There’s no better place to lose your mind than at the beach. The tides whisper promises of peace and rebirth—but dig a little deeper and you’ll find something hungrier in the surf. Sometimes it’s a monster. Sometimes it’s an entire town. Sometimes it’s just you, alone with whatever awful thing you brought with you.

Bad beach vibes is a new subgenre we’re spinning up in celebration of Lorcan Finnegan’s The Surfer, in theaters now and starring Nicolas Cage at his most soul-shattered.

I grew up in Florida going to the beach, surfing and avoiding drum circles at all costs. But my mom, who had some near misses with sharks while living in Australia, frequently reminded me that paradise can turn punishing in a heartbeat. So we learned the stingray shuffle, what to do if you get caught in a rip current, and not to swim at sunset when the sharks love to snack.

Whether it’s body horror hidden under golden rays or something sinister slithering up from the tide pools, we’ve gathered twenty films that prove some beaches are best left unvisited. Slather on some SPF 666 and get ready for some seriously bad vibes.

The Surfer (2024)

Nicolas Cage returns to his wildest form in The Surfer, an adrenaline-pumping, sun-drenched nightmare of toxic masculinity. Set against the deceptively calm backdrop of an Australian beach, Cage plays a man whose insistence on reclaiming his childhood home and surf spot, despite the protests of an unruly cult of sun-drunk locals, sends him spiraling into madness. As one Milos puts it, “Nicolas Cage goes full Cage here, but not in the weird, meme-worthy way. This is a performance where you can actually feel something raw and real under all the eccentricity.” Cage just wants to surf with his son, but what he gets is a six-foot wave of pride, shame and a glistening mirror reflecting back at him. You can’t always go home again, but if you do, be prepared to face your true self and maybe some really punch-worthy Australians.

Old (2021)

M. Night Shyamalan’s Old takes the beach day from hell to an existential extreme. A picture-perfect stretch of paradise turns into a death trap where time slips away faster than sand through your fingers. As far as bad beaches go though, Patrick thinks, “I mean if you’re gonna rapidly age and die in a day, this beach seems like a really beautiful place to do it.” What could easily be B-movie schlock (which, hey, some people feel it is), becomes a full-throttle panic attack about time, family and mortality. Diego calls it “Shyamalan’s Tenet: a director operating at his absolute MOST.” Sometimes, a day at the beach is about realizing, all at once, how little control we have over the lives we’re living. And yeah, I’m with Liam: “There’s something wrong with that beach.”

The Shallows (2016)

The Shallows strips survival horror down to its barest, most elegant form: Blake Lively, a huge shark and a whole lot of water. Trapped a mere 200 yards from shore, she has to outwit a great white in a fight that feels both primal and deeply personal. “[The Shallows] makes you fear the space, not just the monster,” says Eli. It’s not just the threat lingering beneath the waves—it’s the vastness, the loneliness, the knowledge that no one is coming to save you. Jaume Collet-Serra’s clean, confident direction turns what could have been disposable shark schlock into a sharp, vicious little thriller of bad beach vibes. “Simple, tense, beautiful, and most of all, fun,” writes AG.

The Lost Boys (1987)

The Lost Boys isn’t just a vampire movie—it’s a beach town fever dream where the boardwalk is electric, the air is heavy with teenage rebellion and the threat of death hangs like a haze over every sunset. “The aesthetics are cool, vibrant, trashy, and the setting of the California boardwalk works perfectly for this film,” Daryl enthuses. Director Joel Schumacher’s eye for neon sleaze turns Santa Carla into a place where the sand is just as dangerous as the dark alleys, and the beautiful people are just as deadly as the creatures lurking after the sun goes down. It’s one of the ultimate examples of how a seaside town—usually a symbol of freedom—can instead become a beautiful, haunted trap.

The Beach (2000)

Based on Alex Garland’s novel, The Beach unravels the myth of paradise through the eyes of a backpacker in search of an untouched utopia. But the isolation of the idyllic island soon reveals its dark side, as a community spirals into chaos. Danny Boyle’s polarizing adaptation takes the self-destructive behavior of the characters and magnifies it. Christian writes that it’s “Danny Boyle’s hypnotic adaptation… about a group of unlikeable backpacking Gen-X hippies who want to escape the slavery of ‘real life.’” This is a film about disillusionment, about the fatal allure of escapism. The conflict between beauty and horror plays out in the shadows of the sand—the beach, in this case, is anything but a place of peace.

The Lighthouse (2019)

While The Lighthouse doesn’t take place on a beach that we’d see Nicolas Cage surfing at, its rugged coastline still embodies the ominous sense of coastal madness. Robert Eggers’ tale of two lighthouse keepers losing their grip on sanity in a desolate, storm-battered tower mirrors the brutal solitude of being trapped on a hostile, inhospitable shore. It’s a battle against not just the elements but the corrupting nature of power itself. As Demi puts it, The Lighthouse is “one of the most grueling, disorienting, claustrophobic, psychotic films.” Elvis calls it “a perfect film… astounding all around, and very disturbing.” It’s the sense of powerlessness against an unforgiving sea—amplified by the characters’ paranoia, madness and desire for the elusive light of the lighthouse—that earns The Lighthouse a spot on the list of films with truly unsettling beach vibes.

Us (2019)

Jordan Peele’s Us may be a surprising addition at first glance, but its pivotal sequence on the Santa Cruz boardwalk says otherwise. The movie focuses on doppelgängers who emerge from the shadows to wreak havoc on a family vacationing near the beach. The sense of dread is constant, but what truly makes Us terrifying is how it reflects society’s darkest fears. “Us is an audacious and clever trip through the looking glass that asks how Americans are going to live with ourselves after being reminded of who we really are,” David reflects. The coastal setting becomes a psychological war zone, turning familiar spaces sinister, where the worst version of yourself dwells just beneath the surface.

Sweetheart (2019)

Set on a remote island, Sweetheart is a suspenseful survival film that pits a woman against a monstrous creature lurking in the waters. “The initial reveal of this monster is absolutely incredible,” Tristan praises. But what really gives this film its bite is the way that it subverts expectations. The real terror isn’t just the creature but the psychological tension of being completely alone on an island with no one to trust. Sweetheart shows us how isolation itself can be just as dangerous as the literal threats waiting on the shore. “Black woman stuck on the island and the scariest thing isn’t the ocean or the monster. It’s the white guy appearing out of the blue,” says Theaawalker.

Blood Beach (1980)

The tagline says it all: “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water—you can’t get to it.” “The poster for Blood Beach pretty much sums up everything you need to know about the movie. The titular beach is swallowing up unsuspecting beachgoers. That’s all you need to know,” Adam explains. The mix of corny plot and classic horror vibes turns it into a trash treasure, with a tone that veers just enough into dark comedy to make it unforgettable. “This is either the best or worst episode of Baywatch ever!” according to EmperorCupcake.

Dead & Buried (1981)

In a coastal town filled with sinister secrets, Dead & Buried expertly mixes mystery, horror and the isolation of seaside living. The film thrives in its eerie, atmospheric dread as it unravels the dark undercurrent of a small, seemingly sleepy New England beach town. The town’s oppressive vibe—where outsiders aren’t welcome, and the residents are hiding something far worse than a typical tourist trap—takes the beach setting to a whole new, unnerving level. Will captures it well: “The coastal enclaves of Massachusetts throb with a hatred of outsiders and ancient occult malevolence.” It’s an unforgettable piece of horror that blends weird small-town charm with terrifying supernatural occurrences. Bonus: fantastic effects work from a young Stan Winston.

Dagon (2001)

While Dagon is less about the beach itself and more about a slimy coastal town, it fits right in with the overall theme of “the vibes are off at this beach.” Based on a story by H. P. Lovecraft, the film channels the feeling of impending doom and unnatural horror that makes seaside towns in Lovecraftian stories so disturbing. “A dark and satisfying oddity where the environment is just as much a character as the nightmares that wander through it,” says 13beersl8r. The claustrophobic, decaying town itself, along with its fishy, grotesque inhabitants, make it a standout in any list of bad vibes. Justin calls it “the best representation of the ‘lone man walking through a Lovecraftian nightmare town’ ever put to film.”

Shock Waves (1977)

A truly unique entry, Shock Waves turns the beach into a battlefield for zombie Nazis emerging from the sea. Despite the ridiculous premise, the film takes a deliberate, slow-burn approach to its horror, building up an atmosphere of dread rather than relying on shock value or gore. “It’s hard not to enjoy a film where for the vast majority of its running time, the underwater Nazi zombies are playing an elaborate game of Marco Polo,” says HalloweenH. Like, it’s bad enough to be out swimming and scared of sharks or giant squids lurking beneath you, but now I have to be afraid of Nazi zombies… in goggles?! Bad vibes central.

Messiah of Evil (1973)

In this unsettling gem, a woman arrives in a seemingly quiet seaside town to look for her missing father, only to find herself swept into a nightmarish world where the townspeople are controlled by a mysterious cult that cries tears of blood. As she uncovers the town’s eerie secrets, the film grows increasingly surreal and haunting. The slow pace and bizarre imagery add to the sense of dread, making Messiah of Evil a true fever dream. “A very atmospheric slow burn of a movie. Messiah of Evil feels like a weird dream that steadily becomes more nightmarish,” says Lou.

Nightmare Beach (1989)

Honestly, do we need to go past the film title for me to convince you of the bad beach vibes? Can’t believe it took this long into a bad beach vibes list to get to Florida, either. Set on the sun-bleached beaches of Miami during spring break, Nightmare Beach is a slasher that delivers an infectious mix of campy fun, electrified murders and giallo-inspired visuals. The soundtrack, which includes Claudio Simonetti’s synth-heavy jams, gives the film a distinctly ’80s flair, and the absurd plot only adds to the charm. “This is genuinely the best slasher film I have ever seen. Never been more entertained. This movie rocks,” praises Bin.

Offseason (2021)

Mickey Keating’s Offseason brings Lovecraftian decay back to the beach. This story is set in a remote seaside town where a woman, after the death of her mother, uncovers the dark and terrifying forces controlling the inhabitants. The film’s strength lies in its gradual buildup of unsettling tension, as strange and supernatural occurrences unravel in eerie isolation. The moody atmosphere is thick with the same kind of slow-burn horror that defines Lovecraft’s work, drawing viewers into a world where the line between the mundane and the supernatural is razor-thin. “My kinda jam,” says Joe Lynch. Sometimes, the real horror is knowing you’ll never leave town.

Honorable Mention: The Swimmer (1968)

In The Swimmer, Burt Lancaster’s character embarks on a bizarre journey, swimming through his neighbors’ pools, making his way home while revealing the fractured nature of his life and identity. What starts as a fun idea soon turns into a haunting exploration of a man unraveling before your eyes. As the film progresses, the tone shifts from lighthearted to chilling, with each pool he visits drawing him closer to an uncomfortable truth about himself. “Something so hypnotic about it. The sense of dread is present from minute one,” Sean Baker writes. It’s a film that lures you in with its curious premise but leaves you with an unsettling, existential aftertaste. And despite the lack of sand, a tan Burt Lancaster confronting his failures could probably be caught sharing a hot dog beach picnic with Nic Cage in The Surfer.