The Ringer’s new Max DOCKumentary Yacht Rock shines a light on a made-up genre of music. Yacht Rock is the easy listening songs of the late 70s and early 80s. It became a cultural touchstone after a web series of videos from comedians caught traction in a pre-youtube internet. Now, Yacht Rock has become synonymous with slow-paced, easy-listening tunes that rock, but not too hard.

The Ringer helpfully laid out some ground rules for what constitutes Yacht Rock. It is typically songs from Southern Californian artists that incorporate jazz, soul, R&B, and Disco. Yacht Rock is also often cheesy, melodramatic and forces the listener to unintentionally dance in their chair. With these basic tenets in mind, I thought it would be fun to look at the Yacht Rock of movies. Movies that embody the same vibe and soulful smoothness of the easy-listening genre.

The Beach Bum

Harmony Korine’s 2019 comedy film The Beach Bum is the quintessential Yacht Rock movie. The film stars Matthew McConaughey as an undeservedly wealthy stoner wasting away in the Florida Keys. Besides featuring a plethora of scenes on actual Yachts, The Beach Bum perfectly encapsulates the vibe and feel of a Yacht Rock song.

The Beach Bum is a comedy but it’s also expertly made. Harmony Korine’s career has had its ups and downs after his debut writing credit on Kids, but The Beach Bum is one of his best movies. It’s a little funny, a little sad, and has a whole lot of heart. You’ll end up rooting for McConaughey as Moondog despite his clear shortcomings.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgendy

Adam McKay’s Anchorman is brimming with Yacht Rock attitude. The film features Will Ferrel as Ron Burgendy and follows the adventures of his goofy cast of news anchors. The film’s 70s aesthetic is packed with bright suits and beige trimmings, which is quintessential Yacht Rock. There is even a sing-along scene to Starland Vocal Bands Afternoon Delight. A staple of the genre.

Anchorman has become a comedy classic and helped catapult both McKay and Will Ferrel’s careers. Both had already made a name for themselves on Saturday Night Live, but Anchorman solidified them as safe Hollywood bets. Will Ferrel has gone on to become a comedy legend, and McKay won an Oscar for his 2015 film The Big Short. Anchorman is an interesting look at the duo’s beginnings and a fabulously smooth and soulful film.

Dazed and Confused

Richard Linklater’s 1993 film Dazed and Confused is a coming-of-age story following a group of teens on their last day of high school in 1976. The film has the 70s aesthetic that has become synonymous with Yacht Rock but it also has a ton of heart and is expertly made—two overlooked tenets of the music genre.

Dazed and Confused is near perfect in its execution of a coming-of-age tale. Linklater is a wizard of storytelling but he does so in such an effortless manner that it can be easy to miss how precise all his films are. Dazed is possibly his best film and has become a much-beloved classic.

High Fidelity

Nick Hornby’s novel and the 2000 film adaptation are all about two things. Love and pop music. John Cusack plays a romantic aloof record store owner who cares more about people’s music tastes than he does their personal shortcomings. High Fidelity is a Yacht Rock movie merely for its unabashed love for high-brow pop music.

Yacht Rock musicians like Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, and Christopher Cross are all incredibly talented musicians. That fact gets lost at times amongst the smooth safe music they created. They were all technically brilliant artists. High Fidelity showcases the talent of pop stars through the eyes of three guys who are too cool for non-music nerds. High Fidelity is also an easy and relaxing watch.

Babylon

Babylon is a film about excess, fame, and the changing of times. Damien Chazelle’s 2022 sprawling epic follows Hollywood’s transition from silent films to the talkies while holding up a lens up to the excess and rampant debauchery happening in Hollywood at the time. It also does so with exacting precision and a scathing commentary.

Babylon received mixed reviews upon its release despite the stacked cast led by Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. Babylon isn’t a bad film, although it does at times feel a bit self-indulgent. This is often the case with movies about movies, but at 189 minutes, Babylon overstays its welcome. Still, it’s a clear Yacht Rock film that follows huge stars who eventually fade into obscurity. The way so many of our favorite Yacht Rockers did once MTV hit and video killed the radio star.

Overboard

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russel are comedic royalty in this 1987 boat caper. Overboard stars Goldie Hawn as an uppity aristocrat who suffers amnesia after falling off her yacht. Kurt Russel plays the handsome carpenter who selflessly takes care of the injured Goldie while the two fall helplessly in love.

Overboard isn’t a Yacht Rock movie just because it contains a plethora of yachts. It also has the same vibe and charm as the artists and songs of the genre. Overboard is smooth, safe, and easy to watch over and over while getting bored. Overboard is the perfect movie to pair with a Christopher Cross record.

Boogie Nights

Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 film Boogie Nights is as smooth as butter, cool as cucumber, and features plenty of ridiculous outfits. Boogie Nights stars Mark Wahlberg as Dirk Diggler, a young, well-endowed up-and-comer trying to make a name for himself in the adult film industry.

Yacht Rock has become defined by the incredible artists who made their complex sounds feel strikingly easy. PTA does the same with his 97 masterpiece. Crafting a perfect story set against a seedy 1970s Los Angeles. Burt Reynolds and Seymour Hoffman also give incredible performances in the film, rising to the occasion and creating a true masterpiece of Yacht Rock cinema.