WIFT Vic’s Summer Watchlist
People We Meet on Vacation
Summer is for switching off, cooling down, and falling a little bit in love with what’s on our screens. Whether it’s a twisty thriller, a heart-swooning rom-com, a film that reminds you why cinema matters, or a queer sports drama everyone is talking about.
Here are WIFT Vic’s top picks for summer viewing: stories that surprised us, moved us, unsettled us (in the best way), and stayed with us long after the credits rolled. Grab the popcorn, the choctop, log in or the remote, here’s what we’re loving right now and where you can watch it.
The Housemaid
Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Thriller
How To Watch: In Cinemas Now
This thriller is based on a bestselling novel, and the twists took me completely by surprise (which is rare - given I can usually spot them a mile away!) Amanda Seyfried’s performance was phenomenal, she stole every scene and had me laughing, gasping and holding my breath. The film is brilliantly executed, which is one of the reasons why they just announced a sequel! You can find The Housemaid in cinemas now, and best enjoyed with popcorn and a choctop in hand.
- Jess Hutchinson, WIFT Vic Board Member
People We Meet on Vacation
Director: Brett Haley
Genre: Comedy, Romance
How To Watch: Streaming on Netflix
I AM A SUCKER FOR A ROM COM and this one tickled my heart and I shed a tear or few. An adaptation of Emily Henry’s novel, I felt the film did a pretty good job encapsulating the essence of the book (I was very worried as I love her books). I adore the relationship between Poppy and Alex, they truly did a great job creating the chemistry and I was rooting for them. Emily Bader was hilarious and quirky and Tom Blyth compliments her energy very well. Overall as a lover of the book I think this would have been better as a mini-series but the film leaves you feeling all the feels. And makes you want to travel more!
- Ria Patel, WIFT Vic Board Member
Sentimental Value
Director: Joachim Trier
Genre: Drama
How To Watch: In Cinemas Now
Sentimental Value is the type of film that reminds me why I love this art form. It’s a film about family. About home. About the trauma that can lie within those two things and how art can either heal or magnify that pain. I’d been eagerly waiting for this film to hit theatres as it reunites director Joachim Trier with actor Renate Reinsve who previously worked together on Worst Person In The World - a film that completely changed my life and undid years of anti-smoking campaigns with one of the hottest bits of cigarette work ever caught on camera. Renate is joined by Stellan Skarsgard, Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, creating one of the most outstanding ensemble casts of the year. This is a film that will stay with you long after you’ve left the cinema. It’s a hot contender this awards season, which hopefully means it will be hanging around cinemas for a while longer.
- Katie Page, WIFT Vic Vice President
Christy
Director: David Michôd
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
How To Watch: In Select Cinemas
Christy is deeply unsettling in the best possible way. It’s not shocking for spectacle, it’s uncomfortable because it feels a bit too real – especially if you have ever had a taste of coercive control. I was tense throughout, and the ending was so shockingly quiet, my friend and I talked about the film for a few hours afterwards and said hello to director David Michon in the bar afterwards (Q&A screening) with only mild restraint.
Sydney Sweeney delivers a nicely restrained, grounded performance that makes the story feel like you’re in the film. I noticed I was holding my breath often, and not during the fight scenes, but between the highs and lows during the interactions with her husband and manager. I didn’t know anything about the woman or the film going into it, but I have so much respect for the real Christy, what a woman. Not an easy watch, but a powerful film.
- Bec Caldwell, WIFT Vic Board Member
Heated Rivalry
Creator: Jacob Tierney
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sport
How To Watch: Streaming on HBO
I used to dodge sports shows like a bad pass. But Ted Lasso changed that, taking on bravado head-on, and A League of Their Own proved that queer love could lead the charge. Well… Heated Rivalry has outpaced them all.
Because Heated Rivalry is far more than gay hockey. The steamy tension between Canadian golden boy Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian superstar Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) is very real but across six episodes, Williams and Storrie deliver a tender, slow-burn love story between two people navigating the hyper-masculine world of professional hockey. The romance is messy, restrained, yearning, and beautifully earned.
The stand-alone episode featuring veteran player Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and sweetheart Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.) is a pitch-perfect queer rom-com that’s funny, vulnerable, and deeply charming. What I love most about this show is that no two love stories are the same. It’s never rushed, never over simplified.
- Alex Riches, WIFT Vic Memberships Administrator and Board Member
Hamnet
Director: Chloé Zhao
Genre: Biography
How To Watch: In Cinemas Now
One piece of storytelling I’ve been especially moved by is Hamnet. I started sobbing early on and went through at least 2 boxes of tissues. Hamnet is a deeply personal work that feels like a love letter to the inner lives of women - the grief, creativity and resilience we face every day and I was struck by how quietly powerful it is. Performances like Jessie Buckley’s, alongside a truly extraordinary cast, are an absolute triumph and a powerful reminder of why championing women in cinema matters so much.
It also reminded me why I value going to the cinema so deeply. There’s something special about choosing to be in a room together, phones away, fully present with a story and with each other. In a world of constant content, that shared experience feels more important than ever.
- Lauren Simpson, WIFT Vic President