coastal backdrop

Movies with coastal vibe

Chasing Mavericks

1. Chasing Mavericks

Drama Sports Competition
7.1
20121h 56min

Overview

Surfer Jay Moriarity sets out to ride the Northern California break known as Mavericks.

Themes

Loss and resilience, Secrecy and exposure, Mentorship and independence, Dedication under pressure, Ambition versus risk, Memory and ritual

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Moonrise Kingdom

2. Moonrise Kingdom

Comedy Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Romantic Comedy
7.8
20121h 34min

Overview

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.

Themes

Coming of age pressures, Guardianship uncertainty, Authority versus youth autonomy, Secret romance under scrutiny, Outsider belonging and identity, Nature as refuge and obstacle

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Paradise: Love

3. Paradise: Love

Drama Relationship Drama
7.0
20122h 1min

Overview

On the beaches of Kenya they’re known as "Sugar Mamas" —European women who seek out African boys selling love to earn a living. Teresa, a 50-year-old Austrian and mother of a daughter entering puberty, travels to this vacation paradise, moving from beach to beach.

Themes

Class differences, Age gap relationships, Economic exploitation, Deception in affection, Tourism driven exploitation, Commodification of intimacy

Available on

Fandango at Home Free
Tubi TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Submarine

4. Submarine

Drama Comedy Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Bittersweet Romance
7.3
20111h 37min

Overview

15-year-old deep-thinking Welsh schoolboy Oliver Tate struggles to initiate and maintain a relationship with Jordana, his devilish, dark-haired classmate at their Swansea high school. As his parents' marriage begins to fall apart, similar problems arise in his relationship with Jordana.

Themes

Coming of age, Peer pressure and belonging, Parental strain, Secret romance dynamics, Family instability and trust, Bullying and reputation

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Last Song

5. The Last Song

Drama Family Romance Family Drama Parent-Child Family
6.0
20101h 47min

Overview

A rebellious girl swears she’s done with her father and the piano, but one unfinished song and a quiet summer by the sea pull her back in. As old wounds reopen and new love complicates everything, her need to know why he really brought her here starts to consume her every choice.

Themes

Parental divorce effects, Reconciliation through music, Small town gossip dynamics, Illness and caregiving

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Ladies in Lavender

6. Ladies in Lavender

Drama Romance Bittersweet Romance
7.0
20041h 44min

Overview

Andrea, a gifted young Polish violinist from Krakow, is bound for America when he is swept overboard by a storm. When the Widdington sisters discover the handsome stranger on the beach below their house, they nurse him back to health. However, the presence of the musically talented young man disrupts the peaceful lives of Ursula and Janet and the community in which they live.

Themes

Romantic longing, Sibling bonds under strain, Career vs romance, Miscommunication and letters, Small coastal community, Artistic talent and disruption

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Man Without a Past

7. The Man Without a Past

Comedy Drama Romance Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
7.6
20021h 37min

Overview

Arriving in Helsinki, a nameless man is beaten within an inch of his life by thugs, miraculously recovering only to find that he has completely lost his memory. Back on the streets, he attempts to begin again from zero, befriending a moody dog and becoming besotted with a Salvation Army volunteer.

Themes

Trailer park marginalization, Amnesia and reinvention, Poverty as catalyst, Work as belonging, Identity rebuilt through labor, Community solidarity under pressure, Aid and legitimacy

Available on

Netflix
Apple TV
Yle Areena
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Orange County

8. Orange County

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Adult Comedy
6.2
20021h 22min

Overview

Shaun Brumder is a local surfer kid from Orange County who dreams of going to Stanford to become a writer and to get away from his dysfunctional family household. Except Shaun runs into one complication after another, starting when his application is rejected after his dim-witted guidance counselor sends in the wrong form.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Family influence on opportunity, Self-improvement through adversity, Class aspiration vs privilege, Image vs reality, Writing as escape

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Life as a House

9. Life as a House

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.4
20012h 5min

Overview

When a man is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he takes custody of his misanthropic teenage son, for whom quality time means getting high, engaging in small-time prostitution, and avoiding his father.

Themes

Terminal illness catalyst, Building as renewal, Intergenerational responsibility, Neighborhood interference, Parental alienation, Betrayal of trust, Financial strain

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

American Pie 2

10. American Pie 2

Comedy Romance Adult Comedy Romantic Comedy
6.5
20011h 51min

Overview

After a year apart - attending different schools, meeting different people - the guys rent a beach house and vow to make this the best summer ever. As it turns out, whether that will happen or not has a lot to do with the girls. Between the wild parties, outrageous revelations and yes, a trip to band camp, they discover that times change and people change, but in the end, it's all about sticking together.

Themes

Peer influence and belonging, Changing friendships over summer, Group dynamics under pressure, Romantic ambiguity and choice, Sexual exploration with boundaries, Nostalgia vs growth

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.