6 Horror Movies to Watch Over the Fourth of July Weekend
“Happy Fourth of July, Julie!”
The Fourth of July might be the least scary holiday in existence. Crowded daytime activities aren’t the right setting for slasher killers or ghosts. However, a few filmmakers have made horror movies set around the Fourth of July that should be part of everyone’s festivities.
Here are the best Fourth of July horror movies:
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
The most well known Fourth of July horror movie is this 90s teen slasher that takes place over consecutive Fourth of July celebrations in a small coastal town. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ryan Phillipe are terrorized by a stranger in a fisherman’s slicker one year after the group decided to dump a body in the ocean after a drunk driving accident. A new I Know movie with Hewitt and Prinze Jr. releases on July 18, 2025.
The Bay (2012)
A found footage eco-horror movie that captures the pandemonium surrounding a deadly outbreak in a Chesapeake Bay town over the Fourth of July. Local news reporters speculate something may have infected the town’s water as the mysterious sickness spreads. Eventually, the government attempts to cover-up the incident and one reporter stands in the way.
Jaws (1975)
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Jaws is the quintessential “don’t go in the water” movie. Beachgoers in an east coast tourist town are terrorized by a man-eating great white shark. The town’s police chief, a marine biologist and a shark hunter head out into the ocean to slay the beast.
Return of the Living Dead (1985)
A funny zombie movie set in the lead up to the Fourth of July in a town in Kentucky. Zombies terrorize a warehouse owner, his friends, and a group of teenage punks all try to make it through the holiday alive.
Uncle Sam (1996)
A goofy 90s patriotic slasher with some light political commentary. The movie follows an all-American town where the corpse of a former Sergeant is returned to his family.
You Are Not Alone (2014)
A unique slasher movie shot from the perspective of a woman being stalked by a sociopathic serial killer. Natalie is home from college for the Fourth of July holiday. As the day turns into night, she realizes she is not alone.
