The 5 Best Summer Horror Movies!

Let's face it, the calendar might still say Spring, but the outdoor thermometer says it's Summer. And as every horror movie fan knows, true fear doesn’t take a season off. There is something almost poetic about watching a scary movie in the scorching sun. No, you don’t need to wait for Halloween to start the horror festivities. These 5 films prove that Summer may just be the best time to get scared away!

1. Midsommar (2019)

At first glance, you’d never guess that this beautiful masterpiece by Ari Aster is one of the most disturbing movies you’ll ever see. We start off on an odd note when college student Dani’s (Florence Pugh) sister kills herself and their parents. Next follows what we think is a story about grief and acceptance but slowly turns into a cult-horror story as Dani travels to Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends to experience the Swedish Midsommar festival. What makes the movie so special is that neither the protagonist nor the audience initially realizes that we’re trapped in a horror film! Its terror creeps up on you until you can’t escape it. Midsommar is a truly unique horror movie, and with its countless flowers, white dresses, and bright visuals, it is the perfect film for Summer! (Available on VOD/Digital)

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

When watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you can almost feel the heat radiating off your screen as you watch gruesome horrors play out against the blistering Texan sun. The movie starts off like any other Summer road trip – a group of friends looking to have fun. But when they get stranded in the middle of nowhere, it quickly spirals into a waking nightmare as they run into a terrifying masked killer and his cannibalistic family. Directed by Tobe Hooper, it is so gruesome that it was initially banned in several countries while also gaining a cult following for its extreme violence. And with the Texan heat playing a vital part in the movie, it is a must-watch this Summer! (Stream on Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV, and PLEX)

3. Jaws (1975)

The 4th of July is approaching, and any true horror fans know that, besides fireworks, parades, and barbecue, this is also the time to rewatch Jaws. Set over the Independence Day weekend, the film revolves around a Great White shark that starts attacking swimmers off the coast of a New England beach town. When a $3,000 bounty is placed on it, a police chief, marine biologist, and an eccentric shark hunter team up to catch the shark – only to give us one of the most iconic showdowns in film history. The film was Steven Spielberg’s big break and start to his legendary career in Hollywood,and for good reason! He perfectly captures that slow, creeping dread of something lurking in the dark which will give you chills like nothing else. Fun fact: June 20th marks the 50th anniversary of Jaws, so now is a better time than ever to watch this movie! (Available on VOD/Digital)

4. Immaculate (2024)

We all dream of a trip to Europe for the Summer, right? Well, with Immaculate, you can bring a piece of Italy into your living room. But beware – this might scare you off from travelling overseas any time soon! In Immaculate, we see Sydney Sweeney star as a nun who is joining a new Catholic convent near Rome. While first excited to start her new journey, Sweeney’s character soon learns that there is something wrong with the convent. Something very wrong. And when she gets mysteriously pregnant, she has to confront the dark secrets hiding beneath the convent’s holy façade. Immaculate definitely has some good jump scares and hiding-under-your-blanket moments – we recommend it to anyone looking for those European Summer chills! (Stream on Hulu)

5. Friday the 13th (1980)

Normally, Summer camp is all fun and friendships. Well, that’s until Friday the 13th turned every kid’s dream into a nightmare. The film follows a group of teenage camp counselors that are trying to reopen an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past. Things get scary, however, when the teens start getting murdered one by one by an unknown killer that is looking for revenge. The film includes everything we love about Summer – the cabins, the lakes, the skinny dipping... The only flip is that these turn into a nightmare that will haunt you all Summer long! If you dare, then watch Friday the 13th this Summer for those late-night scares. (Stream on Tubi and Pluto TV)