The Fourth of July, otherwise known as Independence Day in the United States of America, is a federal holiday celebrated with fireworks, barbecue, and beer!  Not many people are aware that the Fourth of July has its own catalog of films that either celebrate the holiday in the film or the holiday itself is a major plot point to the film.  Holidays, such as Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and even Easter all have a following of horror films, but so does the Fourth of July!  Let’s countdown the top 10 Fourth of July-related horror films for you to consume and binge during this year’s festivities, shall we?

10. Silver Bullet (1985)

Silver Bullet has a portion of the film set on the Fourth of July.  The film’s synopsis states, “In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close-knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.”  It stars Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim, Megan Follows, and Terry O’Quinn.  

9. The Tripper (2006)

The Tripper is a 2006 film that featured the directorial debut of David Arquette and featured a killer dressed as former United States president, Ronald Reagan.  The synopsis reads as “A Ronald Reagan-obsessed serial killer targets a bunch of hippies who are heading to a weekend-long concert.”  The film stars David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Jaime King, Lukas Haas, and Thomas Jane.  It even has a cameo from Wes Craven himself, so you can’t go wrong with that!

8. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is the sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer, and it takes place where its predecessor film left off.  Just like its predecessor, this film takes place during the Fourth of July, and its synopsis reads as follows, “The murderous fisherman with a hook is back to once again stalk the two surviving teens, Julie and Ray, who had left him for dead, as well as cause even more murder and mayhem, this time at a posh island resort.”  The film stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Jeffrey Combs, Brandy Norwood, Mekhi Phifer, Bill Cobbs, and Muse Watson.

7. Final Destination 3 (2006)

Final Destination 3 isn’t your typical slasher film!  Just like the previous two films in the franchise, the killer is death itself and how you cannot escape it.  Basically, when your time to die has come, then death will make it happen!  The end of the film has a festival that takes place on and to celebrate the Fourth of July.  The synopsis reads as, “Six years after students cheated death, another teen has a premonition that she and her friends will be involved in an accident. When the vision comes true, the student and survivors deal with the repercussions of cheating the Grim Reaper.”  It stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman, Kris Lemche, Alexz Johnson, Jesse Moss, Sam Easton, Tony Todd, Gina Holden, and Texas Battle.

6. The Bay (2012)

The Bay is a film that takes place on the Fourth of July, with the opening alone being a news coverage of the Fourth of July festival.  The synopsis for this film reads as “Chaos breaks out in a small Maryland town after an ecological disaster occurs.”  It stars Will Rogers, Frank Deal, Kristen Connolly, Kether Donoghue, and Christopher Denham.

5. Return of the Living Dead (1985)

Return of the Living Dead is a zombie flick that begins on July 3rd and ends on July 4th.  The synopsis reads as, “When two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.”  It stars Clu Gulager, Thom Mathews, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., James Karen, Don Calfa, Beverly Randolph, Jewel Shepard, John Philbin, Mark Venturini, Linnea Quigley, and Jonathan Terry.

4. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a slasher film that has a sliver of mystery to it.  Taking place during the Fourth of July weekend, a group assumes they killed a man and end up being slaughter by a mysterious hook-handed fisherman.  The synopsis reads as, “Four young friends bound by a tragic accident are reunited when they find themselves being stalked by a hook-wielding maniac in their small seaside town.”  It stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Heche, Ryan Phillippe, Muse Watson, and Johnny Galecki.

3. Jaws (1975)

Jaws is a creature feature-esque film where a man eating shark terrorizes a beach during the Fourth of July.  The synopsis reads as, “When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it’s up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.”  It stars Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, and Jeffrey Kramer.

2. Frogs (1972)

Frogs is a horror creature feature film from the 1970s that has amphibians as its killers.  The film is set during the Fourth of July, and its synopsis reads as, “A group of helpless victims celebrate a birthday on an island estate crawling with killer amphibians, birds, insects, and reptiles.”  It stars Sam Elliot, Joan Van Ark, Ray Milland, Judy Pace, and Lynn Borden.

1. Uncle Sam (1996)

Uncle Sam is a film that features a combat veteran that dies and resurrects from the dead only to kill the unpatriotic citizens on the Fourth of July, dressed as “Old Glory” himself, Uncle Sam, top hat and all.  The synopsis reads as, “Desert Storm vet who was killed in combat rises from the grave on July Fourth, to kill the unpatriotic citizens of his hometown, after some teens burn an American flag over his burial site.” It stars William Smith, David Fralick, Leslie Neale, Anne Tremko, Isaac Hayes, Matthew Flint, and Bo Hopkins.