Great beach movies can effortlessly conjure the sun-kissed, saltwater-tinged glory of actually spending the day riding the waves and searching for the ice cream truck—seriously, why is it always so hard to find the orange Popsicle of my dreams at Riis Beach?—all without having to brave the glaring sun, wash sand out of all your belongings, or deal with any of the other not-so-fun parts of embarking on a beach day. They also feel especially apropos this time of year.
While some may know the present season as “spring,” I prefer to think of it as “those months when it’s getting slightly warm out, but not hot enough to actually go to the beach, so you have to spend all your time inside watching movies about the beach.” (Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?)
In that spirit, here are 13 of the best beach movies about sun, surf, and oceanside romance.
Gidget (1959)
Gidget was one of the first films to put California surf culture (in all its sunscreen-scented, tanned, Valley Girl-accented glory) on the map, and it’s still well worth a rewatch if you want to marvel at how charming movies used to be—and get some moodboard inspiration for your next vintage swimwear purchase.
Jaws (1975)
Is this what they call an “aspirational” beach movie? Not exactly (unless you’re really, really into sharks), but the classic ’70s Spielberg film, shot largely on Martha’s Vineyard, is required viewing for any beach-movie syllabus worth its salt. Also, incidentally, has there ever been a more handsome, mustachioed, salt-crusty movie character than Captain Quint, as played by Robert Shaw?
Grease (1978)
Some may take umbrage at my inclusion of Grease as a quintessential beach movie, given that most of the action takes place on land, but excuse me: Where do Danny and Sandy first meet and begin the romance that sustains the rest of the film? The beach, of course! (Grease’s opening oceanside scenes were filmed at Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu. Fun fact!)
The Blue Lagoon (1980)
This classic ’80s film takes the “day at the beach” concept to the next level, casting Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins as two young children marooned on a tropical island who (spoiler) eventually grow to fall in love with each other and have children of their own. First, though, they do a lot of skinny-dipping in crystal-clear blue waters off the South Pacific that will surely inspire you to swim in ocean water ASAP.
Cast Away (2000)
Aww, Tom Hanks in the year 2000! Were we ever so young? Unsurprisingly, Hanks absolutely steals this film about a FedEx troubleshooter who gets stranded on a desert island after his plane goes down in the South Pacific, and it’s not just because his main costar is a volleyball with a face drawn on it. Wilson, you will always be famous!
Blue Crush (2002)
Not to oversimplify the life of Hawaii surf girls, but waking up in a beachside house with your besties and little sister, only to get right outside and ride the waves—as protagonist Anne-Marie (Kate Bosworth) does in this classic sporty rom-com—sounds pretty ideal. If you want more surf-girl material once you’re done with Blue Crush, check out the Susan Orlean article that inspired the film.
Aquamarine (2006)
If you’re in charge of kids who are clamoring to be taken to the beach, a viewing of Aquamarine might just be the next best thing. In this family-friendly film starring JoJo, Sara Paxton, and Emma Roberts, two best friends uncover a local mermaid (!) on their beach vacation and endeavor to keep her secret—and find her love with a handsome lifeguard.
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Of all the movies on this list, Mamma Mia! is probably the one that’s gotten me out of a bad mood more speedily than any other. I mean, how are you supposed to watch Meryl Streep singing her heart out on a stunning Greek island (accompanied by Christine Baranski and Julie Walters, no less) without being sort of grateful that you’re alive at the same time as ABBA?
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Listen, do I love the fact that Jonah Hill and Russell Brand costar in this film? Not at all, but Forgetting Sarah Marshall remains one of the very best getaway movies in spite of their presence. Its sweeping shots of Hawaiian shorelines and rock formations overlooking the ocean (like the one hapless dumped composer Peter clings to desperately in one of the scene’s funniest movies) will likely have you looking up Google Flights to Oahu.
The Descendants (2011)
This Hawaii-set film gets into some deep territory surrounding family, identity, destiny, gentrification, and more, but the scene that’s burned into my brain forever is the one of Shailene Woodley—who plays a teenager grieving her mom—diving into her family’s pool to silently scream and sob out her suffering underwater. Plus, all the shots of the majesty of the natural world that encompasses Hawaii don’t hurt!
Beach Rats (2017)
Don’t sleep on this gem from director Eliza Hittman, which largely takes place on and around the Coney Island boardwalk. Beach Rats features Harris Dickinson, in his feature film debut, as a 19-year-old Brooklynite grappling with his future and sexual identity against the backdrop of a troubled home life, and it captures of the pre-COVID New York beach scene admirably.
Old (2021)
“The beach that makes you old” was the jumping-off point for a lot of social-media riffs when M. Night Shyamalan’s body-horror film first came out, but the film (which is based on the French-language Swiss graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters) is well worth a watch if you’re able to stomach a beach-set horror narrative.
Anora (2024)
Is this major Oscar winner the most traditional beach movie ever? No, but who says a beach movie has to revolve around the beach in summer? In Anora, an enterprising young woman meets the richer-than-God son of a Russian oligarch and quickly begins to plan her escape from her day-to-day life as a stripper and sometime sex worker in Brighton Beach. We get plenty of shots of the mostly Russophone area in the film, as well as a crucial scene that unfolds in a real-life Coney Island candy store that’s been around since the 1940s.
