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The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer 

Ranker Film
Updated July 5, 2019 2.2k votes 316 voters 14.6k views 30 items

Some of the most iconic horror movies are set during summer, so we're ranking the best of them. Do you have a favorite summer horror movie? Scary movies that take place during summer often include cabins, camping, and fishing- things that are usually fun, but are terrifying when there is a killer on the loose. Iconic horror movies that take place in the summer include Jaws and Friday the 13th, but what are some of the other scariest summer movies out there?

There is of course I Know What You Did Last Summer, the 1997 film that despite being panned by critics was an enormous box office success that spawned several sequels. Other great choices for scary summer horror movies include The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects, the pseudo-sequel to House of 1000 Corpses.

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1
Friday the 13th is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Kevin Bacon, Tom Savini, Betsy Palmer

Released: 1980

Directed by: Sean S. Cunningham

Friday the 13th is a 1980 American slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller. The film concerns a group of teenagers who are taken out one by one while attempting ...more

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2
Jaws is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider

Released: 1975

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. The prototypical summer blockbuster, its release is regarded as a ...more

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3
The Texas Chain Saw Mass... is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal

Released: 1974

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

This movie is a 1974 American slasher film, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar ...more

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4
I Know What You Did Last... is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Heche

Released: 1997

Directed by: Jim Gillespie

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American slasher film based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Lois Duncan. The film changes many aspects of the book, which was not a slasher novel. ...more

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5
Jeepers Creepers is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Justin Long, Eileen Brennan, Victor Salva

Released: 2001

Directed by: Victor Salva

Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 American horror film written and directed by Victor Salva. The film takes its name from the 1938 song "Jeepers Creepers", which is featured in the film.

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6
Sleepaway Camp is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Mike Kellin, Katherine Kamhi, Robert Earl Jones

Released: 1983

Directed by: Robert Hiltzik

Sleepaway Camp is a 1983 exploitation slasher film written and directed by Robert Hiltzik who also served as executive producer. The film came at a time when slasher films were in their heyday, ...more

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7
The Hills Have Eyes is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Dee Wallace, Michael Berryman, John Steadman

Released: 1977

Directed by: Wes Craven

The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American exploitation-horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace. It is about a suburan family on a ...more

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8
The Hills Have Eyes is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Emilie de Ravin, Vinessa Shaw, Ted Levine

Released: 2006

Directed by: Alexandre Aja

The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 American horror film and remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes. Written by filmmaking partners Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur of the ...more

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9
The Devil's Rejects is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Diamond Dallas Page, Danny Trejo, Ginger Lynn

Released: 2005

Directed by: Rob Zombie

The Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is centered on the run of three members of ...more

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10
Piranha is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Keenan Wynn, John Sayles, Barbara Steele

Released: 1978

Directed by: Joe Dante

Piranha is a 1978 American B movie about a swarm of killer piranhas. It was directed and co-edited by Joe Dante and starred Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, ...more

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11
The Ruins is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Jena Malone, Bar Paly, Laura Ramsey

Released: 2008

Directed by: Carter Smith

The Ruins is a 2008 horror film directed by Carter Smith which stars Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, and Joe Anderson. Released in 2008, the American-Australian ...more

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12
The Burning is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Holly Hunter, Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens

Released: 1981

Directed by: Tony Maylam

The Burning is a 1981 slasher film directed by Tony Maylam and written by Peter Lawrence and Bob Weinstein. It is based on an original story by Maylam, Weinstein, and Brad Grey, with a musical ...more

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13
Sleepaway Camp 2 is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Walter Gotell, Renée Estevez, Pamela Springsteen

Released: 1988

Directed by: Michael A. Simpson

Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers also known as Nightmare Vacation II is a 1988 horror-comedy film and a sequel to the movie Sleepaway Camp, written by Fritz Gordon and directed by Michael A. ...more

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14
Tourist Trap is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Tanya Roberts, Chuck Connors, Keith McDermott

Released: 1979

Directed by: David Schmoeller

Tourist Trap is a 1979 American horror film directed by David Schmoeller, and starring Chuck Connors, Jocelyn Jones, Robin Sherwood, and Tanya Roberts. The film revolves around a group of ...more

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15
High Tension is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Cécile de France, Philippe Nahon, Maïwenn Besco

Released: 2003

Directed by: Alexandre Aja

High Tension is a 2003 French psychological suspense and slasher film that was later released in 2004 in the UK and 2005 in the US and Canada. The film, directed by Alexandre Aja, stars ...more

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16
A Perfect Getaway is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Milla Jovovich, Chris Hemsworth, Timothy Olyphant

Released: 2009

Directed by: David Twohy

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17
Turistas is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Olivia Wilde, Josh Duhamel, Melissa George

Released: 2006

Directed by: John Stockwell

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18
Eden Lake is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Michael Fassbender, Kelly Reilly, Jack O'Connell

Released: 2008

Directed by: James Watkins

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19
Madman is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Gaylen Ross, Harriet Bass, Seth Jones

Released: 1982

Directed by: Joe Giannone

Madman is a 1982 slasher film written and directed by Joe Giannone. The plot follows a group of campers who are stalked and killed after summoning an axe-murderer of local legend. Originally ...more

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20
Just Before Dawn is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
George Kennedy, Jamie Rose, Chris Lemmon

Released: 1981

Directed by: Jeff Lieberman

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21
Sleepaway Camp 3 is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Michael J. Pollard, Mark Oliver, Tracy Griffith

Released: 1989

Directed by: Michael A. Simpson

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22
Club Dread is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Club Dread Bill Paxton, Brittany Daniel, Lindsay Price

Released: 2004

Directed by: Jay Chandrasekhar

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23
Midsommar is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter

Released: 2019

Directed by: Ari Aster

Midsommar (Swedish for "Midsummer") is a 2019 American horror film written and directed by Ari Aster. A couple travels to Sweden to visit their friend's rural hometown for its fabled ...more

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Summer Camp Nightmare is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Chuck Connors

Released: 1987

Directed by: Bert L. Dragin

Summer Camp Nightmare is a 1987 horror film starring Chuck Connors and Charlie Stratton. The film is based on the novel The Butterfly Revolution by William Butler.
25
Primal is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Wil Traval, Lindsay Farris, Zoe Tuckwell-Smith

Released: 2010

Directed by: Josh Reed

"Primordial nature runs amuck in a smartly played, scripted, spectacular slice of neo Ozploitation. 12,000 years ago a caveman tried to communicate the presence of an unknown primal entity ...more