When you need a good laugh, a good cry or just want to kill some time, movies are a go-to that can always provide what you’re looking for. First and foremost, if you’re a film buff or just enjoy watching movies, you’ve probably already seen most or all of these, but they are good movies to revisit and even share with friends. That said, here’s a short list of films that you should watch this summer (in no particular order).

1. Dog Day Afternoon.

A drama from 1975 based on a true story, "Dog Day Afternoon" follows two incompetent robbers who hold up a bank they thought was holding a lot of money on one of the hottest days of the summer. Before they know it, the police show up and a national escapade ensues. It essentially becomes a hostage movie, but the ineptitude of the bank robbers mixed with the themes and attitudes of 70s America make it a hilarious and simultaneous tragic tale that shows that these men aren’t villains or animals, but people. It deals with many of the same issues (perception of police, gender) we experience today, and is a great movie to watch when it’s too hot to do anything else.

2. Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.

A great movie to watch with friends, The Meaning of Life is in my opinion equal in quality to that of the much more loved and well-known, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." If you’ve ever contemplated life on a nice summer day, this film gives you the answer and much more. The story is essentially different skits that portray aspects of life in the most absurd and hilarious of ways, starting at birth and ending in death. It’s one of those movies I also recommend watching with friends, and even if you stop paying attention for a little bit, part of the fun is trying to figure out what in the world is going on. For the real meaning of life, I recommend a watch.

3. The 'Burbs.

You know those neighbors you have that are a little odd and that your parents like to “check up on” by staring out the window? Yeah, this movie’s about them. The film is set in a sunny suburban neighborhood and is a wonderful example of nosy people going too far in trying to find evidence that their new, albeit peculiar, neighbors are evil murderers. Suburban humor, paranoia, and lighthearted invasion of privacy abound; "The 'Burbs" is a classic comedy that will make you ask what skeletons your neighbors are hiding in their closets (or in this case, basements).

4. The Big Lebowski.

Probably one of the more well-known cult classics, "The Big Lebowski" is one of those comedies you can watch many times and still get a laugh out of it. The story is of the Dude who seeks compensation for his favorite rug but ends up getting involved in trying to save a man’s wife from a kidnapping, Lebowski (the character and the movie itself) has a relaxed attitude towards high stakes situations that delve into absurdism and surrealism while offering a plethora of quotable lines. Another fun movie to share with friends or watch when you’re down, "The Big Lebowski" can remind you to just chill out and not let things get to you in these fun summer months. You may not enjoy it, but that’s just, like, your opinion, man, and that’s fine.

Enjoy, happy watching and happy summer!