These Nostalgic Summer Movies Will Whisk You Back to the 90s!

Sunshine, popsicles and a view of the ocean are exactly what’s needed for the perfect summer day. But if you’re looking for something to give you that extra nostalgic feel, you may want to check out these 90s summer movies.

With the weather getting warmer and the sun shining brighter, a great way to embrace the season is with these flicks that are the perfect watch if you’re seeking a throwback summer movie experience from your younger days. Whether it’s an action film like Point Break (1991) or a dark thriller like I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), these 90s summer movies have something for everyone.

1. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Easily one of the great summer horror flicks, I Know What You Did Last Summer is the perfect watch (just maybe not by yourself). Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt, this 1997 film follows the lives of four teens who are involved in a horrific accident. A year after dumping what they thought was a dead body in the water, the teens are stalked by a crazed killer whose on the hunt for blood and answers.

When the hook-wielding maniac — who apparently knows exactly what they did last summer — goes after the teens and stalks them with taunting letters, they must work together to figure out who is after them and why, while staying alive doing so.

Where to Stream: Hulu, Paramount+, Pluto TV

2. The Parent Trap (1998): 90s summer movies

Two strangers, Annie and Hallie, discover they are actually twin sisters — each living with one of their parents — after meeting unexpectedly at summer camp. The girls devise a plan to reunite their estranged mom and dad, and go as far as exchanging identities to meet the parent they never knew.

After director Nancy Meyers posted about the 23^rd anniversary of the movie, star Lindsay Lohan commented, “Thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime.”

With Lohan starring as both Annie and Hallie, The Parent Trap will fill you with all of the summery nostalgic feels.

WHERE TO STREAM: Disney+

3. Dazed and Confused (1993)

Set in 1976, a group of rowdy Texas teenagers celebrate their last day of high school, the graduates enjoying an impromptu keg party. But football star Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London) must abstain in preparation for the upcoming championship game.

Starring Matthew McConaughey in his breakout role as David Wooderson, Dazed and Confused follows the highs and lows of high school graduates on an adventure. Interestingly, the catchphrase that became associated with McConaughey, “Alright, alright, alright,” was first featured in this film. He also credits the movie for changing the trajectory of his career.

“That was the role that, at the time, I didn’t know if it [acting] was going to be a hobby or something I was doing for the summer, and it turned out to be a career. That’s where it all started and I always look back to that one.”

4. The Sandlot (1993): 90s summer movies

This family film is one of the great 90s summer movies that is a must-watch. After Smalls moves to a new neighborhood, he befriends a group of boys who play baseball at the sandlot. The film revolves around their hilarious adventures and mishaps and is the epitome of a 90s summer movie.

WHERE TO STREAM: Disney+

5. Point Break (1991)

After multiple bank robberies take place in Southern California, FBI agent, Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) is tasked with catching the suspected crooks. This group of thieves, made up of surfers and led by Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), wear masks of former presidents to conceal their identities.

But when Utah finds himself falling for female surfer, Tyler (Lori Petty), who is close with the gang of suspects, he is caught in the middle of doing what is right and what he wants. Reeves shared that fans of the film tell him how it impacted their lives. “I run into people and they say ‘I started surfing because of Point Break.’ It really changed people’s lives, just like it did mine.”

WHERE TO STREAM: Paramount+