While many horror fans may be craving the just-out-of-reach crisp, cool weather and chilling scares that are synonymous with the Halloween season, there is something just as terrifying about the evil that refuses to sleep and wreaks havoc on a sunny day. That tranquil getaway can turn into a hellish nightmare in the blink of an eye. Horror classics like Friday the 13th, Jaws, and Sleepaway Camp are perfect go-to’s this time of year, but there are many lesser-known horror films taking place in the summer available to stream that are just as worthy of celebrating. Check out these grisly summertime terrors that will leave you screaming for more.
Piranha (1978) - Amazon Prime
Piranha is the epitome of fun-filled summertime horror. When flesh-eating piranhas intended for biological warfare accidently get released in a summer resort’s rivers, terror is unleashed on the unknowing campers and tourists. This shameless, unofficial Jaws remake by Roger Corman is full of charm, blood-soaked waters, and biting suspense. While its aim is not to be terribly serious or original, the characters and story pull you in, making you root for them while still being eager to see the aquatic monsters wreak havoc. The gore and effects are incredibly similar to Jaws, showing plenty of blood and stellar creature work. However, we rarely see these attacks in the moment or with any lingering detail. We mostly see the vicious piranhas and moments later the cloudy water quickly turning crimson red. While the remakes and subsequent sequels (also available on Amazon Prime) offer fun twists on the material, the original has an infectious spirit and a gripping, foreboding tone that can’t be beat.
Bait (2012) - Amazon Prime, Tubi, Vudu
Bait is a thrilling Australian man vs. nature horror film. One year after his friend was killed in a devastating shark attack, a freak tsunami traps Josh in a supermarket flooding with treacherous waters that hold 12-foot Great White Sharks among a handful of other human survivors. The plot ventures on the side of ridiculous cheesy shark premises, not far off from Sharknado, but it manages to nail the balance of absurd fun and genuine scares that allows you to take it a bit more seriously. The entrapping, dismal atmosphere and biting tension add to the effectiveness of the film and makes it a fun, adrenaline-fueled ride. Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Sharni Vinson (You’re Next), and Phoebe Tonkin (The Originals) are among the talented cast whose presence pulls you in, making you eager to brave the shark infested supermarket with them.
Eden Lake (2008) - Tubi, Vudu
A married couples’ idyllic lakeside getaway goes horribly wrong when they are terrorized by local teenage kids and find themselves in a grisly fight for their lives. Eden Lake is an enthralling honeymoon from hell movie that features one of the fiercest final girls in modern horror cinema. Through our heroine, Jenny (Kelly Reilly), we are given a strong, relentless woman who fights against impossible odds. She doesn’t let her rage or grief consume her, but instead lets it be the fire that fuels her. The film offers a refreshing reversal of gender roles, the woman being the protector rather than a damsel in distress and fighting valiantly for her husband. Eden Lake isn’t simply a tale of terror, but a vehicle to explore how violence is bred and allowed to thrive unchecked in the world. Eden Lake is an emotional, brutal, and layered horror film that leaves the viewer with a profound examination of the damaging effects of a toxic home life, suggesting it might be the real culprit here.
Stage Fright (2014) - Tubi, Vudu
If you were an artsy kid with a love of dramatics like me, summer didn’t mean swimming in the lake and campfire stories, it meant theater camp and a chance to be with kids just as quirky and dramatic as you. Stage Fright is a tongue-in-cheek homage to both musical theater and classic slasher films with a Japanese Kabuki-inspired killer determined to make sure the show doesn’t go on. It’s worth noting this is a remake, but it is the only one of the three films to take place at a summer camp, making it the most fitting for a summertime viewing. Stage Fright is made for the specific breed of suspense and gorehound horror fans who were also theater kids. There are clear homages to Carrie, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Phantom of the Opera. The story, characters, motivations, and twists are typical horror movie fare, but that’s part of the point. The film is a love letter to horror and theater, while simultaneously celebrating what these communities offer and critiquing the egotistical, manipulative nature they can breed. The cast does well, especially Allie MacDonald and Douglass Smith as Camilla and Buddy, who grow up in theater and tragedy. The film also includes noteworthy supporting appearances by Minnie Driver, Meat Loaf, and even a cameo by Dan Levy.
Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door (2009) - Amazon Prime, Vudi, Tubi
Inspired by the real-life torture and murder of teenage girl, Sylvia Likens, Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, is a heartbreaking and disturbing tale of the vile horrors that happen to children all too often by those who are meant to care for them. In the summer of 1958, two recently orphaned sisters move in with their aunt who welcomes them with disdain, harsh judgement, and soon enough unspeakable cruelty. The oldest daughter, Meg (Blythe Auffarth), is the main target in her new caregiver’s twisted vendetta which involves the neighborhood children in her sick games. Meg is at her aunt’s whim, imprisoned in a cycle of torture and vindictive torment she will never escape from.
The writing, acting, and overall execution are phenomenal and a large factor in the film’s effectiveness. It's dark, gritty, and discomforting as it should be, but nothing feels gratuitous or for shock value, just an honest look at a horrendous crime. Even during the torture scenes, we don’t see much of the gory details. Simply being there and knowing what is happening is enough. Both Auffarth as Meg and Blanch Baker as her malicious Aunt Ruth give such powerful performances that charge empathy, outrage, and a haunting fascination in the audience. Even for the avid horror fan, Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door is a heavy and difficult watch. It’s the type of film that ignites your compassion and anger so fully, the horror has a way of infecting you, seeping under your skin and staying with you long after the credits have rolled.
The Lure (2015) - Rent and Buy Options on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV
The Lure is a Polish musical horror film that reimagines Han Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, returning the story to its dark roots. The film takes the ‘fish out of water’ concept literally, focusing on two cannibalistic mermaid sisters, known as Golden (Michalina Olszańskaand) and Silver (Marta Mazurek), who try human life on for size. They begin performing at a nightclub. On stage, their transformation from human to mermaids seems like an impressive feat of special effects and spectacle, allowing them to hide in plain sight. When one of the sisters finds herself falling in love and craving to truly be human, she might lose herself in a way she can never recover from. The Lure is a coming-of-age, sexual discovery, creature feature, and cautionary tale film wrapped up in one- with an 80's punk avant-garde edge. Admittedly, there are a ton of styles, themes, and narrative focuses at play here. This film may be too peculiar and eclectic for some, but for those who these styles appeal to it’s a fantastic genre-busting journey of self-discovery, love, and primal horror. It’s also a refreshing take on the sinister mermaid genre as one of the only films to tackle this subject matter in a way that doesn’t come off as cheesy and one note. Instead, The Lure takes the opportunity for a serious, multi-faceted, exploration among the dark nature of blood thirsty sea creatures.
The Bay (2012) - HBO Max
The Bay is a gripping eco-terror, docu-horror film that exposes a parasitic outbreak that infected the small seaside town of Claridge, Maryland during its annual 4th of July festival in 2009. The tragic outbreak, claiming over 700 lives, has been buried...until now. The Bay is an incredibly effective found footage film, revealing the gruesome horror immediately and then using video footage, interviews, phone calls, and text messages, to offer an increasingly intimate and dread-inducing view of what it was like for the unsuspecting victims that tragic day. The effects of the infection are grotesque and brutal, offering an equally disturbing and satisfying body horror element. Both the documentary style and the cause of the epidemic offer a hauntingly realistic and plausible terror. The Bay also offers a compelling look into government and media control, man-induced environmental disasters, and the many layers of fear.
Cruel Summer (2016) -Amazon Prime
Cruel Summer tells the story of the merciless murder of a young autistic teenager while camping alone one summer’s day. The film fills you with heartbreak and dread from the beginning and only grows more distressing as you are forced to bear witness to such senseless violence. While the film is loosely based on a true story, the directors have stated their intent was to make a statement on the senseless violence among youth in Britain as a whole and similarities to any specific cases are non-intentional. The film is a bleak, discomforting journey from beginning to end. While I would have liked a deeper dive in the mindset and psychology of the main killer, the deeper aggression and instability fueling this dark, sadistic torment is evident and revealing.
The entire grisly torture and killing takes place during a sunny day, not far from the city. There’s something about this sunny aesthetic that makes it all the more eye opening. The film showcases that terrible things don’t just happen when crossing paths with a creepy stranger in a dark alley, it can happen in broad daylight in a familiar place by people you know. While not for everyone, Cruel Summer is a film that addresses the ugliness humankind is capable of and ignites important questioning on what is creating such darkness and violence in youth.
The Ruins (2008) - Amazon Prime
Two young American couples on vacation in Mexico decide to branch away from the familiar hotel resort in favor of getting a taste of off-the-grid local culture. They head out to explore Mayan ruins with a charismatic German backpacker leading the way. However, things quickly take a turn for the worse as they are attacked by both human predators and nature itself, leaving them hopelessly trapped, far from civilization. The Ruins is a gripping film that plays with many sub-genres, transforming from a vacation gone wrong, survivalist thriller to killer plant horror. As the man vs. nature angle takes hold, the film veers away from typical horror movie fare and becomes far grimmer and more grotesque with fantastic effects that are sure to make viewers squirm. There’s something about a foreign land infecting and slowly torturing these travelers from the inside out that is enthralling and dreadfully discomforting.
The Final Girls (2015) - Showtime, Amazon Prime
The Final Girls is a glorious horror-comedy homage to 80’s summer camp slashers. On the third anniversary of her scream queen mother’s death, Max (Taissa Farmiga) begrudgingly attends a screening of her mother’s most well-known film, Camp Bloodbath. During the screening, a fire erupts and Max and her friends impossibly find themselves inside the film. They cross paths with the characters from the film who repeat the same lines. Scenes repeat on loop. Despite being outsiders who were never meant to be a part of this world, they will be stuck here in this alternate world until they can find a way to beat the movie itself. Despite the mind-bending horror she’s trapped in, Max can’t help but savor her time with any version of the mother she misses so desperately.
The Final Girls hits all the right notes; it’s funny, gory, meta, and even heartfelt in moments. The writing is smart, witty, and plays with clear cultural differences of modern perspectives versus what was acceptable in the 80s. It would have been a fun film regardless, but it stands apart from other throwback films for having far more substance and heart than you would expect. Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Alexander Ludwig, Adam Devine, and Nina Dobrev all play their characters well and are a joy to watch offering a refreshing level of dimension among their archetypes. The Final Girls is even more satisfying on a repeat viewing, so if you haven’t seen it since it came out, it’s the perfect time to take a trip back to Camp Bloodbath.