: Jaws 1-4 are now streaming on Peacock.

Wild Card: Copycat (1995)

A solid box office success in 1995, this serial-killer thriller somehow flew under the radar pop culture-wise until recently. I say this as someone who's been low-key obsessed with Copycat since I first saw it back in 1995, when I was definitely too young to be watching this R-rated movie, which features graphic scenes of sexualized violence against women. But hey, parenting was a lot different before everyone had the internet on their phones.

Anyhow, Copycat has hit Netflix, sparking new interest and audiences. And it's about time. Sure, some things about this '90s thriller feel a bit dated. But the core story is about true crime obsession and being maybe too online. So, it fits pretty well into our modern moment.

Sigourney Weaver stars as a criminal psychologist who has developed agoraphobia after being violently attacked by a stalker. Though he's been imprisoned, she's under threat once again when a new serial killer begins teasing cops by meticulously re-enacting the crimes of notorious serial killers like the Boston Strangler, the Hillside Strangler, and Jeffrey Dahmer. On the case is the unassuming inspector M.J. Monahan (Holly Hunter) and her flirtatious partner Reuben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney), who chase down every lead — including the captured stalker played by a Southern-fried, dirty-talking Harry Connick Jr.

Deranged, sexy, and surprising, Copycat is a juicy watch, whether you've seen it before or not. Weaver is riveting as a devastatingly intelligent woman whose fear of the outside world has chased her to live chiefly online through chat rooms. (Oh, the '90s!) Hunter and Mulroney have a crackling will-they-won't-they chemistry, while Connick (and his secret cohort) offer a chilling portrayal of villainy. It's not strictly a summer movie, but it is hot, sticky, and exciting — kind of like a rollercoaster!

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney. William McNamara, Will Patton, John Rothman, J. E. Freeman, and Harry Connick Jr.

How to watch: Copycat is now streaming on Netflix.

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