We’re heading into Memorial Day weekend and being that I live about 10 miles from the ocean, that means beach season has officially begun! The ocean and its beaches have created solid settings in horror for just about as long as the genre has been around, so it’s no surprise that some of the best and most fun horror films of all time, take us there. Slide on those flip-flops, slap those American flag sunglasses on your face, and check out these eight horror films to help you get in that summer beach vacation state of mind.
1 US (2019)
Directed by Jordan Peele
In Jordan Peele’s follow up to the Oscar-winning Get Out, US follows the Wilson family on a much-needed summer vacation to the beaches of Santa Cruz, a place that has haunted Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) her entire life. The Wilsons don’t even get a chance to relax before a family of perfect Wilson doppelgangers stalks and attempts to murder them, eager to take their place among society.
Although the social commentary and plot reveal had audiences torn on the film, there is no arguing with the absolutely brilliant acting performances, amazing camera work, and the spooky-yet-nostalgic feel of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and beach. This is a perfect film to kick off that beach-y spirit.
2 The Lost Boys (1987)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Honestly, The Lost Boys is a great film to double feature with US. In this classic 1987 vampire film, Sam and Michael (Corey Haim and Jason Patric) move to the small coastal California town of Santa Carla, also known as “The Murder Capital of the World,” because of the many unexplained disappearances in the area. The mysteries are solved pretty quickly as we see that the Santa Carla Boardwalk is the prime hunting ground for a group of mulleted vampires led by David (Kiefer Sutherland). The two brothers must join forces with the local comic shop nerds, the Frog Brothers (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander), and stop the vampire clan from killing those closest to them.
This film is an absolute blast and one of my top-3 favorite vampire flicks. Everything about it screams summer at the beach, including the rockin’ soundtrack, headed up by an oiled up, saxophone-tooting Tim Cappello. The Lost Boys is one of those films that completely embodies the 1980’s, so if you haven’t seen it, put it on the list!
Fun Fact: The popular rock music group Incubus, released “Into the Summer” in 2019, and the video is chock-full of references from this film. Check it out!
3 Blood Beach (1980)
Directed by Jeffrey Bloom
Okay, I wouldn’t say this is a good one, but it’s a fun one! Blood Beach is a mystery horror film about people disappearing or turning up murdered and mutilated when they walk the beach at night. Is there a serial killer on the loose, or is something more sinister lurking beneath the sand? Our two protagonists must work together to solve the mystery and stop the murders!
This is one of those “so bad it’s good” type of films that you put on while downing a few beers and sharing some nachos with friends. There’s plenty of cheesy acting and obviously fake dismembered body parts to go around. I will say, the plot does deliver a surprising twist!
4 The Lighthouse (2019)
Directed by Robert Eggers
In The Lighthouse, two keepers (Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) in the 1890’s, try to stay sane while dealing with the isolation of living on a remote island and maintaining the lighthouse.
This is absolutely the strangest film on this list, but maybe the most beautifully made. Pattinson and Dafoe give performances of their careers and watching them both slowly descend into pure madness for almost two hours is mind-blowing. The island setting is drab, cold, and sequestering. This one is an experience and might have you thinking twice before checking out that old, abandoned lighthouse on your next beach visit.
RELATED: 10 Monsters We Love to Root For
5 Dead Calm (1989)
Directed by Phillip Noyce
After the death of their son, John and Rae Ingram (Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman) decide the best way to grieve and reconnect is to spend a few months isolated together on the open ocean. When they come across a stranger (Billy Zane) on an otherwise abandoned and sinking ship, their choice to help him becomes a deadly one.
This is a fantastic film, and one I’ve thought never got enough love. It’s truly one of the great horror thrillers of the ’80s. Billy Zane fully embraces the “Zaniac” within himself and the cinematography perfectly displays the isolation of the open ocean. There are so many scenes where you’re feeling as hopeless and as desperate as the protagonists. Buckle up, this is one wild boat ride.
6 The Fog (1980)
Directed by John Carpenter
A mysterious fog rolls into the small seaside town of Antonio Bay, exactly 100 years after a despicable crime was committed by the town’s elders at the town’s establishment. A supernatural evil has come to take revenge for the acts, and residents of Antonio Bay start to disappear in the shrouded mist.
I absolutely love The Fog. The seaside setting is spooky and unsettling. The score is incredible and ominous (and is also written by John Carpenter). The cast is incredible, displaying the acting talents of Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hal Holbrook, and Tom Atkins. There are tons of amazing practical horror effects, and the villains are ghost pirates! What more could you want?!
RELATED: Original ‘Evil Dead’ Trilogy Sequel ‘Evil Dead Rise’ Coming to HBO Max
7 Zombie (1979)
Directed by Lucio Fulci
In the unofficial Italian sequel to George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, Zombie follows strangers to a tropical island as they look for their missing mother and try to find a cure for all the dead people walking around craving human flesh.
I know I might get some flack for this, but I actually prefer this film to Dawn of the Dead. I feel like it did almost everything that film wanted to do, but better. The secluded island felt less safe than the mall. The zombie effects were more gnarly, and it still has one of the best death scenes in any horror film ever (the eye scene). We were even treated with a full-on underwater zombie/tiger shark fight. I fully suggest this film to those of you that haven’t seen it. It’s a great balance between intensity and silliness, which is an area not a lot of films from that era achieved.
8Jaws (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
I think by this point, we all know the plot of Jaws, but come on, is it even a summer beach horror list if I don’t include one of the objectively best horror films of all of time? Jaws was such a powerful horror film that it actually scared people away from the beaches. Beach towns lost business because of this film. Generations of humans are constantly looking over their shoulder at suspicious shadows while taking a dip in the ocean. It completely changed vacationing at the beach. Let that sink in.
On top of all the things it did for the genre, Jaws was such a well-made film. The acting chemistry between the three leads is legendary. Many of the perfect camera shot styles were completely unheard of until this film came along. The score ended up being one of the most recognizable film scores of all time. It truly was an accidental masterpiece, and a perfect way to start your beach season!
I hope this list got you in the beach-going mood, and totally doesn’t have you sitting in the hotel or beach house watching awesome horror movies instead of enjoying the wonderful coasts that nature has provided. What are some of your favorite beach-y horror films?
RELATED: ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’ Filming Reshoots
Feed My Coffee Addiction
