horror road trip movies

45 Road Trip Horror Movies

What all scary movies about road trips have in common is that they are about the fear of the unknown.

Table of Contents

There are a few different kinds of road trip horror movies. There are films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) that begin with the characters on a road trip, but the bulk of the horror in the film comes from the dark place they have discovered. In other road trip horror movies such as The Hitcher (1986), the horror comes directly from the open road. There are also films such as Hostel (2005) and An American Werewolf In London (1981) that fall into other categories such as travel horror and hotel horror movies . This list will discuss both types of road trip horror movies and where possible will note how much of an impact the road trip setting has on the film as a whole.

What all scary movies about road trips have in common is that they are about the fear of the unknown. This is in contrast to other films horror movie fans love such as The Exorcist (1973), Halloween (1978), and Scream (1996), where a demon or serial killer stalks a familiar suburb. Those movies play on insecurities about danger lurking in “safe” surroundings. We expect to encounter danger when we travel, and many people even plan ahead or take precautions so they aren’t stranded in a sundown town or targeted by predators looking for women traveling alone.

Classic/Old Road Trip Horror Movies

The hitch-hiker (1953).

A crime film noir by the most prominent female filmmaker of the 1950s, Ida Lupino. The Hitch-Hiker follows Roy and Gilbert as they set off from southern California toward a fishing trip in Mexico. Along the way they pick up a hitchhiker who then takes out a gun and holds the two friends hostage. The hitchhiker savagely forces one of the friends to shoot a tin can out of the other’s hand and tortures the men, even forcing them to continue with him on foot when their vehicle breaks down.

Psycho (1960)

Psycho begins with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) stealing $40,000 from her employer and driving from Phoenix to California. Along the way she stops at a roadside motel called the Bates Motel, where she meets the proprietor Norman Bates. It is at the Bates Motel where Marion is murdered in the famous shower scene.

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead starts off with a sibling road trip to a rural cemetery in Evans City, Pennsylvania. Johnny and Barbara plan to visit their father’s grave but instead encounter a zombie that kills Johnny. Barbara flees the cemetery and takes shelter in a nearby farmhouse, where she is joined by other survivors including Ben, who takes the lead in securing the farmhouse against the zombies.

Duel (1971)

This is an action thriller that was Steven Spielberg’s feature debut. It follows David Mann (Dennis Weaver), a salesman driving through the desolation of the Mojave Desert. He encounters a tanker truck that begins to dangerously antagonize him on the open road.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

A classic road-trip-gone-wrong horror movie, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre begins with a group of friends driving their van through Texas to check on the grave of Sally and Franklin Hardesty’s grandfather, which is said to have been vandalized. Along the way they pick up a frightening hitchhiker who leads the group to his “whole family of vampires.” Bookending this road-trip horror movie is the famous final scene of TCM in which Sally becomes a hitchhiker and rides away in the back of a truck, screaming.

Race With the Devil (1975)

Race With the Devil is an action horror movie about two couples traveling from San Antonio, TX to Aspen, CO in an RV for a ski vacation. While camping along the way in Texas, the group witnesses a Satanic sacrifice. The Satanists then chase them down as the group struggles to make it to Amarillo to get help and report the crime.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Written and directed by horror master Wes Craven , The Hills Have Eyes follows the Carter family as they take a road trip to Los Angeles. In Nevada, the family crashes and their dog runs off and is found mutilated. The group learns that there is a family of cannibalistic psychopaths who live in the hills and cannibalize travelers as they pass through the area.

Tourist Trap (1979)

A group of friends traveling through the desert get stranded at a malevolent tourist trap in this supernatural slasher movie. While the proprietor “helps” the gang with one of their vehicles, the group explores a waxwork museum and one of the girls is strangled by an unseen entity and turned into a mannequin. The rest of the group tries to outsmart a masked killer and mannequins that come alive to find their way back to the highway and survive.

Motel Hell (1980)

Motel Hell is a low-budget horror comedy about a sadistic family of cannibals who operate “Motel Hello.” Farmer Vincent Smith and his sister Ida trap motorists to harvest them and sell human meat at their motel. When Farmer Vincent kills a woman’s boyfriend, she recovers at the hotel and eventually agrees to marry him.

Road Games (1981)

Pat Quaid (Stacy Keach) is a truck driver in the Australian outback who is suspicious of a van driver he encounters and believes they may be the serial killer who has been preying on hitchhikers. Quaid picks up a hitchhiker named Pamela (Jamie Lee Curtis), and the two discuss the serial killer. When the two are separated, the truck driver isn’t sure if Pamela got another ride willingly or if she is the killer’s latest victim.

Death Valley (1982)

A woman, her new boyfriend, and her son Billy are driving through Death Valley on their way to Arizona. Billy takes a frog pendant when he stumbles across a camper that belongs to cowboy serial killer twins while stretching his legs. The killers then chase the family through the desert.

Children Of The Corn (1984)

Vicky and Burt are driving through Nebraska on their way to Seattle when they hit a child who has run into the road; they seek help in a town called Gatlin. They find that the town has been abandoned for three years and is now run by a cult of creepy children . Led by a boy named Isaac, the children worship a corn god they call He Who Walks Behind the Rows.

The Hitcher (1986)

The Hitcher is a road thriller and a cult classic about a man named Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) who is driving a car from Chicago to San Diego. Bored on the long road trip, he picks up a hitchhiker in West Texas. The hitcher (Rutger Hauer) says his name is John Ryder and pulls out a knife before threatening Jim in a very memorable scene. Jim is able to force the hitcher out of his car, and a cat-and-mouse game ensues. The Hitcher was remade in 2007.

Near Dark (1987)

A young vampire turns a small town-boy named Caleb into a vampire at the end of a steamy date. She belongs to a drifter coven of vampires led by the violent Severin (Bill Paxton). Caleb must prove that he can belong, or the coven will kill him.

Cohen and Tate (1988)

A nine-year-old boy named Travis Knight has to turn his kidnappers (Cohen and Tate, the title characters) against each other as they hold him hostage on a road trip. Travis is in the Witness Protection Program after witnessing a mob hit. His kidnappers murder his parents before driving him from Oklahoma to their boss in Texas.

The Vanishing (1988)

A woman disappears at a gas station during a road trip with her boyfriend. For three years he searches relentlessly for her, even appearing on TV to appeal to her kidnapper. Finally the kidnapper makes contact and says he will reveal the missing woman’s fate, but only if her boyfriend will agree to experience the answer firsthand.

Midnight Ride (1990)

An action thriller about a housewife named Lara (Savina Gersak) who leaves her cop husband, Lawson (Michael Dudikoff). One the road to a friend’s house, Lara takes pity on a hitchhiker named Justin (Mark Hamill) and picks him up. It turns out Justin is a seriously disturbed man in the midst of a murder spree. The misogynistic moral of Midnight Ride is that Lara was safer at home in an unhappy marriage than as an autonomous woman out in the world.

Highway To Hell (1991)

Highway to Hell is a B-movie horror comedy about a young couple, Charlie Sykes (Chad Lowe) and Rachel Clark (Kristy Swanson), who take a road trip to elope in Las Vegas. While taking a back road, Rachel is kidnapped and taken to hell to be the bride of Satan. A gas station attendant gives Charlie a special gun and car so that he can go to hell and rescue his fiancée.

Kalifornia (1993)

A road thriller with an all-star cast of Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny, and Michelle Forbes. Duchovny plays a journalist on the road with his girlfriend (Forbes) to research serial killers. The couple pick up a pair of hitchhikers (Pitt and Lewis), who turn out to be pretty demented.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Another cult classic with George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino playing fugitive brothers on the run from the law. They kidnap a family traveling in an RV and force them to smuggle the brothers into Mexico. There, they stumble upon a strip club run by vampires led by everyone’s favorite female horror villain , Salma Hayek as Santanico Pandemonium.

Breakdown (1997)

Jeff (Kurt Russell) and Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) are on a cross-country road trip from Boston to San Diego when they almost get in an accident with another driver. Road rage ensues at a nearby gas station and after getting back on the road, their car breaks down. Jeff realizes their vehicle was tampered with, but not before Amy disappears.

New Road Trip Horror Movies

Jeepers creepers (2001).

Inspired by a true story shown on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries , Trish and Darry Jenner are a brother and sister traveling home from college on a road trip when they have a creepy encounter with the driver of a dilapidated old truck. Later, they happen upon the driver and it looks like he is disposing bodies into a pipe. The siblings decide to investigate and learn that they have indeed stumbled upon a supernatural killer. Unfortunately, the killer notices the two poking around and becomes intent on chasing them down.

Joy Ride (2001)

Brothers Lewis (Paul Walker) and Fuller (Steve Zahn) Thomas are driving from Salt Lake City home to their parents. To make the road trip more interesting, Fuller installs a CB radio in the car, and the two play a cruel prank on a trucker who goes by the name “Rusty Nail” before picking up Lewis’s crush, Venna (Leelee Sobieski), in Colorado. The brothers learn that they messed with the wrong trucker when Rusty Nail comes after them and reveals he has kidnapped Venna’s friend Charlotte.

Say Yes (2001)

A South Korean thriller about a married couple who pick up a hitchhiker. When the hitchhiker turns violent, a cat-and-mouse game ensues. Eventually the hitchhiker forces the couple to choose between safety and each other.

Dead End (2003)

A horror movie about a family driving together on Christmas Eve who take a shortcut through the woods. The shortcut takes them on a never-ending road. They meet a woman in white with a baby and attempt to give her a ride to a nearby house. It’s not until the family separates that she reveals the baby she is carrying is actually dead.

High Tension (2003)

Marie and Alex are best friends who take a road trip to visit Alex’s parents at their rural farm. When a mysterious stranger arrives and kills Alex’s family, Marie evades the killer by making it it seem like the guest bedroom was empty. The intruder then kidnaps Alex, and Marie gives chase and tries to rescue her friend.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

A group of friends take a road trip on Halloween eve hoping to write a book about creepy roadside attractions. The gang is lured to the Firefly residence by Baby Firefly posing as a hitchhiker. They are treated to a Halloween show by the family before the real show begins.

Final Destination 2 (2003)

The main premonition in Final Destination 2 takes place at the beginning of a road trip undertaken by Kimberly Corman and her friends on spring break. When Kimberly is meant to pull onto the highway, she has a premonition of a gruesome multi-car wreck and instead exits her vehicle, blocking those behind her from being involved in the accident. As in the first Final Destination film, Death then comes back around for the survivors of the would-be pileup.

Wrong Turn (2003)

Wrong Turn is a slasher film following two groups of people who were on a road trip and end up stranded on a West Virginia back road. Medical student Chris Flynn (Desmond Harrington) and a group of friends including Jessie Burlingame (Eliza Dushku) figure out that they’ve been sabotaged and are being hunted down by a group of inbred mountain people. Together the group tries to outsmart the skilled hunters and make it back to civilization. Wrong Turn is very loosely based on the “true story” Sawney Bean.

Wolf Creek (2005)

Based on a true story, Wolf Creek follows three travelers on a road trip across the Australian Outback. After stopping at the Wolf Creek Crater, the site of an ancient meteorite impact, the trio returns to their car to find the battery dead. A local stranger appears in the darkness to offer his free help, and it turns out he is a sadistic psychopath who drugs and tortures his prey.

Rest Stop (2006)

A direct-to-video horror movie about a couple, Jesse (Joey Mendicino) and Nicole (Jaimie Alexander), on a road trip. When Nicole goes inside a rest stop she comes out to find Jesse has disappeared. Nicole and a truck driver play a game of cat and mouse as he terrorizes Nicole at the rest stop and taunts her with evidence of Jesse being tortured.

Death Proof (2007)

Quentin Tarantino’s exploitation slasher film follows a stunt man who murders women with his “death proof” cars. Kurt Russell stars as the killer and Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Zoë Bell are his prey. Death Proof was originally part of the exploitation thriller Grind House (2007) but was released for horror fans as its own film.

The Hitcher (2007)

A remake of the 1986 movie, this version follows a couple of college students, Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) and Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush), driving in New Mexico on their way to spring break. They pick up a hitchhiker (Sean Bean) who turns out to be a sadistic murderer who hunts the duo down, even after they are able to literally kick him out of their car. Deciding to continue with their trip, the couple then finds the hitchhiker in a family’s vehicle they pass, knowing he plans for the family to be his next targets.

Vacancy (2007)

A bickering couple, David (Luke Wilson) and Amy Fox (Kate Beckinsale), on a road trip to a family party experience car trouble and decide to pull into a roadside motel for the night. Once inside, they discover snuff films in the hotel room’s VHS collection that appear to have been made in that very room. When the couple tries to escape, masked men appear outside and the couple realizes that they are trapped in a snuff film of their own.

Windchill (2007)

Two college students (Ashton Holmes and Emily Blunt) share a ride home from school on a holiday break. When car breaks down in a snowy and isolated area, the students worry about their safety. However, the appearance of other spirits who have lost their lives on the road appear and make the situation much more terrifying.

Splinter (2008)

Seth Belzer and Polly Watt are on their way to a romantic camping trip in Oklahoma when they are carjacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend. At a gas station, the convict’s girlfriend discovers the body of the attendant after an attack from a splinter-covered animal who then appears and attacks her. The girlfriend becomes a reanimated splinter creature herself and attacks her friends.

The Human Centipede (2009)

The Human Centipede is a hellish nightmare about the absolute worst-case scenario of a road trip. Two American tourists in Germany, Lindsay and Jenny, get a flat tire and seek help at a nearby home. The house happens to be owned by a demented German surgeon named Josef Heiter who drugs them. When they wake up, Lindsay and Jenny enter a horrifying waking nightmare where they are transformed, with another victim, into a human centipede.

The Cabin In The Woods (2011)

The Cabin in the Woods begins as a college road trip movie with a group of friends on their way to a remote cabin. When they discover the cabin is in the middle of zombie-infested woods, the friends return to their RV and unsuccessfully attempt to outrun the zombie villains . The climax of the film takes place in an underground office building/warehouse for monsters.

Crowsnest (2012)

A particularly scary found footage film about a group of five friends on a road trip who stumble across an RV filled with nomadic cannibals. When they realize they are in over their heads, the friends try to escape. Unfortunately the RV dwellers seem to be all-knowing and remain one step ahead of the friends as they try to get back to civilization.

Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

A disaster horror movie that follows three Americans traveling through Europe. While visiting a family member in Ukraine, the group is convinced to take a detour to visit Pripyat, a ghost town that was made uninhabitable by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Alone with a tour guide and another couple, the group gets stranded overnight and discover they are not alone in the abandoned village.

The Houses October Built (2014)

Another found-footage horror movie about a group of friends traveling the country in search of the ultimate haunted house attraction, “Blue Skeleton.” When they ask too many questions about underground haunts, the group begins to be stalked. The group isn’t sure if they’ve found what they are looking for or if they are in serious peril.

Road Games (2015)

Road Games is a scary and violent British-French mystery thriller about a British hitchhiker named Jack who meets a French hitchhiker named Véronique. The two decide to travel together for safety as there is a serial killer on the loose in the area. A man named Grizard stops and offers the two a ride and upon learning Jack is English, invites them to dinner to meet his English wife. After dinner, Grizard is reluctant to let the couple go and insists they spend the night.

Southbound (2015)

Southbound is a horror anthology that takes place mostly on the open desert road. The five interwoven stories deal with men on the run from the law (and supernatural monsters), traveling musicians, a brother searching for his missing sister, and a family on vacation. Viewers have compared the anthology to old pulp horror like episodes of Tales from the Crypt .

The Strangers: Prey At Night (2018)

The long-awaited sequel to The Strangers (2008) takes place in a mostly empty mobile home park during the off season. This is a fun twist on the home invasion subgenre where the characters don’t have a fortress-like home to retreat to. Instead, the targeted family run through mobile homes, cars, and open parks as they are chased by The Strangers.

Alone (2020)

Jessica is a single woman traveling alone, trying to deal with her husband’s recent death by suicide. On the road, she keeps encountering a strange man whose attention she rebuffs. When Jessica is in a car accident (due to her vehicle being sabotaged), the man abducts her and holds her hostage at his cabin where he reveals she is not the first woman he has abducted.

No Exit (2022)

Darby Thorne runs away from rehab to drive to Salt Lake City and see her mother, who is on her deathbed. While en route, she is warned that a massive winter storm is imminent and she must take cover at a nearby rest stop. Inside, she meets two men and a married couple who are also waiting out the storm. Outside, she finds a kidnapped girl in a van who says her kidnapper is inside the building.

Bones and All (2022)

Bones and All is a romantic horror road film about a young cannibal, Maren (Taylor Russell), who is abandoned by her father. On the road she meets another cannibal, Lee (Timothée Chalamet), and the two fall in love as they cross the country and attempt to figure out what a life together could look like.

Meet The Author

Chrissy Stockton

Chrissy is the co-founder of Creepy Catalog. She has over 10 years of experience writing about horror, a degree in philosophy and Reiki level II certification.

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The Best Vacation Horror Movies, Ranked By Fans

A road trip can be a blast - that is, until a chainsaw wielding maniac enters the picture. Then, the vacation's over. The best horror movies about travel gone wrong feature characters as tourists that are out of their element and fighting for their lives. This is a list of the top scary vacation horror movies including everything from The Cabin in the Woods to Wolf Creek to Joy Ride . Hopefully none of these horror vacation scenarios happen to you on your next family road trip.

What films will you find on this list of the best horror movies about traveling ? In The Evil Dead, a trip that should have been a fun getaway turns into a living nightmare when a group of friends accidentally resurrect a demon. Sam Raimi wrote and directed this classic horror film starring Bruce Campbell. The Shallows is another frightening film about a horrific vacation, this time involving the real-world threat of a hungry shark. Eli Roth's 2005 film Hostel sent a chill down the spine of anyone who has taken backpacking vacations through Europe. Other good horror films about travelling combine the anxieties of going someplace new with some real dangers.

Which horror movies about travelers deserve the top spots on the list? Vote your favorites towards the top. Be sure to check back for new movies will killer vacation plots based on groups of friends or families travelling as they are released.

While Wrong Turn may seem incredibly cliche for horror audiences today, back in 2003, this folk horror slow burn of cannibals and vacations gone wrong was the blueprint on how to tell a terrifying tale that will make audiences terrified to ever go on a road trip again. Set in the backwoods of West Virginia, after a group of friends has car trouble and panic about being stranded, they realize they are not alone in these woods, and that something terrifying lurks just beyond what they can see. Being hunted in and of itself is scary, but throw in being utterly stranded with mutated cannibal freaks into the mix, and nightmare fuel for every audience is born. 

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The Hills Have Eyes

Bloodthirsty mutant cannibals, government atomic zones, and being hunted down to feast on your flesh may not seem like the perfect vacation, but in The Hills Have Eyes , it is a horrifying and vile reality that a poor family must endure. Arguably one of the most graphic, disturbing, and disgusting horror films ever created, The Hills Have Eyes shows what happens when every single thing that could go wrong on a road trip goes wrong. Showcasing some of the most horrifying and vile creatures of the 2000s, the film will leave audiences in a paranoid stance anytime they hear the slightest thing wrong in their cars.

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The Descent

Widely regarded as one of the best horror films to ever come out of the UK, The Descent is a wonderfully crafted jump scare bonanza that will ensure audiences never want to go spelunking in their lives. An uber claustrophobic experience that will leave audiences holding their breath whether they realize it or not, this terrifying adventure of cave diving just gets more tense and terrifying as the film goes on. When the group of incredibly strong and powerful female protagonists realizes they aren't in the caves alone, then a second act of utter blood-curdling terror kicks into gear that will unlock an entire new phobia in the minds and hearts of viewers.

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• # 35 of 396 on The Best Horror Movies Of All Time
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Possibly the greatest fear for people on a road trip is being stalked and hunted by a crazed lunatic in a car. Now replace car with massive semi-truck, and a terror unlike any other is realized to perfection in Joy Ride . Most people who have ever been behind the wheel of a car have experienced road rage in one form or another, but it just takes saying one wrong thing to the wrong person to create a living breathing nightmare from which there is no waking. Joy Ride may be a bit campy at times, but the underlying fear of being hunted by a psychopath behind the wheel is something audiences won't ever be able to shake.

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Every couple's worst nightmare comes to life in brutal and spine-chilling light in 2007's cult classic, Vacancy . When a couple gets stranded while traveling, they decide to spend the night at a local motel, only to realize they aren't alone, and if they don't act fast, they will be the stars and victims of a crazed killer's next snuff film. The film takes great pride in making every aspect of this stalking feel incredibly realistic and plausible, which just makes the film all the more terrifying. 

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The quintessential movie about vacations gone wrong, Hostel makes sure anyone and everyone who watches it will never want to stay in these lovely little hotels ever again. While a group of college graduates travel to Europe for vacation, they soon realize that their home for the summer is not what it seems, and sex, drugs, violence, and pain lay in wait for them. This paranoia-inducing thriller and gore fest is one of the most shocking and vile films ever created, and gave way to the “torture-porn” moniker akin to Saw . Showcasing the gnarly underbelly of Hostels in Europe and how wrong things can go for tourists, this magnificent horror film will leave audiences utterly shaken.

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The Cabin in the Woods

On the surface, The Cabin in the Woods seems like every generic would-be slasher film ever created. A group of college kids go to a creepy cabin for a mini-vacation and suddenly bad things begin to happen. However, the film has so many twists and turns it would make a roller coaster jealous. Being stranded isn't nearly as scary as being hunted by forces outside of your control, and the film showcases this fear beautifully. Nothing is as it seems, and the only way to survive is to fight.

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A film that will crawl under your skin in more ways than one, The Ruins shows the repercussions of going against the rules, the ignorance of man, and the danger of vacationing in Mexico. A masterclass in body horror and making audiences squirm, The Ruins has managed to become a massive cult classic thanks to incredible acting, realistic depictions of tourists in terror, and a shocking and surprisingly well-crafted story. Sometimes people aren't the most dangerous of creatures, and The Ruins shows that even the smallest beings can be a deadly threat.

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As most films on this list prove, Wolf Creek instills the idea that car troubles will indeed be the downfall of all tourists on vacation. When a couple's car breaks down and they are stranded in the Australian outback, a dangerous and deadly hunter decides they are his next prey, and they must fight to survive at any cost. A gritty, dirty, and low-budget film that feels almost too real for comfort that was “based on true events,” Wolf Creek shows the disgusting and vile nature of man, and the struggle to survive in a world you're unfamiliar with. Not for the faint of heart or weak-willed, the film takes great pleasure in making viewers squirm.

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A Perfect Getaway

Heading to the tropical island of Hawaii on their honeymoon, A Perfect Getaway shows that even the most wonderful and gorgeous of areas can be home to some of the most dangerous and vile monsters in the world. An utterly terrifying battle for survival, the film showcases that just because someone seems nice, that doesn't mean they don't have a hideous monster on the inside ready to pounce. A Perfect Getaway will undoubtedly have any and all vacationers looking sideways at their guides from here on out.

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Train to Busan

A film that helped revolutionize the dying zombie subgenre in horror, Train to Busan was a stomach-churning, pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that pulls no punches in drama, gore, and violence, and will have your palms nice and sweaty by the time the credits roll. As a zombie apocalypse outbreaks in the world, a young man must protect his daughter at any cost as their trip to Busan, South Korea became a living nightmare. Taking place nearly entirely on a train and in a train station, the film feels incredibly claustrophobic as zombies unlike anything mainstream audiences have ever seen rush in to chop on some human flesh.

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Chair lifts are a scary enough contraption in and of themselves, two tiny wires holding up dozens of people as they propel hundreds of feet in the air, but in the 2010 hit film Frozen , every skier's worst nightmare comes to life as a group of friends become stranded on the lift for weeks. A film rich in paranoia and dread, Frozen forces audiences into the shoes of the most poor unfortunate souls in the world as they slowly begin to turn on one another. Surivial is key, and when stranded with friends with freezing cold temperatures coming in for the kill, unspeakable acts unfold to make it to the next day.

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The Evil Dead

The quintessential cabin in the woods horror film, The Evil Dead helped revolutionize the horror genre by showcasing a brutal, bloody, and utterly terrifying adventure of a group of college kids who are hunted down by a supernatural presence in the middle of the woods. Widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, the film at its core is indeed a film about a group of tourists who venture to a cabin, and everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Director Sam Rami exploded onto the scene with one of the most important and genre-defining films of all time with The Evil Dead .

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The Shallows

One of the surprise hit horror films of the 2010s, The Shallows is a perfectly paced and executed venture into terror, paranoia, and sharks! When a woman finds herself stranded in the middle of the ocean with a great white shark looking to take a bite out of her, she must navigate the waters of this strange land and do whatever it takes to survive. Isolation, desperation, an paranoia creep in every crevasse of this spine-chilling movie, and much like Jaws before it, after watching The Shallows , audiences will never want to go in the water again. 

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During a romantic getaway in the remote woods, a lovely young couple finds themselves the prey for a vicious and malicious attack of modern youth gone wild. Showcasing the dangers of group gang mentality and the lengths individuals will go to get what they want, Eden Lake is an utterly terrifying and vicious film that shows the world that nothing is scarier than a group of deranged and bitter teenagers.

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A breakup film wrapped in a cult film wrapped in a tourist horror movie, Midsommar has quite a few layers to unpack throughout its nearly three-hour runtime, but an epic the likes of which horror rarely receives presents itself beautifully. When traveling to Sweden with her boyfriend and his group of college friends, Dani audiences quickly realize that something far more sinister is afoot here and that no one can be trusted. Nothing is scarier than seemingly everyone out to get you, and in this brilliant paranoid thriller, everyone is. 

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

A remake of arguably the greatest film the world has ever seen, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is arguably the perfect tourist horror movie. A group of young travelers venture to rural Texas but while driving through, they come across a corrupt police officer who has made it his mission to make their life a living hell. Throw in cannibalism, and everyone's favorite skin-wearing killer Leatherface, and one of the scariest films of all time is born. 

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I Spit on Your Grave

Sometimes, isolation doesn't truly mean you are alone, and I Spit on Your Grave showcased this in spine-chilling effect as one of the vilest, most disturbing, and shocking horror films of all time. A hybrid of revenge and tourist horror films, I Spit on Your Grave is not an easy watch, but one that will leave a resounding impact on audiences. The hunted becomes the hunter in this chilling and ultra-violent film of violating the wrong woman.

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The stereotypical tourist horror movie has dumb characters that do dumb things that the audience can relish in seeing them get just desserts, and there is no finer example of this than Turristas . A film that relishes in swiftly and vengefully dishing out justice to those who continuously break the rules, Turistas showcases that just because you are guests in a far away land, that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want and is the ultimate warning for those who think they can.

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Akin to the massive horror hit The Descent, The Cave also follows a group of individuals who travel into a remote undisturbed underground ecosystem, but instead of seeking thrills, this group is seeking science. On the hunt for a new species that is rumored to be dwelling deep under the world,  this may not be a vacation, but the group of biologists is undoubtedly tourists in this strange new world, and the deeper they explore, the most they realize exactly how far out of there element they are.

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Cabin Fever

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The Descent Part 2

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Black Water

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• Entertainment
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• Places/Travel

The best horror movies in every subgenre of horror. Whether it's evil dolls, terrible vacations, or anything in between, we've got a list for it.

12 Road Trip Horror Movies You Can Watch From Home

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For absolutely no reason, I have decided we need a streaming guide about road trip horror movies. While this is not my area of expertise, I knew there was a ton out there. I am also pretty sure most of the people who made the ones on this list are not literal monsters. So again, I have made this list for no reason. However, I hope it helps some people find a different road trip horror movie to love. May it help some people let a franchise that should’ve never existed go swiftly into that silent night.

Black Cadillac (2003)

Where You Can Watch:  Tubi

Three men end up in a deadly car chase with a rando. This is one of the many on this list I have not seen. It sounds like the regular early aughts situation, and Jason Dohring is there for some reason. As a  Veronica Mars  fan, I am going to open a drink and watch it.

Dead End (2003)

Where You Can Watch:  Amazon Prime  and  Tubi

A family takes a shortcut on the way to Christmas Eve with the in-laws. It clearly does not end well. I saw this movie a couple of years ago, and it is so weird and trippy. I have wanted to revisit it because I am not the biggest fan of Christmas horror, but I had fun. Also, Mother of Horror Lin Shaye is there, so go ahead and hit play. 

Death Proof (2007)

Where You Can Watch:  Paramount+  and  Showtime

A stuntman harasses the wrong group of women, and karma is swift. It’s also summed up as Stuntman Mike fucks around and finds out. I LOVED this movie when it came out. I love it even more now that I have had 15 years to fall even harder for the badass cast. Check it out then listen to  Dread Central ’s  Girl, That’s Scary  recent episode.

Husk (2010)

Friends get stranded near a cornfield and stumble across a ritual. I know nothing good happens in cornfields, so this is probably the one I will need to phone a friend for when I check it out. This movie premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, so it’s weird that I have never heard of it before now

Joy Ride (2001)

Where You Can Watch:  Hulu

Two brothers on a road trip trick the wrong mother trucker! Paul Walker and Steve Zahn lead this early aughts rollercoaster. This movie is so 2001 that I can almost hear the TRL crowd cheering as I wrap myself in a hoodie and turn to MuchMusic. I hate how much fun I have with this movie, and I cannot explain it. I will not be taking any questions but will be watching it again.

Midnight Ride (1990)

A woman leaves her husband and picks up a hitchhiker. This sounds like a Lifetime movie, but I am curious to see how Mark Hamil fits in. I am not a  Star Wars  kid, but I know him from stuff found on the other billion pages of his resume. This one has been on my list for a minute, so thanks, Tubi!

Penny Dreadful (2006)

A psychologist takes a patient with a car phobia on a trip to help her overcome that fear. We can all assume this plan is going to backfire, and I want to know how. I never heard of this movie until this Google search, and I need answers. First question, why is the lead character named Penny if we are not making  Inspector Gadget  references? 

Southbound (2015)

Where You Can Watch:  Hulu  and  Tubi

This road trip horror situation is an anthology that unfolds on a desert highway. I will watch any anthology, as these streaming guides have proven. Very much here for one with a road trip wrap-around story. Put me in, Coach! Put me in, now!

Tailgate (2019)

Where You Can Watch:  Shudder  and  Tubi

An angry dad pisses off the wrong driver, and now the whole family is in danger. You would give me family dynamics in a road trip horror? It feels like too much. This dessert could be too rich, and I might have to take breaks before eating it all. However, it is a risk I am willing to take. The movie is also known as  Bumperkleef  for those looking for it from other places.

We Summon the Darkness (2019)

Where You Can Watch:  Amazon Prime ,  Tubi , and  Vudu

Three friends meet three musicians at a concert, and they all go back to one of the girls’ homes for an after-party. Everything about that sentence tells me this could never be me. However, I am going to check it out because metal girls possibly committing murder seems fun. Fingers crossed that it is as good as I want it to be.

Wind Chill (2007)

Where You Can Watch:  The Roku Channel

Two students road trip home together for the holidays, but the car breaks down in an isolated place. An isolated place filled with ghosts, that want to haunt Emily Blunt’s character. That’s right, y’all. We have a Blunt sighting in the genre from way back in 2007! This is going to be a moment, and I hope it is a good one.

Wolf Creek (2005)

Amazon Prime ,  Plex ,  Tubi  and  Vudu

Three travelers stranded in the Outback hitch a ride with the wrong guy, and find themselves getting tortured. I am going to save this one for last because Australian horror is like  Degrassi  in that it goes there. I am a fragile soul right now, and I am not ready. I will be though, and I imagine the chaos will be worth the wait.

Honorable Mentions:

Wrong Turn (2003)

Where You Can Watch: VOD

Wrong Turn  is the first movie that comes to mind when I think of road trip horror, even though I have not seen it since I was a child. Plus Eliza Dushku is there, so it is worth the rental price.

Supernatural (2005-2020) 

Where You Can Watch: Netflix

The first few seasons really get you there, even though the majority of the run is also spent in the Impala. Plus, if you plan to watch  The Winchesters,  you might want to get a feel for the original series.

Hopefully, this list reminds you that we have plenty of road trip horror worth our time and attention. Or, maybe introduces you to one that is a new favorite. Either way, let me know at  @misssharai .

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• FILM & TV

12 Bloody Road Trip Horror Movies

Join us on a highway to hell in these bloody road trip horror movies.

Road trips are great in theory. But as anyone who has ever frantically searched for a rest stop or sweated through changing a tire on the side of the highway knows, even the most successful road trip can be an endurance test. And the 12 road trips featured on this list are anything but successful.

The following road trip horror movies prove that sometimes, the open road can be a path straight to hell. Filled with violent hitchhikers, cannibalistic locals, maniacal truckers, and sadistic serial killers, these movies will make you think twice before letting wanderlust get the best of you.

1. Wolf Creek

• Photo Credit: 403 Productions

Where are we going? We’re headed out for a backpacking trip across Western Australia stopping only for alcohol-soaked pool parties, and a visit to Wolf Creek National Park, known for a giant crater formed by a meteorite.

British tourists Ben and Kristy are joyriding across the country with their Australian friend Ben when they stop at Wolf Creek for a night. When they run into car trouble, they reluctantly accept help from a local man who call himself Mick. Despite reservations, they allow Mick to tow their car back to his rural home for repairs. But after he drugs the three of them and they wake up trapped, their trip is all downhill from there. A grisly grindhouse film that might turn even the most callous stomachs, this distinctly Australian horror story is loosely based on real-life murders of tourists in the outback.

2. The Hitcher

• Photo Credit: HBO Pictures

Where are we going? We’re leaving Chicago to drop off a car in San Diego.

Look, we know picking up a hitchhiker is code for: Yeah, sure, you can murder me. But when it comes to taut highway thrillers, by all means, pick up this ’86 classic! Rutger Hauer stars as the eponymous terror who stalks and frames a kid for his murderous crimes.

Related: The 13 Best Horror Movies in 2016

3. Kalifornia

• Photo Credit: Propaganda Films

Where are we going? We’re moving from Pittsburgh to Cali.

Short on dough for their cross-county tour of infamous murder sites, Brian and his girlfriend, Carrie, accept gas money from a couple of vagabonds who answer their ride-share ad. Whoops. Their next speed bump: the real-life serial killer sitting in the backseat (played by Brad Pitt).

4. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

• Photo Credit: Vortex

Where are we going? We’re headed to the Old Hardesty family homestead by way of some random graveyard in South Texas.

When an afternoon drive through the sweltering armpit of the Lone Star State turns some of Sally Hardesty’s fellow passengers into road kill, she spends the night outrunning a chainsaw-wielding maniac and the backwoods fellers he calls family. Like Leatherface’s skin mask, this splatterfest only gets better with age.

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5. Death Proof

• Photo Credit: Dimension Films

Where are we going? Wherever the hell Stuntman Mike wants.

Always wear your seatbelt! Quentin Tarantino’s contribution to the Grindhouse double feature with Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror kicks off in Austin, Texas, where Kurt Russell’s Stuntman Mike plays a deadly game of chicken with a carful of boozy barflies. The movie picks up 14 months later – this time in Tennessee with a foursome of tough women who aren’t as keen on Mike’s violent games.

Related: Frozen and Buried in Wisconsin  

6. The Hills Have Eyes

• Photo Credit: Blood Relations Co.

Where are we going? We’re taking a family vacay to sunny Los Angeles.

Learn from the Carters: Take the scenic route through an Air Testing range and you may just find yourself stuck between a rock and a bunch of feral cannibals. Though Wes Craven’s road rager was made back in 1977, it doesn’t skimp on exploitation: Rape, torture, murder – it’s all there.

7. Jeepers Creepers

• Photo Credit: American Zoetrope

Where are we going? We’re heading home for spring break via the back roads of Florida.

College kids Darry and his sister, Trish, are keeping each other entertained on the road with number-plate wordplay, when they get interrupted by a crusty truck with plates reading BEATNGU trying to run them off the road. And then the fun begins.

• Photo Credit: Shamley Productions

Where are we going? We’re getting the hell outta dodge.

The Birds , North by Northwest , Vertigo – you’d be hard-pressed to find an Alfred Hitchcock film that doesn’t dedicate at least one tense scene to the road. Here, Janet Leigh takes the wheel as Marion Crane, a newly minted outlaw whose fatal mistake is checking into the Bates Motel.

9. Splinter

• Photo Credit: ContentFilm International

Where are we going? We’re headed out on a romantic camping trip in the wilderness that is Oklahoma.

While the great outdoors of the Sooner State is rarely seen in this creepy crawly indie horror film – much of the action takes place inside a gas station – the jagged editing and jolty scare tactics utilized by director Toby Wilkins is sure to get under your skin.

Related: Neighbors from Hell: What’s Really Living Upstairs?  

10. Identity

• Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures

Where we going? Hightailing it to Crazy Town, USA.

John Cusack drives this psychological thriller and all of its moving parts. Ten motorists find themselves being picked off one by one after being stranded at a motel during a torrential downpour that has flooded all the exits.

11. Joy Ride

• Photo Credit: Regency Enterprises

Where are we going? Boulder, Colorado, to pick up a college girl.

Lewis and Fuller hit the road with a CB radio and a case of highway boredom, which leads to pranking. Big mistake. Soon Lewis’s 1971 Chrysler Newport is in the headlights of an ice truck driven by a lunatic who goes by Rusty Nail. Should have gone with a mix tape.

• Photo Credit: ABC

Where are we going? On a not-so-leisurely business trip through the California desert.

You can’t have a road trip roundup without the one film that very well inspired everything else on the list. One of Steven Spielberg’s first directorial contributions comes in the form of a 1971 made-for-TV movie about a traveling salesman whose latest client is a demented truck driver trying to kill him.

Feature still from 'Wolf Creek' via 403 Pictures

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10 Terrifying Road Trip Horror Movies

Some of the least-appreciated horror movies are those that take place on the road.

The horror genre is one of the most expansive genres in film. Humans are frightened or disturbed by such a wide variety of elements that gives horror filmmakers much to work with. Sure, many horror films set out simply to scare their viewers in the moment, but a horror film has the ability to affect the viewer long after the movie has finished. Horror can be fascinating because it explores what scares us, why something scares us, and the reasons why some people like to incite fear. There are numerous subgenres of horror that explore these themes differently, such as slasher movies or movies about cults.

The horror genre does indeed cover many forms of horror, but one of the lesser-appreciated horror movie types would be those that take place on the road. Road trips perhaps initially do not come across as something that would instill fear or terror in a person. Most of us get in a car almost every day whether it is to travel short or long distances. We may subconsciously think about the risks of getting in the car, but most of us are not actively thinking about getting into an accident.

When traveling long distances, many people will opt to drive to their destination rather than fly because it is typically cheaper or because they have a fear of flying. Most of us can admit, however, it is a bit eerie to be driving through a rural part of the country we're unfamiliar with. The fear of the unknown is something that horror movies feed into and when we're on the road, we don't truly know what we may encounter. Here are ten terrifying road trip horror movies that will make you think twice about getting into a car:

Related: 10 Slasher Horror Movies with Perfect Killer Reveals

10 Road Games (1981)

Set in the open roads of the Australian outback, Road Games follows a laid-back American truck driver named Pat Quid (Stacy Keach) who is driving across southern Australia and suspects that the driver of a green van may be killing young women along his route. Convinced that he is witnessing a serial killer in action after his latest hitchhiker Pamela (Jamie Lee Curtis) disappears, Pat embarks on a quest to stop the driver, causing a cat-and-mouse game between the two to ensue. While the movie overall may not be considered scary by seasoned horror fans, the concept of being captured and murdered while traveling on the road is quite terrifying. There is a reason we are all warned about the dangers of hitchhiking, especially while alone, and this movie is sure to make anyone reconsider their hitchhiking plans.

9 Race with the Devil (1975)

Starring Peter Fonda and Warren Oates, this '70s action horror film follows two couples vacationing together in an RV on a road trip from Texas to Colorado. During a camping stop in Texas, both couples witness a horrific Satanic ritual that results in murder. After witnessing the brutal act, the Satanists make it their mission to chase down the four friends, and they find themselves terrorized by the cult members. Race with the Devil plays into the idea of not knowing what you may find while on the road. These couples were looking forward to an idyllic ski vacation in the Colorado mountains and wound up in a fight for their lives against a murderous cult bent on hiding any evidence of their crimes.

8 Final Destination 2 (2003)

There are not many films that have traumatized the millennial and Gen Z generations the way the Final Destination franchise has. Tanning beds, roller coasters, laser eye surgery, and elevators are just a few of the things that this franchise has made people terrified of over the years.

In Final Destination 2 , Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook) is driving herself and her friends to Daytona Beach for spring break. As she is about to get onto the highway, Kimberly has a premonition about a multi-car pile up that would have taken place if she didn't block traffic. Horrified when the accident happens anyway, she makes a connection with her premonition and the Flight 180 crash that happened exactly one year prior. She discovers that Death's pattern has been disrupted, and now she and the other supposed car crash victims will die in separate freak accidents. This sequel features some of the most horrifically gory deaths in the franchise, including the infamous log truck scene, and plenty of vehicle explosions and malfunctions. It is definitely not a movie anyone would want to watch right before a road trip.

7 Wrong Turn (2003)

Two groups of people on two separate road trips are left stranded deeps in the woods of West Virginia after they crash into each other on a quiet back road. As they venture deeper into the woods, the unlikely group find themselves facing a bloodcurdling fate.

Wrong Turn is a slasher film that is very loosely based on the supposedly "true" story of a Scottish cannibal named Sawney Bean. After the two groups join forces, they realize that each of their road trips have been sabotaged at the hands of sinister inbreds living deep within the mountains. The group tries to outsmart the skilled hunters in order to make it back to civilization after three of the mountain men show up to the cabin they thought was abandoned with the bodies of their friends. Wrong Turn is terrifying simply because the events are plausible. Anyone can become stranded in the woods or on rural back roads without another way of getting out. There really are people out there who live secluded from the rest of us that, to a lesser extent, may behave like this.

6 Children of the Corn (1984)

Based on the book by literary horror master Stephen King , Children of the Corn will leave you a nervous wreck the next time you are around children. Vicky (Linda Hamilton) and Burt Peter Horton) are a young couple on their way to Seattle when they drive through the small town of Gatlin, Nebraska and accidentally hit a child with their car. They seek out help, so they can report the accident, but discover that the town has been abandoned for over three years. Now, it is run by a cult of religious children who believe that anyone over the age of 18 must die. Lead by boy preacher Isaac (John Franklin), the disturbing children worship a corn god they refer to as He Who Walks Behind the Rows. The special effects may be outdated almost 40 years later, but it will make you weary of two things: young children and getting stuck in a small town you have never heard of before.

Related: The 10 Best Horror Movies Based on Short Stories

5 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Nearly 50 years after its release, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is one of the most notable horror franchises in existence and Leatherface has become an iconic slasher villain. The original film begins with a group of friends in the mid-70s traveling through rural Texas in a van to check on the grave of Sally's (Marilyn Burns) grandfather. The friends pick up a rather strange hitchhiker along the way who proves to be sinister. After stopping at a roadside gas station for some food, the teenagers find themselves in the secluded home of a family of ritualistic cannibals who force them into a never-ending nightmare of blood and violence.

TTCSM shows the dark consequences of picking up strangers on the road and what can happen if you stop to rest at a random, seemingly abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. The film's infamous final shot shows Sally, now a hitchhiker herself, in the back of a stranger's pickup truck laughing manically as she's covered in blood after escaping the freakish Leatherface.

4 Near Dark (1987)

Directed by Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow, Near Dark is a vampire thriller that features a young drifter who belongs to a coven of nomadic vampires. At the end of a date, Mae (Jenny Wright) turns mid-western farm boy Caleb (Adrian Pasdar) into a bloodsucking vampire who now must prove himself to her coven or be killed. Led by the merciless Severin (Bill Paxton), the group of vampires roam the highways at night in stolen cars and wreak havoc on roadside bars and taverns. The film infuses classic western themes with vampire storytelling to create wild horror film that takes the viewer on an endless nightmare of a road trip.

3 The Hitcher (1986)

Yet another horror movie that should discourage anyone from hitchhiking, The Hitcher stars C. Thomas Howell as Jim Halsey, a young man driving from Chicago to San Diego. Bored during his trip, he picks up a hitchhiker named John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) in West Texas. Almost immediately after introducing himself, John pulls a knife on Jim and threatens him before Jim is able to forcibly remove him from his car. Jim is then relentlessly pursued by John who frames Jim for a string of murders he committed.

The Hitcher leans more toward a thriller than a straight-up horror movie, but the concept is still horrifying. Being hunted down by an actual serial killer while on the run from law enforcement that believe you are actually the criminal is an awful situation that absolutely no one would want to find themselves in.

Ti West's incredibly popular slasher breakout X pays homage to the slashers and horror films that came before it while also creating something completely unique . The A24 film draws similarities to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre with its rural Texas setting and group of young friends on a long road-trip. They even stay at a farm house property that is similar to the property in TTCSM . The similarities start to dissipate as the group starts to interact with their hosts, and it becomes more apparent that this gruesome elderly couple is up to no good. The youngsters are in town to film a rather graphic adult film, and their aging hosts simply can't handle it. Fueled by pure jealousy and envy that they are no longer young and attractive, the couple wages war on the filmmakers. Things would have gone a lot smoother if they perhaps filmed at a hotel rather than a pair of stranger's farm house.

1 The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Possibly the ultimate road trip horror movie, horror icon Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes follows the Carter family on a road trip in an RV on the way to California. The family accidentally passes through an air testing zone that is closed off to the public, resulting in them being stranded out in the Nevada desert. When their dog runs off and doesn't come back, the Carters meet a deranged family of cannibals who live in the deserted desert hills. The Carters are subjected to pain and suffering at the hands of these psychopathic recluses who have not immersed themselves in modern society.

Similar to Wrong Turn , The Hills Have Eyes is frightening because the events that take place in the film, while unlikely, are still plausible. There are few things more nerve-wracking than being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way of escaping. Mix in the addition of sinister cannibals and you have a concoction made for nightmares.

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The Best Road Trip Horror Movies

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Road trips are conducive to a scary storyline. You’re often driving at night, driving in unfamiliar territories, or driving in the middle of nowhere. And so much can go wrong in any of those situations. You could make a wrong turn, run out of gas, get a flat tire. And your whole trip can derail from there, in more ways than one. It is no wonder that road trips serve as the basis for many horror films. There are a lot of road trip movies out there. But what are the best road trip horror movies?

What all of these movies have in common is that they start out with a simple vacation. Friends, family, or couples are taking a road trip. What could go wrong? The answer is plenty. Often more than you could ever imagine.

If you love a good road trip and a good scare, check out these road trip horror movies. But maybe wait until you return from your next trip.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977, 2006)

The houses october built (2014), joy ride (2001), southbound (2015), no vacancy (2014), dead end (2003), vacancy (2007), husk (2011), spree (2020), wrong turn (2003), house of 1,000 corpses (2003), kalifornia (1993), uncle peckerhead (2020), breakdown (1997).

• Penny Dreadful (2006)

Final Destination 2

• Midnight Ride (1990)

#Followme (2019)

House of wax (2005), the toybox (2018), death proof (2007).

• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Highway to Hell (1991)

The hitcher (2007), duel (1971), pin this list of the the best road trip horror movies to save for later.

A family on their way to California ends up breaking down and stranded. Little do they know, they’ve parked themselves in a closed-off former nuclear-testing area where the only inhabitants are cannibalistic mutant monsters with a taste for human flesh.

This popular Wes Craven movie spawned a sequel in 1984 and a 2006 remake.

This found footage horror movie showing extreme Haunt road trip. A group of five friends hit the road in search of the best haunted houses in America. But they end up finding more scares than they hoped for.

College freshman Lewis Thomas (Paul Walker) buys a car to pick up his friend and crush Venna (Leelee Sobieski) on their way home for summer break. But plans go awry when his brother, Fuller (Steve Zahn), convinces him to pull a prank over a car’s CB radio with deadly consequences.

In this anthology of interconnecting tales, different travelers journeys intertwine on the road with each other and demons: both the inner kind and external forces.

Seven friends on a road trip to Las Vegas get two flat tires in the middle of nowhere. On a search for help they come across a lone motel/bar/gas station where the owner and workers offer to help fix the car and put them up for the night. This helpful gesture turns sinister when, in the morning, the stranded road trippers are subjected to a gory game.

I family takes a shortcut on their way to Christmas Eve dinner at their relatives. They come across a strange woman on the side of the road, and thinking she is lost and hurt try to help her. From there they seem stuck in the woods and encounter horror after horror. But is everything really as it seems?

David and Amy Fox, a married couple on the verge of divorce, get lost while taking a shortcut on a drive home. An unexpected swerve to avoid a raccoon causes damage to their car and they end up stranded in the middle of nowhere. They happen upon a beat up old motel and have no choice but to stay the night. They find some videotapes in the room of gory amateur snuff films and quickly realize, these horrors were filmed in the very room they are staying in and, if they don’t act fast, they will be the next victims.

A group of friends on a road trip get stranded in Nebraska farmland after a flock of crows attacks their SUV, causing them to run off the road. The wade through the mysterious cornfields in search of help but instead find something more supernatural and sinister.

So Spree isn’t as much a road trip horror movie as it is a ride share horror movie. But most of the movie takes place in a car (which really you can’t even say about most road trip horror) so I’ll let it slide. Spree takes us on the murderous killing spree of a ride share driver sho is desparate to go viral online.

Jessie (Eliza Dushku) and a group of friends are road tripping through West Virginia. Car a flat tire stalls them on the side of a remote mountain road and they are stalled even more when motorist Chris (Desmond Harrington) crashes into them. On a quest to find help they run into a weird cabin in the middle of nowhere, and a horde of backwoods cannibals who begin to stalk and hunt the friends.

A couple of young couples are traveling the country in search of weird destinations to write about in a guidebook about offbeat roadside attractions. After a stop at Captain Spaulding’s Museum of Monsters and Madmen they set out to find more about the the local legend of a deranged serial-killer doctor. After getting a flat tire they run into hitchhiker Baby and a torturous night ensues.

Brian Kessler (David Duchovny) and his girlfriend Carrie Laughlin (Michelle Forbes) are working on a book about serial killers. To cut costs on their road trip to explore murder sites, they set up a ride share with strangers, Early Grayce (Brad Pitt) and his girlfriend, Adele Corners (Juliette Lewis). But they soon learn that they didn’t have to travel far to find a killer.

A punk band goes on their first tour, but they need a van to get them around. They meet a strange man names Peckerhead who offers up his vehicle to drive them around. With no other options they accect the ride, but things get even stranger when they find out that the man is actually a man-eating demon

A married couple, Jeff (Kurt Russell) and Amy Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan, run into car trouble on a cross-country road trip. A passing truck driver offers to drive Amy to a nearby cafe to get help. After she leaves, Jeff fixes the car and drives to retrieve Amy, only for her to be nowhere to be found. He begins a frenzied search for Amy and finds lies, a coverup, and a strange hunt ahead.

Penny Dreadful  (2006)

Penny (Rachel Miner)’s therapist (Mimi Rogers) takes her on a road trip to confront her fears that stemmed from a childhood accident. But once up on a desolate mountain road, those fears come to confront her.

The movie that has every millennial changing lanes on the highway, this is still one of the best road trip horror movies ever made. On a road trip with friends, Kimberly (A. J. Cook) has a premonition of a horrible car accident to come. She blocks traffic, saving everyone who was supposed to die in the crash. But their fate catches up to them, one by one.

Midnight Ride  (1990)

A woman takes off on the road after leaving her cop husband. She picks up a hitchhiker who turns out to be a deranged killer intent on taking her for a ride.

This found footage horror movie follows a British YouTuber and her friends as they travel to America for a road trip and social media meetups. Along the way strange things start happening and all that is left behind is her recordnings.

A group of friends are road tripping to a school football game when they get a flat tire. In search of help they head to the nearest town: a strange ghost town known for its seemingly abandoned wax museum. They soon find out that nothing in the town is as it seems and if they don’t find an escape they will soon become exhibits themselves.

A family takes a summer road trip in a used RV. Along the way they pick up a stranded couple before finding themselves stranded themselves after an accident. Strange things start happening and the family soon realizes that the secrets that lie in the RV itself are ready to be unleashed.

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Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), by profession, can leave almost any situation without a scratch. He’s souped up his car for maximum enjoyment of his favorite hobby: taking women for deadly drives. He meets his match, though, when he encounters a group of tough women who challenge him at every turn.

T he Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

A group of friends traveling the backgrounds of Texas pick up a strange hitchhiker. They then find themself being stalked and hunted by a chainsaw wielding freak wearing a mask made from human skin: Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen).

A couple of teenagers, Charlie Sykes (Chad Lowe) and Rachel Clark (Kristy Swanson), make a wrong turn on their way to elope in Las Vegas. There they encounter an undead demon who kidnaps the bride-to-be, forcing her fiance to enter a race in hell to rescue her.

A remake of the 1986 movie, The Hitcher follows a young couple on a spring break road trip who pick up a deadly hitchhiker.

Steven Spielberg directed this movie about a traveling salesman, David Mann (Dennis Weaver), driving cross-country on a two-lane highway. He finds himself in a dangerous chase with an oil tanker that seems set on running him off the road.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

A young woman travels with her new boyfriend to his parents’ secluded farm. An intense snowstorm serves as the backdrop of this psychological ride.

Photo by James Lee on Unsplash

Plan Your Road Trip

Hackberry General Store in Kingman, Arizona (Route 66)

If you’re driving Route 66 and see this junkyard of a place out of your car’s window, you might assume it’s been long shuttered and …

Valerie Bromann

Founder & road trip expert.

Valerie Bromann is a a website manager, content creator, and writer from Chicago, Illinois (currently living in Dallas, Texas). As an avid road tripper who has visited hundreds of roadside attractions, Val always pull over for a world’s largest thing. Founder of Silly America and author of The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book , she visits, photographs, and writes about all the weird tourist destinations she visits and offers road trip planning advice and inspiration based on her own travels so you can hit the road for yourself.

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Last modified: December 28, 2023 Category: Uncategorized

Route 66 Quotes, Sayings, and Phrases

Barney smith’s toilet seat art museum in the colony, texas, share this post ⤵.

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything you need to have and record an epic road trip, by valerie bromann.

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.

Silly America

Silly America is a roadside attractions blog designed to help travelers find unique stops for their next road trip. The website is a tribute to the great American road trip, devoted to all that is odd in America: roadside attractions, tourist traps, peculiar destinations, bizarre events, road food, fun festivals, and more! It’s a travel website and trip planner for those seeking an offbeat road trip.

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The Road Less Traveled: 15 Road Trip Horror Movies You Maybe Haven’t Seen

Unsuspecting drivers and passengers in horror movies can count themselves lucky if they only experience bad food and boredom during road trips. The itineraries or routes may vary, but one thing is for certain: these long, lonely stretches of asphalt and concrete can lead to terrible things.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , The Hitcher , and Wrong Turn have all shown audiences the perils of driving in unfamiliar territory. However, the following less-seen movies do just the same. And, each one will surely drive viewers to an early grave…

Midnight Ride (1990)

Mark Hamill is unforgettable as the deranged villain in this 1990 thriller. His devilish laugh is good practice for his forthcoming role as the Joker. The movie begins with an unhappy wife (Savina Gersak) leaving her cop husband (Michael Dudikoff) after feeling he loves his job more than her. She soon crosses paths with Hamill’s character, a deceptively harmless hitchhiker, while driving towards a new life. In due time, the passenger reveals his true, murderous colors. It’s up to the woman’s husband to save her before they reach a dead end. 

Not a lot of logical choices to be found here, but it’s clear Hamill is having a blast playing a bad guy. Although Dudikoff is best known for his action and martial arts roles, he spends more time here playing the spree killer’s punching bag.

Say Yes (2001)

An unaware couple makes a regretful choice in this bloody South Korean suspenser.

To celebrate Jung-hyun’s (Ju-hyuk Kim) manuscript being published, he and his wife Yoon-hee (Sang-mi Chu) go on a weekend trip together. Along the way, they pick up a strange man, simply named “M” (Joong-hoon Park), in need of a ride. As expected, the traveler means harm to anyone who offers him a lift.

Blood Salvage (1990)

A family traveling by RV falls victim to Jake (Danny Nelson), a backcountry madman who abducts people off the highway so he can harvest their organs for the black market. He almost gets away with it when he takes the Evans family, but the daughter, April (Lori Birdsong), proves she’s more determined to live than Jake ever expected.

Blood Salvage is a straight-to-video nasty that goes by the name of Mad Jake in other territories. The Evans patriarch is played by John Saxon, and boxer Evander Holyfield not only has a part in the movie, he’s also the executive producer.

Reeker (2005)

If there was ever a modern slasher in need of a sensory gimmick, it’s Dave Payne’s Reeker . The first in a duology of movies cleverly remixes well-known tropes while also delivering a game changer of an ending. Don’t be fooled by the simple premise as things are not what they seem.

It all starts out familiarly enough: college students heading for a desert rave are forced to hang back at a motel after experiencing car trouble. There, they’re then attacked by a mysterious killer whose presence is signaled by a foul smell of decay.

The Locals (2003)

Compared to other parts of the Western world, New Zealand isn’t as prolific when it comes to horror movies. What they do make, ends up being rather memorable. Case in point: Greg Page crafts a touching story about the power of friendship and how far one will go to uphold it.

In Page’s director’s debut film, Paul (Dwayne Cameron) helps his friend Grant (Johnny Barker) get over a breakup by taking him on a road trip. As night falls, the pair gets lost in the countryside. It’s there they meet two women and a gang of aggressive locals. Escaping this rural hell will be near impossible.

Criminal Lovers (1999)

Another precursor to the New French Extremity movement, this transgressive film follows two teenagers covering up a vicious crime. After Alice (Natacha Régnier) and Luc (Jérémie Renier) kill a classmate, they travel to the deep woods to get rid of the evidence. They end up being captured by a hunter living nearby; he plans on eating them both. As Alice remains chained up down in the basement, Luc conceives a plan to escape their captor.

François Ozon pens a psychosexual reimagining of “Hansel and Gretel” that often borders on sex-negative, but this skewed coming-of-age story is undeniably compelling.

Evidence (2013)

A group of strangers, traveling by bus to Las Vegas, is stranded at an abandoned gas station. As they wait for help, they are picked off by a killer wearing a welding mask and armed with a cutting torch. All that’s left behind from the massacre is footage recorded by one of the victims. With the culprit still at large, two detectives, Daniel (Stephen Moyer) and Alex (Radha Mitchell), sort through the video.

Evidence was generally panned back when it came out, but it’s a functional thriller that combines multiple horror subgenres — found-footage, procedural drama, slasher — and provides a cunning twist ending.

Black Cadillac (2003)

A pair of brothers and their friend are having one last hurrah on a snowy, Midwestern night before going their separate ways. When C.J. (Josh Hammond) makes trouble at a rural bar, he, Scott (Shane Johnson), and Robby (Jason Dohring) drive away into the night without realizing they’re being followed. They unexpectedly pick up a stranded cop (Randy Quaid) before engaging with the threatening driver who has been tailing them.

Although the three main characters are pursued by the film’s ominous namesake, the more pressing threat appears to be the young men’s inability to be honest with one another.

Midsummer (2003)

A high school graduate, Christian (Kristian Leth), is haunted in more ways than one after his younger sister Sofie (Lykke Sand Michelsen) dies of suicide. Despite how Christian and his friends feel right then, they all agree to fulfill their annual tradition of driving to a Swedish cabin to celebrate midsummer. There, bizarre things happen that lead Christian to believe Sofie is still with them.

The Danish Midsummer is a somber slow burn with a rewarding and cathartic ending. It was remade in English as Solstice in 2008.

Far From Home (1989)

One look at the poster for Far From Home and someone might expect a romantic teen movie. On the contrary, this is a low-key horror movie where young Drew Barrymore is stalked by a trailer park slasher. Not to overlook any valid criticisms there are about fourteen-year-old Barrymore’s scandalous depiction, but the film sports colorful characterization and an ideally creepy setting.

On the eve of her fourteen birthday, Barrymore’s character, Joleen, and her divorced father Charlie (Matt Frewer) are returning from vacation when they’re suddenly stranded in a podunk. As they wait out their car troubles in a trailer park, an unseen murderer lurks nearby.

Detour (2009)

This Norwegian survival-horror, originally titled Snarveien , plays like a faster-paced Vacancy . Couple Lina (Marte Germaine Christensen) and Martin (Sondre Krogtoft Larsen) are driving back to Norway when they’re advised by a cop to take a detour through the dark Swedish forest. By doing so, they become exposed to a family of local voyeurs with a depraved hobby.

With its brisk runtime, Detour cuts right to the chase. Typically bucolic scenery is transformed into one’s greatest nightmare.

Night of Fear (1972)

In the anticipation of Australia’s budding horror renaissance, short film Night of Fear predates similar movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . This fifty-minute movie lacks dialogue or character names, and it actually began as a television pilot.

A nameless woman, driving home from a tennis match, is accidentally run off the road. After her totaled car is detected by a sadistic hermit living in the adjacent woods, she’s taken back to his home and tortured.

Husk (2011)

A solid companion piece for the 1988 hidden gem Scarecrows , Husk features friends driving through Nebraska when their SUV is unexpectedly wrecked. While the party wanders across a nearby cornfield in search of help, they are besieged by sentient scarecrows. 

What the movie lacks in comprehension, it makes up for in pace and eeriness. Husk is based on Brett Simmons’ short of the same name; the director has gone on to make other horrors like The Monkey’s Paw and You Might Be the Killer .

Penny Dreadful (2006)

Named after but otherwise having nothing to do with cheap, serialized 19th-century literature, Penny Dreadful concerns a young woman with a debilitating aversion to cars. As part of her treatment, Penny (Rachel Miner) and her therapist (Mimi Rogers) drive to a resort in the mountains. They come across a hitchhiker who later turns out to be dangerous. With the therapist out looking for help, Penny hides in the car as the hitcher torments her from outside.

Even with a limited cast and location, this is no penniless horror movie. The tension is palpable, and the fear is overwhelming.

Highwaymen (2004)

Rennie (Jim Caviezel) has embarked on a harrowing road trip, but not one of leisure. He is tracking the man (Colm Feore) who wantonly ran down his late wife. In his journey, Rennie comes to the aid of motorphobic Mollie (Rhona Mitra), the killer’s next target.

Director Robert Harmon ( The Hitcher ) hits the road again with Highwaymen , a high-speed thriller. It’s a vengeance tale that never eases up on the brakes.

Paul Lê is a Texas-based, Tomato approved critic at Bloody Disgusting, Dread Central, and Tales from the Paulside.

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On its anniversary, check out these fresh horror games you can play on the nintendo game boy.

It’s no surprise that after 35 years, people are still playing Nintendo’s classic grey brick in the Game Boy. What is surprising (well, not really) is that fans are developing and releasing games for the system. Thanks to programs like GB Studio , you too can develop your own Game Boy games, and that of course includes horror games. And there are plenty of ’em. So rather than listing off the usual suspects that includes Castlevania , Contra , and the like for the Game Boy’s anniversary, here’s a selection of more recent handheld horrors that you (if you have the right equipment) can play in all their spinach-coloured glory.

Batty Zabella

Developer Ice Cold Blood’s mix of horror and comedy a la Elvira in Game Boy form, Batty Zabella puts you as the eponymous heroine as she tries to save her family and rid her home of phantoms. The game plays out much like the classic Shadowgate on the NES, where you use the D-pad to move a cursor around the screen. Moving the cursor over objects will generate a response from Zabella, indicating what you should do next. In addition to a ROM, you can also purchase the game as a cartridge from Retro Room Games .

For those of the Lovecraft persuasion, -IZMA-‘s Deadeus is for you. This open-world Lovecraftian adventure game centers around a small boy who has a prophetic nightmare that reveals to him that everyone will die in 3 days. The boy now has to investigate his village to see how he can save them, if at all. The game has 11 endings and no direct path, leaving it up to the player to decide the best course of action. Much like Batty Zabella, you can also snag this in a nice physical version at incube8 Games .

Silent Hill Play Novel

Play Novel: Silent Hill is a Japan-only adaptation of the original Silent Hill that was released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance. So naturally, you have to do a demake for the Game Boy, which is what Diega did. While it’s still in development (you can only play Harry’s scenario at the moment), Silent Hill Play Novel is still very functional, and includes a pretty good translation. The next version of the game will include Cybil’s scenario.

Described by developer Horatiu.nyc as an exercise to see how far the limitations of the Game Boy can be pushed to create a true atmospheric game, Bitterroot is the story of the cursed Bitterroot Mansion, and the secrets it holds. You take on the role of a stranded stranger, who ends up trapped in the mansion. The game requires you to search for key items in order to escape mansion. All the while, you’ll fight off its otherworldly inhabitants, and try to piece together the origins of the curse.

burst_error’s Cryohazard is a concoction that’s inspired by classic point and click games, Choose Your Own Adventure books, and B-movie horror. The story has you waking up from a cryogenic sleep in a dilapidated research facility. Said facility is also full of monstrous mutants. As you might expect from it’s inspirations, there are multiple endings for this game, along with numerous gruesome deaths.

Another title from Horatiu.nyc, Cargo has you playing as Moira, a scavenger who receives a tip about an abandoned ship with mysterious cargo on it that “a lot of very important people want.” So, you head on over to check it out. In order to claim the cargo, you’ll have to make your way to the main deck, but you’ll also have to manage your oxygen and ammo in order to get there. What you find should have stayed lost.

Developed by Kadabura, this 1-3 experience is one for fans of body horror. You play as someone who has found themselves in an underground realm between life and death known as the Soul Void. Unlike others who are also in the Soul Void, you aren’t dead. Nor are you wanting to stick around. As such, you have to figure out why you’re in this place, and how to get back home. Along the way, you’ll encounter individuals whose bodies are in various forms of, shall we say, distress.

The Melting Apartment

A giallo on the Game Boy? Mixed with Junji Ito ? flower studio’s title starts out simple enough: you play as an investigator assigned to find a young woman who has disappeared after moving into an old building at the edge of town. Remembering your gun this time, you’ve got to find her, and ultimately escape with your lives. Gameplay has you moving around the building to examine points of interest. You also meet several of the other residents in the building, who add to the disturbing atmosphere.

We all miss the “What if?” of P.T. . Jonshaw01 certainly did, so they remade P.T. for the Game Boy. Don’t be fooled by the Pokémon -esque overhead view, as you’ll be creeped out pretty quickly while wandering the hallways. There’s also a hint menu that you can call up in case you get stuck.

The Dead in My Living Room

Don’t you hate it when you wake up to find something weird happened? MeteorArts’ eerie atmospheric title has a man named Jack waking up after an uneasy sleep to find the dead body of an unknown person in his living room. That’s on top of a few other things going on, including Jack’s wife being dead, a rather large spider roaming around your house, and Jack’s odd fascination with a plant that he’s been growing. The developer even has a short film that dives deeper into Jack’s story.

Opossum Country

Another short bit of horror, Opossum Country sees you as a delivery driver who while on a delivery finds himself in an isolated trailer park. Naturally, something isn’t quite right. Then again, you probably could’ve gathered that from the first resident, who warns you to move on quickly. However, your concern for one resident leads you to stumble into a situation that was best left alone.

Yet another title by Horatiu.nyc, Neighbor has you playing as a young woman who has just found a spacious apartment for a great deal. A dream apartment, for sure. But as you might expect, there’s a reason why the place was such a bargain. Comprised of three chapters, Neighbor has two separate endings in the first two chapters, as well as several hidden secrets that expand the game’s world.

Feed IT Souls

A Metroidvania, you are the offspring of IT. What’s IT? IT is a bio-technological monstrosity that requires delicious souls for sustenance. It’s your job to find said souls to feed IT. As you feed IT, his power grows, as does your own. Every soul retrieved will enhance your mobility as you explore your surroundings. Feed IT Souls features two difficulty modes, including a “butt clenching precision platforming” Hard Mode. There are also 25 lost eggs located throughout the map. Find all of them to unlock a Bonus Mode.

Days Without

Elvies’ Days Without focuses on the bleakness that comes with the zombie apocalypse. A narrative-driven survival horror game with the expected gunplay, you play as Job an orphaned boy who finds himself in the midst of the end of the world. Depending on your choices, you can encounter one of five different endings.

Not related to the Stephen King classic, Yliader’s game still has some Lovecraftian tinge to it. The story goes that you’ve been sent to work for a few months at a lighthouse after the previous keeper mysteriously went missing. Your tasks involve lighting the lighthouse’s lamp each night. However, with an approaching storm, you’re haunted by strange dreams at night. That, and it seems as if there’s something calling to you from below the lighthouse itself.

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10 Terrifying and Twisted Horror Movie Road Trips to Hell

5. joy ride (2001).

Road tripping from California to New Jersey, college kid Lewis (Paul Walker) has plans to drive his childhood crush Venna (Leelee Sobieski) home from her college in Colorado. He’s forced to make a pitstop first to bail out his wisecracking brother Fuller (Steve Zahn), and together they come fender to fender with a crazed truck driver who has a penchant for absolute depravity.

Released less than a month after 9/11, Joy Ride didn’t exactly light up the box office, but because of its unconventional slasher style, the movie feels even more electric and energizing than it was upon release. In a role we only hear and never see, Ted Levine delivers a deeply somber drawl that is perfectly suited for a killer who became the victim of a uniquely cruel prank that immediately draws to mind the mean spirited inciting incidents of films like Terror Train or Slaughter High .

There are loads of leaps in logic to be found here, but Joy Ride is a thrilling successor to seminal horror flick The Hitcher , just with a dab of Duel and a helping of Maximum Overdrive to make the central killer big rig practically feel alive. Oh, did I forget to also mention that J. J. Abrams wrote this? (Jacob Trussell)

4. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Anyone who’s been on a long enough road trip through America has passed a roadside home that looks like it could belong to some real-life cannibals, or at the very least has stopped at a clichéd creepy gas station in the middle of nowhere. Tope Hooper ’s classic film takes us to the drive-by spots, the dangerous areas of rural America that make you instinctively lock your doors and speed by a little faster.

The film’s central group of Texan teens isn’t exactly headed to Disneyland in the first place, but visiting one of their grandfather’s graves. Their trip takes an even darker turn, though, when they stray out on the wild roads of Texas a bit too late, running out of gas and finding chainsaw-wielding Leatherface and his kin instead. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre takes us off the beaten path, to a horror landscape where you’d be lucky to catch a passing pickup truck if you needed one, and the result is one of the best movies the genre has to offer. (Valerie Ettenhofer)

3. Duel (1971)

Steven Spielberg was just twenty-five when he directed Duel , and as if that’s not annoying enough it’s also a fantastic movie. Dennis Weaver stars — after Spielberg and producers toyed around with the likes of Dustin Hoffman and Gregory Peck — as a traveling businessman who’s harassed by a big rig on a lonely stretch of desert highway.

Originally made-for-television but subsequently beefed up with extra footage for European theaters, the film is a masterclass in tension and suspense on a limited budget and character roster. Richard Matheson’s script, based on his own short story, is an equally brilliant lesson in economy, with dialogue-free stretches and confidence that it’s a tale told in motion and emotion. The question isn’t whether the trucker was human or if the truck was sent from Hell itself, but rather if you could have survived the nightmare yourself. Defensive driving, people. It’s an essential life skill. (Rob Hunter)

2. The Hitcher (1986)

Robert Harmon ‘s The Hitcher has been a favorite of mine since its release, and I will gladly talk about it given any opportunity. Sure, sometimes I use the time to berate Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert for going on The Tonight Show before its opening weekend and literally spoiling the ending for viewers nationwide simply because they hated the film. But usually, I’m content just singing its praises. (And clearly, sometimes I feel compelled to do both.)

C. Thomas Howell stars as a young guy paid to drive a car across the country for someone who’s moved, but his journey is interrupted after picking up Rutger Hauer, who’s hitchhiking in a downpour. Shit gets ugly real fast as the older man proceeds to taunt and terrorize his prey over the next few days with a string of dead bodies, a frame-up, and an otherworldly sense of menace.

Like the next decade’s Breakdown , this film delivers plenty of big stunts and practical set-pieces against an alternately beautiful and unsettling desert backdrop. The direct-to-video sequel is terrible, the remake is an abomination, and Siskel and Ebert were dicks to spoil it for people, but the film has outlived them all as one hell of a thriller. (Rob Hunter)

1. Race With the Devil (1975)

Dang hippies, amirite? Okay, fine, so the devil-worshipers in Race With the Devil aren’t “hippies.” But the point stands: the last thing you want to run into when you’re cruising cross-country is a gaggle of new-age creeps. Especially the kind who dabbles in Satanic orgies and human sacrifice. All that motocrossin’ buddies Roger (Peter Fonda) and Frank (Warren Oates) wanted was to roll along to Aspen in their new RV, double fisting dry martinis and dirt biking at rest stops (wives dutifully in tow, of course). This was supposed to be “the best damn vacation they ever had!”

A state-wide conspiracy of cultists may not be a part of the travel plan, but, like it or not, our hapless road trippers are in for the ride of their lives, frantically in search of help, justice, and a reprieve from the ceaseless onslaught of Texan witches. Some advice: if you’re going to race with the devil, you should probably get a better ride than a Winnebago. (Meg Shields)

Take a break for gas and snacks, but then hit the road again with some more 31 Days of Horror Lists!

Related Topics: 31 Days of Horror Lists , Horror

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10 Best Road Trip Horror Movies

The most disturbing road trip horror movies! Jeepers Creepers, The Devil's Rejects & more!

Everyone always tells you there's nothing better than the open road. Well, that's not always true, as these terrifying flicks prove.

The concept of travel has always had a macabre place in storytelling, with the idea of haunted highways and chance encounters on road trips being a ubiquitous trope in spooky stories. This comes from the fact that leaving your comfort zone and travelling across unfamiliar territory is a frightening thought, no matter how used to it you might be.

Road Trip horror is a great sub-genre that takes these anxieties and pushes them to the max. It can manifest in many ways, from supernatural encounters to realistic showdowns, but often excites audiences thanks to its focus on gore, suspense and the inescapable settings that give the characters nowhere to hide.

Viewers have been treated to some fantastic explorations of this concept, with flicks like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes showing what awful things can happen on a trip. Still, the following ten entries have the best focus on mixing travel with horror.

These movies all prove that driving to your destination isn't always as simple as it should be.

10. Riding The Bullet

Stephen King is the master of taking ordinary scenarios and turning them into nightmare fuel, which is why this movie - based on his novella of the same name - is such an atmospheric experience. It takes the simple concept of heading to see a loved one and turns it into a dark examination of all things surrounding death.

Riding the Bullet follows Alan Parker, a young artist who learns that his mother has suffered a stroke, and decides to hitchhike his way to her. However, along the way, he is picked up by a man harbouring a deadly secret.

Being a hitchhiker must be terrifying, as you completely put your complete trust in strangers, and this movie takes that fear to another level. Parker ends up riding with a man named George Staub, whose gravestone he had just seen in a cemetery. As if riding alongside a dead man wasn't bad enough, it becomes worse, as you learn that this chance encounter hasn't happened by mistake.

The film's general focus on the theme of death makes this an incredibly macabre movie, and this is captured in the chilling atmosphere. The lighting is dark, the blue-coloured tones are bone-chilling, and the focus on cemeteries and graves makes the whole flick uncomfortable and creepy.

Michael is my name, overanalysing comedy is my game! Anime, wrestling, TV, movies and video games all live in my head rent free!

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25 Essential Road Trip Movies of the Last 25 Years

We’re looking down the horizon and beyond for some of the best road trip movies that defined the genre over the last 25 years! To rev up this list, we selected American movies movies, journeys that begin in the States (where they actually finish is part of the fun). The movies celebrate the sights and sounds of the country, or at least will inspire you to pull out that camping gear, putting the convertible top down, and hitting the open road. These rides can be cross-county ( Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle ), on the freeway ( Dog , Sideways ), trekking across a few state lines ( Little Miss Sunshine , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ), hitting a new time zone ( Road Trip ), or even runnin’ coast-to-coast ( Rat Race , Transamerica ). Even the Academy has felt the need for reasonable speed, awarding Best Picture to both Green Book and Nomadland . Carpool lane? Of course: we’ve got an Oscar strapped in the passenger seat!

So whether you’re looking for a map to a long summer drive or fixing a flat in your life, turn to these essential 25 road trip movies of the last 25 years (in chronological order)!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) 50%

The Straight Story (1999) 94%

Tumbleweeds (1999) 82%

Almost Famous (2000) 91%

Road Trip (2000) 57%

Rat Race (2001) 45%

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) 75%

Sideways (2004) 97%

Transamerica (2005) 77%

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 91%

Cars (2006) 75%

Zombieland (2009) 89%

Away We Go (2009) 67%

Paul (2011) 70%

We're the Millers (2013) 48%

Chef (2014) 87%

Grandma (2015) 91%

Mississippi Grind (2015) 91%

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016) 83%

Green Book (2018) 77%

Nomadland (2020) 93%

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) 97%

Bad Trip (2021) 79%

Dog (2022) 77%

Joy Ride (2023) 90%

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Den of Geek

Highways to Hell: 12 Post-Apocalyptic Road Movies

Mad Max: Fury Road is just the latest and greatest movie to take a long trip through the wasteland.

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The post-apocalyptic road movie has perhaps reached its zenith with Mad Max: Fury Road , which finds the title character (Tom Hardy) and a determined woman named Furiosa (Charlize Theron) ferrying some very precious stolen “property” across a vast wasteland as terrible and treacherous as it is stark and beautiful. Their goal lies somewhere on the far side of that empty, ominous terrain, and as they are pursued by a literal army they don’t even have time to wonder if they’ll even find what they are looking for.

A journey across the ruins of civilization or the world itself has formed the basis of some of the more memorable end-times movies that have come our way over the years, and with Mad Max: Fury Road quite possibly the greatest of its kind yet, we thought a look back at some others in this particular subgenre was in order. Walking, driving or pedaling, it makes no difference — the road through hell on earth remains a harsh one.

Panic in Year Zero! (1962)

Veteran actor Ray Milland (who also directed) tries to lead his family to their secluded vacation home as a nuclear attack brings society to its knees. Surprisingly brutal and pessimistic for its time, this low-budget melodrama puts Milland’s character in a morally gray area: he is quite willing to steal from or shoot at anyone as he deems necessary.

Milland is cranky in front of the camera and confident behind it: this B-movie arguably created the template for a lot of the other films we’re going to talk about. But it’s also quite a dark twist on a classic survivalist scenario — Milland’s character (and, by extension, Milland himself) almost seems to enjoy having the shackles of civilization removed so he can live according to how he sees fit.

No Blade of Grass (1970)

Even more downbeat than Panic in Year Zero! , No Blade of Grass was based on a novel called The Death of Grass which chronicled a virus that wipes out all forms of grass on Earth. As worldwide famine hits, one man (Nigel Davenport) attempts to shepherd his family from London to his brother’s remote farm in Northern England as the world descends into anarchy around them.

Not easy to see for many years (it’s available as an on-demand DVD from Warner Archive), No Blade of Grass is an unsparingly grim, violent, and unpleasant look at humanity’s ability to quickly turn on itself.

A Boy and His Dog (1975)

This adaptation of Harlan Ellison’s classic novella follows Vic (a young Don Johnson) and his telepathic dog Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire) as they traverse a wasteland not too far removed from that of Mad Max, with Blood sniffing out both food for them to eat and women for Vic to rape as they kill any other nomads they come in contact with.

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It’s wickedly satirical (especially when they find a fascist regime disguised as a small town from the ‘50s is living underground), and Vic’s final choice between his dog and the one girl he might have feelings for would send today’s Culture of Outrage into overdrive, but Vic and Blood are two of the most memorable characters to ever appear in sci-fi cinema.

Logan’s Run (1976)

This fondly remembered if somewhat labored sci-fi semi-classic turns into a road movie only in its second half, as Logan (Michael York) and Jessica (Jenny Agutter) venture outside their domed city in search of Sanctuary, a mythical place where you can survive past 30. That, of course, is against the law in the city, and Logan has been secretly sent to destroy Sanctuary. His and Jessica’s journey takes them through lush forests and clear springs (we presume that all the radiation from the old nuclear wars has faded) until they stumble upon the overgrown remains of Washington D.C. and its sole, ancient, befuddled occupant (Peter Ustinov).

Damnation Alley (1977)

Fondly remembered for…well, it’s not actually fondly remembered for anything except perhaps the cool Landmaster vehicles that the cast — which includes Jan-Michael Vincent, George Peppard and Paul Winfield — uses to trek across the former United States in search of a post-nuclear war pocket of civilization in Albany, New York.

Extreme weather, giant scorpions, and mutant cockroaches all get in the way, but production difficulties made the monster effects in director Jack Smight’s loose adaptation of a Roger Zelazny novel look shoddy. This expensive (for its time) project also had the unfortunate luck of being one of two sci-fi films released by 20 th Century Fox in the same year. The other one was Star Wars .

The Road Warrior (1981)

The second movie in the Mad Max series is one of the stone cold action/sci-fi masterpieces of all time. This is not just brilliant filmmaking all around, but it’s enormously influential on all post-apocalyptic cinema since (including Mad Max: Fury Road ). Director George Miller and star Mel Gibson followed the smaller, more exploitational Mad Max with this nearly perfect chase film.

Max, now wandering the wastelands after society’s collapse, is drawn to help a small community under siege from a brutal warlord known as The Humungus. The action, stunts, editing, and cinematography are all groundbreaking, and the climactic tanker chase is legendary. Until Fury Road came alone, it was the post-apocalyptic road movie to beat.

28 Days Later (2002)

Four survivors head out of London and into the north of England as an escaped virus turns most of the population into homicidal maniacs. The movie that reinvented the zombie genre (yes, we know, they’re not really zombies…) is also cut from the same template as earlier post-disaster road films like No Blade of Grass , as our small band of heroes struggle to make their way across a dangerous new landscape. And of course, their goal is not what they hoped it would be: instead of finding some kind of sane authority attempting to hold things together, they find a military unit turned into sexual slavers.

The Road (2009)

Cormac McCarthy’s bleak, unrelenting yet Pulitzer-winning novel of a man and his son trudging hopelessly through the devastated ruins of the world, evading vicious marauders and cannibals, and scrounging for whatever scraps of food they can find, made it to the screen largely intact – incredible for such a grim tale told through prose that frequently turned eerily poetic and beautiful.

Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee are moving and captivating as the unnamed man and boy, while director John Hillcoat captures a world in freefall with searing intensity. Whereas other post-apocalyptic films can sometimes revel in the sheer mania of their environments (the Mad Max films do this quite well), The Road is stark and unsparing.

Carriers (2009)

This low-budget take on the “apocalyptic virus” narrative sat on the shelf for a couple of years until its star, Chris Pine, rocketed to fame as Captain Kirk in the revived Star Trek franchise. Which is a shame, because Carriers is a small but effective film, following two brothers and two women (one a girlfriend, the other a friend) who set out to reach a secluded motel in the southwest U.S. where they believe they can wait out the pandemic and start life again once it’s over. Silly them for thinking that. The story follows the now-standard beats, but the relationship between the brothers and the focus on a small group trying to retain their humanity makes the film chilling and memorable.

Zombieland (2009)

The complete opposite of the other 2009 releases we just discussed, Zombieland is a road comedy that happens to take place after a worldwide plague of zombies. The jokes are somewhat stale at the outset and the direction workmanlike, but the movie kicks up a notch with the arrival of the always hilarious Woody Harrelson as a would-be survivalist who teams with the more neurotic Jesse Eisenberg. The interplay between their characters and the two sisters they meet up with (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) gives Zombieland its likeability and value. And of course there’s the Bill Murray scene – a moment of flat-out brilliance.

The Book of Eli (2010)

Coming after the poetic nihilism of The Road , this Hughes Brothers-directed fable seemed to just copy that movie’s desaturated look while jamming a ham-handed religious allegory atop a sub- Mad Max action programmer. Denzel Washington is always watchable and surprisingly earnest as the title character, who carries a book that he believes can restart civilization, but the movie mashes together elements of several others and never fully explores the themes it throws out there.

Stake Land (2010)

Working with an even tinier budget than, say, Carriers (less than $1 million), the excellent indie director Jim Mickle ( Cold in July ) manages to fashion a somewhat epic tale of a vampire hunter (the superb Nick Damici) and a young boy (Connor Paolo) he takes under his wing as they travel through a United States destroyed by a pandemic of zombie-like vampires and divided into territories controlled by various fundamentalist factions.

The characters and situations are surprisingly strong, and inject some fresh energy into a well-worn tale, while the lack of big effects or sets gives the movie a gritty, realistic, and eerie feel.

Don Kaye | @donkaye

Don Kaye is an entertainment journalist by trade and geek by natural design. Born in New York City, currently ensconced in Los Angeles, his earliest childhood memory is…

Best Road Trip Movies, Ranked

Y earning for the open road? Look no further! Hollywood is no stranger to producing entertaining road trip movies that feature iconic cross-country adventures. While some audiences just can’t seem to get enough of this comedy staple, others flock to theaters for films that take a more heartfelt approach to the genre, utilizing the road trip as a way to express maturation, character development, and coming-of-age themes. Sometimes it's nice to live vicariously through the lives of these big-screen characters. With such an impressive list of beloved classics to choose from, determining the greatest among these films is difficult.

Updated May 18th, 2023: If you're a fan of the open road, you'll be glad to know this article was recently updated with new content by fellow travel enthusiast Amanda Minchin .

So whether you're yearning for some comedic relief from life's difficulties or are just wanting to see the world from a new perspective, these films, with their array of hijinks and chaos, will prove entertaining for audiences of all ages. Instead of needing to hop in the car, sit down, grab the remote, and explore the open road from the comfort of your home. Here is our deep dive into the best road trip movies throughout cinema history.

Dumb and Dumber

The iconic buddy-comedy Dumb and Dumber stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as two dimwitted yet well-meaning friends who set off on a cross-country road trip from Providence, Rhode Island, to Aspen, Colorado, in order to return a briefcase full of money.

Related: Why Dumb and Dumber Is a Perfect Road Trip Movie

The charm of this film lies in the delightful ignorance of Lloyd and Harry, whose personas simply don’t allow for a light bulb moment. They have absolutely no desire to either learn or grow during their hilariously harrowing journey and, as a result, they ultimately go off on many a zany adventure without learning all that much. Dumb and Dumber found great success at the box office upon its release, becoming one of the most iconic of 1994 .

Y Tu Mamá También

Y Tu Mamá También is the coming-of-age tale of two teenage boys who set out on a road trip with an older woman in her late twenties. This Alfonso Cuaron road movie features a talented cast, including Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, and Maribel Verdú, who shine against the backdrop of Mexico’s economic and political realities in 1999.

This intimate and tender story is also an exploration of sexuality and maturity. The young men's journey leads to self-discovery and a loss of innocence amidst the stunning road trip setting. The film uses travel and journey as a metaphor. As a result, audiences are able to witness the transformation of the leads from adolescence to adulthood in a fresh and authentic way.

Easy Rider is arguably one of the most important road trip movies in cinema history. This film, which received critical praise upon its release, is credited with helping to spark the New Hollywood era of the 1970s. This 1969 independent road drama tells the story of two bikers who embark on a journey through the American South and Southwest, transporting the proceeds of a cocaine deal.

The film stars Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as the lead bikers, alongside the memorable performance of Jack Nicholson as the boozy lawyer they pick up along the way. This classic flick focuses heavily on the journey, not the destination, as the free-spirited bikers get a harsh dose of reality during their travels across the country.

It Happened One Night

It Happened One Night is an infamous screwball comedy , and with good reason. Widely considered the first, it soon became the roadmap for others to follow after its release in the early 30s. The movie also arguably launched the careers of stars Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. In the film, Colbert played an heiress on the run back to her true love. Gable, meanwhile, played the intrepid reporter following shortly behind. They travel from Florida to New York in increasingly jerry-rigged modes of transportation and, of course, wind up falling in love in the process.

At the time, a movie about an unmarried couple traveling together was sure to ruffle a few feathers. Considered a Pre-Code film (though the Hays Code was in effect, it was not officially enforced for all pictures until shortly thereafter), this movie managed to skirt the censors by covering any sense of impropriety with snappy dialogue, cheeky humor, and endless innuendo... thus creating the screwball comedy in the process. For example, Frank Capra and crew got around the pair sharing a room together during their travels by dividing said room with a bedsheet that the characters literally nickname “The Walls of Jericho.” Any source of seduction was at most a suggestion, as demonstrated by Colbert’s last-ditch use of her *gasp* bare leg to hail a passing car, though that too was considered rather scandalous in passing.

The touching and deeply endearing 1988 classic Rain Man tells the story of conceited jerk Charlie Babbitt who, upon his wealthy father’s death, discovers the inheritance has been left to his unknown autistic-savant brother Raymond. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman deliver powerful performances as Charlie and Raymond, for which the latter earned an Academy Award.

As the brothers travel from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, Charlie witnesses the restrictions of Raymond’s condition and, in turn, gains a new perspective on life. The film’s unique premise and the chemistry between Cruise and Hoffman as they travel the country, make this a road trip staple.

Little Miss Sunshine

Oscar-winning dramedy Little Miss Sunshine features an all-star cast (including Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, and Abigail Breslin). It tells the story of a barely-functional family who are determined to get their daughter to the finals of a beauty pageant. Setting off in their VW bus (which requires a rolling start), the Hoover clan soon embark on an 800-mile road trip to California. Their goal of reaching the beauty pageant is what ultimately brings the family together.

The script for this film is both funny and heartfelt, and Michael Arndt received the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his effort. The colorful characters add depth and humor to the plot, which is tied up nicely by the end. Little Miss Sunshine was one of those indie films from the 2000s that broke out with mainstream audiences, and part of that is it perfectly captures what it is like to be stuck with one's family for a long road trip.

Into the Wild

This film is for those whose wanderlust leads them to less tread pastures. Based on the book by Jon Krakauer, Into The Wild tells the true story of an Emory college graduate and athlete who renounces his family fortune and sets off on a hitchhiking adventure that leads him deep into the Alaskan wilderness. Written, directed, and produced by Sean Penn, the film version stars Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless, a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp.

Upon its release, the film was nominated for many awards, including Golden Globes and Academy Awards. It was soon added to many of the top lists that year. The abandoned bus that housed the final days of the real-life McCandless even became a pilgrimage site for fans until it had to be airlifted to a safer location. Those wanting to dive into a smaller, safer venture should carve out the 2 ½ hours for this film.

Almost Famous

The critically acclaimed Cameron Crowe dramedy Almost Famous is the ultimate coming-of-age film with an ensemble cast of Hollywood heavy hitters like Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, and Jason Lee. The movie is loosely based on Crowe's own experience as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine.

Almost Famous tells the story of a young 1970s Rolling Stone journalist William Miller and his epic journey of self-discovery as he travels with the fictitious rock band Stillwater. As he follows them across the country, William experiences the highs and lows of adolescence: falling in love, being rejected, making friends, and ultimately accepting himself. The movie received critical acclaim and numerous accolades and is included in many lists of the greatest films ever made.

Thelma and Louise

Arguably the ultimate female buddy movie , 1991’s Thelma and Louise tells the unforgettable tale of two best friends who take off for the open road after a tragic event forces them to flee for greener pastures. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon star as the ride-or-die duo who zip across the country in Thelma’s 1966 Ford Thunderbird.

Related: How Thelma and Louise Is a Queer Allegory

The iconic friendship of the film's titular leads, impressively performed by Davis and Sarandon, firmly cements it as a landmark feminist film. The movie also features a young Brad Pitt in one of his first major roles as a drifter who catches Thelma's eye. The iconic ending of Thelma and Louise remains one of the greatest in Hollywood history to this day.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert quickly cemented Australia’s cultural status as a producer of quirky, independent cinema when it was first released in 1994. What could have ended as a dumpster fire of epic proportions was instead a surprisingly tender and thoughtful road movie. Featuring a soundtrack of campy classics bolstered by supreme performances from Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, and Guy Pearce, the plot follows two drag queens and one transgender woman as they go on tour in Australia.

While the movie arguably may have been even better having an actual trans woman or drag culture enthusiast cast, the trio sure put on one hell of a show as they traverse the literal Outback in sequins, beads, and platform heels. The film, which was written and directed by Stephan Elliott, would later be adapted into a musical. The play premiered in Sydney in 2006 before touring throughout the country. It would eventually be welcomed onto the Broadway stage a few years later in 2011.

The Blues Brothers

Beloved Saturday Night Live alums John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd reprised their sketch characters for the silver screen as “Joliet” Jake Blues and blood brother Elwood in 1980s The Blues Brothers . The pair are hilarious as sleazy musicians who make it their mission to save the orphanage they were raised in from foreclosure.

The classic comedy focuses on Jake and Elwood as they reunite their R&B band and travel around Chicago in their “bluesmobile,” playing music for money. With exciting car chases, comical shootouts, and unforgettable musical numbers, The Blues Brothers remains an iconic classic of road-trip cinema.

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

This film kick-started a beloved comedy franchise that continues to this day. 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation focuses on the Griswold family as their patriarch leads them on a cross-country trip to an amusement park... Naturally, chaos and hilarity arise. The ultimate success of this movie led to a barrage of sequels.

Starring Saturday Night Live alum Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, Vacation also features the talents of Beverly D’Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, and Dana Barron as his wife and less-than-adoring children. Chase is brilliant as the comical and determined Clark. This outrageous farce depicts the reality of a family on vacation. None of them are perfect, and all of them are full of endearing dysfunction as they try and fail to have a good time.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Comedy legends Steve Martin and John Candy partnered up with famed director John Hughes for 1987’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles . Martin starred as uptight Neal Page, while Candy portrayed the overbearing but kind-hearted Del Griffith. Stuck together, the pair join forces in an effort to get Neal home to Chicago in time for his family's Thanksgiving dinner. Because of this, it has since become a Thanksgiving classic.

The chemistry between the two leads in this film is as effortless as it is hilarious. This movie features plenty of sidesplitting situations while also being surprisingly emotional at times. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a heartfelt flick that utilizes its comedic talent to the fullest. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a comedic masterpiece that has endured for decades.

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