10 Movies That Will Make You Instantly Nostalgic For Summer Camp

Now that we're in the thick of July, we've been having memories and visions of Summer camp. Even if you never actually went to sleepaway camp, it's been portrayed in pop culture enough times, like in the recent revival of Wet Hot American Summer, that we still get nostalgic about it. The big screen has given us many memorable Summer camps, so we're reminiscing by revisiting these movies set at camp, which range from silly to scary to vintage.

01
Meatballs
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Meatballs

  • Camp name: Camp North Star
  • Vibe: Supportive. They may lose most games in the Olympiad to rival Camp Mohawk, but their accepting attitude helps them change that.
  • Magical memory: Tripper (Bill Murray) plays a prank on the sleeping camp director by putting him in a tree.
02
Wet Hot American Summer
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Wet Hot American Summer

  • Camp name: Camp Firewood
  • Vibe: Laid-back. The counselors are mostly concerned with making out with each other.
  • Magical memory: The epic final talent show that includes a performance by comedian Alan Shemper (Michael Showalter), a weather manipulation by camper Steve, and the big reveal of a made-over Coop (also Michael Showalter).
03
Camp Nowhere
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Camp Nowhere

  • Camp name: Camp Nowhere
  • Vibe: Loose. It's a camp that teenager Mud (Jonathan Jackson) creates to avoid other boring Summer camps.
  • Magical memory: The campers' parents visit and find the specialized camps their kids claim they're at, including fat camp, military camp, and computer camp.
04
Ernest Goes to Camp
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Ernest Goes to Camp

  • Camp name: Kamp Kikakee
  • Vibe: Wild. The campers terrorize maintenance man Ernest before he wins them over.
  • Magical memory: Ernest and the kids prevent an evil construction company from demolishing their camp.
05
The Parent Trap
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The Parent Trap

  • Camp name: Camp Walden
  • Vibe: The ultimate sleepover. Walden is girls-only.
  • Magical memory: In a big fencing match, Hallie and Annie (both played by Lindsay Lohan) see each other for the first time and realize they have the same face (and later find out it's because they're sisters).
06
Heavy Weights
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Heavy Weights

  • Camp name: Camp Hope
  • Vibe: Fun, but definitely calorie-restrictive. Camp Hope is a weight-loss camp for teens.
  • Magical memory: The campers have a binge-eating session after they get fitness-crazed camp owner Tony Perkis (Ben Stiller) off their backs.
07
Addams Family Values
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Addams Family Values

  • Camp name: Camp Chippewa
  • Vibe: Homogenous. Only Wednesday (Christina Ricci) has the guts to stand out.
  • Magical memory: Wednesday gets her first kiss from fellow camper Joel (David Krumholtz).
08
Camp
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Camp

  • Camp name: Camp Ovation
  • Vibe: Theatrical. It's a performing arts Summer camp.
  • Magical memory: Mousey camper Fritzi (Anna Kendrick) takes the stage and brings the house down with her pipes.
09
Friday the 13th
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Friday the 13th

  • Camp name: Camp Crystal Lake
  • Vibe: Pretty deadly
  • Magical memory: Jason Voorhees's crazed mother goes on a murder spree. Oh, magical? I thought you said murderous.
10
Moonrise Kingdom
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Moonrise Kingdom

  • Camp name: Camp Ivanhoe
  • Vibe: Not very restrictive. Khaki scout Sam finds it quite easy to escape.
  • Magical memory: Sam and Suzie's dance party set to Francoise Hardy.