Fret not, spooky babes– you won’t have to hold off on your celebrations much longer. It’s Summerween! Coined by the animated Disney show Gravity Falls, Summerween is the annual holiday celebrated in the titular town by its residents who love Halloween so much they celebrate it twice. The fictional holiday became a popular TikTok trend last year, with fans of the show and Halloween lovers alike bringing it to life by hosting themed parties, picnics, and carving the more seasonally appropriate watermelons in place of pumpkins.
But what is any holiday without its respective movie watchlist? From summer camp slashers and supernatural thrillers, to vacations gone wrong and creature features, we’ve gathered 10 of our favorite summer horror movies to get you in the Summerween spirit.
Friday the 13th (1980)
How could we make this list without including the ultimate summer camp horror? When teen camp counselors attempt to reopen the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake, despite the dissuasion of locals, they find themselves being stalked by a mysterious killer with ties to the camp’s tragic past.
Jaws (1975)
The film widely considered to be the first ever summer blockbuster, Jaws, is a quintessential creature feature. Set in the New England tourist town of Amity Island, when a young woman is killed by a shark, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants the beaches closed to the public. After being overruled by the town mayor, Brody must team up with a marine biologist and a ship captain to defeat the aquatic beast.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
When a group of rich 20-somethings throw a “hurricane party” at a friend’s mansion, they find themselves in the middle of a whodunnit. Bodies Bodies Bodies is a biting satire of Gen Z and the upper class with a twist that is sure to make you laugh.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Parodying almost every horror movie you can think of, The Cabin in the Woods follows five college friends as they go on a vacation to a remote cabin while being unknowingly controlled by a group of technicians from an underground facility.
The Lost Boys (1987)
Two teen boys discover that the beach town they’ve relocated to is a hub for vampires in this summer horror classic. The Lost Boys offers a unique take on vampire mythology while also challenging ideas about family, gender, and sexuality.
Midsommar (2019)
A film not for the faint of heart, Midsommar, follows Dani (Florence Pugh), who, after a family tragedy, takes a trip to Sweden to attend a retreat during its midsummer festival. Things go downhill when she begins to notice some of the strange goings-on of the community. The film’s daylight setting serves as a juxtaposition to its scarier elements, creating an uneasy viewing experience.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
In this iconic teen slasher, a year after causing a deadly car accident that killed a fisherman, four friends are stalked by a hook-wielding killer.
It (2017)
The most recent adaptation of the Stephen King novel, It, follows a group of misfits as their summer break is turned upside down when they are terrorized by a shape-shifting entity that shows up every 27 years to feed on children.
Nope (2022)
When OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) discover a mysterious flying object above their horse ranch, the two try to capture evidence of the phenomenon to make a profit. A true contemporary western that incorporates elements from classic sci-fi and the alien invasion subgenre, along with thought-provoking social commentary on exploration and spectacle, Nope is a genuinely rewarding film that you’ll not only have a great time watching but will also think about for days.
Final Destination 3 (2006)
From one of horror’s most anxiety-inducing franchises, Final Destination 3, follows a group of teens after they narrowly evade getting on an ill-fated rollercoaster ride, only to be hunted down one by one by death itself.
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