Life

These 11 Summer Romance Movies On Netflix Are The Perfect Escape

by Jacqueline Burt Cote

Now that summer is just about in full swing, it's time to seriously get yourself pumped for the next couple of months: Summer-themed playlists, beach-ready novels, and (of course) as many summery movies streaming straight to your screen as possible. Lucky for you, there are lots of seasonally appropriate films available for immediate viewing, whether you choose to watch them while sipping an umbrella drink or packing for vacation or when it's legit to hot to go outside. Even better, they're romantic AF. So what are the best summer romance movies on Netflix right now?

Whether you feel like losing yourself in a teen romance (because yes, adults like watching those too) or a zany romantic comedy where everything goes wrong until something finally goes so unbelievably right, there's something to suit your every mood and/or relationship stage. That's the great thing about summer romance movies: They can make you laugh, cry, laugh/cry, and everything in between, and they also have the kind of Insta-worthy scenery that's going to send you scrambling to book a last-minute getaway to just about anyplace that has palm trees, salt water, and sand. Oh, and these also happen to feature some pretty amazing performances, too.

1

'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' (2008)

Jason Segel wrote and starred in this ridiculously fun movie about a down on his luck composer who gets dumped by his TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). Co-starring Russell Brand as Sarah's outrageous new BF and Mila Kunis as Segel's new and improved love interest, most of the action happens in Hawaii for maximum summer vibes.

2

'Cocktail' (1988)

If you're old enough to remember when the original Full House was actually on TV, then you're old enough to remember when Uncle Jesse played "Kokomo" with The Beach Boys... and that means you also probably remember that "Kokomo" just happened to be from a little movie called Cocktail starring a young, often shirtless Tom Cruise falling in love with a young, occasionally shirtless Elisabeth Shue. Plus, he does all sorts of impressive bartender tricks on the beach. (And if you're not old enough to remember any of that, then get yourself caught up ASAP.)

3

'Along Came Polly' (2004)

Another rom-com about a guy who gets dumped by his girl (this time Ben Stiller and Debra Messing) featuring gorgeous beach scenes (this time on St. Barts), Along Came Polly is all about what happens when a tightly-wound protagonist has his world turned upside down by a free-spirited type (Jennifer Aniston).

4

'Mamma Mia!' (2008)

Based on the Broadway musical of the same name and starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, this is the one to watch if you love fluffy love stories and you're secretly dreaming of a trip to the Greek islands (speaking of stunning beaches). It helps if you like ABBA, too, obvi.

5

'Before Midnight' (2013)

The third installment in Richard Linklater's brilliant Before... series (also including Before Sunrise and Before Sunset), this final film features Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy at their absolute finest, playing two longtime star-crossed lovers whose story has reached a quietly devastating, deeply felt conclusion. A must-see.

6

'Summertime' (2015)

A French-Belgian drama directed by Catherine Corsini and starring Cécile de France, Izïa Higelin and Noémie Lvovsky, this award-winner tells the steamy tale of Carole and Delphine, two lovers in 1971 who have trouble finding acceptance back at Delphine's family farm.

7

'Adore' (2013)

Set in an Australian seaside town you'll want to visit, like, yesterday, this is the story of wwo lifelong BFFs (Robin Wright and Naomi Watts) who start affairs with each other's sons. (What could go wrong?)

8

'SPF-18' (2017)

A classic "coming of age" tale narrated by Goldie Hawn, this one has all the perfect summer movie ingredients: A surfer girl, a mysterious musician, and a Malibu setting. Starring Carson Meyer, Noah Centineo, Bianca A. Santos, Jackson White, Molly Ringwald and Rosanna Arquette.

9

'Good Kids' (2016)

With a cast including Zoey Deutch, Nicholas Braun, and Ashley Judd, Good Kids chronicles the romantic ups and downs of four overachiever types (as in, good kids) trying to reinvent themselves during the summer after high school graduation.

10

'Princess Cyd' (2017)

While visiting her aunt in Chicago for the summer, 16-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) has an awakening of sorts when she falls for a local barista named Katie (Malic White) and realizes she's going to have to figure things out (like sex) on her own.

11

'Ibiza' (2018)

Starring Gillian Jacobs, Vanessa Bayer, and Phoebe Robinson, the "girls trip" rom-com Ibiza is a familiar set-up: A 30-something professional type leaves it all behind to run after a famous DJ after bumping into him on a work trip to Barcelona. Naturally, following her bliss doesn't necessarily lead to... well, bliss.

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