8. The Nun
Release date: July 13, 2018 (USA)
Corin Hardy’s first film as a director, “The Hallow,” wasn’t really talked about. However, it received pretty good reviews, scoring a 71 percent aggregate review score on the Tomatometer and an average rating of 6.2. zThis gives us hope that this new entry in the ‘Conjuring’ universe will not suck and will be at least as good as “Annabelle 2: Creation,” a film that turned out to be much better than expected.
“The Nun” will take place in Romania where, in 1952, a nun, a Catholic priest and a novitiate are sent by the Vatican to investigate the mysterious suicidal death of a nun from Cârța Monastery. There they will confront Valak, the evil nun demon who you might know from the other films in the series.
There aren’t many Hollywood horror films filmed on location in Transylvania, so “The Nun” might at least feature some good-looking sceneries. Let’s pray that the 1952 setting will make for a more atmospheric and less clichéd film.
9. The Little Stranger
Release date: August 31, 2018 (USA)
This horror film from the director of 2015’s “Room” and based on the gothic novel by Welsh author Sarah Waters sounds really promising.
“The Little Stranger,” which will feature among others Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter and Ruth Wilson, takes place in a post-World War II Great Britain and tells the story of Dr. Farady (Gleeson), who goes to look after a patient living in the house where his mother once worked as a nursemaid and which is said to be haunted by the ghost of the owner’s firstborn daughter.
Lucinda Coxon, who also wrote the screenplay for “The Danish Girl,” has adapted the successful 2009 novel to screen and, based on everything we know so far, this one looks like one of the safe bets in the crowd of upcoming 2018 horror films.
10. The House with a Clock in its Walls
Release date: September 21, 2018 (USA)
This upcoming Eli Roth film has a terrific cast including Cate Blanchett, Kyle MacLachlan and Jack Black. The story is adapted from the eponymous 1973 gothic novel by American writer John Bellairs and follows Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan who moves to live in the house of his mysterious uncle Jonathan Barnavelt (Jack Black). His uncle is a wizard and Lewis has to aid him in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world.
MacLachlan plays Isaac Izard, the sinister original owner of the house, and Blanchett plays Mrs. Zimmerman, a witch who is Jonathan Barnavelt’s neighbor and best friend.
Eli Roth has accustomed us to his graphic, violent horror films such as “Cabin Fever,” “Hostel” and the recent cannibal horror film “The Green Inferno.” However, “The House With a Clock in its Walls” might be a departure for the director, considering that the original source material is a horror novel mostly intended for younger readers.
11. Goosebumps: HorrorLand
Release date: October 12, 2018 (USA)
2015 saw the release of “Goosebumps,” a film based on R.L. Stine’s popular children horror series of the same name. While not really that scary, the film managed to be unexpectedly good and captured the spirit of the books, being equally funny, suspenseful and entertaining.
The new movie entitled “Goosebumps: HorrorLand” will most likely feature the creepy theme park which first appeared in the sixteenth “Goosebumps” book, ”One Day at HorrorLand,” and spawned an entire arc of new books starting in 2009. Jack Black is set to return as horror master R.L. Stine and Slappy the Dummy is also said to make an appearance in the new movie.
An amusement park filled with scary rides sounds like the perfect setup for another “Goosebumps” film, and we can only hope that the sequel will be as fun as the original.
12. Halloween
Release date: October 19, 2018 (USA)
Forty years after the first “Halloween” film, we are about to get a new entry (the 11th one) in the popular slasher franchise. What’s special about this one is the return of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode and Nick Castle as Michael Myers – Castle never played the character again after the original film. David Gordon Green, who also made the recent critically acclaimed film “Stronger,” is helming the new entry in the franchise. Moreover, John Carpenter, the original director, will serve as the executive producer and creative consultant.
The new movie will continue the story 40 years after the events from the first film in the franchise and will disregard the countless sequels from canon. Considering the fact that most of the sequels weren’t the best movies out there, this decision might be for the best.
The original “Halloween” is still regarded as one of the best horror movies of all time, and we are really hopeful that this new film will rise to the expectations.
13. The House That Jack Built
Release date: November 29, 2018 (possibly earlier at the Cannes Film Festival)
Lars von Trier will finally be back this year with “The House That Jack Built,” a psychological-horror film and his first movie in five years. The film stars Matt Dillon as Jack, a serial killer from Washington who’s committed five murders during 12 years spanning from the 70s to the 80s. Also starring in the film are Uma Thurman, Bruno Ganz and Ed Speleers.
From “Antichrist” to the sexually explicit “Nymphomaniac,” von Trier has got us used to his highly controversial movies, and we expect this new entry to his catalogue to be just as great as the rest of his work.
14. Suspiria
Release date: TBA
“Call Me By Your Name” director Luca Guadagnino is helming this remake of the classic Dario Argento film “Suspiria.” The original “Suspiria” is considered one of the masterpieces of the horror genre. While it is a great looking film with a stellar soundtrack, seen in 2018, “Suspiria” can, unfortunately, feel dated to many viewers.
This reinterpretation of the original film is said to focus more on the story and less on the looks, and this is exactly what a 2018 version of “Suspiria” needs and maybe what the old one lacked. With a promising cast including Chloë Grace Moretz, Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton, “Suspiria” follows an American student (Johnson) who attends a prestigious German dance academy. However, the academy isn’t what it seems at first, and beneath the appearances there seem to lurk some dark secrets.
15. The Field Guide to Evil
Release date: TBA
This feature-length anthology horror film is being directed by eight horror filmmakers from around the world. Among them include the directors of recent great horror films “Goodnight Mommy,” “Veronica” and “The Lure.”
“The Field Guide to Evil” is said to be a film about “myths, lore and folktales that have captivated, galvanized, and frightened communities throughout history. “
The film was officially given a greenlight last year after a successful crowdfunding campaign, and has yet to get an official trailer and a release date.