5 Horror Movies To Stream As You Mourn the End of Summer
One thing every horror fan knows is that genre movies hit differently during the summertime. There’s something about the combination of air conditioning, cold beverages, and blood-curdling screams that just feels right. This might explain why so many summertime horror movies have become some of our most beloved genre fare. Think about films like Us, The Lost Boys, The Ruins, The Mummy, and Tremors. We are probably drawn into the seasonal shenanigans as we spend all year chasing those summer vibes.
After consulting a calendar the other day, I realized summer is truly almost over (the Fall solstice is Monday, September 22). I figured we should try to bask in the last moments of the hottest season of the year by staying indoors. So, I’ve assembled a list of five horror movies with big summertime energy. These summer staples are required viewing for horror hounds. So, grab your popcorn, crank your air conditioning, and settle in for some chaotic viewing.
Friday the 13th (dir. Sean S. Cunningham)
Where You Can Watch: VOD
A group of camp counselors gets murdered as they prepare to reopen a summer camp with a history. Friday the 13th is possibly the most iconic summer camp movie in the genre. Although Jason Voorhees gets all the attention for this franchise, the first film is one of the better installments. It is also the reason most of us have a fondness for watching camp counselors catch hands. This movie is a core memory for too many of us for it not to earn a rewatch during our summertime shenanigans.
While all of you were watching a young Kevin Bacon, I was obsessed with Pamela Voorhees. Not just because Betsy Palmer was a captivating actor, but because this mother meant business. I’ve always pointed out that a woman wearing a white cable knit sweater to a murder spree has a story.
Jaws (dir. Steven Spielberg)
Where You Can Watch: Netflix and Peacock
A massive killer shark terrorizes a Long Island beach community. Jaws definitely made a splash in summer horror. Not only did this hungry shark make people afraid to go into the water, but it set a high bar for shark cinema. A bar that most movies still cannot reach. The title is possibly one of Steven Spielberg’s best projects and even picked up a few Oscars. This fishy film transcends genres. It strikes terror into many hearts and makes viewers hesitate before running to the beach.
Jaws practically oozes summer from every frame. It is nearly impossible not to crave a hot dog and yearn for a stroll near the boardwalk when this movie starts. It is also anchored by late and legendary actors Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw. When their characters set out to hunt down this toothy menace, we knew that the shark’s days were numbered.
Jurassic Park (dir. Steven Spielberg)
Where You Can Watch: Peacock
A group of experts is invited to a theme park filled with cloned dinosaurs. What starts out as an epic adventure soon becomes a nightmare when the creatures are set loose. Jurassic Park is the best movie in a franchise that refuses to die. If you were lucky enough to see this in theaters when it came out, then you know this was a moment. It remains a summer genre staple and is one of the very few dinosaur movies I’ll go to bat for.
Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum are probably the reason my generation knows science is cool. We may never know how many of us learned about these professions or developed lifelong crushes on Goldblum because of this movie. No film has ever quite captured the sense of wonder and excitement that Jurassic Park gave us. That is why you should revisit this moment this summer. Your inner child will thank you.
Nope (dir. Jordan Peele)
Where You Can Watch: Peacock
Two siblings discover a hungry threat is hovering in the clouds above their ranch. I know Jordan Peele does not miss, but Nope did not have to go as hard as it did. This movie does for the sky what Jaws did for the ocean. Who among us has looked at the sky the same way since seeing this movie for the first time? It unlocked new anxieties and reminded us that we do not know we are alone in the universe. Talk about a bad miracle.
Nope is the embodiment of a summer horror staple. Watching the uber-cool trio of Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Brandon Perea avoid Jean Jacket in the heat added another layer to the tension. The sun and this hungry extraterrestrial basically tag-teamed these beloved characters the entire movie. While the alien had a mouth, the sun had hands. I don’t know if I would have survived the heat long enough to fight anything.
Sleepaway Camp (dir. Robert Hiltzik)
Where You Can Watch: Peacock, Philo, Plex, Pluto TV, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, and Tubi
Teens are not safe at Camp Arawak, where someone is on a killing spree. Sleepaway Camp is basically a mandatory summer watch. The insults, the kills, and the 1983 vibes are immaculate. This controversial camp favorite has withstood the test of time because it punches a weird nostalgia button. Weird because many of us weren’t alive when it came out. However, it feels familiar enough that most of us forget that fact.
We should all actually call out of work and double-feature it with Friday the 13th. After all, they are easily the first two titles to come to mind when most of us think of summer camp horror. While they have completely different vibes, they are two of summer horror’s strongest soldiers. They are also both slashers, and that’s always a good time, even if the movie isn’t that great.
What are some of your favorite summer horror staples? Let me know over at Bluesky.
Categorized: Editorials Streaming Guides
