Five perfect movies for a sizzling hot summer’s day

Posted On August 9, 2024August 9, 2024

When the sun is scorching the pavements and streaming through our windows, making even the most minor activity into a sweltering chore, it’s nice to imagine ourselves being able to enjoy the sun in an alternative environment. Let’s face it: hot weather is only truly enjoyable when we’re in the right setting, such as a picturesque beach or a bar in France, drinking wine on tables laid out across cobbled streets.

Sometimes, the only way we can get there is through the medium of cinema, which can transport us to places that are much more visually appealing, although the characters we get to know within these worlds are often better left on the screen.

The heat can make us go a little crazy, it seems, and many movies that are set during those hot, sticky summers that seem romantic and dreamy, often contain narrative elements that descend into betrayal, death, and conflict.

With that being said, many of these films are also incredibly sexy at their core, with sun-tanned bodies stretching out over one another filling our screens, as poolside romance is flirted with before quickly souring. From Y tu mamá tambien to La Piscine, here are five films that capture the heat of a sizzling hot summer’s day.

Five perfect movies for a hot summer day:

5. Y tu mamá tambien (Alfonso Cuarón, 2001)

A complex love triangle forms within Y tu mamá tambien, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, which follows two teenage boys, Julio and Tenoch, and a woman named Luisa. The boys are introduced as stereotypical sex-hungry boys who love nothing more than sleeping with their girlfriends, but after meeting Luisa and embarking on a road trip, their preoccupation with sex causes them a wealth of issues.

Jealousy, sexual confusion and death are just some of the themes that are explored in Y tu mamá tambien, which remains Cuarón’s best film. Set in Mexico, the characters are often seen swimming at the pool, lounging by the beach or having sex in hot cars. It sometimes feels as though the heat is radiating off the screen, with the characters managing the weather by wearing swimsuits, cowboy hats, cut off clothing and bandanas.

4. Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino, 2017)

Arguably the most well-known movie on this list, Call Me By Your Name was released to critical acclaim in 2017, giving Timothee Chalamet his big break. Directed by Luca Guadagnino and based on André Aciman’s novel of the same name, the film follows Chalamet’s Elio, a 17-year-old who falls in love with his father’s slightly older summer intern, Oliver. Set in Northern Italy, the movie sees the pair grow closer among swimming pools, archaeological trips, outdoor bars, fields, and the beautiful streets of Crema, where they take their bicycles.

The relationship between the two is marred by several complications, and we see the summer romance ultimately come to an end. Yet, their whirlwind romance is one of late-night rendezvous, sweaty skin, and 1980s pop. It’s the perfect hot weather watch that’ll have you Googling plane tickets to Italy as soon as it’s over.

3. La Piscine (Jacques Deray, 1969)

There are few stars who could fit the bill for this list more than Alain Delon, which is why he appears twice. With La Piscine from 1969, he starred alongside Romy Schneider, with whom he’d been previously engaged, as well as Jane Birkin and Maurice Ronet. The movie follows the group as they holiday in the French Riviera, spending lots of time lounging by the pool as the harsh sun beats down on their bronzed bodies.

This quaintness doesn’t last long, though. Soon, jealousy between lovers leads to tragic events, and the holiday descends into a nightmare that cannot be rectified. The film has been highly influential, inspiring François Ozon’s Swimming Pool and Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, both of which have similar sticky summer settings.

2. Purple Noon (René Clément, 1960)

Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr Ripley, Purple Noon, directed by Réne Clément, centres around Alain Delon’s Tom Ripley, who will do whatever it takes to maintain his lavish lifestyle – even if it involves an elaborate plan to kill his playboy friend and assume his identity. Set in Italy, the film is defined by azure skies and seas, with Delon appearing shirtless and tanned on a boat. The movie strikes that perfect balance between sexiness and thrilling deception, which has made it a French classic.

Most audiences are probably more familiar with the 1999 film The Talented Mr Ripley, directed by Anthony Mingella and starring Matt Damon and Jude Law. Yet, Purple Noon, released in 1960, arguably captures the essence of the story a lot better, particularly due to the hot and seductive atmosphere that Clément hones so well.

1. La Collectionneuse (Eric Rohmer, 1967)

Eric Rohmer’s La Collectionneuse, the first colour instalment in his Six Moral Tales series, explores the contrast between a young girl, Haydee, and the older but much more immature Adrien. The movie takes place at a house near Saint-Tropez, surrounded by lakes and beautiful scenery. While the movie looks idyllic, Rohmer probes into the sexist attitudes that are held by the male characters, who slut-shame the young Haydee for sleeping with different men despite some of them doing so themselves.

The quaint summer retreat unravels as Haydee finds the men increasingly intolerable. It’s a smart and funny film which is elevated even further by its gorgeous shots of the French countryside and bright blue water. If you liked the atmosphere evoked by La Collectionneuse, Rohmer has also made similar summer movies like Claire’s Knee, Pauline at the Beach, and A Summer’s Tale, which could all make it onto this list, too.

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