Terror on the Trail – 10 Backpacking Horror Movies Ranked

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today, we are going to be checking out a bunch of summer horror movies.

Fun and Frights in the Sun

All of the horror movies we are checking out today are simply dripping with that summer vibe that many of us long for in the slow, freezing winter. There’s no need for central heating, just bring your suntan lotion and maybe an inflatable pool cushion to hide behind.

Whether it is beaches and bikinis, adventures over summer break, or simply friends on vacation. These horror movies all take place in the summer and all will let you escape the bleakness of winter for at least an hour or so.

What’s more, some of these 15 summer horror movies are damn good. Among some of the best I have ever watched, to be frank. Which is exactly why I am going to rank them from worst to best. We have reviewed many of them, we will probably review them all at some point or another.

15. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) – Hook, Line, and Sinker

Summer Vibe: 4th of July fireworks, small coastal towns, and secrets that won’t stay buried. It perfectly captures that post-graduation summer feeling where freedom meets fear.

Knockout Verdict: A guilty pleasure classic.

Let’s start our list in 1997 with a slasher that earned a hell of a lot more popularity than it ever deserved – I Know What You Did Last Summer by Jim Gillespie. A year after covering up a fatal car accident, Jennifer Love Hewitt and her friends are stalked by a hook wielding killer hell bent on revenge in this sunny, blood soaked, sign of the times, horror.

This movie was part of a wave of similar slashers including Urban Legend, Cherry Falls and Disturbing Behavior. All keen to capitalise on the wild success of Wes Craven’s brilliant, genre redefining, 1996 movie Scream. Boasting a well known cast including actors such as the uber popular Sarah Michelle Gellar, the late Anne Heche, rising “heart-throbs” Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr., and future The Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki. Check out our review of I Know What You Did Last Summer to see what we thought of it.

14. The Wretched (2019) – Next Door Nightmare

Summer Vibe: Sleepy tourist towns, working at the marina, and spying on the neighbours. It has bags of summer time charm and does a really nice job of capturing that lazy July vibe.

Knockout Verdict: Rear Window with a witch.

2019’s Netflix original The Wretched brings witch based horror bang up to date. Set in a sleepy little tourist town in the middle of summer. The Wretched sees teenager, Ben (John-Paul Howard), attempt to overcome an ancient witch who is stealing people’s identities and making their family members forget that they ever existed.

Deadheads director and writer tandem Brett and Drew Pierce took the helm on The Wretched and, to be honest, it is pretty standard stuff. It didn’t really blow me away but our Ending Explained article for the movie has been hugely popular. It’s number 15 on our list but still very much worth a watch.

13. Piranha 3D (2010) – Spring Break Massacre

Summer Vibe: Spring break parties, wet t-shirt contests, and crystal clear lake water turning blood red. It is the ultimate trashy summer disaster movie.

Knockout Verdict: So bad it’s good.

It could be scandalously insinuated that the only reason I am recommending Alexandre Aja’s (The Hills Have Eyes) 2010 remake of Piranha is because of Kelly Brook’s extended underwater nude scene. But I can assure you that there is much more to Piranha 3D than buxom ladies frolicking around on beaches in various states of undress… Well, actually, that might be going a bit far but this is still a fun, sunny, comedy horror with plenty of laughs and a real nod and wink to the 1978, Joe Dante, original.

Piranha 3D is one of those movies that you throw on when you want some simple, mindless, silly horror fun. The ridiculousness of beach goers being attacked by a marauding group of killer piranhas is all this movie needs to deliver on its promise. Just stay the hell away from its sequel Piranha 3DD.

12. The Beach House (2019) – Something in the Water

Summer Vibe: Hazy beach days, salty air, and bioluminescent fog rolling in off the ocean. It places themes typically found in desolate locations on a gorgeous beach bathed in sunshine and heat.

Knockout Verdict: Don’t breathe the mist.

Summer horror with a difference next with 2019’s The Beach House by Jeffrey A. Brown. A young couple, played by Noah Le Gros and Liana Liberato, take a weekend trip to a family member’s beach house to work on their relationship. A surprise meeting with an older couple quickly turns their visit into a Lovecraftian nightmare complete with bad trips, body horror and a potentially apocalyptic outcome.

I didn’t enjoy this movie anywhere near as much as a lot of critics did. Still, this is a movie with some fantastic practical effects and at least some degree of potential. Worth checking out for something quite unique.

11. The Noonday Witch (2016) – Midday Madness

Summer Vibe: Scorching heatwaves, endless cornfields, and the oppressive silence of a hot afternoon. You can almost feel the warmth coming from the screen.

Knockout Verdict: Heatstroke hallucination.

Slow moving and far more popular with critics than it is with the average viewer. The Noonday Witch takes place during a scorching summer and follows a mother moving with her daughter to the village where her absent husband grew up. Only to face an upcoming drought and the threat of a mysterious woman that threatens to steal children and to never bring them back. The Noonday Witch comes by way of Czech director Jirí Sádek and the key word echoing throughout this production is potential.

Following a similar path to The Babadook; this is a movie that goes heavy on the drama and psychological elements while never quite managing to channel the horror. Still, for a sun bathed, golden, palette that is an absolute visual feast. It is an easy recommend.

10. Sissy (2022) – #BestFriendsForever?

Summer Vibe: Swimsuit clad murder by the riverside, pre-wedding getaways, and picnics in the sun. A great option to wipe away those winter blues.

Knockout Verdict: Kill them with kindness (and a rock).

So in Australia right now, they aren’t experiencing cold weather and awful rain, despite the time of year. Which is exactly where number 10’s movie, Aussie horror comedy Sissy from 2022, comes in.

Written and directed by Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes. Sissy follows social media influencer Cecilia (Aisha Dee) as she reconnects with her best friend from school. What initially seems like a fortuitous meet up and rekindling, quickly turns into a murderous weekend of mayhem and gore when Cecilia is invited to her friend’s weekend, pre-wedding, getaway.

On top of that, Sissy is just a laugh riot of a horror movie. It’s full of gore, witty as hell and just a ton of fun. We loved it in our review and seriously suggest you check it out.

9. Crawl (2019) – See You Later, Alligator

Summer Vibe: Florida hurricanes, torrential rain, and floodwaters rising in the heat. It captures the chaotic, destructive side of the warmer months.

Knockout Verdict: Don’t go in the crawl space.

In some parts of the world, summer, unfortunately, means more than warm temperatures and golden sun. For some it means hurricanes and vicious storms. That is the case in our movie at number 9; 2019’s creature horror Crawl by Alexandre Aja. Set in Florida, it follows the story of Haley Keller, played by British actor Kaya Scodelario, heading back to her estranged father’s house to check on him during a category 5 hurricane.

Alexandre Aja makes his second appearance on this list after Piranha 3D and it’s more of the same. These movies always fit perfectly into the summer horror category and Crawl is no exception. It’s a bunch of fun and doesn’t let up for one second.

8. Infinity Pool (2023) – Holiday From Hell

Summer Vibe: All-inclusive resorts, private beaches, and zero consequences. Hedonism in the sun is key here.

Knockout Verdict: Rich people are weird.

We have had some fun in the sun but how about some absolute craziness in the sun? For that we are going to be checking out 2023 Brandon Cronenberg horror movie Infinity Pool. While hitting up a tourist resort on an all inclusive vacation. Jaded author James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) meet eccentric couple Gabi and Alban Bauer (Mia Goth and Jalil Lespert). What starts as a simple trip to the beach quickly becomes a nightmare as a fatal accident exposes the sordid underbelly of the island.

You see the name Cronenberg attached to a horror movie and you expect something a little different. And that is exactly what you are getting with Infinity Pool. Mia Goth’s fantastic performance makes this worth the price of admission alone so why not check it out? Check out our review of Infinity Pool right here.

7. The Blackening (2022) – Cabin Fever Comedy

Summer Vibe: Juneteenth weekend getaways, cabins in the woods, and game nights with friends. Perfect for some summer laughs.

Knockout Verdict: We can’t all die first.

Ride Along director Tim Story tries his hand at horror comedy in our movie at number 7 – The Blackening from 2022. This is a horror movie that is far more in the vein of Scary Movie than actual full blown horror. That doesn’t make it any less of an enjoyable summer movie, though. A group of friends head out to a cabin in the woods for a relaxed getaway in the sun. Only to find themselves trapped by a killer with a certain, specific, agenda in this genuinely funny horror that lampoons racial stereotypes and horror movie tropes in a way that would make Get Out blush.

Great fun, witty and perfect for some summer laughs. The Blackening is well worth checking out if you are looking for something fun.

6. The Innocents (2021) – Nordic Nightmare

Summer Vibe: Long Nordic summer days where the sun barely sets, endless playtime outside, and secret adventures away from parents. It does a great job of harkening back to childhood adventures of playing outside with friends during the summer holiday.

Knockout Verdict: Kids can be cruel.

Set in the middle of Nordic Summer. The Innocents is a movie that is powerful, affecting and extremely dark in parts. Following the story of a group of children who discover that they have hidden super powers. This is a movie that takes the concept of the very similar Chronicle and somehow makes it even darker. Despite doing a great job of harkening back to childhood adventures of playing outside with friends during the summer holiday. The Innocents also shines a light on the incredibly troubling aspects of childhood abuse, poverty and neglect.

Writer, director Eskil Vogt pulls no punches here. There are scenes that are legitimately upsetting, particularly for animal lovers. And I would advise checking out our review of the movie before watching. But the result is a horror movie that feels very similar to the excellent Nordic hit Let The Right One In and is equally as powerful.

5. Summer of 84 (2018) – Stranger Danger

Summer Vibe: BMX bikes, walkie-talkies, treehouses, and spying on neighbours. This movie does a brilliant job of capturing that summer holiday adventure feeling and that sense of camaraderie that you only feel as a young person on a break from school.

Knockout Verdict: Even the suburbs have secrets.

Another horror movie focused, predominantly, on children next with teenage crime based horror Summer of 84. 13 teenage boys have disappeared over the course of a decade in a small town and a group of teens on summer break are determined to crack the case. One of the teens, Davey, notices that a young boy he spotted with his neighbour has suddenly been listed as missing on milk cartons.

Think Stand By Me but with more of a horror focus and you are half way there. It does spin its wheels here and there and it has an almost over the top obsession with being markedly 80s style but Summer of 84 is a lot of fun and well worth checking out.

4. Jaws (1975) – You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

Summer Vibe: Crowded beaches, 4th of July panic, and the terror of what lies beneath the waves. It’s a perfect summer horror movie and holds up well to this day.

Knockout Verdict: Don’t go in the water.

Can you even make a list of summer themed horror movies without including 1975’s seminal killer shark classic, Jaws? Well, I am sure some people would argue that it is more of a thriller than a horror but those people are clearly annoying pedants. Jaws is a perfect option when looking for some scares in the sun.

Jaws does so much right and has become an inspiration to every subsequent creature horror since. It has an intriguing plot, interesting characters, exhilarating moments and some legitimately effective scares. It’s a perfect summer horror movie and holds up well to this day.

3. Eden Lake (2008) – Broken Britain

Summer Vibe: An idyllic quarry lake, warm afternoons, and the brutal reality of a weekend ruined. This is another great option for a summer movie with a far more serious tone.

Knockout Verdict: Respect the locals.

We have a couple of gloomy movies coming up next, the first of which is 2008 British horror movie Eden Lake. Directed by The Woman in Black director James Watkins and starring Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender. This is a grim movie in more ways than one.

“Broken Britain” was experiencing a significant uptick in youth violence and Eden Lake tapped into this in a way that was incredibly visceral and made it all the more scary. We reviewed Eden Lake recently so why not take a look at what we think?

2. Midsommar (2019) – Daylight Horror

Summer Vibe: It’s set in the middle of summer and everything is bathed in a glowing golden hue. The sun never sets in this Swedish village and that, somehow, makes the horror even more visceral. There are no shadows to hide in and no darkness to shroud what is taking place.

Knockout Verdict: Smile, it’s a celebration.

Managing to be even more grim than Eden Lake. Midsommar is Ari Aster’s 2019 follow up to the massive horror hit Hereditary. Starring Florence Pugh, Midsommar follows a couple travelling to a small community in Sweden to take part in their mid summer festival.

Midsommar does things quite differently from most horror movies. Many people love this movie and I thought it was pretty decent. Fans of folk horror are bound to find plenty to like and its approach to scares in the summer sun feels truly unique. It is visceral, brutal and hard to watch at times. But a great option for a genuinely scary summer horror.

1. Influencer (2022) – Picture Perfect

Summer Vibe: Solo backpacking, Thailand beaches, luxury villas, and cocktails. It knocks the feeling of summer vacations out of the park.

Knockout Verdict: Be careful who you follow.

I’m not sure if Kurtis David Harder’s Influencer from 2022 is the best horror movie on this list. But I feel like it might be the most fun. Following a social media influencer who takes a solo backpacking trip to Thailand where she meets a young, uninhibited, woman with an exciting, secret, life.

Influencer pulls the rug from under your feet pretty quickly and never really lets up. Mixing social media elements with a biting sense of humour and some fantastic horror moments. This is a movie that subverts expectation and draws you right in.

Cassandra Naud’s turn as the free living CW makes this movie what it is. It’s one of my favourite recent horror movies and a perfect option for some horror fun in the sun. It might not be the best movie on the list but I think it takes the top spot purely thanks to its perfect mix of thrills, fun, and subverting of horror expectations.

Thanks for Reading!

So that is 15 Summer Horror Movies Ranked. Feeling any warmer yet? The cold months will be gone before you know it and we will all be complaining about how sticky and hot it is.

Why not check out some horror reviews, some horror ending explained articles or some horror lists? I hope you had a great new year celebration and I hope the rest of the month is prosperous and not too cold. Thanks for reading!

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• I See You – 25 Terrifying Voyeuristic Horror Movies Ranked
• 20 Outdoors & Wilderness Horror Movies Ranked – Terror in the Trees

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