As summer heats up, it's the perfect time to take refuge indoors and immerse yourself in the chilling world of horror movies, and the best streaming platforms, including Netflix, Max, and Apple TV Plus, offer plenty of terrifying films for every taste of terror. In short, there's something for everyone this summer.

However, we understand that searching for these movies can be a pain, especially if you end up scrolling for days. Don't worry. We've handpicked seven of the best summer horror films from these platforms.

So whether you're planning a fright fest alone or a chilling movie night with friends, grab your favorite snacks and dim the lights for the best experience.

I'll start with "Midsomer" because it's my favorite horror movie. It stars a young woman named Dani (Florence Pugh) who, after experiencing a family tragedy, goes with her boyfriend and his friends to a remote Swedish village for a Midsummer celebration.

It's quite nice. But as the days go by, disturbing rituals and traditions come to light, revealing the darker intentions of the villagers. The constant daylight in Midsomer intensifies the horror as the traditional dark lair is removed, time and perception are distorted, disturbing events become overt, and the characters' isolation and displacement in the eerie setting is emphasized. A true masterpiece that explores grief in such a haunting way.

Watch on Max

For a slight change of pace, the horror-comedy "The Babysitter" follows 12-year-old Cole Johnson (Judah Lewis) as he faces typical adolescent struggles, including bullying and a crush on his babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving).

Bee appears to be the perfect babysitter, cool, confident, and fun. One night, after his parents go out, Cole stays up past his bedtime and decides to see what Bee does after she goes to bed. To his shock and horror, he discovers that Bee is the leader of a Satanic cult that includes her friends. The group had just performed a human sacrifice in his living room as part of a dark ritual to gain power and fulfill their desires. When the cult members realize that Cole has witnessed their ritual, they turn their attention to silencing him.

Like many great summer movies, "The Babysitter" offers pure escapism. Its outlandish plot and quirky characters provide the perfect escape from reality, making it an ideal choice for a fun summer movie night.

Watch on Netflix

One unforgettable classic is Friday the 13th. It is a truly entertaining slasher film about a group of young camp counselors who reopen the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake. The camp has been closed for years following the drowning death of a boy named Jason Voorhees (Ari Lehman plays the adult Jason) and the mysterious murder that followed.

During the summer, the counselors who work to prepare the camp are stalked and brutally murdered one by one by an unidentified masked figure. The film builds suspense beautifully as the identity of the killer remains hidden until the shocking climax. Friday the 13th is known for its slasher violence and spawned a long-running franchise that became a cornerstone of the horror genre."

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Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name (my favorite horror author of all time), "It" follows a group of kids known as the "Losers Club" in the small town of Derry, Maine. The story is set in the summer of 1989 and centers on a group of kids confronting their personal fears and a malevolent entity in the form of a clown named Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). [Pennywise awakens every 27 years and preys on the fears of the town's children. After Loser's Club member Bill Denbrough (Jaden Martel) loses his brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) to Pennywise, the group unites to confront the evil clown. If you hate clowns but love summer, this is the movie for you.

Watch on Apple TV Plus

If you think you know how this story goes, think again. The Cabin in the Woods may seem like a stereotypical horror movie at first glance, but it cleverly subverts and deconstructs traditional horror conventions.

The story follows five close college friends, Dana (Kristen Connolly), Kurt (Chris Hemsworth), Jules (Anna Hutchison), Marty (Fran Kranz), and Holden (Jesse Williams), who head to a remote cabin for a sunny weekend to spend a sunny weekend. They head to a remote cabin for a sunny weekend, but unbeknownst to them, the cabin is part of a larger, nefarious operation.

As the group explores the cabin, they unwittingly set in motion a series of events planned by a secret organization operating out of an underground facility. Their goal is to cause the group to follow a predetermined pattern of destruction. The genuinely thrilling development of the film kept me on the edge of my seat, and it immediately became one of my summer viewing favorites.

Watch it on Peacock

I can think of nothing better than watching a classic horror film on a warm evening. If that sounds like you, then you need to see "The Wicker Man" (or watch it again if you've already seen it). The plot centers on Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward), a devout Christian who heads to the remote Scottish island of Summer Isle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl named Rowan (Jerry Cowper). But he soon discovers that the locals believe in an age-old form of paganism. But who is the Wickerman? Like "Midsomer," the film is set on a bright and seemingly peaceful island, a stark contrast to its darker themes. The "happy" environment with its sunshine masks the underlying sinister activity, for it is a place where the "happy" is not a "happy" place, but a "happy" place.

Watch on Prime Video

One of the most classic films to date is Jaws. Set in the coastal town of Amity Island during the summer tourist season, the film depicts the escalating terror caused by a giant great white shark. This fearsome predator repeatedly and brutally attacks defenseless bathers, plunging the community into fear and panic.

At the center of this thrilling story is Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), the police chief charged with protecting the town from the sharks. Along with Brody in pursuit of the sharks are two contrasting personalities: young, erudite marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw).

Not everyone agrees with this choice (and it has long been debated), but I consider "Jaws" to be part of the horror genre. There are a number of horror elements in the film, including an obviously murderous shark, several scenes of blood eerily staining the surface of the water, and harrowing suspense. Classified as a thriller (and it is a thriller), it is worth watching this summer.

Watch on Starz