Dirty Dancing (1987)

Nobody puts Baby in a corner—but eventually somebody does have to pack the car and leave Kellerman’s. That ticking clock is what makes Dirty Dancing such a killer end-of-summer contender. The dancing matters. Johnny matters. But the real magic is that temporary-world feeling: for a few weeks, you’re somewhere else, surrounded by different people, becoming someone your normal life hasn’t met yet. Then vacation ends. Against Call Me by Your Name, this is the louder, sweatier version of summer love with an expiration date. Against The Way Way Back, it’s another resort summer where the person going home isn’t quite the person who arrived. And yes, the finale gives you the release everyone wants before reality returns. Does Baby own the last dance of summer?