2018 is set to be an exciting year
for horror films. Personally, I don’t think anything will top my love for the horrors
of 2017 as I’m still forcing everyone around me to watch the IT remake.
However, 2018 definitely looks promising with its long list of horror films
that are set to be released. From new concepts to the return of beloved horror
icons, we have a lot to get hyped over.
The Strangers: Prey at Night - The long-awaited sequel of the 2008 film, The
Strangers: Prey At Night is about a family road trip gone wrong when three
masked strangers show up in the middle of the night. The family, on their way
to visit relatives in a secluded trailer park, find it mysteriously deserted
and are now in a fight for their lives as the masked trio terrorize them.
The Predator - A revival of the
Predator series, the fourth installment is set to take place between Predator 2
(1990) and Predators (2010). The director is Shane Black, who previously
directed Iron Man 3 and also had a supporting role in the original 1987 film. The
star-studded cast includes: Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key,
Jacob Tremblay, Sterling K. Brown and many others. The supposed plot follows a
group of veteran soldiers being transported to a hospital when one of the men
on the bus reveals that he’s been targeted by the U.S military because he
witnessed one of the Predator ships landing. Of course, that doesn’t go over
well with the soldiers but unbeknownst to them, a bigger threat awaits.
Halloween - The return of horror-icon Michael Myers is set
to be released this October. The eleventh installment of the series comes from
the minds of filmmakers and long-time fans of the series, David Gordon Green
and Danny McBride. It’s set to take place forty years after the original
Halloween, with fan favorites Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle reprising their roles
as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. (This is the film I’m the most stoked
about!)
A Quiet Place – Real-life couple,
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt star in this thrilling attack-of-the-senses
flick about a family trying to survive their daily lives by living in silence
due to the threat of strange creatures that hunt by sound. The tagline “If they
hear you, they hunt you” rings true as you see the family attempting to navigate
through their daily lives in complete silence – going to extreme measures to
not make any sudden noises that might attract the creatures lurking about. Fun
fact: Krasinksi, who also directed and co-wrote the film sought out a deaf
actress to play their daughter, explaining he didn’t want someone who’s not
deaf pretending to be.
The Nun – Back at it again with
another spin-off of from The Conjuring universe. This film is a spin-off of
2016’s The Conjuring 2 and is the backstory for the character, Valek. The plot
is set in 1952 Romania when a nun, and Catholic priest, and a novitiate are
sent by the Vatican to investigate the suicide of a nun. While there, they come
face-to-face with Valek, a demon who has taken the blasphemous form of a nun.
The film stars American Horror Story’s Taissa Farmiga, Charlotte Hope, Demian
Birchir, and Bonnie Aarons as Valek.
Pumpkinhead – There’s been talk of
a Pumpkinhead remake for a couple of years now but apparently, we can expect a
release sometime this year. Peter Block, who previously produced Saw is set to produce
this film as well. The original film is
a vengeful tale about a father, stricken with grief over the death of his son,
who summons a demon called Pumpkinhead to exact his revenge on the teens
responsible. It’s also a pretty badass song by The Misfits.
The First Omen – Over 40 years ago,
The Omen introduced us to a young boy named Damien, who just so happened to be
the Antichrist. Not only did it have an amazing score, but it terrorized
audiences everywhere – with scares that still hold up to this day. It sparked
two sequels and the 2006 remake and now this year, we will supposedly get a
prequel. It’s strange, considering the original film serves as an origin story
but seeing as Damien was adopted, I’m only guessing that we will see what led
to his birth.
The First Purge – The next installment in
the Purge series will be a prequel, alternatively titled The Purge: The Island.
The film will focus on the events that led to the U.S deciding that they needed
to implement the “Purge Night.” The New Founding Fathers of America, decide to
test out the first “purging” for one night on an island community, but when the
“violence of the oppressors meets the rage of the marginalized,” the experiment
goes haywire and spreads beyond the community borders.
The House That Jack Built – In this
upcoming psychological horror-thriller directed and written by Lars von Trier,
Matt Dillion stars as a serial killer named Jack. The story spans over the
course of 12 years, depicting the murders that took place. Trier explained the
film portrays the “idea that life is evil and soulless.” The film also stars
Uma Thurman and Riley Keough. Trier is known for other films such as the bleak
tale about the stages of grief, Antichrist, and the sexually explicit drama,
Nymphomaniac, so there’s no telling what’s in store for us in this flick.
Truth or Dare – A “seemingly
harmless” game of truth or dare turns deadly when someone – or something –
begins punishing those who tell a lie or refuse a dare. The film stars Lucy
Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane, Nolan Gerard Funk, and others in this teen
slasher from Blumhouse Productions. Blumhouse is also responsible for producing
other horror films such as Get Out, Insidious, The Purge, Paranormal Activity,
Sinister, and Happy Death Day so I’m definitely looking forward to this film.
Annihilation – This sci-fi horror
film is based on the novel of the same name. Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa
Thompson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Oscar Issac star in this film about a group
of military scientists who enter the “Shimmer”, an environmental zone that’s
full of mutating landscapes and creatures.
Slice – You gotta love a good
horror-comedy. The film was shot in secret in Chicago as a collaboration with
A24 and Chance the Rapper and centers around an “enigmatic outlaw” that’s
framed for a string of murders involving unsuspecting pizza delivery boys. The film also stars Zazi Beetz, Paul Scheer,
and the love of my life Joe Keery.
Grab your popcorn.
