There’s an old adage in horror: The less you show a monster, the scarier it is. Horror filmmakers are, by necessity, skilled at using darkness and shadows to creep out audiences. Working with a small budget and limited resources, you learn quickly how to make a little go a long way.
But some creators relish a challenge. And for those who prefer to do things on hard mode, setting a horror film in broad daylight defies expectations and conventional wisdom. In the light, there’s nowhere for the characters, or bad filmmaking techniques, to hide. These kinds of films can make you feel exposed and vulnerable.
You may encounter disturbing images you can’t look away from or situations that inflict psychological distress. Horror doesn’t have to be dark and spooky to be terrifying.
Last week we marked the totally made-up yet handy “halfway to Halloween” milestone, which got us thinking about movies that are especially suited to spring and summer viewing.
So here’s a list of our favorite examples of daylight horror films. Yes, we included the obvious ones like Midsommar and Jaws, but there are many more to dive into, including one of the most infamous shock films ever made. This isn’t intended to be a comprehensive list, so feel free to leave some of your own in the comments.