After Halloween came out in 1978, it seemed impossible to imagine a more perfect time of year for a horror movie to take place. There's the joy of trick or treating and dressing up and asking for candy, along with the excitement among teenagers about going to a party and hopefully having a fun night. But even though there are some unforgettable scary movies that happen on Halloween, including the beloved Trick 'r Treat from 2007, there are some other horror movies worth checking out that are set during different holidays.
From the Fourth of July to Christmas, there are some excellent horror movies that fans should watch when they want to see a killer stalking teens in the heat of summer or watch a film that might take place on December 24th but doesn't have any holiday spirit.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
I Know What You Did Last Summer's Amazon TV series isn't all that great, but there's something perfectly nostalgic about the 1997 film. It's also a great summer horror movie that features the Fourth of July.
While the town of Southport, North Carolina wants to have some fun in the sun and celebrate this warm holiday, Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is, naturally, too busy with thinking about the killer on the loose who wants to get revenge on her and her friends. This small town looks like one of the best places to enjoy a summer vacation from college, which is what Julie should be doing, as it's got a beautiful marina and peaceful water. Of course, the characters spend most of their time running from Ben Willis.
Valentine (2001)
While Valentine tends to be a forgotten 2000s horror movie, it's enjoyable and also does a great job of spotlighting February 14th. The killer gets creative with this typically romantic (and often corny) holiday, delivering notes and killing people in the vein of Valentine's Day.
The killer, Jeremy Melton (pretending to be Adam Carr, played byDavid Boreanaz), gives Lily (Jessica Cauffiel) chocolates that have maggots inside of them and murders her with arrows, reminiscent of Cupid's famous weapon. Jeremy also wears Cupid's masks as his villain costume. It all works perfectly (but audiences might want to skip eating candy and chocolate while eating given what Jeremy does to Lily). If it wasn't for the fact that this film is set around Valentine's Day, it might be really forgettable, but this gives it an extra edge that helps it stand out.
Boogeyman (2005)
The Supernatural creator wrote the horror movie Boogeyman, and while it's not the most loved horror film ever, it has a fun story, a good main character, and is also set partly at Thanksgiving.
Tim Jensen (Barry Watson) goes to his girlfriend Jessica's (Tory Mussett) mom and dad's place for Thanksgiving, then has a vision of his mom telling him that he should go to the home that he grew up in. After Tim finds out that his mom actually passed away, he does go back to his childhood house to see if he can stop the Boogeyman once and for all. While audiences are likely used to experiencing family drama during this late fall holiday, dealing with relatives is nothing compared to Tim's journey. It's definitely safe to say that Tim wishes that he could stay at Jessica's family home for some turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes and ignore this whole situation.
Black Christmas (2006)
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The two Black Christmas remakes from 2006 and 2019 each manage to evoke that specific feeling of the winter holidays, although it's possible to say that the 2006 remake is more engaging.
In this movie, sorority sisters spend time during the Christmas break at the house that they share while being tormented by a killer. There's one particularly gross scene that is a dark take on the holiday spirit: Billy (Robert Mann) bakes the remains of his mom into Christmas cookies. While the movie might not get anyone in a festive mood, it does offer up an interesting look at what can happen when a holiday turns horrible. The sorority house is beautiful and charming and would be the perfect spot to celebrate (if it wasn't for Billy, that is).
Better Watch Out (2016)
While there are some horror movies without any Christmas spirit, Better Watch Out brilliantly works with the themes surrounding December 25th and delivers a stunning story that fans can't stop thinking about.
Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) is babysitting Luke (Levi Miller), who seems totally sweet and innocent, if a bit creepy since he has a massive crush on her. While the movie seems straightforward, there is an incredible and unpredictable plot twist that fans will be talking about forever and that proves that making a Christmas horror movie should always be this fun, exciting, and unexpected.