If you’re a college student, chances are you’ve already started thinking about the holidays. As we approach the end of the school year, uni can become tougher, with so many assignments and deadlines piling up, and a great way to handle that stress is to plan something fun for the future. Watching a movie can also be a soothing, entertaining experience, so why not combine the two things and start looking at movies to watch while you’re on vacation? Whether you’re planning to go somewhere fun for the holidays or to stay at home and recharge, we have you covered. We made a list of 5 movies to watch while you’re on vacation that you can stream once you’re done with your coursework – in which case, you might also be asking yourself, “how do I hire someone to do my assignment?” – and that are all available on at least one popular streaming platform.
So without further ado, here’s a list of 5 movies for college kids on vacation, from different genres and in alphabetical order! Happy watching!
1. Adventureland
Let’s start with a hidden gem featuring two of stars who would go on to become hugely popular. Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg are co-workers in this 2009 film from writer-director Greg Mottola (Superbad). The movie takes place in summer 1987, when college graduate James (Eisenberg) is about to have the summer of his dream and leave for his long-anticipated trip to Europe. Sadly, his dreams are put on hold when his parents announce that they’re broke, which means that James will have to spend his summer working to pay for grad school instead. But this grim prospect suddenly becomes more appealing when our protagonist falls in love with Em (Stewart), his co-worker at Adventureland.
Adventureland is quirky enough to stand out in a crowded genre and authentic enough to capture a very specific moment in our lives. Its central performances make it the gem that it is, and you’ll also find many familiar faces in it, from Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader and Martin Starr to (wait for it) Ryan Reynolds.
2. Hit Man
As you wait for the release of Richard Linklater’s 2025 film Blue Moon, you should absolutely check out his previous movie, revolving around an enigmatic man whom you’ll spend the entire time trying to figure out. Glen Powell plays Gary Johnson, a psychology and philosophy professor at the University of New Orleans who doesn’t really have anything remarkable about him; if you passed him on the street, you wouldn’t look at him twice. But Gary has a second job that brings out a completely different side of his personality: in his spare time, he helps the police catch people who are trying to hire hit men to get rid of someone they know. Our lead’s job is to simply record these people’s conversations with a man pretending to be a hit man. One day, Gary gets promoted to “fake hit man”, and everything changes.
Trust us when we say that you are not prepared for what you’ll find in Linklater’s Hit Man. This is first and foremost a hysterically funny movie, with flawless line delivery from Glen Powell and Adria Arjona that will make you want to rewatch some scenes on repeat. If you want to spend your summer vacation reinventing yourself, this is the right movie for you. And If you go into it knowing as little as possible about its plot – which, by the way, is based on a true story that Texas Monthly wrote an article about in 2001 – we guarantee it will become one of your all time favorite films.
3. The Holdovers
Who said the movies you watch while you’re on vacation all have to be summer films? Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers takes place during the Christmas break, when a group of students at a New England prep school all get to go home for the holidays. Or rather, most of them get to go home, while the unfortunate Angus (Dominic Sessa) is stuck at Barton Academy, since his mom is nowhere to be found and unable to sign the permission slip that would allow him to leave. But Angus is not alone: universally despised teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti, in a Golden Globe-winning performance) is stuck at Barton to “babysit”, with head cook Mary (Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph) there to feed them.
If you’re expecting an uplifting movie about three strangers who become each other’s family, prepared to be mesmerized by one of the most unconventionally affecting films of the decade. Of course, the film does revolve around our three protagonists – and Angus and Paul in particular – who eventually learn to not only tolerate but also respect and appreciate each other. Yet, at the same time, it gets to its conclusion in a way that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, with surprisingly hilarious scenes and unexpected revelations. It’s a film that channels Dead Poets’ Society in the best possible way, but it’s also enjoyable and compelling in a way that’s entirely its own.
4. In The Heights
This Broadway musical adaptation comes from Wicked director Jon M. Chu, who adapted the work of one of the best musical theater songwriters around, Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda. From its very first scenes, In the Heights drops us right in the middle of the Latinx Community in which it’s set, New York City’s Washington Heights, introducing us to its many compelling protagonists, each with their own dreams and preoccupations. Anthony Ramos’ (A Star Is Born) plays lead Usnavi de la Vega, a charismatic bodega owner who’s originally from the Dominican Republic. Usnavi has the biggest crush on Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), who works at the beauty salon next door. And then there are the Cuban “Abuela” Claudia, the larger than life Benny (Corey Hawkins), and Nina (Leslie Grace), who has just returned to the neighborhood after spending a not-so-exciting year as a Stanford student, and who has to find a way to tell her father that she’s dropped out of school.
As always with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work, there is so much to take in as you watch In The Heights, a film where every single character is a fully fledged person and every dynamic is authentic and gripping. Visually, the film is hypnotic, with fantastic choreographies and singing matching the film’s production design and dynamic camerawork. And then there’s the music, which is simply irresistible. If you’re a fan of musicals and you’ve never seen this before, you’re in for a treat.
5. Spider-Man: Far From Home
If you’d like to spend your vacation far from home… What better choice than Spider-Man: Far From Home? This 2019 film from director Jon Watts (Wolfs) is the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). It follows its central character, Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker (Tom Holland) on a summer trip to Europe, where our friendly neighborhood superhero is planning to take a break from keeping the city safe from criminals. It turns out that trouble can’t help but follow him anywhere he goes, as he is soon intercepted by none other than Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) himself, who needs his help with some creatures that have been attaching the planet, and that seem to be connected to the weather’s elements. Soon, Peter meets the intriguing Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a new adventure begins.
We know: it’s a Marvel film. But this is a Marvel film from before the MCU started going downhill. Here, we have a gripping story focused mainly on its larger than life protagonist, with enough excitement to keep your eyes glued to the screen. We chose it because, out of the trilogy, it’s the only film in which Peter attempts to go on vacation, but it’s also the prequel to the fantastic Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which you should absolutely watch next.
The five movies listed above will make for perfect watches for college kids on vacation! From beloved hits to new releases and lesser known gems, there’s something for everyone here, and you’re bound to find a film that catches your interest. Enjoy!
