Summer Lesbian Movie Roundup
Gay girls fall in love in the summertime
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According to the movies, lesbians and bisexuals are always falling in love in the summertime. Usually it’s a first love, and it often involves a multifaceted awakening of some sort. Of course, summer love is a longstanding literary trope that isn’t exclusive to queer women, but this is Paging Dr. Lesbian, and we’re laser-focused on the gays here. With the upcoming release of Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls movie, which has all the makings of a lesbian summer classic, I thought I’d delve into the concept in the most literal sense.
According to my research, there are (at least) eight lesbian movies with “summer” in the title, which seems like a high number to me. Most — though not all — of the movies take place in the summertime, and all of them highlight the outdoors and the sunshine in a significant way. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend all of these, so I decided to rate them (out of ten sunshines) to give you an idea of how you might prioritize your summer watch list. Two of these I haven’t seen, but I’ve added them to the list for the sake of accuracy. I’ve also included a few honorable mentions that don’t technically fit the brief, but align with the overall theme. See if you notice how similar many of these plots are. Happy summer and happy Pride to all!
Not rated: Summer (2014)
Summer is a Dutch coming-of-age film that centers on 16-year-old Anne (Sigrid ten Napel). Anne lives in a small town beneath the shadow of a power plant, and yearns for something more. She gets her wish in the form of Lena (Jade Olieberg), a cool girl who wears leather and rides a motorcycle. Anne’s feelings for Lena create tension between her and her peers, but it also forces her to grow up. According to several reviews (of which there aren’t many), this film appears to feature sexual assault, so keep that in mind if you plan to watch it.
Where to watch: For rent on Fandago and Apple TV+ in the US
Not rated: Summer of Mesa (2020)
Summer of Mesa seems a little bit like a low-budget lesbian Call Me By Your Name, though undoubtedly not as good. Directed by a 20-year-old Josh Cox, the film takes place in 1985 Cape Cod. Lily (Molly Miles) is a 16-year-old girl who vacations on the Cape with her family. One auspicious summer, she meets Mesa (Andrea Granera), who turns her whole world around. Lily thinks there’s no one else on the planet like Mesa because she’s pretty and seems confident — a classic tale of lesbian first love.
Where to watch: For rent on Amazon Prime in the US
The Beautiful Summer (2023)
I’ve written about The Beautiful Summer before, but here’s a summary. Directed by Laura Luchetti, it follows 17-year-old Ginia (Yile Yara Vianello), who moves from the countryside to Turin, Italy, in 1938. While working as a dressmaker, Ginia meets Amelia (Deva Cassel), a gorgeous brunette who models for local painters. Ginia falls hard for Amelia, but Amelia is difficult to pin down. Ginia was once a studious worker and a devout daughter and sister, but her obsession with Amelia leads her to ignore her responsibilities. She’s also so in love with Amelia that she’s totally oblivious to the rise of fascism, which is starting to become a pretty big problem for some of Ginia’s neighbors.
The Beautiful Summer uses every trope in the lesbian movie book to tell its story, but none of it adds up to a film worth writing home about. Ginia is naive, Amelia worldly and attention-seeking, and together, they embody a dynamic we’ve seen many times before. In fact, most of the films on this list use similar tropes. There are some pleasant scenes involving swimming and frolicking in the countryside, but nothing particularly memorable.
Aesthetic appeal: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Good vibes: ☀️☀️☀️/10
Overall score: ☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Where to watch: Amazon Prime with a trial of Film Movement, for rent on Apple TV+, Fandango, YouTube, Google Play
My Summer of Love (2004)
Did you know that Emily Blunt’s first film role was in a lesbian movie directed by Oscar-winning Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski? It’s true. The film in question is My Summer of Love, which follows a mercurial teenage love affair in the Yorkshire countryside. Mona (Natalie Press) is a working-class girl living with her brother, Phil (Paddy Considine), who has just been released from prison and has found God while inside. Mona meets Tamsin (Blunt), a wealthy, rebellious young woman dying for attention.
The two form a close bond, and their connection eventually veers into toxic obsession. Phil reverts to his old ways, but Tamsin isn’t exactly trustworthy, either. Part innocent first love and part Heavenly Creatures, the movie is as volatile as their love affair, with some twists and turns that leave a sour taste in your mouth. Still, Emily Blunt fans will appreciate her alluring turn as a mean, spoiled lesbian horse girl, and there’s something interesting here about the restless afflictions of youth.
Aesthetic appeal: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Summer vibes: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Overall score: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Where to watch: For rent on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, etc. in the US
The Summer of Sangaile (2015)
The Summer of Sangaile is an odd movie, but it’s about teen lesbians, so it’s worth looking into. The Lithuanian film follows Sangailė (Julija Steponaityte), a 17-year-old who hopes to become a stunt pilot. Shy, withdrawn, and struggling with self-harm, Sangailė meets the exuberant Austė (Aistė Diržiūtė), who loves fashion. Sangailė’s piloting dreams are thwarted by her vertigo, which Austė tries to help her get over. Meanwhile, Sangailė models Austė’s creations.
This film about two eccentric young women is brought to life by dreamlike, at times sky-high (literally) cinematography that emphasizes the hazy, timeless nature of their summer love. Someone on Letterboxd wrote that this movie “feels like a lorde song,” which is an apt description. Nice to look at though light on plot, The Summer of Sangaile is mostly pleasant, if not entirely captivating.
Aesthetic appeal: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Summer vibes: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Overall score: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Where to watch: Tubi, for rent elsewhere in the US
Summertime (2015)
Summertime is a lesbian period piece about an alluring blonde woman named Carole, which some of you may appreciate. Known as La Belle Saison in French, a much more evocative (and accurate) title, the film follows Delphine (Izïa Higelin), a lesbian who lives on a farm in 1971. Tired of her life there, she moves to Paris, where she meets a feminist collective, including a woman named Carole (Cécile de France). Despite her political affiliations, Carole has a boyfriend, and is initially hesitant to accept Delphine’s advances. But the two women soon begin a relationship, and when Delphine has to return to her family farm after her father has a stroke, Carole joins her.
Living on the farm is hard for the pair, as Delphine must remain closeted there and Carole isn’t used to farm life. It becomes apparent that while Carole talks a big talk, Delphine may be the braver of the two women. Given that it’s a period piece, Summertime is not without complications, and there’s no easy, breezy ending to this story — summer doesn’t last forever, after all. But it’s beautifully shot, and features two great performances from the leads.
Aesthetic appeal: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Summer vibes: ☀️☀️☀️/10
Overall score: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Where to watch: Amazon Prime with a free trial of Strand Releasing, for rent on Apple TV+, Google Play, etc. in the US
My First Summer (2020)
My First Summer is a manic pixie dream girl story for the lesbian set, though it takes that archetype and grounds it in a darker reality. 16-year-old Claudia (Markella Kavenagh) lives in a remote house with her parents. One day, a strange girl named Grace (Maiah Stewardson) appears in her garden, seemingly with no parents and fearful of authority. Frankly, Grace is a bit feral, and Claudia introduces her to the comforts of the modern world, including candy bracelets and strawberry milk.
Their relationship turns romantic, though Grace’s troubled past comes back to haunt her. My First Summer is ultimately a very sweet movie, though it also features some serious themes. (Trigger warning for suicide in this one.) It might be a little too cute for some, but it manages to ground its overwhelmingly twee nature with some harsh reminders of reality.
Aesthetic appeal: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Summer vibes: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Overall score: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Where to watch: For rent on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Apple+ etc. in the US
Summerland (2020)
Summerland is far and away my favorite film on this summer list, and I’d definitely recommend a watch if you haven’t seen it. Gemma Arterton plays Alice, a reclusive folklore researcher who lives in a cottage above the sea in Kent. Harassed by the local children and rumored to be a witch, Alice is shocked to receive Frank (Lucas Bond), a young WWII evacuee from London. Alice has no desire to care for Frank, but no one else in town is available.
Alice slowly begins to warm to Frank, and we learn why she’s become such a cumeregon. She once had a great love in the form of a woman named Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), but it didn’t work out. As Alice and Frank grow closer, Alice tells Frank the myth of Summerland, the pagan afterlife in the sky. Together, they may be able to re-write a happy ending.
Summerland is not totally a summer movie seasons-wise, though it is sunny for much of its runtime, a notable feat for rainy England. Most of the flashbacks of Alice and Vera have a distinctly golden, summer tinge, and Frank and Alice’s simultaneous growing up aligns in some ways with a classic summer narrative.
Aesthetic appeal: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Summer vibes: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Overall score: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Where to watch: Acorn TV, Roku, Amazon Prime (Acorn add-on), for rent on Apple TV+ in the US
Honorable mention: Cocoon (2020)
Though it doesn’t have summer in the title, Cocoon follows the formula of a lesbian summer coming-of-age film to a tee. Nora (Lena Urzendowsky) is a 14-year-old living in Berlin. Ignored by her mother and only tolerated by her older sister, Nora longs for connection. She finds it with Romy (Jella Haase), a cool girl at her school. Nora learns more about herself with Romy and starts to feel confident in her own skin for the first time.
The film is rambling and lacks structure, like many indie films set in the summertime, but it features some great performances and succeeds in conveying both the feeling of insecurity and the rush of first love.
Aesthetic appeal: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Summer vibes: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Overall score: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Where to watch: Amazon Prime with a free trial of Film Movement, for rent on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV+ in the US
Honorable mention: Hearts Beat Loud (2018)
Hearts Beat Loud is my other favorite movie on this list. It’s a really sweet movie without too much tragedy, and it totally fits the summer theme. It also stars two out queer actors in the lead roles. Kiersey Clemons plays Sam, an 18-year-old spending her last summer in Red Hook, Brooklyn, before leaving for college. Her mom passed away, and she lives with her dad, Frank (Nick Offerman), who runs a record store. They make music together, and Frank wants them to start a band, but Sam is adamant about becoming a doctor. Meanwhile, Sam begins a relationship with a local girl named Rose (Sasha Lane). The cast also includes Toni Collette, Ted Danson, and Blythe Danner.
Hearts Beat Loud is a really warm film with great performances from Clemons and Offerman, who have wonderful chemistry as a father/daughter duo. The original songs in the movie are also really catchy. It’s a queer film where querness isn’t “the point,” which is refreshing in its own way. More of a coming-of-age story for Frank than for Sam, it hits all of the right notes for a summer watch.
Aesthetic appeal: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Summer vibes: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Overall score: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/10
Where to watch: Xumo Play, Tubi, Roku, Fandango, for rent on Apple TV+, Google Play, YouTube in the US
Results of last month’s poll: 78% of you have worn a carabiner! Let’s go, lesbians.
Hearts Beat Loud was great!