As staffers of a multi-media publication, it should come as no surprise that our summers are as much about consuming stories as they are about telling them.
Whether it’s belting out ABBA under the sun, rethinking superheroes in a dark theater or sprinting through 20 seasons of crime TV, we turn to media to stay inspired, connected and maybe even a little obsessed.
Here are the recommendations – and warnings – we think are worth carrying into the rest of the year.
Editor-in-Chief, Bonnie Lord
“The Bad Guys 2” (2025) was everything a summer sequel should be. The stakes were high, the animation was beautiful and the new characters elevated the movie beyond even the entertainment value of the original. Where I would have said the original was worth watching, I think the sequel is something everyone should see.
“Sinners” (2025) was just. Incredible. This was easily the most unique, striking and ultimately life changing film to come out of this summer. And the soundtrack? Chef’s kiss.
I watched “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” (2021) with some friends in an effort to finish the series in full, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. While the first Conjuring film is perhaps the best film, this one was easily the most entertaining. The story is unique, and takes the series out of the “person gets possessed and goes wild” rut the series seemed to be in after the second film. If you’re going to watch “The Conjuring” films, watch the first and third movies – you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Okay… stick with me here: “Rock-A-Doodle” (1991) was one of my favorite watches of the summer. Directed by Don Bluth, famously non-Disney cartoon animator, this film revolves around a rooster named Chanticleer leaving his home on the farm to pursue an Elvis-Presley-Parody life in the city before being brought home by his barnyard friends to save the day by crowing up the sun. The characters are wacky, the songs are silly and the live-action portions of the movie are utterly corny. The best part? It’s free on YouTube with ads!
Managing Editor, Jocelyn Kincaid-Beal
One of my most anticipated releases of this summer was season three of “Squid Game” (2021-2025) – and it did not disappoint. “Squid Game” is a rare case where all three seasons were brilliant and up to par with each other – there was no dip or peak in quality, they’re all so good. If you’re looking for a psychological thriller that portrays the evil of capitalism, look no further. But be warned: It will stick with you forever.
Daisy the Great is one of my favorite bands – their music is weird, ethereal and thought-provoking. Their latest album, “The Rubber Teeth Talk” (2025), was on repeat in my headphones this summer. I love the dreamy indie pop vibes and the surreal lyricism equally.
I saw three movies in theaters this summer, which for me is not very many. The most recent one I went to was “Together” (2025). I saw it on my birthday, after wanting to go for weeks. I’m a superfan of the body horror subgenre, so a mainstream movie with body horror as its main genre was super exciting to me, and for the most part, it lived up to my expectations!
As I said, I only went to the theater three times; I was disappointed by the lack of appealing movies that came out this summer. One of my biggest movie pet peeves is unnecessary sequels and remakes, and my god, this summer was full of them. I had zero interest in the live action “Lilo and Stitch” (2025) or “How to Train Your Dragon” (2025) – the originals of those movies rule, and there’s nothing that can be improved by making them live action. My favorite movies to go see in theaters are horror movies, but this summer it felt like every new horror movie was a sequel: “Final Destination: Bloodlines” (2025), “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025), “Megan 2.0” (2025), “28 Years Later” (2025) – I mean, come on. You’d think they’d coordinate and not throw up a bunch of sequels in the same season. I was checking showtimes and headlines left and right this summer, only to be let down time and time again.
Assistant Managing Editor, Killian Altayeb
This summer, I got completely pulled back into “Black Sails” (2014–2017). I didn’t expect to spend so much time thinking about a show that’s essentially a pirate version of “The Kardashians,” but the way it captures chaos, grief and the search for purpose hit me hard. The acting feels so raw that it made me want to slow down and pay more attention to my own daily routines.
I also fell back into my comfort zone of fantasy novels, reading “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell” by Susanna Clarke. It’s long and winding, but it reminded me of why I love stories that let you sink into another world for hundreds of pages. It’s dense, but worth the effort.
Musically, I kept Bastille’s “&” on repeat – it’s mournful, yet perfect for driving with the windows down.
What I could have done without this summer were the endless micro-trends dictating what everyone “had” to read, watch or listen to. I love finding community in media, but sometimes it felt more like homework than joy!
Features/Opinions Editor, Heidi Faramelli
One of my favorite summer film releases was “Materialists” (2025), primarily because I found its cinematography beautiful. Plus, I’m a sucker for a love triangle, so that certainly helped. This movie was one where not much really happens, yet I was kept intrigued by my curiosity over how it might end.
I know liking “How to Train Your Dragon” (2025) may be a hot take. People are tired of the constant remakes, and I am too. But this movie captured part of the magic I felt watching it for the first time with my cousins in 2010. So while I certainly think we should be more creative as a society and start coming up with new ideas versus remakes and sequels, I enjoyed this film for the nostalgia that it provoked.
My favorite book release this summer was “Great Big Beautiful Life” by Emily Henry. Disclaimer: Henry is my favorite author of all time, so naturally, I’m going to love everything she releases. But this book! The novel follows two journalists who specialize in writing musical features – which I’ve done once or twice. While waiting for Henry’s next release, I’d highly recommend reading “Beach Read” or “People We Meet on Vacation” which has a film coming out on Netflix this January!
My favorite album releases this summer were “Wishbone” by Conan Gray, “Garden State” by Jeremy Zucker, “Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter and “Mt. Zion” by Josiah Queen. This was one of those summers where all my favorite artists released music. I have a love/hate relationship with years like this, because it means I won’t get to hear new music I love for quite a long time. Still, now I have a ton of music to enjoy, and for that I am grateful.
Marketing Coordinator, Volunteer Multimedia Journalist, Bella Bakeman
My favorite media I consumed this summer was “Law & Order: Special Victims (SVU)” (1999-present). I finished about 20 seasons this summer, and the more I watched, the more I fell in love with its characters. Sure, the show is about how deeply screwed up the world is. But, it also highlights the people that face the worst of humanity every day and keep going.
I started watching it with one of my friends before last semester ended and when summer began, I found myself missing them and SVU. So, I did what I always do: finished it faster than any human should.
The way I consume media is probably not healthy. Unless I’m driving, I am consuming visual media. If I’m walking around my house, I’m watching something. If I’m doing busy work, I’m watching something. If I’m in the shower, I’m watching something.
This summer, that was SVU. I consumed it morning, day and early evening (I had a strict cutoff at 9 p.m. to avoid nightmares).
At first, I had conflicting feelings about watching a show so deeply rooted in police brutality, especially the first few seasons. However, as the seasons progress, the characters have deep reflections of their biases, and attempt to enact real change in how they communicate with victims.
Ultimately: You should not watch this if you are triggered by sexual assault and similar crimes, but if shows like Criminal Minds are your jam, give it a shot.
Lately, I’ve been working on not yucking people’s yums. Everyone likes different things for different reasons. I might not be a fan of “Love Island,” but who am I to judge those who do? I watch “Love is Blind;” I get the reality show addiction.
Multimedia Journalist, Kyla Lawrence
My favorite media consumed this summer was ‘Bliss Montage’ by Ling Ma. The book itself is a collection of short stories, ranging in tons of variety and styles. Some are incredibly realistic, some are tastefully comical and others are absolutely unreal but still incredibly compelling to read.
While I didn’t end up finishing the book in time before I had to return it to my local library, I really enjoyed it, and I’ll definitely be ordering a copy of my own. It was a nice break from super dense, serious fiction, or even the lighthearted romance reads I often engage in. There was no real plot to follow outside of the book’s dedicated chapters, which meant I could pick up wherever and not miss a beat. This book was super fun, and not something I usually indulge in.
Part-time Multimedia Journalist, Sophia Valchine
My favorite summer movie is “Teen Beach Movie” (2013). What’s more summer than a movie that’s all about the beach? It’s one of those movies that you roll your eyes at when they make cringy jokes but laugh at all the same because sometimes they’re actually funny. It has a stacked cast (Ross Lynch), and the songs are always stuck in my head all summer long.
This summer, I had a “Teen Beach Movie” watch party with my friends, and it was such a bonding experience to sing every song together and watch them do the entire “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” dance. I also love the nostalgic feeling I get from seeing the less than perfect special effects; it just goes to show that you don’t need fancy bells and whistles to make a movie that will live fondly in my memories.
Multimedia Journalist, Finn Brady
Though it may be basic, I must say my favorite summer movie is “Mamma Mia!” (2008) starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried. It’s a classic film, and I love singing “Honey, Honey” with my boyfriend, who is also a little music geek like myself.
It makes me feel like summer isn’t just about being boiling hot, just working or both. As a hopeless romantic, a classic summer romance just brings me so much joy, as long as the romance is healthy – I’m looking at you, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” (2022-2025). It’s also my grandmother’s favorite musical, so it makes me feel a lot closer to her, especially because she and my Grandpa are moving out of state in October.
I have a distaste for poorly done new summer slashers. Like, give me something new other than the same movie that will eventually disappoint me. Every time I see the “slasher of the summer,” I die inside just a little. Please let the movie remakes and Jason Voorhees die; please give me something new to scratch my little brain on. I love the concept of horror or slasher summer, but it’s been lack-luster for a while.
Bella Fabrizio, Volunteer Multimedia Journalist
This summer, I saw “Superman” (2025) in theaters three times in one week, and it was just as amazing every time. I’ve never been a big fan of Superman – growing up I always thought he was one of the more boring superheroes — but this movie completely changed my mind. It was upbeat and witty, and the characters felt closer to their original comic book counterparts than they have in any other Superman movie I’ve seen.
I feel that superheroes movies in recent years (decades, really) have become darker and morally ambiguous. While these movies can definitely be interesting, Superman presented a refreshingly hopeful story, one where good beats evil – one that made me feel joy above anything else. I think it’s important to have reminders in media that the world needs a little more kindness and love because that inspires people to pass them on.
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