10 Summer Themed Horror Movies to Watch this Season
October isn’t the only time to celebrate the genre of horror in film. While Spooky Season officially kicks off in October, the summer season is another great time to celebrate the genre. From classics like Jaws (1975), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Friday the 13th (1980), The Burning (1981), Sleepaway Camp (1983), and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), to name a few, summer time can be just as scary as Halloween.
As we kick off the summer 2024 season, here are 10 summer themed horror movies to check out. These are mostly more recent ones, so you may or may not have seen some.
The Beach House (2020)
Cast: Liana Liberato, Noah Le Gros, Jake Weber, Maryann Nagel
Synopsis: “Emily and her boyfriend Randall have been in a difficult relationship for some time, which is why the couple decides to take a short vacation at Randall’s father’s beach house. However, the break soon turns into a real struggle for survival.”
Where to watch: AMC+, Hoopla, The Roku Channel, Shudder
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)
Cast: Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, Ryan Simpkins, Ted Sutherland, McCabe Slye, Jordyn DiNatale, Jordana Spiro, Chiara Aurelia, Kiana Madeira, Benjamin Flores Jr., Olivia Scott Welch, Gillian Jacobs, Ashley Zukerman
Synopsis: “Shadyside, 1978. School’s out for summer and the activities at Camp Nightwing are about to begin. But when another Shadysider is possessed with the urge to kill, the fun in the sun becomes a gruesome fight for survival.”
Where to watch: Netflix
The Final Girls (2015)
Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev, Alia Shawkat, Thomas Middleditch, Chloe Bridges, Adam Devine, Angela Trimbur
Synopsis: “When Max (Taissa Farmiga) and her friends reluctantly attend a screening of “Camp Bloodbath,” an infamous ‘80s cult horror film that starred Max’s late mother (Malin Akerman), they are accidentally sucked into the silver screen. They soon realize they’re trapped inside the movie and must team up with the horny, regan-era idiot “Camp Bloodbath” counselors — including Max’s mom as the shy scream queen — to battle the film’s machete-wielding killer, Billy Murphy. Face to face with her mother for the first time in years, Max has a second chance not only to see her, but to save her, and with the help of her friends, get back home before Billy kills them all.”
Where to watch: Apple TV, Prime Video
Influencer (2023)
Cast: Cassandra Naud, Emily Tennant, Rory J. Saper, Sara Canning, Paul Spurrier
Synopsis: “While struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living, but CW’s interest in her takes a darker turn.”
Where to watch: AMC+, Shudder
It Follows (2014)
Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary
Synopsis: “A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.”
Where to watch: Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video
Midsommar (2019)
Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Archie Madekwe, Gunnel Fred, Ellora Torchia, Lars Väringer, Isabelle Grill, Henrik Norlén
Synopsis: “A couple travel to Sweden to visit their friend’s rural hometown for its fabled midsummer festival, but what begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.”
Where to watch: Max
The Seed (2021)
Cast: Lucy Martin, Chelsea Edge, Sophie Vavasseur, Jamie Wittebrood, Anthony Edridge, Shirley Pisani
Synopsis: “What starts out as a weekend away in a remote luxury villa, turns into a tale of horror, death and alien invasion.”
Where to watch: AMC+, Hoopla, Shudder
Summer of 84 (2018)
Cast: Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Gruter-Andrew, Tiera Skovbye, Rich Sommer
Synopsis: “Teenager Davey Armstrong is a conspiracy theorist who begins to suspect that a neighbouring police officer is a serial killer. With help from three friends, Davey launches a daring investigation that soon turns dangerous.”
Where to watch: AMC+, Hoopla, Shudder
Turistas (2006)
Cast: Josh Duhamel, Olivia Wilde, Melissa George, Beau Garrett, Agles Steib, Desmond Askew, Max Brown
Synopsis: “A group of young backpackers’ vacation turns sour when a bus accident leaves them marooned in a remote Brazilian rural area that holds an ominous secret.”
Where to watch: Starz
X (2022)
Cast: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Scott Mescudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure
Synopsis: “In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.”
Where to watch: Fubo, Hoopla, Netflix, Paramount+
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