8 Horror Films Set In Broad Daylight to Watch While Waiting for 'The Long Walk'
These horror movies shatter the illusion of safety that daylight provides.
On September 12, a new horror based on Stephen King's work, The Long Walk, will be released. The creators arranged a closed screening of the movie, during which the viewers' pulse was measured.
Despite the fact that the action of The Long Walk takes place in daylight, their heartbeats exceeded 200 beats per minute, while the norm is 70-80.
We recalled other daylight horrors that are even more frightening than classic monsters lurking in the dark.
1. 'The Host', 2006
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
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A mutated creature emerges from the river in Seoul and kidnaps a girl right in front of her father. The government imposes a quarantine due to an unknown virus, so the family decides to save the child themselves.
Unlike in typical monster movies, where creatures lurk in the shadows, Bong Joon Ho reveals the creature in all its glory in broad daylight, completely disregarding the genre's conventions.
2. 'The Reflecting Skin', 1990
IMDb Score: 6.7/10
Seth is a boy who grows up in rural 1950s America. He encounters terrifying and mysterious events involving his family and neighbors. His childhood imagination blends with real-life horror when he begins to suspect that the widow next door is a vampire.
Philip Ridley's Southern Gothic nightmare is set almost entirely in sun-drenched wheat fields. Ridley uses daylight not to hide, but to reveal the brutal actions of his characters.
3. 'Funny Games', 1997
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
Two teenagers take a family of three hostage in their country home and play a survival game with them. It seems like the plot of a typical horror film, but one of the teenagers realizes he's in a movie and breaks the fourth wall.
Michael Haneke's provocative movie depicts a home invasion that mostly takes place in broad daylight. Deliberately playing with expectations, it stages horrors not in dark corners but in bright, cozy settings.
The viewer becomes an unwitting accomplice, watching what happens. The contrast between the sunny country home and the villains' cruelty creates a powerful feeling of discomfort.
4. 'It Follows', 2014
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
After a sexual encounter, Jay learns that she is cursed. She is being pursued by a supernatural being that takes the form of different people.
The being moves slowly but relentlessly and kills anyone it catches. The only way to pass on the curse is to sleep with someone else.
In his movie, David Robert Mitchell turns traditional horror tropes on their head by showing a supernatural threat in broad daylight.
5. 'The Wicker Man', 1973
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
A police officer arrives on a remote Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a girl. The locals behave strangely and adhere to pagan rituals, arousing the officer's suspicions.
The Wicker Man remains a shining example of folk horror, unfolding under clear skies. Director Robin Hardy contrasts the island's beauty with increasingly disturbing events.
6. 'The Birds', 1963
IMDb Score: 7.6/10
The residents of a quiet coastal town are suddenly confronted with aggressive attacks by birds. Chaos slowly engulfs everything, and no one understands what caused this horror.
Alfred Hitchcock's classic shattered our usual notion that ordinary creatures are harmless in daylight. The most frightening scenes work precisely because they defy our expectations.
The lack of explanation for the birds' behavior adds another layer of horror – nature itself has become hostile for no apparent reason.
7. 'Midsommar', 2019
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
In Midsommar, a group of friends travels to a remote Swedish village for a once-every-90-years festival. What starts as a cultural adventure quickly turns into a nightmare.
Ari Aster's folk horror masterpiece is a prime example of daylight horror. Set during the midsummer festival, when the sun barely sets, the main character and her friends find themselves caught up in horrific rituals.
The most shocking scenes of sacrifice take place in blinding sunlight against a backdrop of white dresses and flower crowns.
8. 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre', 1974
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a group of friends traveling in the Texas outback stumble upon the house of a cannibal family. One by one, they fall victim to a masked maniac.
Tobe Hooper's cult classic shows some of the most brutal scenes against the backdrop of the scorching Texas sun. The heat comes off the screen, increasing the discomfort as the characters wander through remote corners of Texas.
The merciless sunlight does not soften the horrors committed by the cannibals. On the contrary, it exposes every frightening detail without mercy.
