12 cottage movies for your next night in at the lake

Watch Steve Martin and Eugene Levy at their most absurd as they lead their two enormous families headfirst into a lakeside rivalry. A great cottage movie option for the family.

If you’re looking to make your next cottage trip as frightening as possible, check out this 1981 cult classic about a group of friends who accidentally awaken a flood of evil at an isolated cabin. It's long been regarded as the original and scariest "cabin in the woods" horror movie. Watch it at the cottage…if you dare!

How could you not be at least a little intrigued by a mid–2000s time-travelling romance movie starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock at the height of their careers? It'll set the tone for a cozy night in at the cottage.

This John Candy and Dan Akroyd-led comedy may be the ultimate cottage movie classic—two families butt heads on their weekend away at the cabin. Candy and Akroyd are at their best, making the movie over-the-top and ridiculous with a downright hysterical watching experience.

There’s just something about an isolated cabin that makes for a great scary movie setting, isn’t there? In many ways, this aptly-named movie serves as an homage to other scary cottage movies. Without giving too much away, this flick is full of twists, some good scares, and even a few good laughs. It’s truly a rollercoaster!

Starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson, this 1996 action thriller film follows an amnesiac woman who turns out to be a secret CIA assassin. Although neither set in cottage country nor about cottages, the film was shot in Muskoka at the famous Windermere House. The Windermere actually burned down during the filming of the movie, and although it was never conclusively proven to be related to the filming, some have speculated it may have been caused by film lighting equipment. Only the stone verandah of the original Windermere House remains today.

On Golden Pond is the 1981 drama film that earned Katharine Hepburn her fourth and final Oscar win. It also stars Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, and Doug McKeon. Based off the 1979 play of the same name by Ernest Thompson, the film is set in Maine but has many resonances with Canadian cottage country. It's the perfect watch for a rainy day at the lake.

This shot-on-video 1992 independent eco-horror film is set at fictional Lake Shipapoo, where toxins in the water cause pike to attack and devour local cottagers. This one is pure camp horror and much-loved among both film buffs and cottagers. Don't worry, though: Watching it at the cottage will give you a good laugh instead of make you feel wary about the water.

A new release by Amazon MGM studios, this film starring Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza was filmed in Muskoka. The film was produced by Margot Robbie's production company and the Canadian director, Megan Park, has described the film as "a love letter to Muskoka." In the movie, a psychedelic mushroom trip leads to a journey of self-discovery as the young protagonist, Elliot (Maisy Stella), comes face-to-face with her 39-year-old future self (Aubrey Plaza).

If you haven't seen Meatballs, are you truly a Canadian cottager? Filmed at Camp White Pine on Hurricane Lake, near Haliburton, Ont., this movie launched the directing career of Ivan Reitman and the acting career of Bill Murray, two icons of Canadian cinema. The film follows the hilarious antics of the camp counsellors and attendees at fictional Camp North Star as they go head-to-head with their rivals at neighbouring Camp Mohawk in their annual Olympiad.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Need we say more? This 1995 comedy focuses on two lookalike girls who meet at summer camp and decide to play matchmaker for their respective parents. The movie was filmed in part at Muskoka's Camp Mini-Yo-We and the beautiful Muskoka countryside features prominently throughout the film. This is a great, family-friendly movie with a happy ending, making it perfect for when you feel like watching something fun and easy.

Set in the cottage-y town of Big Eden, Montana, this 2001 romcom follows a gay man who has recently returned to his hometown after his grandfather suffers a stroke. But the visit serves a dual purpose as he is forced to confront unresolved feelings for his childhood best friend. Starring Arye Ross and Academy Award-winning actress Louise Fletcher, this is a feel-good cottage movie set against the backdrop of beautiful Glacier National Park.