Sweatin' It Up: A Guide to Hot Climate Movies for Hot Weather Days
Sweat-Drenched Flicks to Watch this Summer: Top Picks for 30 Heart-Pumping Titles
Welcome to the Best Summer Ever! Check out this bunch of films that are perfect for watching during those sweltering summer days, unfolding in various hot climates from the desert to the jungle. Don't forget to grab some iced tea or a cold beer, and enjoy!
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Setting: Brooklyn, NY
Get ready for a scorching summer in Spike Lee's raucous ode to the urban heatwave. The intense racial tensions boil over on a particularly humid day in Brooklyn. Don't miss this classic; you can catch it on Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
Setting: New Mexico, 1989
Muscular and intense, this film starring Kristen Stewart highlights the scorching heat of the Southwest. Bleeding hearts and sweaty bodies combine for a truly searing movie experience. Stream it on Max or rent it from Prime Video.
Stray Dog (1949)
Setting: Tokyo, Japan
This essential noir by Akira Kurosawa places detective Toshiro Mifune on a scorching chase through Tokyo's underworld as he searches for his lost gun. The gritty street scenes and torrid temperatures are sure to keep you on edge. Stream it on The Criterion Channel.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Setting: North Central Florida
Base yourself in a prison chain gang during a Florida summer with this classic film. The grueling work, the relentless heat, and the hard-nosed bosses make for a tense, sweat-soaked adventure. Rent it from Prime Video.
Predator (1987)
Setting: Unnamed South American rainforest
Follow Arnold Schwarzenegger and his team deep into the jungle, where they confront an invisible hunter in this action-packed film. The rainforest heat may work up a good sweat, but the intense action is guaranteed to cool you down. Stream it on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.
Rear Window (1954)
Setting: Greenwich Village, NY
Hitchcock weaves a tale of jealousy and excitement as a photographer's broken leg keeps him confined to his apartment during a summer heatwave in Greenwich Village. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
In the Heights (2021)
Setting: Washington Heights, NYC
Sweep up the summer spirit in this vibrant musical ode to Washington Heights. Join the community as they celebrate their much-anticipated hottest day of the year. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
Beau Travail (1999)
Setting: Republic of Djibouti, Horn of Africa
Enjoy this hauntingly beautiful love triangle set on the shores of the Horn of Africa, filled with theamid heat and simmering passions of the African landscape. Stream on Max, The Criterion Channel, or rent it from Prime Video.
Body Heat (1981)
Setting: South Florida
Dive into the sultry heat of South Florida as this steamy erotic thriller unfolds. Kathleen Turner and William Hurt sizzle on the screen, leading you on a tantalizing tale of passion and deception. Stream it on The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Setting: Maycomb County, Alabama
Based on Harper Lee's beloved novel, watch as Scout Finch and Atticus grapple with the racial tensions simmering beneath the surface of a small Southern town. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
Challengers (2024)
Setting: Various tennis courts
Get ready for a scorching summer romance as Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor take to the tennis courts in this sultry, steamy drama of lust, rivalry, and obsession. Stream it on MGM+ and Prime Video.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Setting: Texas
Feel the heat and humidity of Texas as you follow a group of friends in their desperate fight for survival against Leatherface. Stream or rent it from Peacock and Prime Video.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Setting: Mississippi Delta
Join the steamy drama unfold in this Hollywood classic set in the sultry Mississippi Delta. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
A Time to Kill (1996)
Setting: Canton, Mississippi
Get ready for a heated courtroom drama as a team of lawyers defend a Black father accused of murdering the men who attacked his daughter. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
Sorcerer (1977)
Setting: Desert of Mexico
Embark on a dangerous journey across the desert, where several men transport hazardous material in an old truck, sweating and suffering under the merciless heat. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
Y tu mamá también (2001)
Setting: Mexico
Embark on an unforgettable road trip through beautiful yet scorching hot Mexico with this classic coming-of-age film from Alfonso Cuaron. Stream it on Netflix or rent it from Hulu and Prime Video.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Setting: Italy
Follow a young man's romantic journey through the sun-soaked countryside of Italy as he falls for a charming graduate student. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
Dune (2021)
Setting: Planet Arrakis
Experience the intense desert heat of Arrakis in this epic sci-fi adventure starring Timothée Chalamet. Stream it on Max or rent it from Prime Video.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
Setting: Jaipur, India
Join a group of British seniors as they remake their lives in a rundown yet charming hotel in India. Stream or rent it from Hulu and Prime Video.
Cruising (1980)
Setting: New York City's Leather Scene
Delve into the steamy, sexy streets of New York City as a detective goes undercover to investigate a string of murders in the Leather Scene. Stream it on Prime Video.
The Burning (1981)
Setting: Camp Crystal Lake, New York
Prepare for a scorching summer in the woods as a group of campers must survive a killer out for revenge. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
12 Angry Men (1957)
Setting: New York City
Join a jury deliberating a controversial case in a stuffy, steamy room during a sweltering summer day. Stream on Kanopy and Prime Video or rent it from Tubi.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Setting: Post-apocalyptic desert
Rev up for the high-octane action of a post-apocalyptic desert landscape, where Fury Road's fierce characters fight to survive in a water- and gasoline-scarce world. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
Setting: New Orleans
Step into the sweltering South during the heat of the Louisiana summer, as a doctor tries to understand the haunting secrets that haunt a young woman after witnessing a gruesome event. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
Setting: Jamaica
The ultimate fantasy summer escape, as a successful professional woman finds herself entangled in romantic misadventures on the stunning shores of Jamaica. Stream or rent it from Prime Video.
Anaconda (1997)
Setting: Amazon Rainforest
Prepare to be snaked by the suspense and scorching heat as a team explores the Amazon jungle and finds themselves hunted by a massive snake. Stream or rent it from Hulu and Prime Video.
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Setting: Mississippi
Join detective Virgil Tibbs as he investigates a murder in a racially charged Mississippi town during the sweltering summer heat. Stream or rent it from Max and Prime Video.
Fire Island (2022)
Setting: Fire Island, NY
Laugh along to this queer rom-com set on Fire Island, as a group of friends navigate love, friendship, and self-discovery in the beautiful summer sun. Stream it on Hulu.
Eve's Bayou (1997)
Setting: Louisiana Bayou
Dive into the Southern Gothic mystery and magic in this atmospheric film about family, love, and the secrets lurking beneath the surface of a small Louisiana town. Stream it on Peacock.
Whether you prefer a steamy ~80 degree day on the beach or shivering in the air conditioning, living the best summer ever means indulging in some scorching hot climate movies. So grab some popcorn, and let the summer vibes wash over you!
- "The intense heat of the Southwest is on full display in the film 'Love Lies Bleeding' (2024), a gritty drama starring Kristen Stewart, perfect for streaming on Max or renting from Prime Video."
- "Experience the scorching desert heat in 'Sorcerer' (1977), an action-packed movie about a dangerous journey across the desert of Mexico, streamable or rentable from Prime Video."
- "Embark on a road trip through beautiful yet scorching hot Mexico with the classic coming-of-age film 'Y tu mamá también' (2001), available for streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video."
