A hot-girl summer isn’t just about rooftop bars and iced lattes, it translates to what you watch, too. And Prime Video has got you covered this year, with some seriously hot TV and film.
From love triangles to dangerous family secrets, frenemies and hidden identities, I’ve rounded up the shows and films you’ll want to add to your watchlist.
Expect juicy plots, strong female leads, and just the right amount of emotional chaos to keep you entertained this summer.
The Summer I Turned Pretty S3
Belly makes a return for a third season of the romantic drama based on Jenny Han’s novels of the same title. Picking up two years later, Belly, played by Lola Tung, is now in college and engaged to Jeremiah – that is, until his brother Conrad returns, reigniting old feelings and shaking everything up. The love triangle reaches its emotional peak as Belly has to decide once and for all: Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah? Get your pomegranate margaritas ready because, if season three stays true to the book, we’re going to need one – or the entire jug.
We Were Liars
If you love TSITP, We Were Liars is your next obsession. Like the former, it’s also set at a beach house, although Cousins Beach is a chill summer’s break compared to Beechwood Island, where the Sinclair family hides dangerous secrets (think fire and loss). In the eight-part series, which launched in June, Cadence, aged 17, returns to her family’s private island one year after a mysterious accident, with no memory of what happened. As she starts putting together the pieces of the summer, old friends and buried truths emerged. With an impeccable cast and a twist you absolutely won’t see coming, We Were Liars is summer drama with a haunting edge.
Another Simple Favor
I was completely obsessed with Blake Lively’s deviously cunning Emily and Anna Kendrick’s overly-pedantic Stephanie, so when I heard there was a sequel to A Simple Favor, I wasted no time giving it a watch. And you won’t want to delay, either. In the second film, the unlikely duo are back and the twists are even more absurd than the last time, as Stephanie travels to Italy to be a bridesmaid at Emily’s wedding to the super-rich Dante Versano. There’s more deaths, revenge, chaos and OTT fashion. Plus, Michele Morrone plays Emily’s soon-to-be-husband – surely that’s enough to pique your interest.
Overcompensating
Hook-up disasters, frat-party drama and secret crushes? Overcompensating delivers the ultimate college chaos, as closeted Benny, played by Benito Skinner, tries to navigate his freshman year while keeping his sexuality a secret. Desperate to keep up his straight-guy act, Benny teams up with ballsy outsider Carmen (Wally Baram), and together they stumble through the joys of college in this coming-of-age story. With bold humour and a killer soundtrack, including tracks from the likes of Britney and Charlie XCX, the eight-part series is a fresh take on identity, friendship and self-discovery.
The Better Sister
Estranged sisters reunite in this thriller starring Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks. While Chloe (Biel) lives an idyllic life with her husband Adam and their son, Nicky (Banks) struggles to make ends meet. When Adam is brutally murdered, the two sisters are forced to put their complicated past behind them to find out who is responsible. As the investigation deepens, buried family secrets, fractured sibling bonds and shocking twists emerge. Based on Alafair Burke’s novel, the eight-part drama is giving major Gone Girl and Big Little Lies vibes, and worth bingeing this summer.
Prime Video is available in the UK and Ireland at no extra cost to a Prime membership for just £8.99 a month or £95 per year. New customers can find out more at amazon.co.uk/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.
