Scary movies in the fall make sense, but horror has roots in the summer, too. How about Friday the 13th and I Know What You Did Last Summer? In some of my favorite horror movies, you can’t help but feel the heat of summer.
8
Midsommar
Watch Midsommar on Amazon Prime Video
Midsommar might be the first time I saw Florence Pugh on screen, and what a first impression it was. What was meant to be, more or less, an opportunity to heal after the death of her parents, Dani (Florence Pugh) witnesses the strange traditions and horrors of Midsummer, a real Swedish festival. Meanwhile, Dani is constantly struggling with her trauma and emotionally distant boyfriend (played by Jack Reynor).
Of course, the festival isn’t like that in real life, but Midsommar crafts visceral scenes that call on ancient pagan rituals and folklore. And I particularly love that, throughout the movie, you feel like this was all some elaborate trap. As soon as Midsommar came out on Blu-ray, I had to have it for the Plex server I run on my old laptop!
7
The Descent
Watch The Descent on The Roku Channel
I’ve read about the tragic death of John Jones in Nutty Putty Cave and Floyd Collins in Mammoth Cave—they’re chilling, frightening, and get under my skin. So, naturally, a movie like The Descent has a particular effect on me. If the movie had just been about cave divers getting stuck, that would’ve been spooky enough, but then it was made worse (and by worse, I mean better).
As it turns out, they aren’t alone in the caves, but are being hunted by cave-dwelling creatures. You could say the survivors are stuck between a rock and a hard place, creating incredibly tense scenes as they try to navigate around the crawler’s poor eyesight.
6
Gerald’s Game
Watch Gerald’s Game on Netflix
Does Mike Flanagan ever miss? I know Gerald’s Game is from the mind of Stephen King, so I’m not surprised that a good book turned into a good movie, but it’s not always the case. It’s so intense and frightening and nerve-racking watching Jessie try to break free of her bondage.
To layer on the fear, Jessie’s lack of food and water only leads to apparent hallucinations and suppressed trauma floating to the surface. Worst of all, she’s seemingly being watched by the “Moonlight Man,” and now that I said his name, I won’t sleep tonight. I highly recommend giving this a watch with your significant other!
5
Army of Darkness
Watch Army of Darkness on Amazon Prime Video
You can feel the heat of summer the moment Army of Darkness starts—a portal opens up and Ash finds himself in the middle of a dry, arid, apparent wasteland. Soon after, he’s picked up by medieval knights, shackled to slaves, and forced to endure a hot march back to Lord Arthur. What we have here is a movie that teeters perfectly between comedy and horror, with a nice serving of action.
I absolutely love the shots and transitions in Army of Darkness. It has the kind of creative signature you point to when you say, “That is so [insert director name].” It’s what makes deadites, these otherwise grotesque undead, so scary. Sam Raimi gets up close and personal with the characters and monsters, and it always puts a smile on my face.
4
It Follows
Watch It Follows on HBO Max
Maybe I’m primed for it already, but I make an effort to watch the background in horror movies. There’s a good chance something is happening back there you didn’t notice the first time. It Follows preys on that feeling with an incredibly unique premise, and it goes like this: a shape-shifting creature hunts down its cursed victim, without stopping, unless they pass on the curse through intercourse.
Unfortunately, that information isn’t known to Jay, the main character, who is now the victim of the curse. You start going crazy watching the movie because you’re suspicious of everyone in the background who merely appears like they’re heading in Jay’s direction. At the same time, they’re trying to stop a creature whose persistence is only matched by Michael Myers.
3
Jaws
Watch Jaws on Netflix
I’m about 90% sure Jaws is the reason I’m both fascinated and terrified of the open oceans, given that I was exposed to the movie at a young age. But you know what, I think that’s the sign of a great horror film—something that has such a profound effect on you, it instills a fear you might carry later into life, like an illogical fear of something grabbing your leg on the way up from the basement.
Jaws is also a great example of taking a mundane idea—a shark attack—and turning it into an engaging modern (I use that term loosely) monster movie by way of memorable dialogue and superb performances. The shock on Martin’s face (Roy Scheider) after coming face-to-face with the shark, only uttering in a deadpan fashion, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” is perfect. If that doesn’t convince you, I’ll put it this way: Jaws is one reason why collecting physical media is still worth it.
2
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
Watch Tucker & Dale vs. Evil on Tubi
I love that Tucker & Dale vs. Evil turns the hillbilly trope on its head into a goldmine of jokes and laughs. It’s both funny and horrifying watching the victims meet their untimely and accidental death, while Tucker and Dale (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine, respectively) helplessly watch on the sidelines.
To be fair, it subverts a lot of horror tropes—not for the sake of subversion, but because of its execution. For example, the college kids just immediately assume Tucker and Dale are trying to kill them, despite giving none of those vibes. Or Tucker looking like a maniac with a chainsaw when he gets attacked by bees.
1
The Lost Boys
Watch The Lost Boys on The Roku Channel
I felt the heat of summer just as soon as The Lost Boys transitioned to California. And what a perfect time to set a vampire movie! Seeing so many people out and about is like walking into a free buffet for a vampire. More importantly, I love that the movie blends the hallmarks of the 1980s—the hair, the clothing, the attitude—and blends it with vampires.
Kiefer Sutherland’s fit as David is particularly good at capturing 80s punk, which is further solidified by his hairstyle being inspired by Billy Idol. And when the lighting dims, and their faces are revealed, Sutherland’s vampiric visage is striking, if not terrifying.
I hereby declare the summer Honorary Horror Season! It’s not just because there are a lot of great horror movies set in the blistering heat, but because several are cornerstones of the genre, like Jaws, Midsommar, and Army of Darkness. If you’d rather watch something uplifting, there are numerous feel-good movies that are actually good!
