10 Must-Watch Films of the Summer: Our Top Picks
Summer’s here, and you know what that means. Air conditioning, overpriced popcorn, and two blissful hours of forgetting your inbox exists. This year’s lineup? It’s actually delivering.
I’ve spent the past few months in darkened theaters, and I’m ready to save you from wasting your evening on a dud. Here are ten films that earned their ticket price—and then some.
1. Velocity Dreams
Let me start with the one that surprised me most. This indie racing drama follows Maya, a former street racer trying to rebuild her life after a devastating crash. I walked in expecting Fast & Furious with feelings. What I got was a meditation on fear, failure, and the courage it takes to get back behind the wheel.
The racing sequences are visceral—you’ll grip your armrest. But it’s the quiet moments that stick with you. Director Sofia Chen knows when to hit the gas and when to let silence do the work. Lead actress Zara Mitchell deserves all the awards buzz she’s getting.
2. The Last Botanist
Climate anxiety meets magical realism in this stunning South Korean film. After the world’s plants begin mysteriously dying, a reclusive scientist discovers she can communicate with the last surviving garden. Sounds weird, right? It is. But it’s also achingly beautiful.
I’m not usually one for allegory, but director Park Ji-won makes every frame count. The cinematography alone is worth the price of admission. Fair warning: bring tissues. This one sneaks up on you.
3. Neon Nights
Pure escapism. That’s what this 1980s-set heist comedy delivers, and honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what you need. A crew of misfit thieves plans to steal a priceless arcade cabinet from a tech billionaire’s private collection.
Does the plot make complete sense? Not really. Does Ryan Gosling wearing a neon windbreaker while arguing about Pac-Man strategies make you forget to care? Absolutely. The soundtrack slaps, the one-liners land, and you’ll leave grinning like an idiot.
4. Echoes of Silence
Here’s your prestige drama. A veteran war journalist returns home deaf after an explosion and must rebuild her relationship with her teenage daughter. I know—heavy stuff. But Olivia Colman and newcomer Aisha Thompson create such authentic chemistry that you forget you’re watching actors work.
Director James Morrison doesn’t exploit trauma for emotional manipulation. He respects both his characters and his audience. The film uses silence not as a gimmick but as a narrative tool. You’ll find yourself leaning in, paying attention to every gesture and expression.
5. Galaxy Pirates: The Void Awakens
Yes, it’s a franchise film. Yes, you’ve seen space battles before. But this third installment finally gives the series the heart it’s been missing. The writers made a smart choice: they benched half the cast and focused on the characters we actually care about.
The result? Real stakes, real consequences, and a villain who isn’t just evil for evil’s sake. Plus, that zero-gravity fight scene everyone’s talking about? It earned the hype. Your inner twelve-year-old will be thrilled.
6. The Recipe
This Italian gem centers on three generations of women running a failing restaurant in Naples. What could’ve been a predictable story about tradition versus modernity becomes something richer. The kitchen serves as both literal and metaphorical battleground for family secrets, old wounds, and competing visions of success.
Nobody yells louder than Italian grandmothers in movies, but this one earns every raised voice. Also, you will leave ravenously hungry. Plan accordingly.
7. Midnight in Stockholm
A noir thriller that actually respects your intelligence. A detective investigating a cold case discovers connections to Sweden’s corporate elite. Writer-director Astrid Bergman crafts a conspiracy that unfolds methodically, trusting you to keep up.
The Scandinavian setting gives everything this gorgeous, cold aesthetic—all gray skies and brutalist architecture. Leading man Stellan Skarsgård proves once again that nobody broods quite like Swedish actors. The twist isn’t cheap. You’ll want to rewatch immediately.
8. Finding Home
An animated adventure about a rescue dog searching for his original family. Pixar didn’t make this one, but you wouldn’t know it from the emotional gut-punch. The animation studio Blue Sky knocked this out of the park—their backgrounds have this painterly quality that makes every frame wallpaper-worthy.
Kids will love the adventure. Adults will ugly-cry during the third act. I’m not ashamed to admit I was one of them.
9. The Rehearsal Room
A small British film about a struggling theater company mounting one last production. It’s a love letter to anyone who’s ever poured their heart into something unlikely to succeed. The ensemble cast elevates material that could’ve felt stagey, making it intimate instead.
This won’t set box office records. But it deserves your support—it’s the kind of mid-budget adult drama that rarely gets made anymore.
10. Summer Lightning
My personal favorite. A road trip comedy following two estranged siblings racing across the Southwest to their mother’s surprise birthday party. Along the way: car trouble, emotional breakthroughs, and the best diner scene I’ve seen all year.
Directors Hannah Liu and Marcus Webb find humor in dysfunction without mocking their characters. You laugh with these people, not at them. By the end, you’ll wish the journey lasted longer.
There you have it. Ten films that justify leaving your couch. Whether you want spectacle, substance, or just a solid evening out, this summer’s got you covered.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with an overpriced ICEE.
