10 Daylight Horror Movies For When The Sun Can’t Save You – Ranked

Welcome to Ranking Horror. Today we are checking out 10 Daylight Horror Movies For When The Sun Can’t Save You.

Let’s be honest, it is easy to scare someone silly when you are dropping all of the lights and bombarding them with things jumping out from the shadows. The all too familiar horror movie trait of waiting for the sun to go down before using the lack of light to create scares is so played out. Horror movies that really want to terrify you don’t need darkness. They can do it in the middle of the daytime in full light.

All of the movies in this list take place in the broad daylight. They don’t need the cover of the night to scare you silly. These are some of my favourite types of horror movie. They just hit in a completely different way and always seem to leave me thinking about them long after they are done. We have a really nice mix here, ranging from the more expected folk horror to some psychological horror and some really interesting films that try something different. Let’s take a look.

10. The Noonday Witch (2016) – Psychological Folklore in the Heat

Why it Ranked: The Noonday Witch is a rather unique horror movie in that it brings a psychological aspect to folklore and mythology. Rarely has the baking sun felt so oppressive in a horror movie. Coming by way of the Czech Republic, the vast majority of The Noonday Witch takes place in the daytime and everything has that very distinctive feel of being scorched and dusty. This is a slow moving folk horror that leans far more into drama than anything else, meaning some will, likely, find it a bit laborious. Still, as far as daylight horror movies go, it is well worth a try.

Synopsis: The story follows a woman, and her daughter, who are starting a new life in a rural community while the child’s father is, supposedly, away for work. A troubling revelation begins to splinter the pair and the approach of the mythical noonday witch threatens them even further. But is any of it actually happening?

Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+

9. Starve Acre (2023) – 70s Style Rural Dread

Why it Ranked: Much like The Noonday Witch, Starve Acre is a very slow movie that leans quite heavily into drama. It’s also as quirky as a farting grandma. Daniel Kokotajlo’s Starve Acre obviously, wears its inspirations on its sleeve and is, very much, a nod to 70’s folk horror and films like The Omen. The brilliantly accurate recreation of the 1960s in Northern England really stands out. Along with the fantastic performances of Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark, both of which prop up what can be, at times, a rather slow and unfocused story. Starve Acre won’t be for everyone but its enigmatic story deserves a watch. Especially if you are looking for daylight horror.

Synopsis: The story follows a family who move into the father’s rural childhood home, only for their son to begin acting strangely. This sets off a sequence of events that will result in both grief and obsession.

Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), BFI Player

8. Apostle (2018) – Welsh Gothic Grime

Why it Ranked: I have got to show some love to a director from my home country of Wales whenever I can so here we are. Gareth Evans, who you may know as the director of the fantastic Indonesian Gun-Fu action movie The Raid, brings us this daylight horror movie that collects together elements of gothic fantasy with body horror and folk horror in 2018’s Apostle. The first half of Apostle is utterly compelling and legitimately captivating. It loses its way a bit later on. Still, the locations are stunning, the cinematography is excellent, and Sheen’s performance is one of the best in recent horror.

Synopsis: The story follows a drifter who, while attempting to rescue his kidnapped sister, finds himself battling a sinister cult on a remote island. The brilliant Michael Sheen stars alongside Dan Stevens in this movie that is both grim and rather disturbing.

Where to Watch: Netflix

7. The Innocents (2021) – Kids Are Cruel

Why it Ranked: A common theme with a lot of the daylight horror movies on this list is that they are seriously disturbing. Eskil Vogt’s Norwegian supernatural horror movie The Innocents, from 2021, is no different. In fact, one of the scenes in this movie is among the most disturbing in recent horror history. The Innocents is, for lack of a better description, an extremely grim and disturbing version of the found footage movie Chronicle. This is not a movie to entertain and won’t leave you feeling particularly happy. It is, however, a very affecting movie that is brilliantly acted and genuinely moving. It all takes place in the middle of the day during the Nordic summer, as well.

Synopsis: The story follows a group of children who suddenly begin to reveal mysterious powers, leading them on extremely different paths that will only end in conflict.

Where to Watch: Shudder, Amazon (Rent/Buy)

6. And Soon The Darkness (1970) – A Bike Trip from Hell

Why it Ranked: We are going all the way back to 1970 for this next movie. Director Robert Fuest’s And Soon The Darkness is one of the earliest British horror movies I can remember to take place, mostly, in the daylight. Our protagonist’s search for her missing friend is made all the more harrowing by the fact that she doesn’t speak the language of the country she is in, placing her, and the viewer, as a fish out of water. This does wonders for raising the tension and absolutely baking in the atmosphere as the whole situation seems more and more hopeless.

Synopsis: And Soon The Darkness shares a connection with a movie that will appear later on this list, as star Michele Dotrice was married to the star of that particular movie, Edward Woodward. The story follows two English women on a cycling holiday to France. They find themselves in a harrowing situation when one of the girls goes missing, leading the other into a desperate search for her.

Where to Watch: StudioCanal, Amazon (Rent/Buy)

5. Revenge (2017) – Blood on the Sand

Why it Ranked: Coralie Fargeat showed the entire world that she is one of the greatest talents in the horror industry in 2024 with the Oscar winning movie The Substance. A few years before that, she was making her debut by writing and directing an unexpectedly fantastic revenge flick in the form of 2017’s Revenge. Loads of gore, some seriously gruesome kills, fantastic action scenes and an edge of your seat pacing keep this movie compelling throughout. The entire events take place under the oppressive, baking, desert sun. It almost makes your mouth dry just watching it. An awesome option for a daylight horror with a bit more action.

Synopsis: The story follows Jen (Matilda Lutz); a young woman who finds herself in a fight for her life after her boyfriend, and his buddies, reveal their true motives for bringing her on a trip to the desert.

Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+

4. Midsommar (2019) – A Bad Breakup in Sweden

Why it Ranked: Ari Aster’s follow up to Hereditary feels, very much, like a traditional folk horror in the same vein as Witchfinder General. With the vast majority of the scares happening out in the open with no place to hide. The blend of delicate subjects like grief and domestic disputes with the gorgeous backdrop of the Swedish summer works tremendously well. Midsommar is a weird mix of stunning cinematography and utterly disturbing visuals. I don’t love it as much as a lot of people do, hence its place on this list, but it is an easy suggestion when it comes to daylight horror.

Synopsis: The story follows a couple who head to rural Sweden to take part in the town’s mid-summer festival. Little realising that they will soon be at the centre of a chain of disturbing and horrifying events.

Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Kanopy

3. Eden Lake (2008) – A Very British Nightmare

Why it Ranked: Eden Lake, by Speak No Evil director James Watkins and starring Yellowstone‘s Kelly Reilly, is a pretty grim movie. Controversial, on its release, thanks to its depiction of working class English people as being thuggish brutes. The movie stands out for its levels of violence and brutality, the majority of which takes place in the daytime as the couple attempt to fight for their lives. This isn’t a movie to watch when you want to enjoy yourself but it is a great example of how to make daylight horror legitimately shocking.

Synopsis: The story follows a couple who head out to a lake for a weekend of relaxing. Only to find their getaway ruined by murderous teens determined to make their lives hell.

Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy)

2. The Wicker Man (1973) – The Blueprint of Folk Horror

Why it Ranked: The Wicker Man is one of the defining movies of the folk horror sub-genre. Taking a fish out of water character and placing him into an environment that is completely foreign and uncomfortable to him. Director Robin Hardy used musical numbers, quirky dialogue, bizarre pagan rituals, and a lot of nudity to place viewers into the shoes of protagonist Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward). It works so well and it’s almost impossible not to share in his feelings of confusion and bewilderment at this strange group of people. Perhaps the greatest daylight horror movie of all time.

Synopsis: The story follows a police officer from the mainland of Scotland who is sent to investigate the disappearance of a young girl in an island community. Only to find that his presence there is less than welcome.

Where to Watch: StudioCanal, Amazon (Rent/Buy)

1. Triangle (2009) – A Perfect Loop of Terror

Why it Ranked: Don’t watch the trailer, is all I can say with Triangle. Just go in completely blind and enjoy the ride. This is a fantastic movie that twists and turns through a number of different plot points. Unveiling an absolutely riveting mystery as it goes. I think it is fair to say that this movie is responsible for a really common theme we see in horror a lot, nowadays. It’s still fun even now. What’s more, it all takes place in the daylight in the middle of the ocean. Awesome stuff.

Synopsis: Directed by Christopher Smith and starring Aussie actor Melissa George. The story follows a group of friends who head out on a yacht for a day of partying. Only for a sudden storm to capsize them. Leaving them to board a mysterious ship hiding some very strange secrets.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Shudder, Tubi

No Shadows to Hide In

That brings our list of daylight horror movies to a close. These films prove that you don’t need things going bump in the night to terrify an audience. Sometimes, the most frightening things are the ones you can see coming from a mile away under the glare of the midday sun. Hopefully, this list has given you some bright ideas for your next horror movie night.

We are always adding new lists to our collection so be sure to check back for more scares. If you enjoyed this, why not take a look at some more of our horror rankings? I’ll be back soon with more lists. Stay spooky.

☀️ Quick Picks: Horror That Burns Bright

• 🏆 The Mind-Bender: Triangle (2009)
• 🔥 The Folk Classic: The Wicker Man (1973)
• 🔪 The Brutal Reality: Eden Lake (2008)
• 🌸 The Modern Nightmare: Midsommar (2019)
• 🩸 The Action Thriller: Revenge (2017)