Summer is coming to an end, even if the scorching sun hasn’t noticed yet. That means the last days of vacation or summer road trips are upon us. Of course, horror has shown us the many ways the open road can cause sheer terror and stress; flat tires are the least of summer’s worries.
Films like The Hitcher, Almost darkAnd Splinters make it clear that car breakdowns, creepy rest stops and run-down motels are nothing compared to the worst creatures of humanity – human and not – that wreak havoc on the highways.
This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to road trip horror films. These five titles exploit our travel fears by pitting their protagonists against vampires, cannibals, psychopaths and the devil himself on huge stretches of highway.
Here’s where you can stream it this week.
More information Stay at home and watch horror movies Tips, click here.
Blood relatives – AMC+, Shudder
The film debut of screenwriter and director Noah Segan sees a nomad’s life turned upside down when a daughter he never knew he had arrives, causing a seismic shift in his isolated bachelor life. The twist here is that the main character is a bloodsucking vampire whose inner man comes to the surface through his new teenage daughter. As an exceedingly sweet love letter from a new father to his children, Blood relatives aims to be a gripping and charming horror comedy. It’s a vampiric road trip film about family bonding and parental anxieties, starring an ultra-cool car.
Bones and everything – MGM+, Prime Video
Leave it to Suspiria Director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter David Kajganich spun a painfully tender and thoughtful coming-of-age romance between a pair of cannibals with an insatiable desire to devour flesh. Bones and everythingan adaptation of the novel by Camille DeAngelis, uses the road trip format in Reagan-era America as a provocative and macabre means of exploring the monstrous need for survival and human connection. It’s a tender story of growing pains, with two stunning performances from Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet, but Guadagnino ensures that the cannibalism aspect is appropriately emotive and gruesome.
Coming home in the dark – Netflix
A married couple (Erik Thomson) and his wife (Miriama McDowell) and their two sons go on a road trip through scenic New Zealand. But a family hike changes everything when they encounter two bloodthirsty psychopaths. At first it seems they have met the evil drifters Mandrake (Daniel Gillies) and Tubs (Matthias Luafutu) by pure chance. As a night of terror unfolds, it becomes clear that the horror may be connected to the past. James Ashcroft’s directorial debut wastes no time in cutting straight to the dark core of his gritty, breathtaking moral thriller. It’s grim, nihilistic and has a thoughtful moral core.
Highway to Hell – freevee, Pluto TV, Prime Video, the Roku Channel, Tubi
Lovestruck couple Charlie (Chad Lowe) and Rachel (Kristy Swanson) throw caution to the wind and decide to elope in Las Vegas. Despite being advised against it, they decide to take a shortcut, and that leads to Rachel catching the attention of Old Scratch, who sends his Hellcop to drag her to Hell and make her his bride. From the author behind Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master And 976-EVIL, Highway to Hell turns the Greek myth of Persephone into a full-blown ’90s B-movie. If you like wacky horror comedies, this film offers plenty of entertainment. Look for cameo appearances from Lita Ford, Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller, and Gilbert Gottfried as Hitler. A sign that you can expect a film that’s more about wacky fun than scares.
Joyride – Paramount+, Pluto TV
“Candy cane? Hey, does anyone know a candy cane?“A long summer road trip bores college students Lewis (Paul Walker) and Venna (Leelee Sobieski) and Lewis’ estranged brother Fuller (Steve Zahn). For entertainment, they play a CB radio prank on a truck driver nicknamed Rusty Nail by luring him into a motel room while posing as the seductive Mrs. Candy Cane. They quickly realize they have humiliated the wrong person. A relaxing summer road trip turns into an intense and dangerous game of cat and mouse with Rusty Nail relentlessly pursuing them. This early 2000s thriller keeps things exciting.
