We continue our comparison of the best summer movie seasons since 1980, counting down the top ten! Join us as we compare every summer movie season since 1980. (Part 3 of 3)
Back in 2014 I created an algorithm to compare summer movie seasons. The purpose of this algorithm is to determine which summer movie seasons were the best, and which have been the worse. But a lot has changed in the movie landscape since 2014. While studios saw increased business and interest in their big-budget summer movies during the end of the 2010 decade, the impact of the pandemic and explosion of streaming options have had a negative impact on what had been traditionally the most exciting part of the year for those of us who watch films. I was interested to see just how significant the decline had been over the last three years, and to do so I decided to input those years into my summer movie algorithm.
Over the next week or so I will release my ranking of every summer movie season from 1980 to today (that’s 43 years of movies!). Hollywood had to do its fair share of experimenting over the years to determine what types of films would be most successful, and audience taste has certainly changed quicker than studios could catch up. As a result, some summer movie seasons have been better than others. We’ve reviewed them all for you and ranked them from worst to best. Check back later for Part 3 and 3!
Part 3 = #10-1
To rank the summer movie seasons, I created an algorithm that utilizes several criteria. The algorithm looked at 4 criteria to determine how to rank the summer movie seasons:
- Average Quality of the Movies Released
- Quantity of Movies Released
- Variety of Movies Released (Genres)
- Popularity of Movies Released (Box Office Data)
Here is a diagram that explains all of the data that is listed below:
Now that we have all this data, let’s put it to good use! Here’s our ranking of summer movie seasons, continuing from Part 1, ranking from worst to best….
#10 – 1999
1999 saw a large number of summer films released, and it had a lot of hits that have stood the test of time. The Mummy, Star Wars: Episode 1, American Pie, Runaway Bride, and The Sixth Sense were all very popular films that have left a lasting mark despite mediocre critical scores. Even some of the duds have become cult classics; The Iron Giant, Eyes Wide Shut. Unfortunately, 1999 had a lot of duds. Star Wars Episode 1 gave a new generation of movie watchers an experience they will never forget, but Wild Wild West created a new definition of excess.
Studs:
- The Mummy – May 1999 – $155m (55%)
- Star Wars Episode I – May 1999 – $474m (57%)
- Notting Hill – May 1999 – $116m (83%)
- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – June 1999 – $206m (51%)
- Tarzan – June 1999 – $206m (88%)
- The General’s Daughter – June 1999 – $102m (22%)
- Big Daddy – June 1999 – $163m (40%)
- American Pie – July 1999 – $101m (61%)
- The Blair Witch Project – July 1999 – $140m (87%)
- Runaway Bride – July 1999 – $152m (46%)
- The Sixth Sense – August 1999 – $293m (85%)
Duds:
- The Thirteenth Floor – May 1999 – $11m ($16m) (29%)
- Instinct – June 1999 – $34m ($55m) (27%)
- Wild Wild West – June 1999 – $113m ($175m) (17%)
- Muppets From Space – July 1999 – $16m ($24m) (63%)
- Eyes Wide Shut – July 1999 – $55m ($65m) (77%)
- The Iron Giant – August 1999 – $23m ($50m) (97%)
- Mystery Men – August 1999 – $29m ($68m) (60%)
- Detroit Rock City – August 1999 – $4m ($16m) (46%)
- Bowfinger – August 1999 – $66m ($55m) (80%)
- Universal Soldier II: The Return – August 1999 – $10m ($40m) (0%)
- The 13th Warrior – August 1999 – $32m ($125m) (33%)
- The Astronaut’s Wife – August 1999 – $10m ($34m) (16%)
Notables:
South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (81%), Lake Placid (40%), The Haunting (17%), Inspector Gadget (21%), The Thomas Crowne Affair (69%)
#9 – 2016
What stands out about the 2016 summer movie season? Quantity. 2016 has the second-most films released May-September since 1980, and quality is not too bad either. There was representation from a bunch of major film franchises (MCU, X-Men, Ice Age, DC, Star Trek, Jason Bourne), and new versions of a lot of classic favorites (Finding Dory, Tarzan, Independence Day, Ghostbusters, TMNT, Pete’s Dragon). Most of those new versions failed to live up to lofty expectations, but they were still very exciting releases (throw Warcraft into that boat too). Interestingly, the films which have become more popular over time from summer 2016 were some of the films that audiences didn’t connect with as much upon their release (The Nice Guys, Popstar).
Studs:
- Captain America: Civil War – May 2016 – $1.15b (90%)
- Angry Birds – May 2016 – $347m (43%)
- X-Men: Apocalypse – May 2016 – $542m (48%)
- Alice Through the Looking Glass – May 2016 – $295m (30%)
- Now You See Me 2 – June 2016 – $324m (34%)
- Warcraft – June 2016 – $433m (28%)
- The Conjuring 2 – June 2016 – $319m (80%)
- Finding Dory – June 2016 – $945m (94%)
- Independence Day Resurgence – July 2016 – $382m (32%)
- The Legend of Tarzan – July 2016 – $354m (36%)
- The Secret Life of Pets – July 2016 – $725m (74%)
- Ice Age: Collision Course – July 2016 – $370m (12%)
- Jason Bourne – July 2016 – $347m (57%)
- Pete’s Dragon – August 2016 – $143m (88%)
- Suicide Squad – August 2016 – $637m (26%)
Duds:
- The Nice Guys – May 2016 – $57m ($50m) (91%)
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping – June 2016 – $9.5m ($20m)(77%)
- Free State of Jones – July 2016 – $21m ($50m)(45%)
- The BFG – July 2016 – $160m ($140m) (73%)
- The Infiltrator – July 2016 – $16m ($47m) (66%)
- Ghostbusters – July 2016 – $217m($144m) (73%)
- Star Trek: Beyond – July 2016 – $244m($185m) (83%)
- Nine Lives – August 2016 – $20m ($30m) (10%)
- Ben Hur – August 2016 – $41m ($100m) (27%)
- War Dogs – August 2016 – $43m* ($40m) (63%)
Notables:
Money Monster (58%), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (62%), Me Before You (43%), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (38%), Central Intelligence (69%), The Purge: Election Year (54%), Lights Out (76%), Bad Moms (60%), Sausage Party (83%), Don’t Breathe (86%)
#8 – 2022
2022 is the first summer movie season “post-pandemic” and the cinema landscape has changed significantly. Specifically, there were a LOT of films released on streaming platforms, and those films were often just as expensive to make as the films that would typically end up in theaters during the summer. The algorithm can’t really track the popularity of those films the same way we track films that make it into theaters, but looking at their ratings does give us an idea of how well they are being appreciated by audiences and critics. Suffice to say, 2022 had a ton of highly-rated films. Even the duds all had scores above 70% except for one. Maybe the films released this year won’t have as lasting an impact as films of the years ranked higher than this, but its hard to argue with quality and quantity, and 2022 had those in spades.
Studs:
- Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – May 2022 – $955m (74%)
- Top Gun: Maverick – May 2022 – $1,355m (96%)
- Jurassic World: Dominion – June 2022 – $998m (29%)
- Minions: The Rise of Gru – June 2022 – $894m (71%)
- Elvis – June 2022 – $281m (78%)
- Thor: Love and Thunder – July 2022 – $755m (65%)
Duds:
- The Bob’s Burgers Movie – May 2022 – $34m ($38m) (88%)
- Lightyear – June 2022 – $226m ($200m) (75%)
- Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank – July 2022 – $24m ($48m) (53%)
- 3000 Years of Longing – August 2022 – $9m ($60m) (71%)
Notables:
The Black Phone (82%), Bullet Train (54%), Where the Crawdads Sing (34%), Nope (82%), DC League of Super-Pets (74%), Vengeance (80%), Bodies Bodies Bodies (85%), Beast (68%), The Princess (60%), Prey (93%), Thirteen Lives (87%), Luck (49%), Day Shift (56%), Me Time (8%), The Gray Man (46%), Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (95%)
#7 – 2018
2018 was chock-full of sequels and spin-offs, so fans of those franchises had something to look forward to. More impressively was the fact that most of those sequels/spin-offs lived up to expectations. But what allows 2018 to land in this position is the overall quality of its films. The notables especially contributed in this regard – movies like Hereditary, Upgrade, and Crazy Rich Asians may not have been the most popular films upon their release, but are films that have gained a devoted fan base over time. Interestingly, 2018 also doesn’t have any significant flops. Solo is borderline between stud and dud, but I counted it as a “dud” because it failed to live up to expectations and likely lost money. Even then, it was far from the disaster certain media outlets wanted you to think it was.
Studs:
- Deadpool 2 – May 2018 – $733m (82%)
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – June 2018 – $1,302m (49%)
- Incredibles 2 – June 2018 – $1,194m (94%)
- Ocean’s 8 – June 2018 – $296m (68%)
- Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – July 2018 – $509m (59%)
- Ant Man and the Wasp – July 2018 – $617m (88%)
- Skyscraper – July 2018 – $301m (46%)
- Mama Mia, Here We Go Again! – July 2018 – $388m (80%)
- Mission: Impossible – Fallout – July 2018 – $777m (97%)
- The Meg – August 2018 – $517m (46%)
Duds:
- Solo: A Star Wars Story – May 2018 – $385m ($250m) (70%)
- Action Point – June 2018 – $5.1m ($19m) (14%)
- Mile 22 – August 2018 – $57m ($50m) (23%)
- Happytime Murders – August 2018 – $25.1m ($40m) (22%)
Notables:
Hereditary (89%), Upgrade (87%), Tag (55%), Sicario: Day of the Soldado (63%), The First Purge (54%), Equalizer 2 (51%), Christopher Robin (70%), Crazy Rich Asians (93%)
#6 – 2002
At first glance, 2002 may not seem that impressive. But scroll down and then you’ll see why it ended up this high on our list. This year’s all about quantity, not as much about quality. 2002 has the most films released of any year on this list during the summer months. As such, it’s expected that there will be some duds, and indeed there are. Pluto Nash is one of the biggest box office bombs of all time. But let’s not dwell on that. Instead, let’s consider the franchises which released films this year; Star Wars, Spider-Man, Men in Black, Austin Powers, Jason Bourne, and Spy Kids. In addition, there’s a Spielberg film, a Christopher Nolan film, a good Shyamalan film, a well-received graphic novel adaptation, a loved Disney animated feature, and a healthy dose of hilarious comedies. If you were bored at the movies in the summer of 2002, you must have been dead.
Studs:
- Spider-Man – May 2002 – $403m (89%)
- Star Wars Episode II – May 2002 – $310m (67%)
- Scooby-Doo – June 2002 – $153m (30%)
- Men in Black II – July 2002 – $190m (39%)
- Austin Powers in Goldmember – July 2002 – $213m (54%)
- Signs – August 2002 – $227m (74%)
Duds:
- Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – May 2002 – $73m ($80m) (69%)
- Bad Company – June 2002 – $30m ($70m) (10%)
- Windtalkers – June 2002 – $40m ($115m) (32%)
- Reign of Fire – July 2002 – $43m ($60m) (40%)
- Eight Legged Freaks – July 2002 – $17m ($30m) (48%)
- Stuart Little 2 – July 2002 – $120m ($64m) (81%)
- K-19: The Widowmaker – July 2002 – $35m ($90m) (60%)
- Blood Work – August 2002 – $26m ($50m) (53%)
- The Adventures of Pluto Nash – August 2002 – $4m ($100m) (5%)
- FearDotCom – August 2002 – $13m ($40m) (3%)
Notables:
Unfaithful (49%), About a Boy (93%), Enough (22%), Insomnia (92%), Undercover Brother (77%), The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (44%), The Bourne Identity (83%), Lilo & Stitch (86%), Minority Report (90%), Mr. Deeds (22%), Like Mike (57%), Road to Perdition (81%), Spy Kids 2 (74%), xXx (48%)
#5 – 1980
In 1980, the idea of a summer blockbuster wasn’t really in full swing yet, but that didn’t stop a bunch of legendary films from being released. Watch out, you might start drooling. I’d say all but two of these films are among the best ever made in their respected genres. The only thing lacking here is quantity.
Studs:
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back – May 1980 – $280m (96%)
- The Blues Brothers – June 1980 – $57m (87%)
- Airplane! – July 1980 – $83m (98%)
- Smokey and the Bandit II – August 1980 – $66m (20%)
Duds:
- Raise the Titanic – August 1980 – $7m ($40m) (50%)
Notables:
The Shining (92%), Caddyshack (76%)
#4 – 2017
2017 might seem typical of most 2010 summer movie seasons – some well received hits, middling sequels, popular superhero movies, and some expensive missteps by studios. But 2017 actually ranks as the best summer movie season from the decade, and among the best ever because of the quality and quantity of films released. Plus, it has several films that transcend the typical summer movie stigma. Movies like Dunkirk, It, War for the Planet of the Apes, Baby Driver, Detroit, and Wind River didn’t just have box office aspirations, these were summer movies that could (and did) win Oscars. It also helps that there were relatively few misses this year, and most of the hits made a TON of money in theaters.
Studs:
- Wonder Woman – May 2017 – $821m (92%)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – May 2017 – $790m (30%)
- Despicable Me 3 – June 2017 – $1,034m (59%)
- Transformers: The Last Knight – June 2017 – $603m (16%)
- Cars 3 – June 2017 – $383m (68%)
- The Mummy – June 2017 – $409m ($195m) (15%)
- War For the Planet of the Apes -July 2017 – $489m (93%)
- Dunkirk – July 2017 – $499m (94%)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming – July 2017 – $880m (92%)
- It – August 2017 – $697m (85%)
- Annabelle: Creation – August 2017 – $305m (70%)
Duds:
- King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – May 2017 – $140m ($175m) (30%)
- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets – July 2017 – $215m ($180m) (48%)
- The Dark Tower – August 2017 – $113m ($60m) (16%)
Notables:
Alien: Covenant (66%), Wind River (87%), The Big Sick (98%), Baby Driver (93%), Girls Trip (90%), Atomic Blonde (77%), Detroit (83%), The Hitman’s Bodyguard (39%), Logan Lucky (93%), American Made (86%)
#3 – 1981
The birth of the Indiana Jones franchise. Do I need to say anything else? How about the release of three epic cult films? A formidable comic book film? What about Bill Murray? Are you convinced now? Movies from summer 1981 were awesome.
Studs:
- Raiders of the Lost Ark – June 1981 – $248m (95%)
- The Cannonball Run – June 1981 – $57m (31%)
- For Your Eyes Only – June 1981 – $54m (73%)
- Superman II – June 1981 – $108m (89%)
- Stripes – June 1981 – $85m (88%)
- Arthur – July 1981 – $81m (90%)
Duds:
- Dragonslayer – June 1981 – $6m ($18m) (85%)
Notables:
Outland (58%), Clash of the Titans (66%), The Fox and the Hound (69%), Escape from New York (83%), Tarzan the Ape Man (11%), An American Werewolf in London (91%)
#2 – 1989
1989 gave audiences a lot of choices and for the most part, didn’t disappoint. With only 2 duds and 11 hits, it has one of the highest ratios of hits vs. misses. It features a number of films from several well-loved franchises (Batman, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Lethal Weapon, James Bond, Honey I Shrunk the Kids) and features three very well-received stand alone movies (When Harry Met Sally, Parenthood, and Dead Poet’s Society). On top of this, it had a wide range or variety; action, adventure, science fiction, comedy, family, drama, and even a bit of horror. Sure, it had two duds, but those don’t really count against it in the long run. For one, the only duds in 1989 were two types of films that usually do not bomb; James Bond films and James Cameron films. Two, they’re very entertaining films and they have good ratings (excellent summer movies).
Studs:
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – May 1989 – $197m (88%)
- Dead Poet’s Society – June 1989 – $95m (85%)
- Star Trek V: The Final Frontier – June 1989 – $52m (21%)
- Batman – June 1989 – $251m (73%)
- Ghostbusters 2 – June 1989 – $112m (51%)
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids – June 1989 – $130m (75%)
- Lethal Weapon 2 – July 1989 – $147m (82%)
- When Harry Met Sally – July 1989 – $92m (88%)
- Turner & Hooch – July 1989 – $71m (54%)
- Parenthood – August 1989 – $100m (92%)
- Uncle Buck – August 1989 – $69m (64%)
Duds:
- Licence to Kill – July 1989 – $34m ($42m) (76%)
- The Abyss – August 1989 – $54m ($70m) (88%)
Notables:
Road House (40%), Do the Right Thing (96%)
#1 – 1984
The summer of 1984 was as close to perfect as we’re probably going to get. Above all, it was a summer of films that were fun to watch. Temple of Doom may not be the best Indiana Jones film, but it is as entertaining as they come. Ghostbusters is a legendary good time, as is Gremlins, and The Karate Kid was an inspirational film that audiences couldn’t help but enjoy. Not only were the films of the summer of 1984 fun to watch, but they were well received by critics and audiences alike. All of the hits have a rating above 70% (and the average score of this year’s summer films is the highest of any year by a wide margin). Even the only dud of the season had a high rating. In fact, the only avoidable film in the whole summer season was Conan the Destroyer, but even that one has some watchability due to the fact that it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. No other summer can touch 1984’s combination of fun, well-received and profitable collection of films.
Studs
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – May 1984 – $179m (84%)
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock – June 1984 – $76m (78%)
- Ghostbusters – June 1984 – $238m (97%)
- Gremlins – June 1984 – $148m (84%)
- The Karate Kid – June 1984 – $90m (90%)
- Purple Rain – July 1984 – $68m (74%)
- The Neverending Story – July 1984 – $100m (worldwide) (81%)
Duds
- Once Upon A Time In America – June 1984 – $5m ($30m) (89%)
Notables
Sixteen Candles (86%), Conan the Destroyer (27%), The Last Starfighter (76%), Red Dawn (53%)
Click here for Part 1 of this list
Click here for Part 2 of this list
