10 Summer Horror Movies You Have To See

10. Friday The 13th

Friday the 13th is a defining film that helped make going to summer camp into something terrifying. While the franchise would later become associated with goofiness and over the top kills, the original is actually pretty suspenseful, and it does a few things really well that the last half of the franchise kind of lost. 

Taking place at the infamous Camp Crystal Lake, Friday the 13th does a great job capturing a lot of feelings associated with summer time. For one, it involves the idea of separating oneself from the rest of the world to relax in this unfamiliar little bubble, something a lot of young people experience when going on vacation this time of year.   

And since it takes place at camp following young counsellors, with adults not really in the picture, it reminds you of being a teenager again on summer break without many responsibilities. Young, stupid kids hang around, goof off, go swimming and play games, and before everything starts going wrong, Friday the 13th captures that summer feeling.

The movies also tap into what it's like to sit around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and telling scary stories, maybe even about that legend of Jason Vorhees. For a lot of films to follow, in addition to the kills, that idea of the creepy urban legend told around campfire would be constantly emulated.