Summer 2019 Horror Movie Preview | Bloody Disgusting
Films discussed:
Body at Brighton Rock – April 26
Director Roxanne Benjamin’s (Southbound, XX) feature debut sees an inexperienced state park employee in over her head when she’s forced to spend the night guarding a dead body on a remote mountain trail. Things get intense. Read our review, or our interview with Benjamin for more details.
I Trapped the Devil – April 26
Get a head start on your holiday horror with this yuletide chamber piece. Starring A.J. Bowen, Scott Poythress, and Susan Burke, a well-intentioned family gathering for Christmas turns into a paranoid conundrum when estranged brother Steve reveals he’s trapped what he believes to be the devil in his basement. Is it really the devil, or is Steve losing his grip? Writer/director Josh Lobo’s debut is steeped in ambiguity and atmosphere (our review).
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile – May 3 (Netflix)
Zac Efron stars as Ted Bundy and Lily Collins as Liz Kendall, this Netflix film follows the infamous crimes of Ted Bundy but through the eyes of his long-time girlfriend. Based on Kendall’s book The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, our own Meredith Borders reviewed the film out of Sundance, saying it’s “a pretty good time, but should it be?”
I’ll Take Your Dead – May 3
The latest by Chad Archibald (Bite, The Drownsman) follows William, a man whose rural farm home has become a dumping ground of dead bodies for the local mob. It’s so frequent that his daughter is convinced some of the bodies are haunting their home. William’s quiet life of making bodies disappear is unraveled when the latest victim dropped off isn’t quite as dead as everyone initially believed. Look for this one on VOD.
The Intruder – May 3
Meagan Good and Michael Ealy star as the young married couple who buy a new home but are horrified to discover the former owner can’t seem to let it go. Dennis Quaid looks to ham it up as the unhinged former owner, Charlie. The Intruder is directed by Deon Taylor (Chain Letter) and written by David Loughery (Nurse 3D).
The Convent – May 3
A period horror film set in the 17th century, the plot sees a young woman spared from execution and sent to a convent to repent instead. There she discovers things aren’t quite as they should be; something evil lurks within. Directed by Paul Hyett (Howl), look for horror vets Michael Ironside (Scanners) and Clare Higgins (Hellraiser). The Convent will be available on VOD.
BrightBurn – May 24
In a twisted alternative to Superman’s origin story, writers Brian and Mark Gunn ask, “What if the alien boy who crash landed on Earth wasn’t a hero, but evil?” Produced by James Gunn and directed by David Yarovesky (The Hive), BrightBurn takes the creepy kid trope to whole new supercharged levels. Elizabeth Banks stars as Tori, the adoptive mother of this particular evil child.
The Perfection – May 24 (Netflix)
Troubled music prodigy Charlotte (Get Out’s Allison Williams) seeks out star pupil Elizabeth (Logan Browning) at her former school, sending both down a path of shocking consequences. Our own Trace Thurman gave it a perfect score out of Fantastic Fest, saying “It’s all at once a horror film, a comedy, a revenge thriller, a character study, a trashy grindhouse flick and so much more.” And that’s all you need to know. Skip the trailers and go in blind.
Godzilla: King of Monsters – May 31
It’s going to be an epic battle among titans in the latest film by Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat, Krampus). And a beautiful one at that. A group of humans face off against Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. Godzilla stars Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Charles Dance, Kyle Chandler, Bradley Whitford, Ziyi Zhang, and more.
Ma – May 31
At first glance, Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) seems like the cool adult who befriends a group of teens and lets them use part of her home as a hangout/party zone. But Sue Ann’s behavior grows increasingly more bizarre, making them question whether they’ve let someone dangerous into their lives. This psychological thriller by Blumhouse looks to bring the crazy.
The Dead Don’t Die – June 14
From the mind of Jim Jarmusch (Only Lovers Left Alive) comes a new zombie comedy. This one centers on the town of Centerville, who finds them dealing with a zombie horde when the dead start rising from their graves. The Dead Don’t Die boasts an all-star cast featuring talent like Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Danny Glover, Iggy Pop, and many more.
Head Count – June 14
A weekend trip to Joshua Tree turns deadly when a group of friends unwittingly summon an evil presence that mimics their appearance to hide among them and complete a lethal ritual. The feature debut by Elle Callahan (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Krampus). Look for this one on VOD.
Child’s Play – June 21
The basic setup of this reboot is the same; a mother gives her son a doll for his birthday, unaware that the doll has homicidal tendencies. The similarities seem to end there, though, as Andy Barclay is much older and this iteration of Chucky is very high-tech (and voiced by Mark Hamill). Directed by Lars Klevberg (Polaroid), Child’s Play stars Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, and Tim Matheson.
Nightmare Cinema – June 21
Five strangers come together at a weird little theater run by The Projectionist (Mickey Rourke), who shows them their deepest fears via film. This horror anthology is the brainchild of horror master Mick Garris, and features five segments directed by horror’s best: Garris, Joe Dante, David Slade, Ryuhei Kitamura, and Alejandro Brugues.
Them That Follow – June 21
Set deep in the Appalachia mountains, this Gothic thriller features Oscar winner Olivia Colman. It follows members of an isolated community of Pentecostal snake handlers led by Pastor Lemuel (Walton Goggins) who risk their lives to attest themselves before God. Lemuel’s daughter (Alice Englert) harbors a secret that threatens to tear the community apart.
Annabelle Comes Home – June 28
In the third entry of this creepy doll’s spinoff series, Annabelle is let loose over one unholy night of terror while Ed and Lorraine Warren have left their 10-year-old daughter Judy home with a babysitter. Think Night at the Museum, but horror. While Annabelle may be the star, look for her to introduce new entities from the Warrens’ artifact room with spinoff potential of their own.
Midsommar – July 3
In Ari Aster’s highly anticipated follow up to Hereditary, Midsommar sees a woman reluctantly joining her boyfriend on a summer trip where things take a dark turn quickly. What Hereditary did for tragedy, look for Midsommar to do with breakups. Aster has described this one as “A Wizard of Oz for perverts,” so, we can expect madness ahead.
Crawl – July 12
The very premise indicates there will be every bit of the brutality we’ve come to expect from Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D). Kaya Scoledario stars as Haley, a young woman trapped in a flooding house full of alligators while trying to save her father during a Category 5 hurricane.
Brahms: The Boy II – July 26
Brahms is back, this time to make friends with a young boy after his family moves onto the Heelshire estate. Director William Brent Bell and writer Stacey Menear return from the first film. Katie Holmes stars, but look for The Witch’s Ralph Ineson as well. Given the third act twist from the first one, it’ll be interesting to see how this sequel will play out.
The New Mutants – August 2?
Included in Disney’s presentation at CinemaCon, all signs point to The New Mutants finally getting a release. But we’ve been down this road many times before, so we won’t hold our breath. Do we even care at this point? This horror spin on Marvel fare sees five young mutants discovering their powers while being held at a facility against their will. It stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Heaton.
The Nightingale – August 2
Jennifer Kent’s (The Babadook) sophomore feature Set in Tasmania in 1825, and follows a 21-year-old Irish female convict (Aisling Franciosi) who witnesses the brutal murder of her husband and baby by her soldier master and his cronies. Unable to find justice, she decides to claim revenge on her own. Our own Meredith Borders called it shockingly violent out of Sundance, saying, “Some of it is so mind-breakingly brutal that viewers will want to look away.”
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – August 9
Producer Guillermo del Toro and director André Øvredal aim to bring the beloved children’s horror books by Alvin Schwartz and illustrator Stephen Gammell to life this summer. The plot sees a group of young teens banding together to solve the mystery behind sudden, surprise deaths plaguing their town. Look for some of the books’ most popular characters and stories to be made a nightmarish reality, like the Big Toe.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged – August 16
What’s summer without a killer shark movie? Thankfully Johannes Roberts brings the summer horror staple back to the bring screen with a sequel to his sleeper hit 47 Meters Down. This time the plot sees four teens diving in a ruined underwater city only to find that they’ve entered the territory of the deadliest shark species, deep in the labyrinth of submerged cave tunnels.
It: Chapter Two – September 6
The Losers Club gang have all grown up and forgotten about that fateful summer that saw them battle with one terrifying evil beneath the town of Derry. Until a phone call brings them back to fight It once more, 27 years later. More Pennywise and more Losers Club? Yes, please