“Brat Summer” was all the rage back in 2024. This summer is shaping up to be the summer of horror films.
With movies like “Hokum,” “Obsession,” “Backrooms” and “Leviticus” releasing throughout the season, there seems to be a rise in horror movies coming to theaters. This begs the question: What does this mean for the film industry and its relationship with the genre?
Every year, Rotten Tomatoes publishes a list of upcoming film releases for the summer. This year's list features a total of 10 horror movies debuting between May and August.
In May, audiences will be able to watch “Hokum,” “Obsession,” "Passenger" and "Backrooms.” In June, “Scary Movie”(2026) and “Leviticus” will grace movie screens. July will only feature “Evil Dead Burn," but August will present “Ice Cream Man,” “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" and “Insidious: Out of the Further.”
The high release number seems to indicate a positive trend for the film industry and its relationship with horror movies.
In the past, horror movies have infamously been shunned or shut out of conversations about the industry.
For example, only eight horror actors in the almost 100-year-old Academy Awards have taken home Oscars. Only one horror film, “The Silence of the Lambs,” has taken home Best Picture. And only two horror movies have won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay — including Ryan Coogler’s recent win for “Sinners” (2025).
However, this narrative is changing. Horror movies are being pushed to the forefront of audiences’ attention and beginning to receive high critical praise.
Movies like “Sinners” — which received four Academy Award wins — are changing the presentation, distribution and enjoyment of horror. It's clear audiences want horror films in their theaters, and critics are gradually coming to appreciate the genre. The recent surge of horror is reflecting these changes and revisiting established precedents.
In addition, moviegoers are actively searching out more opportunities to see horror movies, some even focusing their theatrical escapades on seeing the genre on the big screen.
Moviegoers like 21-year-old UF graduate Haley Zuba have noticed the increase in horror distribution. Zuba went to Regal Royal Park to see “Hokum” on May 6.
“I feel like there was a drought for a really long time,” she said. “Not a lot of really good horror movies were coming out, or there would be one every couple of months, but now I see there’s a lot coming up.”
The demand and newfound appreciation for the genre are reflected in the frequency of new releases.
It’s also clear originality and storytelling are being prioritized in this new era of horror, which could be contributing to the genre’s positive industry outlook.
Last year, Rotten Tomatoes published the same upcoming list of movies for the summer months. Similar to this year, the list featured 10 upcoming horror movies. However, six of the 10 films were part of franchises or remakes of previous movies, such as “Final Destination: Bloodlines” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025).
This year’s list, however, only features three films from a franchise — meaning seven films are original stories being told on screen.
Vanessa Trotty, a 22-year-old Santa Fe student, has noticed the growing trend toward original storytelling. Rather than cheap thrills, she said recent horror movies are tending to prioritize complex, suspenseful storylines.
“[Horror movies] were all jumpscares," she said after seeing “Hokum” on May 6. “While now — like ‘Hokum’ had a lot of music built up, … it’s a lot more tense rather than genuinely just shocking.”
Delaney LeMan, a 22-year old Santa Fe student, has seen how recent horror films have shied away from past expectations, such as in the new release “Hokum.”
“I guess I’ve noticed [‘Hokum’] didn’t have a ton of jumpscares,” she said. “I feel like, typically, [horror movies] do require a lot more jump scares, so I think there’s more storytelling.”
Summer months are prime time for theatrical releases to gain higher viewership and attendance. Last year, the season’s No. 1 movie, “Lilo and Stitch” (2025), earned a cumulative gross of $3.5 billion. Movies released in winter, spring and fall barely surpassed $1 billion last year.
More eyes are on the screen in these hotter months, and the surge in upcoming horror movies this season paints a clear picture: Horror is in, and the film industry knows it.
If modern horror’s success has anything to say, this summer of horror certainly won’t be the last.
As long as people keep buying tickets and critics keep applauding, the industry is going to continue this new era of recognition for the commonly snubbed genre.
Contact Mackenzie Haas at mhaas@alligator.org.
