Summertime is very much here. That means heat waves, sweating buckets, popsicles, and the blood of multiple camp counselors? Okay, that last one isn’t for everyone. There are plenty of summer horror movies that aren’t slasher flicks, but slashers come to mind when thinking about summertime horror. We can thank the Friday the 13th movie franchise for that. Summer camps are the perfect setting for a slasher: Teens. Dark woods. “No one can hear you scream” scenarios. The good stuff.
But Friday the 13th is not the only one. There are several slasher movies that perfectly capture the vibes of summer without a camp setting. So, if you’re looking for a slasher that’ll transport you to a hot summer night with a gentle breeze—the shrieks of your friends being chased by a killer with a weapon wafting through the air—keep reading.
10. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
It’s not easy to capture how gross summertime can be, but The Texas Chain Saw Massacre does it perfectly. Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror classic follows a group of young people who travel across the sweaty and violent landscape Texas and cross paths with a cannibalistic family. There’s no happy ending for Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) and her crew, even though—spoiler—she survives. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has been analyzed and picked apart by many since its release. Of course it’s worth reading up on the social themes explored within Hooper’s film, but it’s also a top-notch classic among horror fans.
9. The House on Sorority Row (1981)
It’s not an explicit summertime slasher, but The House on Sorority Row was filmed in the summer so it counts! The 1981 film follows a group of sorority girls who accidentally kill their house mother. Unfortunately, they are picked off one by one by a ruthless killer out for revenge. If you’re looking for impressive practical effects, a summertime feeling, and a bonkers plot, then this cult classic might be satisfying for you. I know it’s not technically a summertime horror flick, but just enjoy your favorite cold treat and watch it without thinking too deeply about it.
8. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Friday the 13th is one of the most iconic slasher franchises and Friday the 13th Part 2 deserves to be mentioned. The sequel follows a group of new camp counselors who are picked off by Jason Voorhees (Steve Daskawisz). The film marks the beginning of Jason as the primary killer and is also one of the best Friday the 13th sequels. Ginny Field (Amy Steel) is a memorable final girl who helps make this summer slasher as iconic as it is. You’ll feel like you’re eating cheap camp food and sitting outside on the dock if you watch Friday the 13th Part 2.
7. Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988)
If you called Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers trashy fun, you wouldn’t be wrong. But that doesn’t mean this ’80s cult classic isn’t highly watchable. Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers follows serial killer Angela Baker (Pamela Springsteen) as she goes on another killing spree at Camp Rolling Hills. This movie is an example of what summertime with a bunch of shitty people feels like. And in an extreme sense, it represents the worst experience you could have at camp. Unlike the first film, Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers is going on this list because of how well it captures the grimy feeling of summer.
6. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Summertime can sometimes come back and bite you in the ass. Or in this case, slice you with a hook. It’s almost cliché to include I Know What You Did Last Summer on a list of summer horror flicks. The film follows a group of friends who are stalked and murdered by a mysterious killer a year after they are involved in a hit and run. I Know What You Did Last Summer is a sweet glass of iced tea with a dash of iconic because of Sarah Michelle Gellar (especially her chase scene). If the name itself doesn’t prove why it deserves to be on this list, the atmosphere and various performances should do that for you. And there is a twist that confuses people to this day.
5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Horror remakes can sometimes sit at the same table as the original. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake from 2003 follows a group of folks who end up in a hellish situation as they travel to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. If you’re looking for a summer horror remake that’s gross and gory, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will scratch that itch for you. The film doesn’t lose its summertime essence even when it gets dark and that’s impressive, though it may not be suitable for folks who find the original film too scary.
4. Friday the 13th (2009)
Realistically, a late 2000s Friday the 13th reboot should be an absolute disaster. And yet somehow it isn’t? 2009’s Friday the 13th follows a group of friends (they certainly don’t act like it), including Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki), who is looking for his missing sister. But soon they discover that someone is killing anyone who visits Crystal Lake: Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears). It has the same flavor of violence, gore, and grit as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake—not surprising since they share a director. This is a bold claim, but the 2009 reboot is one of the best Friday the 13th films. It nails those ominous summer vibes, the deaths are memorable, Jason is terrifying, and it’s the perfect summer slasher to watch.
3. The Final Girls (2015)
A slasher that takes place inside a summer camp slasher movie. How meta! The Final Girls follows Max (Taissa Farmiga) and her group of friends, who go to a screening of a slasher her deceased mother starred in 20 years prior—only to end up in the world of the movie. The Final Girls is fun, has emotional beats (including a dance scene featuring an iconic ’80s hit), and almost makes you wish you were at the camp, too. Maybe not with a hulking killer on the loose, but still! Looks like a blast. Please don’t let the PG-13 rating deter you from watching The Final Girls. You’ll regret it!
2. Fear Street Part Two: 1979 (2021)
Out of all the films in the incredibly queer Fear Street trilogy, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 is at the top for many fans. Fear Street Part Two: 1978 explores the backstory of Camp Nightwing and the massacre in 1978. It has the essence of late ’70s and early ’80s slashers and a range of characters you either root for or you don’t. Personally, it’s my favorite out of the Fear Street trilogy and it’s the most fun to rewatch. I highly recommend watching the films in order if you have never seen them.
1. X (2022)
Love it or hate it, X belongs on this list because it’s twisted, sexy, and great! X follows a group of filmmakers looking to make a pornographic movie on an isolated farm. Little do they know they’re being watched by a murderous woman who despises their youth. And of course she starts killing them—for reasons. The build-up of dread and the messaging behind aging, sexual desire, and youth are crafted so well. The cast—especially the women—nail their performances, including Mia Goth, the lead of Ti West’s X trilogy. If you’re looking for a sexually charged ’70s summer slasher, then X is exactly what you need.
(featured image: Netflix)
