Worst vacations in movies have given audiences some of cinema’s most gripping, terrifying and hilarious moments. From cursed road trips to deadly getaways, these films prove that a dream holiday can turn into a nightmare in a matter of minutes. Whether the trip ends in horror, heartbreak or slapstick chaos, each of these stories reminds us why staying home sometimes feels safer. Here are ten of the most disastrous trips ever put on screen, based on a Guardian ranking of films’ most appalling holidays.
1. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Wes Craven’s cult horror tops many lists of the worst vacations in movies. The Carter family ignores warnings and detours into the desert, where cave-dwelling cannibals wait. The trailer’s tagline says it all: the lucky ones died first.
2. Deliverance (1972)
Four Atlanta city-slickers set off on a canoeing trip and meet savage mountain men, broken bones and unforgettable terror. Ironically, the stunning scenery turned Rabun County, Georgia, into a tourism hotspot.
3. Hostel (2005)
Two American backpackers are lured to Slovakia with promises of easy fun, only to face torture instead. Critics were split on whether Eli Roth’s film was crass or a satire of American ignorance, but it remains a landmark of travel horror.
4. Funny Games (1997)
Michael Haneke’s chilling thriller begins when two polite young men ask a family for eggs at their lakeside home. From there, the tension never lets up, making it one of the worst vacations in movies for anyone with a holiday home.
5. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Two Americans skip the tourist trail for a hike on the Yorkshire moors and a pint at the Slaughtered Lamb. A werewolf ruins everything: one friend becomes a decomposing ghost, the other undergoes cinema’s most agonising transformation.
6. Withnail and I (1987)
“We’ve gone on holiday by mistake!” is the line that sums up a rain-soaked cottage trip with no heating or food. When Uncle Monty arrives, things go from bad to worse.
7. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold dreams of taking his family to Walley World, but the chaotic road trip subverts the classic all-American family holiday. Among the worst vacations in movies, it is also one of the funniest.
8. Force Majeure (2014)
An avalanche roars toward an Alpine resort terrace, and a father flees, leaving his family behind. Nobody is hurt, yet the holiday and the family’s self-image are destroyed in a split second.
9. Open Water (2003)
A scuba-diving couple who surfaces to find their boat has left them stranded miles from the Australian coast, surrounded by sharks and jellyfish. Even more disturbing, it is based on a true story.
10. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
A New Year’s Eve party aboard the SS Poseidon ends when a tsunami capsizes the ship. Between the practical effects and Gene Hackman’s full-throated yelling, this disaster classic still holds water.
Why These Trips Still Haunt Us
What makes these films endure is how relatable their starting point is. Everyone has planned a trip hoping for rest and adventure. Filmmakers simply push that hope to its breaking point, turning ordinary travel worries into survival stories, dark comedies and psychological dramas. Whether it is a leaky cottage or a hungry werewolf, the fear of things going wrong far from home never fades.
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FAQs
What are the worst vacations in movies?
Among the worst vacations in movies are The Hills Have Eyes, Deliverance, Hostel and Funny Games, where relaxing trips turn into fights for survival.
Which holiday film is based on a true story?
Open Water is based on a true story, following a diving couple left stranded at sea.
Are there comedies among the worst vacations in movies?
Yes. National Lampoon’s Vacation and Withnail and I use disastrous trips for dark humour, proving that worst vacations in movies can also be very funny.
Why do audiences love disastrous holiday films?
Holidays are meant to be a break from real life, so watching them collapse creates tension, laughter and a strange comfort that our own trips could be worse.