2016 brought us The Witch, Don’t Breathe, The Conjuring 2, Green Room, and countless other horror success stories. So far this year, things haven’t been too shabby either. Split received the best reviews of a Shyamalan movie since Signs, and Get Out could potentially end up on quite a few critic top ten lists by the time the year is over. Those two movies have rightfully earned heaps of praise, but they’re not the only horror movies coming out this year.
As usual, random trailers will drop throughout the year for previously unheard of horror movies. Similarly, indie horror movies will sneak through the cracks. Those movies won’t make it on this particular list because the author doesn’t even know they exist at this point.
This list is for movies that we happen to know enough about to get excited. Some of these have already been screened for critics while others don’t even have a trailer yet. However, various factors have come together to create a list of movies that are well worth anticipated.
10. Flatliners
Who in the world asked for a new Flatliners movie? The original was released to middling reviews, and while it’s gained some sort of a cult following, that doesn’t seem like enough to warrant a new movie twenty-seven years later. So while the existence of the movie isn’t anything to get worked up about, there are plenty of things that make this an exciting future horror release.
For one, the cast is pretty outstanding for a horror movie. Ellen Page leads the pack, and Diego Luna has made sure to hop along for the ride. Rumor has it that Kiefer Sutherland will make a return as well. Cast doesn’t always make a great horror movie though. In fact, many big name horror movies end up relying solely on the cast. Natalie Dormer wasn’t enough to make The Forest watchable, and Page isn’t going to be enough to make Flatliners a great movie.
There are other things that should help the movie succeed. It’s directed by Niels Arden Oplev, who has quite a few solid movies under his belt. His recent work on Mr. Robot is reason enough to get excited for his involvement. It’s also written by the guy who gave us Source Code, which bodes well for the tone of the film. Those two things, along with the cast, should hopefully add up to a movie that’s actually better than the 1990 original.
9. Suspiria
Horror remakes are risky and they rarely live up to expectations, but that doesn’t stop people from looking forward to them. Foreign language horror remakes are even riskier. Remember One Missed Call? What about The Uninvited? Let’s not forget about the recent Martyrs remake. Okay, so maybe Hollywood doesn’t have the greatest track record when it comes to remaking foreign horror flicks. Suspiria is a horror cult classic though, and the remake has the right cast and crew to deliver a winner.
There hasn’t been very much promotional material for Suspiria because it’s in the middle of production. However, it’s easy to anticipate the movie because of everything else we know about it. It has big name cast members like Tilda Swinton and Chloe Grace Moretz, the director has a couple indie smash hits under his belt, and the original film has a rabid fan base.
Suspiria sits lower on this list because there’s plenty of room for error. The original movie is adored by millions of horror fans. That means that the inevitable changes made to the source material could theoretically ruin the original story. At the same time, these alterations could be welcome changes. If everyone involved is careful with how they tackle the material, then this remake could peacefully coexist with the original cult classic.
8. Safe Neighborhood
Safe Neighborhood doesn’t have a trailer yet. Hell, it doesn’t even have a poster. However, it does have a brief plot description and a few reviews. If you’re willing to do a bit of reading, you’ll learn that Safe Neighborhood is a horror movie that deserves to be on your radar.
After being described by Hollywood Reporter as a cross between Home Alone and Funny Games, people have plenty of reasons to be excited. Funny Games is a landmark home invasion achievement, so if Safe Neighborhood has the same kind of wit and intensity, then we’ve got a winner on our hands. The director may be fairly new to the scene, but the presence of Virgina Madsen and Patrick Warburton should also entice viewers.
It’s hard to talk too much about this movie because there hasn’t been a whole lot of information released. The information that has been released paints the movie as a future cult classic.
7. The Belko Experiment
The Belko Experiment has already gotten a few reviews, and they’re admittedly on the mixed side. However, with a screenplay by James Gunn and a directorial effort from Wolf Creek’s Greg McLean, The Belko Experiment should at least satisfy a solid chunk of horror fans.
Reviews have pointed out that The Belko Experiment fails a self-aware commentary but succeeds as a fun horror movie to watch with your buddies. If you keep your expectations in check, this movie may be the escapist slaughterhouse that’s so desperately needed in a sea of thematically complex indie horror flicks.
It shouldn’t be a huge surprise that the movie is more entertaining than it is smart. It’s from the guys who brought us Slither and Wolf Creek. If anything, the pure entertainment value should be enough for fans of those two movies. For fans needing some James Gunn to tide them over until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, this might do the trick.
6. The Blackcoat’s Daughter
The Blackcoat’s Daughter technically premiered in 2015, but it isn’t getting a wide release until the end of March. That 2015 premiere means that it, like some of the other movies on the list, has the advantage of getting some early press. Critics have already weighed in on it, and a trailer has also been released. The consensus among critics seems to be that it’s a phenomenal horror movie that avoids most horror cliches. It has been described as strange, hypnotic, and psychological.
In other words, it’s not your average horror flick. Being original doesn’t always mean being great. Sometimes weird horror movies are just weird and nothing more. The Blackcoat’s Daughter seems to be more than just strange for the sake of it. It genuinely looks like a movie that wants to get into your head and stay there. So far, people have claimed that it does a great job of blowing people’s minds.