Horror films are meant to shock and awe fans. If you aren’t jumping at the dramatic, quick change of scene or flinching when a weapon is thrown from an unrealistic distance than you must not be paying enough attention. There are degrees to how scary one can take their horror but we have to say that scary films that incorporate a good amount of day and night are the best ones. It reminds you that it doesn’t have to be pitch black or night time quiet for you to get savagely ripped apart or consumed by some evil being. In fact, there have been a great number of films that are based during the day that will make you want to stay locked in your house for as long as you can stand it. Unless of course in the house is where it all went down.
The Mist (2007)
A father and his child get trapped in a local grocery store after realizing that a mysterious mist has taken over their small town and the creatures in the mist are killing townspeople. Like many films, there are always a few people who think they know best or are immune to what is happening outside. This leads to a lot of bloody deaths. However. The scariest part is what’s happening inside the grocery store. The townspeople begin to follow a sick, religious nut who brainwashes them into believing they must sacrifice people to appease whatever is in the mist. It quickly becomes a fight to the death.
The Children (2008)
Murderous kids are always hard to watch but when a lot of the murders take place during the day it’s worse. A woman, her husband, and three kids visit her sister, sister’s husband, and their two kids. What is supposed to be a nice weekend getaway turns into a bloodbath. The children become infected by an unknown virus and slowly but surely begin to murder every living thing. This includes whatever pets the family has. To make matters worse there aren’t a lot of places to run because they live in a wooded area. Needless to say, the attacks are violent like getting stabbed in the eye with a crayon (who knew that was possible). To being scratched so hard that you are left with a gaping wound in the face.
Dawn Of The Dead (1978, 2004)
Both versions of this film are good in their own right. We would lean more towards the 1978 version is better but, the 2004 version also brought some nasty deaths all under the hot sun and stuck in a mall. While some of the deaths happen off camera there is still a good amount that takes place on camera and in a horrific way. It isn’t the scariest on this list and we will admit it’s far from it but it still sends a chill up the spine that is not wanted. Think about it; trapped in a mall, people are dying, there is a lack of substantial weaponry and for a majority of the film they have no idea what is actually killing them all off.
The Woman (2011)
This film is another cannibal feature. A bit on the lower budget side but it surely proves that you don’t need a big budget to scare the crap out of people. A sick, sadistic man kidnaps a cannibal woman in hopes of making her his new wife. She is kept locked up and we see through her eyes that this man and his wife and kids are all severely messed up. A lot of unspeakable, gory things take place in this film. We find that we were cheering on the “vicious’ cannibal more than the man and his family of forced participants (well, at least some of them are forced).
Contracted (2013)
After a night of partying and hooking up with a random stranger, a woman suspects that she has contracted an STD. Only this STD seems to be eating her alive and advancing rapidly. As she descends into god knows what she begins to act more irrational and physically she is starting to form into something that none of her friends and family recognize. The movie takes place for the most part in daylight so viewers really get to see her transform. She becomes increasingly more crazy and creepy looking, her body begins to fall apart literally her nails are falling off with ease, her skin is kind of sliding off. It’s all around gross. Watch at your own risk.
The Ruins (2008)
The Ruins starts off as a typical spring break film. A bunch of students trying to let loose and explore Mexico. Of course, they get wrapped up in someone else’s drama and decide to help two total strangers look for their friend and brother. They go to his last known whereabouts, the Mayan Ruins. The ruins are cursed and almost immediately the curse begins to pluck off the tourists one by one. With the vines invading their bodies and essentially infecting and killing them from the inside out. A lot of this film takes place before nightfall. So, by the time the night falls so much scary and gruesome things have happened. This movie will leave that eerie chill all over your body. You will never stop feeling like vines are trying to get into you.
Kalevet (2010)
You may also know this film through its english name Rabies. A brother and sister run away from home and take refuge in a nature reserve. Unfortunately, the sister gets caught up with the wrong people and a psychotic killer sets his sights on ending her life. There are not a lot of daytime scenes in this film but the ones that appear will shock you. The lengths the siblings have to go through to get away from the psycho killer’s grip is intense. Like the edge of your seat kind of intensity. Fans will see no way for the siblings to escape this killer. However, the killer is not only after the siblings there are a few characters that the psycho killer wants to check off their list.
Eden Lake (2008)
Starring Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly, this horror slasher follows a couple on a romantic, remote getaway. The boyfriend is getting ready to propose. However, before anything good can happen, they come across a group of unsavory teenagers. They stalk and randomly attack the couple throughout the film. You really have no idea who will win this battle. Reilly proves herself to be a badass just trying to fight for her life to the bitter end. All the scenes of her trying to navigate the woods are heartbreaking. She looks for hiding spots with the disadvantage of the sunlight is nerve-wracking. The bloody scenes are not for the faint of heart. The entire time you will want to discipline these unruly kids.
The Green Inferno (2013)
Eli Roth made this film to pay homage to the Italian cannibal films that were so popular in the 70s and 80s. Most of this movie takes place in the daylight in the Peruvian jungle. A young woman and a few of her friends survive a plane crash in the wrong neck of the jungle. They quickly become food for the inhabitants of the jungle. Bodies being dragged, eaten alive and tortured all set against the sunny backdrop of the jungle. You get to essentially see everything and you better have a strong stomach. The cannibals are ruthless which is the way we like them. Go big or go home, right?
The Hitcher (1986, 2007)
Nothing worse than a person who murders people just because they feel like it. Sean Bean’s serial killer character John Ryder does just that. He is a sadist who tracks and torments a couple on a road trip to spring break. He stalks the couple at every turn. John Ryder essentially hitches rides up and down the road, so he can run into them time and time again. To make matters worse, he is so fixated on this couple that he is willing to kill anyone in his way. Including a god fearing family with two small children and an entire small town police dept. The best scene by far has to be when he plows through a bunch of cop cars. He was just so determined to get to this couple. What is this guys problem?
Next: The 10 Best Horror Movies Of All Time, According To IMDb
