Halloween may be months away, but Summerween has officially arrived. Summer horror movies have become a tradition in their own right, with films like Jaws, The Conjuring, and Midsommar proving that some of the year’s biggest scares are best experienced during the hottest months of the year.
Whether you’re in the mood for supernatural scares, psychological thrillers, or blood-soaked slashers, Houston theaters have no shortage of chilling releases this season. Here are five horror movies worth catching on the big screen this summer.
Evil Dead Burn (out now)
The iconic horror franchise returns with another gruesome chapter. Evil Dead Burn follows a grieving widow whose family reunion spirals into a fight for survival after an ancient evil unleashes a new wave of Deadites. Packed with relentless scares, over-the-top practical gore, and the chaos fans have come to expect from the Evil Dead series, it’s shaping up to be one of the summer’s biggest horror events.
Her Private Hell (out now)
Nicolas Winding Refn trades crime drama for psychological horror in this neon-drenched thriller. Set in a dystopian city haunted by a serial killer known as “The Leather Man,” Her Private Hell follows a woman pulled into a nightmarish world where obsession, violence, and reality begin to blur. Fans of stylish, slow-burning horror won’t want to miss this one.
Pinocchio: Unstrung (out now)
The latest public-domain horror reimagining gives the beloved fairy tale a gruesome makeover. Pinocchio: Unstrung transforms the wooden puppet into the stuff of nightmares, swapping childhood nostalgia for slasher-style kills and plenty of blood-soaked twists. It’s one of this summer’s wildest horror releases.
Ice Cream Man (releasing Aug. 7)
A mysterious ice cream vendor rolls into a quiet town, but his frozen treats come with horrifying consequences. Ice Cream Man blends classic slasher thrills with dark humor, turning a nostalgic summer staple into the season’s creepiest nightmare. Expect plenty of shocking twists, gruesome kills, and enough gore to satisfy horror fans looking for a chilling big-screen experience.
Insidious: Out of the Further (releasing Aug. 21)
The Insidious franchise returns with another terrifying chapter. While plot details are still largely under wraps, Insidious: Out of the Further promises more supernatural scares, haunting imagery, and demonic encounters as the long-running horror series closes out the summer.
