The 30 Best Beach Movies to Watch for Instant Vacation Vibes
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You're landlocked in the middle of summer, down to your last popsicle, and the A.C. is no longer doing it for you. Luckily, the salty sea breeze of a classic beach movie will cool you down STAT. Beach movies are always fun, whether they follow characters as they're stranded on an island or they're secretly mermaids who live in a water tower. Or! Perhaps they're running across Greece to find out who their real dad is, all while bursting into the classic sounds of ABBA.
Just looking at images of white sand and turquoise water flicking across your screen instantly relaxes like a cold glass of H2O on a hot day. There's a reason all those pre-set laptop screensavers are pics of empty beaches, people! Show me a video of palm trees swaying in the wind and watch as my heart rate lowers.
If you're wondering what makes a beach movie a beach movie, allow me to break it down:
It was filmed at the beach
It's about the beach
It features some kind of beach vacation scene
All the above
Now that that's settled, let's get to the list so you can start sipping the frozen Pi?a Colada sweating on your coffee table. (No? Get yourself a blender!) These beach movies are so delightful, you'll literally feel the sand between your toes and the warm sun on your skin through the screen.
Blue Crush
You could thrift a whole wardrobe trying to channel Kate Bosworth's breezy surfer vibes...or you could just pop this movie on. Your call.
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Cast Away
Honestly, thinking about being stranded on an island with a bunch of FedEx packages reminds me a lot of April 2020 quarantine lockdown times. But sometimes you just need to cuddle up with your volleyball bestie and watch Tom Hanks go to work.
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The Last Song
Miley and Liam might be over IRL, but this movie is forever. That's what happens when you combine a teen romance set on the stunning southern coast with Ms. Miley's singing. A major throwback, but you'll still belt out every word to "When I Look At You" when it comes on.
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Rough Night
After Bridesmaids there were a ton of female-led ensemble comedies trying to recapture that vibe. This one kind of flew under the radar, but it's super fun! Your faves are in it and the antics are delightful. Nobody's gonna say no to a movie with Zo? Kravitz, Jillian Bell, Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, and Ilana Glazer.
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Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Seagulls in a group, can you hear my prayer? Barb & Star is already an instant classic. Two best friends step outside of their comfort zone for a beach vacation that's anything but basic... and all of the goofy shenanigans that Kristin Wiig can provide? Thank Trish for this perfect beach movie.
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Beaches
It's the ultimate chick flick and it's literally called Beaches, sooo...
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South Pacific
The Rogers and Hammerstein musical has some classic beach looks and is honestly pretty challenging with its social themes. It's a tricky one, because there are some harmful stereotypes and really thoughtful exploration of implicit bias. Plus, you know, some banging melodies.
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The Other Woman
I guarantee you'll laugh your lil bum off throughout every second of this movie about, er, unconventional friendships...like becoming BFFs with the woman your husband cheated on you with and then joining forces to ruin the scumbag's life. Did I mention: beach scenes in the Hamptons and Jamaica. Plus Leslie Mann, Cameron Diaz, Kate Upton, and Nicki Minaj. Pee-your-pants funny.
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The Talented Mr. Ripley
This hot psychological thriller would be nothing without its sunny beach setting. The water! The swimsuits! All the better for what goes down.
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Nights in Rodanthe
Nicholas Sparks is a very beachy writer, and the beach inn featured in this movie is ICONIC. It's also set in North Carolina, so Outer Banks fans might want to take note.
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Mamma Mia!
I can't decide what's more mesmerizing in my all-time favorite movie: Meryl Streep singing ABBA or the breathtaking views of Greece. TG I don't have to choose, ya know? Mamma Mia! is basically an ad for the Greek islands with its deep blue ocean and crisp white buildings. It's also a magical, happy, feel-good movie that'll brighten your mood 100%.
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Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Also: Don't forget about the sequel!!
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The Way Way Back
It's a coming-of-age story. It's a family vacation on the beach. There's a water park. It's very 2013 but what can you do?
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire
For the wistful, contemplative beach movie seekers out there, I got you. Lisa Frank colors aren't for everyone. Grab your coziest mug of tea, turn off folklore, and settle in for this gorgeous (and very sandy) romance.
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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
This instant classic features a beach approximately 1/4 of the time, so we're counting it! There's no better summer movie, truly— especially because Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Amber Tamblyn star as the lovable core four.
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Old
It's not a beach that I personally would like to visit, but it is a beach! Director M. Night Shyamalan's thriller about the beach that makes you old is a must-see, even if you need to read the Wikipedia page first.
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Whale Rider
This New Zealand-set coming-of-age story will warm your heart while you're enchanted by gorgeous scenery. Whale Rider is about a girl named Pai who believes she is destined to be the next chief of her Maori tribe, but her grandfather isn't willing to let go of patriarchal tradition. It's also a perfect family film if you happen to be in mixed company, BTW.
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Ibiza
Gillian Jacobs' work trip to Barcelona becomes a hot adventure when her two chaotic BFFs insist on crashing, and before they know it, they're chasing hot DJ Richard Madden from gig to gig, all the way to the island of Ibiza. This movie is perfect, I have absolutely no notes. It's the only thing that made me smile in the early days of 2020 Vitamin D deprivation, you have no idea.
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Teen Beach Movie
You know how sometimes you just wanna turn your brain off and watch a Disney Channel Original Movie? What if I told you this one is low-key a masterpiece? It's about two kids who, on the verge of breaking up after a perfect summer, get sucked into an old '60s style beach movie (it used to be a whole thing, Google "Annette Funicello") and fall back in love while figuring out how to sing and dance their way out of this wacky situation.
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Y Tu Mamá También
If you want to watch some seriously horny coming of age movie instead, Alfonso Cuarón's iconic film is right for you. When their girlfriends go away for the summer, Julio and Tenoch go on a road trip to the beach with an older woman that takes some angsty and hot twists and turns. That's probably oversimplifying the plot of this, but uhhhh... vibes only.
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Aquamarine
Yes, of course Aquamarine is on this list, don't act surprised. Hello, two girls find a real-life mermaid who help them live their best lives. Still not over those talking starfish earrings...
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Fool's Gold
Featuring the legendary rom-com duo Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, this early 2000s flick involves an elaborate treasure hunt in the Caribbean. Think aquamarine water, lush tropical islands, and that Hudson-McConaughey chemistry we all love and need. Goes perfect with a rum drink and your couch.
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Forgetting Sarah Marshall
So you go to Hawaii after getting dumped (break-up vacays are most definitely a thing) only to discover that your ex (and their new S.O.) are staying at the same hotel. This comedy starring Jason Segal and Mila Kunis puts Drake's question to the test: how you goin' be mad on vacation?
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Couples Retreat
Four couples head to legit paradise but soon find out they have to endure marriage counseling in order to stay. The movie is shot in Bora Bora which is pretty much a screen-saver background come to life. Besides drooling over the fake-looking turquoise ocean and the overwater villas, you'll be cracking up at this hilarious comedy.
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How Stella Got Her Groove Back
Stella is a hard-working, bad-ass boss who hasn't relaxed in a minute. Her friends force her to go on vacation to Jamaica (side note: where can I find friends like that?) where she meets the smokin' hot Taye Diggs. The kind of island fling you've always dreamed about during vacay, tbh.
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Into the Blue
swimsuits, chiseled bods, and diving in the Bahamas...what more could you want? Oh, add a young Jessica Alba and Paul Walker and you have Into the Blue, a movie that's part action, part thriller, and major beautiful scenery.
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Something's Gotta Give
Would it truly be a Diane Keaton movie without a picturesque house at an enviable location, such as, IDK, a mansion in the Hamptons? A classic rom-com about falling in love on the beach. And Keanu Reeves plays a doctor, in case you need another reason to love him.
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Something Borrowed
Like the book it's based on, Something Borrowed is perfect for the beach. The movie is what we all wish our summers in the city looked like: going back and forth between NYC and the Hamptons. It also has a pretty entertaining and intriguing storyline, like having an affair with your best friend's fiancé who you've been in love with forever. You know, a typical summertime romance ordeal. Plus: John Krasinski is involved.
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Just Go With It
With a cast featuring Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, and Adam Sandler and lush Hawaii as the backdrop, this rom-com is exactly what you want from a beach movie: funny, easy, not so serious, and most of all, re-lax-ing.
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50 First Dates
Another classic Adam Sandler situation: a Groundhog Day-esque movie (but with the beach instead of snow, phew) about falling in love with a girl who has memory loss. The comedy poses a seriously difficult question: would you go on 50 first dates if they were all on the beach?
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