The warm and hot summer months may not be the first thing that viewers think of when they think of scary settings, but, over the years, some filmmakers have made some truly gut-wrenching summer horror flicks. Rather than focus on the dark and the gloomy, some movies are terrifying because their setting is something not normally seen as scary. Besides the 80s trend of summer camp horror movies, there are numerous others that use the summer months to make audiences rethink when they're safe from things that go bump in the night.
Maybe it's the unknown beneath the waves or unrelenting sunlight making the audience uneasy, there is more than one way to keep viewers on the edge of their seat. Halloween isn't the only time of year that things can get strange.
Jaws
One of the most iconic movies of all time, it's no wonder the movie spawned so many sequels, although the original still stands above the rest. Even though most of the movie takes place in broad daylight, it doesn't take away from the terror that viewers feel as people swim unknowingly with a killing machine. Using POV-style shots and one of the most famous scores in movie history, Jaws is still just as scary today as it was when it first released.
Friday The 13th
Perhaps the most iconic horror movie ever made, it's also responsible for helping launch the popular slasher genre which dominated the horror movie genre for well over a decade. Taking place at Camp Crystal Lake, a summer camp for children, a group of camp counselors are supposed to spend a few days getting it ready for summer, but they are instead killed off one by one after getting into some mischief of their own.
The movie keeps the audience largely in the dark about who is killing the teenagers, creating a situation where audiences have no idea who is going to be killed next—or if anyone is going to be able to survive. A plot that would be copied for years and one of the most famous horror villains of all time make this an absolute classic and mandatory viewing for any horror fan.
Cabin In The Woods
Although the movie is not at all what many viewers expected, Cabin in the Woods is all the better for it. With many horror movies relying on keeping the audience in the dark, Cabin in the Woods does the opposite, as the audience knows that the real monsters are a mysterious control room that is pulling the strings as a summer camping trip goes completely sideways for a group of college students. Perhaps the most clever and meta-movie in the horror genre today, Cabin in the Woods is a must for any fan of the genre.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
With a truly 90s cast featuring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddy Prinze Jr., the 1997 slasher film is a ton of fun. After a group of rowdy teenagers accidentally hit and kill a man while driving, they must dump his body in the lake to cover up their crime.
A year later, they must return after receiving a mysterious letter that claims someone saw the crime happen. As they try and uncover who witnessed the accident, those involved are killed off one by one.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Another heavyweight in the horror genre, the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is equal parts disgusting and terrifying. Using the sweltering Texas heat to give the movie a unique feel and up the stakes, the movie is one of the most famous in the genre for a reason.
With an iconic villain and some of the most gruesome deaths that moviegoers had ever seen at the time, the movie still stands up to the horror films of today, largely due to it relying exclusively on practical effects.
Piranha
Often seen as nothing more than a ripoff of Jaws, Piranha is by no means one of the greatest horror movies. The plot itself is exactly as many viewers might expect; after accidentally releasing a school of piranhas from an abandoned fish hatchery, the man-eating fish wreck havoc on unsuspecting vacationers relaxing in the river.
Like all good monster flicks, the movie contains plenty of gore and some truly hectic feeding frenzy scenes. It's far from perfect, but the movie is still a must-watch for fans of gore and old-school monster flicks.
Sleepaway Camp
Part of the large influx of summer camp horror movies following the success of Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp is largely forgotten amongst casual horror fans. This by no means an indication of the entertainment value of the movie, with pacing that feels slightly slower than other movies in the genre, Sleepaway Camp isn't just another teen slasher movie.
With an introverted and broken girl at the center, the movie warns against bullying and sexual assault more so than promiscuity and drugs like other slasher films at the time.
Cheerleader Camp
One of the silliest of a string of summer camp horror movies, Cheerleader Camp is arguably the most fun. Rather than trying to scare audiences at every turn, the film seems more self-aware in its premise, something many horror movies seem to lack.
That is to say that the movie is downright goofy at times before suddenly shifting into a high-octane horror-thriller that viewers would expect from a slasher film. Although the movie won't be winning any awards, but it's still an absolute blast that will remind audiences of simpler times.
Midsommar
With an impressive cast that includes Will Poulter and Florence Pugh, Midsommar has managed to become one of the most well-received horror movies in years. Following a group of college students that go on a vacation in Sweden to visit a mysterious commune, things quickly get weird.
Filled to the brim with memorable scenes like the ritual suicide, Dani's horrific phone call, and the iconic smile that closes out the film, Midsommar is a movie that will stick with viewers—whether they want it to or not.
The Burning
Yet another summer camp slasher that was largely lost in the shuffle, The Burning is still chock-full of memorable and classic horror moments. Classic practical effects, buckets of fake blood, and a unique weapon of choice make this movie as charming as they come.
Although The Burning is nothing if not predictable. Yet, even with the audience knowing exactly what happens next, it still manages to delight as their torn apart by garden sheers one by one.