The Best Spring Horror Films

Happy May Day! Spring is finally upon us and there is no better way to celebrate flowers blooming and sun filled days than staying inside and watching a scary movie. Here are some horror films to watch that embody the feeling of spring:

Two women stand outside facing each other each holding onto a torch in the middle with one hand. Both women are wearing white dresses with floral embroidery. The woman on the left is wearing flower crown comprised of large colorful flowers.

Midsommar (2019) This is a visually stunning (though intensely gory) movie that is perfect to watch as the flowers begin to bloom in spring. Ari Aster depicts a cult celebrating the holiday Midsommar by inviting outsiders into their community to watch and participate in the festivities. Just be careful not to disrespect any of the traditions. Though this film is about a festival that takes place in summer, its celebrations are very similar to those practiced on May Day, such as dancing around the flower pole, picking the May Queen, and praying for successful crop growth. Everything about this film is mesmerizing! The flowers and the colors are beautiful even in scenes with highly disturbing gore, and you can’t help but be taken in by the characters and the cult, no matter what they do. I would be honored to be crowned the May Queen!

There is a pink cherry blossom seen in the top left corner. Past the cherry blossom there are many children stand outside during a sunny day. The children are circled around a may pole facing away from it. THe children are each holding a ribbon that comes down from the top of the pole.

The Wicker Man (1973) This film is a must watch every May 1st. Wicker Man is a classic movie about a cult on a small island whose members vehemently believe in the power of May Day. Between the cult at the center of the plot and colorful flowery imagery, it is clear this was a major inspiration for Midsommar. However, this film uses much less (not none, but less) gore to depict the horror of its character’s May Day celebrations. Instead the audience, much like the main character Neil, are toyed with psychologically as he tries to get to the bottom of what is really happening on the island. This film weaves real pagan beliefs into the story in order to fully flesh out the disturbing sacrifices that must be made in order to assure a bountiful spring harvest.

Many children are sitting down in the opening of a corn field. They are all looking to one boy in the middle wearing a grey suit. The boy is pointing to the right of the image towards a large crucifix made of corn stalk.

Children of the Corn (1984) Although this story does not explicitly take place in spring, it was originally released in March and shares many of the May Day beliefs shown in Wicker Man. It seems the adults weren’t doing well enough with the corn harvest in the town of Gatlin, Nebraska so the children had to take things into their own hands. Once again a cult has been formed to assure agricultural success and “He Who Walks Behind the Rows” demands sacrifice. This film is extremely cheesy and full of more corn imagery than you will know what to do with, but is overall a fun watch with many quotable lines.

A man in a yellow shirt is balancing on the opening of a large pipe going down. He is holding a flashlight and looking behind him towards a woman in an orange shirt who is holding onto his hips. In the background part of a white house is visible with boarded up windows.

Jeepers Creepers (2001) Who needs May Day to know it’s spring? All you need to do is keep your peepers peeled for the Creeper, every 23rd spring for 23 days he feeds. While not rooted in pagan beliefs or tied to May Day, this film is a perfect addition to your spring horror list. The events of the film take place during the spring break of two college students who embark on a road trip they will never forget. Much like the rest of this list, the film shows a lot of atrocities happening in broad daylight. I always associate this with spring as the days grow longer and the horrors can no longer wait for the cover of night.