Lately, we’ve been dealing with dull grey days, gross infections and saying goodbye to the sun at a time that’s much too early for us these days, and we reckon that we’ve been spending most of our time waiting for the sunny return of summer while bundled up in layers of fluffy blankets.

We might not be able to physically speed up the months to bring summer back our way (time-travel technology still isn’t there yet), but by sitting down and watching these summery flicks we can at least watch other folks soaking up some warm rays – and that’s better than nothing! Check out our list of recommendations below and hopefully, you’ll be feeling toastier in no time at all.

MOONRISE KINGDOM Arguably the sunniest movie made by Wes Anderson (OK, Asteroid City is pretty up there too), this 2012 coming-of-age comedy takes place in the mid-'60s in New England and follows two 12-year-olds running away into the wilderness together to escape their drab and unappealing lives. It’s filled with all the signature hazy colour palettes, ubiquitous symmetry and stylised twee aesthetic that one would come to expect with a Wes Anderson production, as well as including actors such as Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman and other familiar faces that have made their rounds across many of Anderson’s whimsical movies. The summer vibes brimming from this film are immaculate – as the kids would say – which is why Moonrise Kingdom is the best flick to bring you out of the cold and into the warm rays of a celluloid sun.

THE FLORIDA PROJECT Moving away from the whimsical and instead into an all-too-real portrayal of childhood in a low-budget motel in Florida, this 2017 movie was directed by Sean Baker and follows the playful adventures of a six-year-old girl called Moonee (played by Brooklynn Kimberly Prince), juxtaposed next to her struggling mum’s (Bria Vinaite) experiences of trying to make ends meet. Taking place alongside the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, this movie offers an empathetic portrayal of life as a lower-class single mum and daughter in modern America and even features actor babe Willem Dafoe as the grumpy but good-hearted manager of the motel, which frankly gives us more than enough reason to check this flick out.

MID90S If you ever wanted to experience the sun-soaked world of what it was like to be a skater in ‘90s Los Angeles (why wouldn’t you?), then we recommend sitting down and watching this 2018 flick directed by Jonah Hill. This movie follows 13-year-old Stevie dealing with a messy home life and becoming pals with a group of older skaters – who each have their own struggles and difficulties – who all use skateboarding as a form of escapism and camaraderie. The film captures the nostalgia of a tubular and gnarly time in history, with a killer soundtrack that will make anybody want to bust out a board and skate down whatever street we come into contact with. In other words, it’s a rad movie dude! 

MAMMA MIA! Everyone and their mum has already watched this classic jukebox musical at least twice since it first came out in 2008, so do we even need to talk about this one? This film stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and heaps more talented folk singing along to some of ABBA’s biggest and best tunes, which, in our opinion, makes it the best film to ever exist – and we’re dead serious. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, this iconic musical features the dazzling and sunny landscape of Greece alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars singing karaoke, so what’s not to love? If there’s any flick that is sure to warm up those chilly winter nights, this one is the one to beat.

MIDSOMMAR Not all sunny movies follow whimsical coming-of-age adventures or joyful sing-a-longs featuring some of the world’s most beloved disco tunes, sometimes they go down the horror route. Directed by Ari Aster and starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter and William Jackson Harper, this film proves that summer can be a scary season on the same level as winter – especially when a killer Swedish cult gets involved. The film follows Dani (Florence Pugh) going overseas with her jerk boyfriend (Jack Reynor) and his group of equally mean friends to Sweden, to take part in a midsummer festival in Sweden, where things quickly go awry. We know that we shouldn’t revel in all of the gore-y misadventures that take part in Midsommar, but we can’t help but smile at the film’s final shot. After all, Dani had to deal with the tragic loss of her family and an uncaring boyfriend so, you know what? Good for her.