From the campfires on the beach to the long nights spent talking while a warm breeze blows, summer romance movies practically write themselves. The summer season is a nostalgic time for many adults when they think back to the simpler times of being out of school, getting their first job, and desperately waiting to be invited to those parties that bring everyone together. For teenagers, it’s a time to relax and forget about the troubles that line the halls of their school. There is something about the warm rays of the sun on the skin and the sound of crickets in the distance that has a hold on many of us.
Summer is also a time for bold moves and honest conversations. Confidence seems to grow in the warm weather, and people take chances they never thought they would. Some become daredevils to show off to a crowd, and then others get more intimate with a certain individual. Either way, there are plenty of meet-cutes that take place, and sparks begin to fly. If you are like the majority of people longing for the simpler times, check out the best summer romance movies to watch on Netflix.
10 Along for the Ride
The summer between high school and college is a crucial time in a young adult’s life. They want to hold on to the simplicity of childhood, but the excitement of moving on and being independent is just too exciting. For Auden West in Along for the Ride, she decides it is the perfect time to reinvent herself by moving in with her estranged father and taking risks with things she had never tried before. While on a nightly stroll, she meets a guy, Eli, who takes a liking to Auden’s approach with her very last carefree summer. The two go on adventures together, Eli introduces Auden to many new things, and secrets are shared during the long nights.
9 The Last Summer
From treating love like a business proposition to hooking up with some older women, the ensemble cast in The Last Summer does not allow for a dull moment during their summer break before college. Couples like Phoebe and Griffin and Erin and Alec put their relationships to the test as they let other things and people come between them. Then, there is Audrey doing her absolute best to focus on herself and figure out her future while a boy named Foster has the ultimate goal to sleep with several young women before the sunny season ends. Lastly, Chad and Reece simply want to keep up their “businessmen facade” with the ladies. Stories intertwine, but in the end, everyone knows they have to do what is best for themselves in the moment.
8 Endless Love
Nothing makes two people want to be together more than someone telling them they have to separate. For Jade and David in Endless Love, Jade’s father would be the one desperately trying to tear them apart for the sake of Jade’s future. The two do everything to be together, and Jade’s mother, Anne, even tries to help David and Jade make it work. After Jade’s father successfully gets the two apart with a restraining order, the rest of the family begins to unravel and show how much he has ruined their lives. Jade and David eventually reunite, but it is not without a horrible tragedy that almost leaves a couple of people in flames.
7 The Choice
People either love their neighbors or they hate them, and for Travis and Gabby in The Choice, both were true. At first, Gabby found her bachelor of a neighbor inconsiderate and rude from his loud music to his intact canine getting her dog pregnant. Travis initially tried to brush her off and claim to his sister that the new neighbor “bothers” him, but he could not hide his smile as he uttered the words. From feuding to friendship, this pair eventually grew fond enough of one another to begin a relationship. Then, when Gabby’s boyfriend comes back to the states, their love story is disrupted, but Travis still believes she is a woman worth fighting for.
6 A Week Away
Summer camp is where kids go to make memories, and for Will Hawkins in A Week Away, he found himself in a situation where he got to choose either camp or juvie. While at camp, Will becomes immediately interested in an outgoing girl named Avery. To get her attention, Will does his best to stand out from the crowd. The two connect, and they end up sharing how they both feel like they’re living a lie. Will is hiding how hurt he is from his past, and Avery feels like she has to please everyone at the expense of shutting out her true self. From the musical numbers to the nostalgic summer games we all miss, this summer romance was destined to happen.
5 Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between
During their senior year of high school, Aiden pursues Clare, but she puts a stop to his affectionate behavior because she cannot let herself believe in high school love. Obviously hurt, Aiden proposes a unique decision: they only date until the end of summer when they have to part ways for college. They will have a fast and fun relationship, and their outcome is already known. Clare agrees to this, and when summer comes around, Aiden wants to take back his words. He tries to show Clare how great of a time they have as a couple, and she even reconsiders her feelings for a brief moment. At the end of Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, both come clean about their intentions and feelings.
4 Dear John
Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfriend star in Dear John as two people who absolutely love each other, but timing never seems to be their strong suit. When John (Tatum) and Savannah (Seyfried) first meet, there is an instant connection. They spend their days and nights together getting to know each other’s desires and histories. However, given that John serves in the United States Army, duty calls for him back overseas. The couple chooses to continue their relationship through letters, but after years apart, the relationship naturally takes a toll.
3 Rip Tide
Debby Ryan stars in this summer coming-of-age film as a young model named Cora Hamilton. After a video and some pictures are released of Cora in a very vulnerable situation, she decides to leave her entire life behind in New York and move to Australia to live with her aunt. Finally, in a place where nobody knows her and there are no set schedules and grueling expectations, Cora feels free. A local surfing instructor catches Cora’s eye, and sparks begin to fly with their new relationship. Cora learns a lot about herself, her family, and her own desires in Rip Tide, but she also learns what it is like to have someone love her without expecting things in return.
2 Love & Gelato
There is something about young Americans in European countries that makes for the perfect romance mixed with a bit of quirky fun. In Love & Gelato, Lina Emerson feels like she needs to do something big with her life the summer before she heads off to college, so she books a ticket to Rome to learn about her late mother’s upbringing. While there, she goes on solo adventures, makes friends, and falls in love with two very charming young men. Lina thinks her biggest challenge is choosing between the two, but she eventually discovers that there are more important things to consider.
1 Resort to Love
Erica Wilson (played by Christina Milian) feels as if the whole world is against her when her big breakthrough falls through in Resort to Love. Single and tired of relying on others, Erica’s best friend gets her a gig at an island resort in Mauritius to forget everything that has happened to her. While Erica is starting to find her confidence as a singer again, her ex-fiance shows up for his wedding weekend. Erica wrestles with her feelings for him, and she ends up confiding in his brother, Caleb. The honest conversations turn into lots of time spent together, and Erica’s desire to get her ex-fiance back fades away.