Written by Franziska Schildecker. Published: June 03 2025
(Photo:
A24)
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)
