Summer Movies That Bring the Heat Wave Inside
With sunsets at 9 pm and the outside thermometer reaching 80 and above, summer is officially in full swing. But let's be honest, we're all spending a little more time than usual inside this summer. To make staying at home a little more rewarding, we’ve put together a list of movies that will surely have you feeling the heat from the comfort of your couch. So crank up that AC, grab your Caavo Control Center universal remote and prepare to be transported to the tranquil beaches of Brazil or the breathtaking islands of Thailand...no sunscreen needed.
City of God
Based on a true story of Brazil’s infamous favelas in the 70s, two young men pursue different paths in hopes of making a name for themselves in the country’s most impoverished neighborhood. Rocket is dedicated to the art of photography, using his camera to document the changes in his neighborhood after an increase in gang-related crime, while his childhood friend Jose, known as “Zé”, strives to become the top drug dealer in the area through sheer violence. This Academy Award-nominated film perfectly juxtaposes the darkness affecting the City of God with the mind-blowing natural beauty of Brazil’s beaches, showing that heaven is never too far away no matter which town you live in.
Thelma & Louise
What was intended to be the best hot girl summer of Thelma & Louise’s lives quickly gets derailed in this iconic 90s film. At the start of their roadtrip, Louise shoots and kills a man after witnessing her friend Thelma being assaulted, forcing them to quickly hit the road and escape to Mexico. With the police close on their tails as they race through the desert, Thelma and Louise transform into brazen women with only one thing on their minds: freedom.
Wet Hot American Summer
With a cast full of modern stars like Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler and Bradley Cooper, it’s not a question as to why this film is still a hit and a summer classic! An eclectic group of camp counselors in 1981 want to make the last day of camp one to remember, by fulfilling their dreams they’ve had all summer. As they deal with hookups, PTSD, child endangerment, and a lack of camp moral, one wonders how the camp even lasted all summer!
Rear Window
In this Alfred Hitchcock 50’s classic, a newspaper photographer with an injured leg spends his time recovering by spying on his neighbors through their open windows. Set during the middle of a New York City summer heatwave when air conditioning was nonexistent and residents risked being indecent for the chance of a cool breeze, the photographer believes he witnesses a murder in an apartment across from him. With the help of his girlfriend and nurse, he’s determined to solve the crime, but doesn’t realize he may also be in danger.
The Beach
Starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Thailand’s untouched islands, this film is quite the ride from start to finish. DiCaprio plays an adventurous young man who wants to skip the conventional tourist spots in Thailand and find something magical, hoping for a little danger and excitement to help him escape. When he hears of a mystical island, him and his friends set out on the ultimate quest to find this place of true paradise. But, they soon learn that nothing is perfect, even in paradise.
The Island President
In this 2011 documentary, the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, recognizes the impact of global warming on his country as the water levels surrounding the island rise and start swallowing the land. Working with scientists and other world leaders, President Nasheed hopes to enact environmental change to save lives around the globe and protect the lands from destruction before it’s too late.
