The Best TV Shows & Movies To Watch In July

Summer is officially here, which means it’s time to indulge in our favorite genre of TV: summertime romance. There’s nothing we love more than shows that are just as long and buzzy as the summer days, and July is chock full of  great releases that take you out of the usual summer TV slump. To be clear: summer love doesn’t have to mean one person falling madly and deeply in love for romantic reasons (although, that can be really nice); it can mean falling in love with yourself, your independence, your BFFs, or maybe an entirely new way of life you never expected. Regardless of just who — or what.

Our fave picks for July will have you feeling inspired, nostalgic for your teen years, and ready to take on a whole new world — sometimes in your Barbie pink car. So, settle in for a summer of discovery all around.

Whether you love or hate Barbie, the highly anticipated film is going to be THE movie of the year. Yup, we’re calling it now. 

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and “just Ken,” is already not what we expected. Facing an existential crisis, Barbie heads to the real world and learns that maybe life outside of plastic isn’t exactly what she thought it was, which proves there’s adventure and learning when you step outside your comfort zone — and into a pair of Birkenstocks. With a super stacked cast — America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, and quick cameos from Dua Lipa and John Cena — and a fun soundtrack to boot, the film has us singing the Aqua classic and already planning our Halloween costumes.

Where to watch: In Theaters
When: July 21
Good if you like: Legally Blonde, Little Women (2019), Lady Bird

In the world of The Summer I Turned Pretty, you’re either a #TeamConrad or #TeamJeremiah girlie, and the second season of Prime Video’s series really puts the former’s fans through the wringer. Readers of the book series by Jenny Han, from which the show was adapted, will know what’s to come in the latest season: namely, a whole lot of heartbreak, a sprinkling of new romance (for several characters!), and a ton of Taylor Swift music. In the second season, we find Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) and brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) a year later, back at the Cousins Beach summer house, but under very different circumstances than when we left them. 

The first season was a success because of the way it seamlessly and accurately portrayed the innocence, excitement, and messy uncertainty of young love (the eye candy didn’t hurt, either), and the second finds the young adults facing the reality — and hardships — of growing up. They’re all more mature, and a little more jaded and heartbroken than last summer. But that’s exactly what makes this season so great and worth the watch, because love doesn’t stay innocent forever. Inevitably you’re going to get hurt. But it’s all about how you pick yourself back up.

Where to watch: Prime Video
When: July 14
Good if you like: Dawson’s Creek, Heartstopper, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

If we’re talking must-watch summer movies, Joy Ride has to be high up on your list. In line with great road trip movies of our heyday like Crossroads and Girls Trip, the movie is the millennial answer to: What crazy shenanigans will BFFs get up to on an international vacay?  The movie follows childhood friends Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola) as they travel across China to find Audrey’s birth parents. A crass, raunchy, coming-of-age movie about the power of female friendship that stars Stephanie Hsu of Everything Everywhere All At Once fame? We’re booked and hooked.

Where to watch: In Theaters
When: July 7
Good if you like: Superbad, Girls Trip, Crossroads

Were you that kid who put on plays for their parents and took theater in high school a little too seriously? Well, that was one of us (That ninth grade English class reenactment of Romeo & Juliet *did* feel like a make-or-break performance). Which means that the cast of characters in Theater Camp are exactly our kind of people and this movie is exactly our type of viewing. 

Following the attendees of a summer theater camp in the Adirondacks (aptly called AdironActs), this scrappy movie stars some up-and-coming faces — and soon to be superstars — like The Bear’s Ayo Edibiri, Ben Platt, Booksmart actor Noah Galvin, and Shiva Baby actress Molly Gordan. (Consider them the next-gen Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet, and Zoey Deutch). The camp attendees are away from their parents, trying to make a name for themselves on the cabin stage, and they’re not taking no for an answer. All in all, it’s good, campy fun that makes you reminisce and fall in love all over again with a very specific period of time and summer experience.

Where to watch: In Theaters
When: July 14
Good if you like: The Politician, Napoleon Dynamite

We’re all about people getting in touch with themselves, and in Minx, Joyce Prigger and the team behind the magazine are definitely encouraging their readers to do just that.

In Season 2 of the series (which moved from Max to Starz), the mighty feminist pornographic publication that could is deep into production and figuring out how to navigate super stardom and growing pains. The first season did a great job of introducing us to ambitious Joyce and her dream of taking over the world one issue at a time. The second season’s strength lies in exploring the interior lives of supporting characters, be it lovable Bambi, a people pleaser others project their desires on who’s learning to put herself and her ambitions first, or Joyce’s sister Shelley, a housewife who’s finally finding her voice and sexuality, the supporting characters almost overshadow leads Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond) and Doug (Jake Johnson). By the end of the season, one thing is clear: Joyce and Minx aren’t the only stars of the show.

Where to watch: Starz
When: July 21
Good if you like: Glow, Girlboss