What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedBig Summer
Jennifer Weiner · Book · 2021
If you loved Big Summer, start with Bridesmaids (Paul Feig, 2011) — a film on the same thread. Below: 3 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Big Summer across media.
What hooked you in Big Summer was the way high-stakes social dynamics collide with the messy, complicated realities of female friendship.
Films on the same thread
Bridesmaids
Paul Feig · Film · 2011
Shares a thread with Big Summer: Female friendship.
If the chaotic wedding planning in Big Summer kept you hooked, this movie mirrors that same disastrous energy and the intense pressure of navigating a strained best friendship.
People We Meet on Vacation
Film · 2026
Explores: opposites attract, long-distance friendship, emotional intimacy.
Just as Big Summer explores the weight of long-term history between friends, this film captures the nostalgia and evolution of a bond that defines your entire identity.
Another Simple Favor
Paul Feig · Film · 2025
Shares a thread with Big Summer: Female Friendship.
This film takes the extravagant wedding setting you enjoyed in Big Summer and injects it with a darker, more dangerous layer of betrayal, secrets, and high-stakes social manipulation.
Series on the same thread
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han · Series · 2022
Explores: First Love, Summer Romance, Love Triangle.
If you loved the evocative, sun-drenched atmosphere of Big Summer, this series offers a similarly immersive look at how formative summer experiences permanently alter the course of relationships.
Big Little Lies
David E. Kelley · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Big Summer: Female Friendship.
Big Summer excels at showing how perfect exteriors hide deep fractures, a theme this series explores through a gripping lens of privilege, secrets, and the unraveling of female bonds.
Your Friends & Neighbors
Jonathan Tropper · Series · 2025
Explores: wealth inequality, midlife crisis, moral decay.
Much like the social media influence and moral ambiguity found in Big Summer, this series examines the decay behind the polished veneer of a wealthy social circle.
Imperfect Women
Annie Weisman · Series · 2026
Explores: female friendship dynamics, hidden secrets, betrayal.
This series deepens the exploration of complicated female friendship dynamics seen in Big Summer, focusing on how shared history can become a liability when shocking secrets are finally revealed.
Podcasts on the same thread
Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
Esther Perel Global Media · Podcast · 2026
Explores: infidelity, emotional vulnerability, human connection.
If the emotional work of forgiveness in Big Summer resonated with you, this podcast provides an intimate, real-world look at the complexities of human connection and vulnerability.
We Can Do Hard Things
Treat Media and Glennon Doyle · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Vulnerability, Personal growth, Emotional support.
This podcast mirrors the authentic, raw approach to personal growth and emotional honesty that grounds the characters and themes within the pages of Big Summer.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Big Summer a story about rekindling old friendships?
Yes, Big Summer focuses on the complex dynamics of friendship and forgiveness. It follows Daphne Berg as she navigates the challenges of reconnecting with a former friend who asks her to be a maid of honor six years after their relationship ended.
What is the primary conflict in Big Summer?
The primary conflict in Big Summer involves Daphne Berg confronting the history of her fractured friendship during an increasingly disastrous wedding. The story centers on her experiences after she accepts the role of maid of honor for a friend she has not spoken to in six years.
Does Big Summer feature a wedding as a central plot point?
Yes, a wedding serves as the central setting for the events of Big Summer. The narrative follows the protagonist as she attends the ceremony and deals with the complications that arise during the increasingly disastrous event after years of being estranged from the bride.
How long has it been since the characters in Big Summer last spoke?
In Big Summer, the protagonist Daphne Berg and her former friend have not spoken for six years. This period of estrangement began after a fight ended their friendship, creating the tension that defines their interactions when they reunite for the wedding.