Ranker FilmList RulesVote up your favorite films that mostly take place near an idyllic beach setting. Please, no beach party movies.
Blue skies and golden sand make the beach an ideal location to spent a few hours - even at the movies. Some top beach movies feature romance at the shore, while other good beach movies are downright terrifying. This is a list of the greatest movies set near the beach including everything from Cast Away to Dr. No to Point Break.
What films will you find on this list of the best movies about going to the beach? In Jaws, a day at the beach becomes a bloody nightmare when a ravenous shark sets its sights on Amity Island swimmers.
The movie served as the break-out picture for a little known director named Steven Spielberg. Cast Away is another good movie set at the beach. Forgetting Sarah Marshall provides lots of laughs as a heartbroken man attempts to move on with a Hawaiian vacation. Other good films featured on this list include The Descendants, The Blue Lagoon, and The Beach.
It's up to you to decide which beach movie is the best. Give your personal picks a thumbs up to move them to the top of the list, and please add any great features that are missing.
1
6824Point Break
Keanu Reeves, Gary BuseyReleased: 1991
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
And check out our surfing movies list for more like this!
Point Break is a 1991 American action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow, starring Patrick... more
2
5634Jaws
Steven Spielberg, Richard DreyfussReleased: 1975
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter... more3
4229Blue Crush
Kate Bosworth, Michelle RodriguezReleased: 2002
Directed by: John Stockwell
Blue Crush is a 2002 surfer film directed by John Stockwell and based on the Outside magazine... more4
4433Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Mila Kunis, Kristen BellReleased: 2008
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas... more5
4333Cast Away
Tom Hanks, Helen HuntReleased: 2000
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Cast Away is a 2000 American adventure drama film directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis and... more6
4236Soul Surfer
Carrie Underwood, Helen HuntReleased: 2011
Directed by: Sean McNamara
Soul Surfer is a 2011 American biopic drama film directed by Sean McNamara. It is a film... more7
2920The Endless Summer
Bruce Brown, Miki DoraReleased: 1966
Directed by: Bruce Brown
The Endless Summer is a seminal 1966 surf movie. Filmmaker/narrator Bruce Brown follows two... more8
3530Weekend At Bernie's
Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan SilvermanReleased: 1989
Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
Weekend at Bernie's is a dark comedy film written by Robert Klane and directed by Ted... more9
3531The Beach
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda SwintonReleased: 2000
Directed by: Danny Boyle
The Beach is a 2000 adventure drama film directed by Danny Boyle and based on the 1996 novel... more10
178Fool's Gold
Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaugheyReleased: 2008
Directed by: Andy Tennant
Fool's Gold is an 2008 American-Australian adventure-romance film from Warner Bros. Pictures... more11
168Beach Blanket Bingo
Don Rickles, Linda EvansReleased: 1965
Directed by: William Asher
Beach Blanket Bingo is an American International Pictures beach party film, released in 1965... more12
2421Gidget
Yvonne Craig, Sandra DeeReleased: 1959
Directed by: Paul Wendkos
Gidget is a 1959 Columbia Pictures CinemaScope feature film. It stars Sandra Dee, Cliff... more13
2016Baywatch
Dwayne Johnson, Zac EfronReleased: 2017
Directed by: Seth Gordon
Baywatch is a 2017 American action comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, based on the... more14
2726The Blue Lagoon
Brooke Shields, William DanielsReleased: 1980
Directed by: Randal Kleiser
The Blue Lagoon is a 1980 American romantic adventure film directed by Randal Kleiser. The... more15
3333The Shallows
Blake LivelyReleased: 2016
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
The Shallows is a 2016 American survival thriller film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The... more16
148Into the Blue
Jessica Alba, Paul WalkerReleased: 2005
Directed by: John Stockwell
Into the Blue is a 2005 American action film starring Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin... more17
3030Six Days Seven Nights
Harrison Ford, Anne HecheReleased: 1998
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Six Days Seven Nights is a 1998 adventure-comedy film, directed by Ivan Reitman and starring... more18
2323Dr. No
Sean Connery, Ursula AndressReleased: 1962
Directed by: Terence Young
Dr. No is a 1962 British spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film.... more19
1311Dunkirk
Fionn Whitehead, Kenneth BranaghReleased: 2017
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Dunkirk is a 2017 British-American epic action thriller written, co-produced, and directed by... more20
2527The Descendants
George Clooney, Shailene WoodleyReleased: 2011
Directed by: Alexander Payne
The Descendants is a 2011 American drama film directed by Alexander Payne. The screenplay by... more21
108Tarzan, the Ape Man
Bo Derek, Richard HarrisReleased: 1981
Directed by: John Derek
Tarzan, the Ape Man is a 1981 adventure film directed by John Derek and starring his wife Bo... more22
1922Flipper
Chuck Connors, Luke HalpinReleased: 1963
Directed by: James B. Clark
Flipper is an American feature film released on August 14, 1963 written by Arthur Weiss based... more23
1010Flipper
Elijah Wood, Isaac HayesReleased: 1996
Directed by: Alan Shapiro
Flipper is a 1996 adventure film remake of the 1963 film of the same name, starring Paul Hogan... more24
510After the Sunset
Salma Hayek, Shaquille O'NealReleased: 2004
Directed by: Brett Ratner
After the Sunset is a 2004 action comedy film starring Pierce Brosnan as Max Burdett, a master... more25
25Ride Your Wave
Ryôta Katayose, Rina KawaeiReleased: 2020
Directed by: Masaaki Yuasa
Ride Your Wave is a 2020 Japanese animated film directed by Masaaki Yuasa. 19-year-old Hinako... more
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25