Top 20 Horror Movies That Take Place In Broad Daylight

20. The Hills Have Eyes (2007)

Sun, sand, and savage mutants—The Hills Have Eyes is what happens when your GPS betrays you and you wander off the beaten path into nuclear test site territory. Alexandre Aja's remake of Wes Craven's original doesn’t just crank up the gore; it blasts it with a flamethrower. Most of the terror unfolds in blinding daylight, where there’s no shadow to hide the horrors waiting behind the rocks. Aaron Stanford (of X-Men fame) leads the ill-fated family, and Emilie de Ravin (Lost) adds emotional depth amidst all the carnage. This film proves that the desert heat can cook up something far worse than sunburn. | © Fox Searchlight Pictures

19. Drag Me To Hell (2009)

From the twistedly fun mind of Sam Raimi comes Drag Me to Hell, a demonic morality tale served with a side of slapstick. Alison Lohman plays a loan officer cursed by a very grumpy elderly woman, and trust us—it’s not just a bad Yelp review. This film revels in gooey gags and unrelenting chaos, often under the unforgiving brightness of day. Raimi's signature blend of horror and humor is fully intact here, and Justin Long (Barbarian, Jeepers Creepers) tags along for the ride, trying to science his way out of his girlfriend’s supernatural spiral. It's proof that the 9-to-5 grind can literally drag you to hell. | © Ghost House Pictures

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18. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Forget the dark. In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, terror thrives under the harsh glare of the Texas sun, where every scream echoes across wide, empty fields. Tobe Hooper’s low-budget masterpiece changed the horror game forever, introducing us to Leatherface and his delightfully disturbed family. Marilyn Burns delivers a legendary final girl performance, drenched in sweat, blood, and existential dread. The raw, documentary-style aesthetic makes you feel like you’re watching something you shouldn’t, and that sunlit cannibal house? Yeah, it sticks with you. No monsters in the closet here—just chainsaws in plain sight. | © Vortex

17. The Reflecting Skin (1990)

This one’s for the “arthouse horror” lovers out there—the ones who like their scares slow, strange, and steeped in symbolism. The Reflecting Skin is less about jump scares and more about psychological unease, all set against wide, wheat-filled plains drenched in unforgiving daylight. A young Viggo Mortensen (yes, Aragorn himself) shows up to brood beautifully, while the story spirals into a surreal blend of vampire lore, childlike misunderstanding, and small-town decay. This is horror painted with an oil brush—haunting, dreamlike, and impossible to fully explain to your friends. Which makes it even cooler. | © BBC Films

16. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Ah, the movie that birthed a thousand controversies. Cannibal Holocaust is not for the faint of heart—or the easily offended. Shot in the blazing Amazon daylight, this found footage nightmare is infamous for its brutal violence, animal cruelty (yes, real), and a realism so convincing the director had to prove in court that his cast wasn’t actually murdered. Starring a cast of mostly unknowns, this Italian exploitation flick dares to ask, “What if the real monsters were the filmmakers all along?” It’s gory, grimy, and definitely not a date-night pick... unless your date's into sociology and stomach-churning realism. | © F.D. Cinematografica

15. Bone Tomahawk (2015)

If you ever thought Westerns needed more cannibalistic horror, Bone Tomahawk heard you—loud and bloody clear. This slow-burn genre mashup turns tumbleweed towns and dusty trails into grounds for existential dread and stomach-turning violence. Kurt Russell leads the rugged posse, complete with Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring), Matthew Fox (Lost), and Richard Jenkins being lovably grumpy. The majority of the film unfolds beneath the scorching sun, proving that sometimes the real horror isn't what's lurking in the shadows—it's what's standing right in front of you with a bone scalpel. It's one part True Grit, one part pure nightmare fuel. | © Caliber Media Company

14. The Birds (1963)

Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds takes the phrase “bird watching” and shoves it into the deepest corner of your nightmares. Set largely in the sunny town of Bodega Bay, this classic shows that daylight doesn’t always mean safety—sometimes it just gives your attackers better aim. Tippi Hedren stars as the stylish city girl turned avian target, and while there's no music score to ramp up the tension, the screeching of wings and flapping chaos fills that silence with terror. It's peak Hitchcockian suspense, dressed in sunshine and feathered menace. PSA: you’ll never look at a seagull the same way again. | © Universal Pictures

13. Jaws (1975)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water—Jaws happens. Steven Spielberg’s oceanic nightmare practically invented the summer blockbuster and taught generations to fear the daylight glimmer of a calm beach. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw deliver iconic performances, but the real star is Bruce—the shark animatronic with a mind (and appetite) of its own. Much of the film takes place under cloudless skies and out in open waters, making the contrast between serenity and sudden chomping all the more jarring. Thanks to this film, we all learned two things: never underestimate nature... and always check for fins. | © Universal Pictures

12. 28 Days Later (2002)

What’s scarier than zombies? Fast zombies. In the harsh daylight. With no Starbucks in sight. Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later redefined the zombie genre for the 2000s with a grimy, apocalyptic lens. Cillian Murphy wakes up in an empty hospital (a scene now etched into horror history) and stumbles through an eerily abandoned London, where most of the horror happens under a bleak, grey sky. Naomie Harris (Skyfall) and Brendan Gleeson round out a stellar cast navigating rage-infected chaos. This isn’t your average survival flick—it’s a raw, emotional gut-punch with just enough hope to make the despair hit harder. | © DNA Films

11. Funny Games (1997)

Michael Haneke’s Funny Games is like a smug, fourth-wall-breaking dare. It dares you to keep watching, dares you to root for survival, and then smugly reminds you it's pulling the strings. Set largely in broad daylight in a quiet lakeside home, this Austrian original (not to be confused with the 2007 shot-for-shot American remake) sees two disturbingly polite young men torment a family for no reason at all. Susanne Lothar and Ulrich Mühe give heartbreaking performances as the parents, while Arno Frisch’s unsettlingly calm sadism steals the show. There are no shadows to hide in here—just discomfort served with a knowing wink. | © Wega Filmproduktion

10. Eden Lake (2008)

If you've ever romanticized a weekend getaway in the countryside, Eden Lake is here to slap you back to reality—with a bloodied fence post. This relentless UK survival horror pits a sweet couple, played by Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone) and Michael Fassbender (before he became Magneto), against a group of truly terrifying local youths. What begins as a serene, sun-drenched lakeside holiday spirals into an escalating nightmare of class tension, cruelty, and chaos—all in broad daylight. It’s brutal, grim, and disturbingly grounded. Think Deliverance, but with school uniforms and way more sprinting. | © Rollercoaster Films

9. Triangle (2009)

Don’t let the bright, coastal setting fool you—Triangle is a mind-melter disguised as a yacht trip. What starts as a seemingly simple horror tale quickly spirals into a time loop of existential dread, with Melissa George (30 Days of Night) delivering a gripping lead performance that anchors the film’s emotional chaos. The daylight-lit ocean and empty cruise ship give the whole thing a surreal, sun-drenched eeriness. It's one of those movies you’ll want to rewatch the moment it ends—partly to understand it, partly to convince yourself it didn’t just mess with your brain for fun. | © Icon Film Distribution

8. The Innocents (2021)

Think kids are creepy? The Innocents fully agrees—and it doesn’t need darkness to prove it. Set during a bright Norwegian summer, this unnerving supernatural slow-burn follows a group of children who discover they have eerie, psychic abilities. What makes it worse? The powers grow stronger, the moral lines blur, and all of it happens under the endless daylight of a northern sun. Newcomer Rakel Lenora Fløttum delivers a hauntingly natural performance, making this film feel chillingly grounded even as the powers become unearthly. It’s like X-Men meets Let the Right One In, but with fewer capes and more dread. | © Mer Film

7. The Hitcher (1986)

Road trips: a great way to clear your head, see the sights, and accidentally pick up a sadistic hitchhiker who may or may not be supernatural. The Hitcher gives us C. Thomas Howell as the unlucky driver and Rutger Hauer in peak “haunted murder poet” mode as the titular psychopath. The majority of this dusty highway nightmare plays out in harsh, sun-bleached daylight, which somehow makes Hauer’s quiet menace even creepier. Jennifer Jason Leigh also shows up, bringing emotional weight and tragic vulnerability to the story. This is one of those films where the open road feels like a trap with no exit. | © HBO Pictures

6. Pearl (2022)

If Technicolor horror had a baby with The Wizard of Oz and Psycho, you’d get Pearl. Directed by Ti West and starring the incredible Mia Goth (who co-wrote the screenplay!), this sun-soaked prequel to X dives deep into the origin story of a would-be starlet turned deeply unhinged. Goth’s performance is magnetic—equal parts tragic, terrifying, and oddly endearing. The film leans into its bright, pastoral setting with twisted glee, turning golden fields and cheerful costumes into a surreal playground for bloody dreams. It's dazzling, disturbing, and features the most unsettling smile in modern horror. | © A24

5. Ring (1998)

Who knew cursed VHS tapes could be this atmospheric in the daylight? Ring (or Ringu, if you're fancy and authentic) helped usher in the J-horror boom of the late '90s, and even in its eeriest moments, it rarely retreats into darkness. Director Hideo Nakata crafts a creeping sense of dread in sterile offices, bright homes, and grey-washed outdoor scenes, proving horror doesn’t need shadows to unsettle. Starring Nanako Matsushima as a journalist trying to unravel the mystery of the tape before her seven days are up, this slow-burn thriller gave us Sadako—a long-haired icon of terror who doesn’t care if it’s high noon. Just don’t press play. | © Toho

4. It Follows (2014)

It Follows asks the important question: what if you were being hunted by a shape-shifting creeper... who never runs? And what if that was somehow way scarier than a sprinting slasher? David Robert Mitchell’s indie gem plays out in wide suburban streets, abandoned pools, and plenty of daylight-drenched open spaces—making the dread feel inescapable. Maika Monroe stars as Jay, the unlucky teen cursed with a supernatural stalker passed on like a ghostly STD, and her performance is both vulnerable and fiercely resilient. This one’s all about vibe: slow-building, synth-scored paranoia that haunts your brain long after the credits roll. | © Northern Lights Films

3. The Wicker Man (1973)

Put away your jump scares—The Wicker Man is all about slow, sunlit dread. This folk horror cult classic (not to be confused with the Nicolas Cage remake and its... bees) follows a pious police officer, played by Edward Woodward, as he investigates a missing girl on a strange, too-cheerful island. Christopher Lee absolutely owns the role of Lord Summerisle, whose flowing locks and unsettling charisma turn pagan ritual into a truly psychedelic nightmare. The horror unfolds entirely in daylight, as sun-soaked meadows, May Day dances, and cheery villagers slowly turn sinister. And that ending? Still one of the most haunting ever filmed. | © British Lion Films

2. Nope (2022)

Jordan Peele continues his horror hot streak with Nope, a sci-fi-western-horror hybrid that dares to stage UFO terror in the brightest, most expansive skies imaginable. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer are sibling horse wranglers trying to capture something not of this world on camera, and Steven Yeun joins the cast as a theme park owner with a disturbing backstory. What makes Nope special—beyond its slick visuals and sharp social commentary—is how much of the horror unfolds in stark, cloudless daylight. Who needs darkness when you’ve got suspense, spectacle, and an alien that hides in plain sight? | © Monkeypaw Productions

1. Midsommar (2019)

Welcome to Sweden—where the flower crowns are fresh, the rituals are ancient, and the sun never sets. Ari Aster’s Midsommar is the ultimate broad daylight horror movie, bathing every disturbing moment in unrelenting sunshine. Florence Pugh gives a powerhouse performance as Dani, a grieving woman who joins her boyfriend (played by Jack Reynor) on a trip that quickly turns into a technicolor nightmare. The film masterfully blends break-up drama with cult horror, using sun-drenched meadows and pastel aesthetics to make every act of violence feel even more jarring. It’s like a horror film dressed in a fairy tale’s clothes—and we can’t look away. | © A24