Horror Films About Groups of Friends

If a film begins with a group of friends heading off on a trip together, something dreadful is sure to await them.

Five of the Scariest Horror Films About Groups of Friends

Teen horror is a relatively new genre in Hollywood cinema. Its pioneers include “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Halloween”. In those films, the group of friends doesn't go anywhere, but they still have to endure one of the most terrifying periods of their lives. Later on, a trip became an essential element of the genre. The classic plot setup involves several friends embarking on a journey – and it never ends the way the protagonists planned.

Evil Dead

This classic teen horror was released in 1981 and became the first part of a future trilogy. A group of five young people heads into the Tennessee woods, where they rent a cheap cabin for the weekend. The place previously belonged to a scholar involved in archaeological digs.

Inside, the friends discover a suspicious book, a dagger, and other strange objects. A recording left in the house explains that the book was found during the excavation of ancient ruins. Its cover is made from human skin, and all the writing is in blood.

The unlucky friends read an incantation from the Book of the Dead and unleash a nightmare beyond imagination.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

A group of teenagers celebrates finishing school by the seaside. On the drive home, they hit a man with their car. Believing him dead, they decide to dump the body in the sea. A year later, they’re still living their normal lives – until they begin to realise someone else knows their dark secret.

Suspicion falls on a former classmate, Max. But when he is murdered, the group begins to truly fear for their lives.

Each of them could become a victim of the mysterious killer – because he knows what they did last summer.

House of Wax

This Australian film is a remake of the 1953 original. Four guys and two girls are on their way to an American football game. Along the way, they decide to camp in the woods for the night. But strange things begin to happen. Someone walks around their tent, and an unpleasant smell drifts in from the forest.

The friends find a pit filled with animal carcasses. When their car breaks down, they’re forced to seek help in a nearby town. Its only attraction is a house filled with disturbingly realistic wax figures.

And each of the friends may become its next resident.

The Cabin in the Woods

The beginning of this teen horror largely mirrors “Evil Dead”. However, the story soon takes a sharp turn, with a twist that may surprise even seasoned viewers.

A group of young people heads into the remote woods for a holiday. They stay in a strange cabin by a lake, full of eerie artefacts. At the same time, viewers are shown scenes from an underground lab. A group of scientists is monitoring the friends using numerous cameras.

The unsuspecting students are about to become part of a horrifying experiment.

Friday the 13th

This modern horror is a remake of the iconic '80s film. Its plot is based on events from the first four instalments of the franchise. The main antagonist is now more agile and his backstory is partially revealed, evoking sympathy from the audience.

A group of young people arrives at Crystal Lake for a getaway. Soon, Jason appears and begins brutally eliminating the group. A month and a half later, a new group of teens arrives at the same spot. They too dismiss the tales of a local killer.

But Jason will make them think again.