Graveyard Shift The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer  

Ranker Film
1.1k votes 162 voters 7.8k 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.

list ordered by

1
76 10
Friday the 13th is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Kevin Bacon, Tom Savini, Betsy Palmer 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

2
66 11
Jaws is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider 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

3
60 15
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal 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

4
48 16
I Know What You Did Last Summe... is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Heche 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

5
42 17
Sleepaway Camp is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Mike Kellin, Katherine Kamhi, Robert Earl Jones 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

6
34 15
The Hills Have Eyes is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Dee Wallace, Michael Berryman, John Steadman 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

7
39 20
Jeepers Creepers is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Justin Long, Eileen Brennan, 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.

8
28 13
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 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

9
30 15
Piranha is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Keenan Wynn, John Sayles, Barbara Steele 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

10
25 11
The Burning is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Holly Hunter, Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens 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

11
33 20
The Devil's Rejects is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Diamond Dallas Page, Danny Trejo, Ginger Lynn 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

12
20 10
Eden Lake is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Michael Fassbender, Kelly Reilly, Jack O'Connell Eden Lake is a 2008 British thriller film written and directed by James Watkins and starring Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender and Jack O'Connell.

13
22 12
Club Dread is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Bill Paxton, Brittany Daniel, Lindsay Price Club Dread is a 2004 comedy horror film written by the comedy group Broken Lizard, who also created Super Troopers. It is directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, one of the group members. Though the ...more

14
15 7
Just Before Dawn is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
George Kennedy, Jamie Rose, Chris Lemmon Just Before Dawn is a 1981 independent slasher film directed by Jeff Lieberman, and starring Chris Lemmon, Gregg Henry, Deborah Benson, Jamie Rose, and George Kennedy. The film follows a group ...more

15
22 14
Sleepaway Camp 2 is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Walter Gotell, Renée Estevez, Pamela Springsteen 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

16
24 16
The Ruins is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Jena Malone, Bar Paly, Laura Ramsey 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

17
19 14
Sleepaway Camp 3 is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Michael J. Pollard, Mark Oliver, Tracy Griffith Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland also known as Nightmare Vacation III is a 1989 horror-slasher film and the second sequel to Sleepaway Camp written by Fritz Gordon and directed by Michael ...more

18
16 12
Tourist Trap is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Tanya Roberts, Chuck Connors, Keith McDermott 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

19
13 10
A Perfect Getaway is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Milla Jovovich, Chris Hemsworth, Timothy Olyphant A Perfect Getaway is a 2009 American thriller adventure film, written and directed by David Twohy that stars Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez and Steve Zahn. The film was ...more

20
17 15
Turistas is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Olivia Wilde, Josh Duhamel, Melissa George Turistas – released as Paradise Lost in the UK and Ireland – is a 2006 American horror film produced and directed by John Stockwell, and starring Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, Olivia Wilde, ...more

21
14 12
High Tension is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Cécile de France, Philippe Nahon, Maïwenn Besco 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

22
8 8
Madman is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Gaylen Ross, Harriet Bass, Seth Jones 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

23
9 10
Long Weekend is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Briony Behets, John Hargreaves, Michael Aitkens Long Weekend is an Australian horror film shot in 1977 and first shown in 1978. The film was directed by Colin Eggleston and stars John Hargreaves and Briony Behets.

24
9 10
Primal is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Primal Wil Traval, Lindsay Farris, Zoe Tuckwell-Smith "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

25
10 12
Summer Camp Nightmare is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Chuck Connors 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.

26
6 8
Twisted Nightmare is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Twisted Nightmare

27
6 9
Anthropophagous is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Tisa Farrow, Serena Grandi, George Eastman Antropophagus is a 1980 Italian horror film directed by Joe D'Amato and co-written by D'Amato and George Eastman, who starred in the film as the monster. The film also starred Tisa Farrow, Zora ...more

28
3 6
Killing Ground is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Killing Ground Harriet Dyer, Ian Meadows, Aaron Pedersen The Killing Ground is a 2017 Australian horror film written and directed by Damien Power. During a camping trip, a young couple (Harriet Dyer and Ian Meadows) find themselves being hunted.

29
7 13
Summer Camp is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Adrian Kinski, Bryan McCain, Erik Kovac

30
2 12
Escape from Tomorrow is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Horror Movies Set During Summer
Annet Mahendru, Amy Lucas, Kimberly Ables Jindra Escape from Tomorrow is a 2013 American fantasy horror film, the debut of writer-director Randy Moore. It follows an unemployed man having increasingly disturbing experiences and visions during ...more