6 Summer Camp Slasher Movies That Still Haunt Us
Ah, summer camp slashers, where the cabins are cursed, the counselors are hooking up instead of watching the kids, and the woods are full of machetes, secrets, and one guy with serious abandonment issues and a mask collection.
As an elder millennial who grew up in Panama, I didn’t do summer camp the way it’s portrayed in these movies. The whole idea of being shipped off to a lakeside camp with bunk beds, creepy counselors, and an axe-wielding legend felt very American… and very unreal. But also? Absolutely iconic.
These movies were my window into a world I never got to experience IRL, except with way more blood, VHS grain, and people making extremely bad decisions in the dark.
Did You Know?
Summer camp slashers exploded in the early ’80s after Friday the 13th made horror cool, cheap, and summer-themed. Teens couldn’t get enough of isolated cabins, masked killers, and very bad decisions in the dark.
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What to expect from a summer camp slasher?
Whether you’re watching for the first time or pressing play for the 40th time, summer camp slashers hit that perfect mix of nostalgia, chaos, and comfort. Here’s what you can expect every time:
- Unsupervised teens doing morally questionable things
- A soundtrack that always goes off
- One final girl, lots of final mistakes
- A killer who is mad, masked, and very persistent
- Inventive deaths that are so absurd they’re practically their own subgenre
These classics are made to be rewatched. Even when they’re campy (pun intended), they’re still fun, fast-paced, and a little unhinged. Like your favorite comfort horror movie, but with way more mosquitoes.
So if you’re in the mood for gore, ghost stories, and counselors who probably deserve what’s coming… here are the best summer camp slasher movies to ruin your next forest getaway.
Watch these Summer Camp Slasher Movies
Isolated Setting = Instant Tension: Camps are perfect horror settings: no phones, no adults, no quick exits. Just a bunch of unsupervised teens, a dark backstory, and a killer who definitely doesn’t care about cabin curfew.
Final Summer (2023)
Fresh release, masked mayhem
Camp counselors cleaning up after a tragedy become targets of a masked killer at Camp Silverlake. With a tight runtime and fresh faces, it’s fast, bloody… and just the intro-level slasher fix you need.
Hell of a Summer (2025)
Comedy‑horror with teenage and parent mayhem
Directed by Finn Wolfhard & Billy Bryk, this TIFF‑premiering slasher blends retro vibes with modern satire. A devil‑masked killer stalks Camp Pineway, teens and their older counselors don’t stand a chance.
Watch Hell of a Summer on Amazon
The Final Girls (2015)
Meta‑slasher with a twist
High school students are literally sucked into an ’80s slasher flick, Camp Bloodbath. It’s a self‑aware homage with heart, horror, and a tear‑jerking mother‑daughter arc.
Watch The Final Girls on Amazon
Slasher Boom 101: Friday the 13th came out in 1980 and made nearly $60 million on a $550k budget. After that? Every studio wanted a masked killer and a doomed group of teens, especially if they were camping.
Friday the 13th (1980)
The OG camp slasher
Camp Crystal Lake revives the archetype. Creepy cabin, teenage drama, and Jason’s tragic origin, it set the standard for everything that followed.
Watch Friday the 13th on Amazon
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Cult classic with a shocking reveal
Notorious for its twist ending, this creepy camp flick dives into identity, gender, and trauma, all before most horror movies dared.
Watch Sleepaway Camp on Amazon
Fear Street: Part Two – 1978 (2021)
’80s nostalgia meets slasher survival
Part of Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy, this installment traps teens in a week of terror at Camp Nightwing. High energy, high stakes, plenty of ’80s stylings.
Watch Fear Street: Part Two – 1978 on Netflix
You Might Be the Killer (2018)
For a goofy twist on the formula, this one’s a camp‑slasher send‑up with actual laughs, and a counselor who might be the killer.
Watch You Might Be the Killer on Hulu
Summer Camp Slashers Watch Order & Vibe Chart
| Movie | Year | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Friday the 13th | 1980 | Classic, atmospheric gore |
| Sleepaway Camp | 1983 | Campy, shocking, cult |
| The Final Girls | 2015 | Meta, heartfelt, humorous |
| Final Summer | 2023 | Lean, modern, masked mayhem |
| Hell of a Summer | 2023 | Retro satire, slasher fun |
| Fear Street: Part Two – 1978 | 2021 | Nostalgic, intense, eerie |
Camp Counselor Survival Guide
- Always travel in pairs.
- Don’t go into the woods alone, unless you’re a Final Girl.
- Ignore urban legends? That’s basically a death wish.
- Know your exits, and who’s really in your group.
- And most importantly: don’t stay silent about that weird noise you heard.
Final Thoughts
These films prove summer camp isn’t just for s’mores and bonfires, it’s a slasher playground. From the OG terror of Friday the 13th to modern twists in Final Summer, there’s a killer waiting around every corner.
Which one will you dare to press play? Drop your picks (or camp horror stories) in the comments!
You may also like:
- YA Summer Camp Thriller Books
- Lake House Thriller Books
- More Thriller Book Recommendations
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