Though it’s the end of August, visions of vacations still dance in our heads, so there’s still a chance to take a cinematic vacay, any time you like. The 20th Century Studios comedy “Vacation Friends” drops today on Hulu, so perhaps that’s the perfect opportunity for a little streaming escapism.
“Vacation Friends” stars Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out,” “Free Guy”) and Yvonne Orji (HBO’s “Insecure”) as an engaged couple who encounter a chaotic twosome on vacation in the form of John Cena (“The Suicide Squad”) and Meredith Hagner (“Search Party”), who later crash their wedding and sow all kinds of madness.
Here’s a few more movies about vacations, respites and unforgettable trips, from the funny to the horrific, all for your streaming pleasure.
Harmony Korine tackled that oh-so-American rite of passage, spring break, with his hallucinatory 2012 epic “Spring Breakers,” starring Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson. The film is on Showtime, Kanopy or available for a $2.99 digital rental.
The classic summer disaster movie “Jaws” might be hitting a bit too close to home right now, but Spielberg’s oceanic horror flick is always a worthy summer watch. Stream it on Amazon Prime and Tubi. For an updated version, take a dip with Blake Lively in Jaume Collett-Serra’s 2016 surfer vs. shark flick “The Shallows,” available for a $2.99 digital rental.
Chevy Chase owned the wacky family vacation movie back in 1983 with “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (and its many subsequent sequels). In 2015, Ed Helms attempted to recapture the magic with “Vacation.” Stream both on HBO Max (or a $3.99 digital rental elsewhere).
Check out European locales with Anthony Minghella’s 1999 Patricia Highsmith adaptation, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” streaming on the Roku Channel or a $2.99 rental. The one-two punch of Luca Guadagnino’s 2015 thriller “A Bigger Splash” ($3.99 digital rental) and 2017 romance “Call Me By Your Name” (on Starz or $2.99 digital rental) will have you yearning for the sun-baked shores of Sardinia.
Perhaps HBO’s “White Lotus” has put you in the mood for Hawaii, which is a good enough reason to revisit the 2008 rom-com “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” on Starz or for a $3.99 digital rental.
Finally, one of the most unforgettable vacation movies of all time, John Boorman’s 1972 adventure thriller “Deliverance” ($2.99 digital rental) may have you reconsidering that canoe trip with the boys, but considering a mustache and sleeveless wetsuit, thanks to Burt Reynolds’ burly appeal.
