HORROR FILMS WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2020
2019 is done and whilst it was a pretty solid year in terms of genre releases, 2020 looks set to knock it out of the park. To whet your appetite, we've compiled a list of all genre films slated for a 2020 release that we can't wait to see.
The Grudge
(Director: Nicolas Pesce)
A house is cursed by a vengeful ghost that dooms those who enter it with a violent death.
One of a number of remakes in the pipeline this year, we're usually a bit lukewarm on remaking American remakes of J-Horror classics but as the last version of The Grudge was a little lukewarm, we're kind of excited about this one. Upcoming horror prospect Nicolas Pesce (Piercing) should bring some fresh energy to proceedings and let's face it, it can't be any worse than last year's failed reboot of 'The Ring'.
Underwater
(Director: William Eubank)
A crew of aquatic researchers work to get to safety after an earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory. But the crew has more than the ocean seabed to fear.
We've got a soft spot for aquatic horror as it is, but the trailers for this look really promising. It sort of looks like a cross between The Abyss and Aliens – with Kristen Stewart looking like a peroxide Ripley.
The Turning
(Director: Floria Sigismondi)
A young governess is hired by a man who has become responsible for his young nephew and niece after the deaths of their parents. A modern take on Henry James' novella "The Turn of the Screw".
A modern take on The Turning of the Screw is something that should have been done years ago and thankfully this year we are going to see Henry James' novella come to life on the big screen once more. Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) is in it too.
The Invisible Man
(Director: Leigh Whannell)
When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
Director Leigh Whannell (Saw, Indisious Chapter 3) is a guy who is making great strides in the world of film-making and the trailers for a long overdue update of the fabulous Invisible Man look really intriguing. Elisabeth Moss playing the lead role is an added bonus too.
Mystery Island
(Director: Jeff Wadlow)
The enigmatic Mr Roarke makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort, but when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island's mystery in order to escape with their lives.
One of Blumhouse's slate of film for release this year is the ultra fun looking Mystery Island, based on the popular 1970's show. Sure Director Jeff Wadlow was responsible for Truth or Dare (2018) but hey, everyone us allowed one mistake.
A Quiet Place Part II
(Director: John Krasinki)
Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realise that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
One of the best films of 2018 was undoubtedly John Krasinki's A Quiet Place, a film that oozed tension due to it's high concept (but really simple) plot. The trailer has just been released for the second film and it looks bigger and more action packed that its predecessor.
Candyman
(Director: Jordan Peele)
A "spiritual sequel" to the 1992 horror film 'Candyman' that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began.
A new Candyman film is pretty exciting. And the fact that it's being directed by Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) only adds to the hype. Throw in the fact that Tony Todd is returning and we're all in on this one.
The Purge 5
(Director: Everardo Gout)
Plot unknown. The fifth and final installment of 'The Purge' film series.
The Purge franchise started out on rocky territory with a flawed home invasion flick but has since gone on to spawn several sequels and a TV series, all of which mix social and political commentary with action and gore. Although the details on the fifth movie are light on the ground, we do know that it is the last in the series. You know, until it's rebooted in 2025 or something.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
(Director: Michael Chaves)
Plot unknown. Third installment of the Conjuring franchise.
Another where the plot details are not official, it is thought it may revolve around the real life case of a man on trial for committing a murder who claimed that the devil made him do it (hence the title) What we do know is that Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will reprise their roles and that we can expect the usual quiet quiet bang thrills that these films have served up over the last few years.
Halloween Kills
(Director: David Gordon Green)
The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode continues in the next thrilling chapter of the Halloween series.
After a number of inadequate reboots, Blumhouse breathed new life into the Michael Myers saga with their impressive 'Halloween' in 2018. A trilogy has already been confirmed and we all get to see Myers wreak havoc once again this October. We can't wait.
Antlers
(Director: Scott Cooper)
A small-town Oregon teacher and her brother, the local sheriff, become entwined with a young student harboring a dangerous secret with frightening consequences.
Produced by Guillermo Del Toro's new mystery horror looks really quite dark – certainly more sinister than most of his other body of work. With Scott Cooper behind the camera too, this one looks like it could be a real treat.
The New Mutants
(Director: Josh Boone)
Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.
The blurring between comic book/superhero fare and the horror genre was already explored last year with Brightburn and (to a lesser extent) Joker. Well it looks as if we have something that ramps up the horror aspect even more to look forward to in 2020. It looks like a genre version of X-Men.
Saw 9
(Director: Darren Lynn Bousman)
Plot details kept under wraps. Described as a re-imagining of the horror film 'Saw'.
I know. Another Saw movie. When are they going to just give it up huh? Still, it's one of the most successful (and profitable) horror franchises ever to date and you just have to hope that Bousman wouldn't have revisited it if he didn't have some kind of fresh angle on things. We'll wait and see.
Amityville 1974
(Director: Casey La Scala)
This is a story that takes its jumping-off point from the true facts surrounding the Defeo tragedy, but also focuses on the human drama that took place inside a family as they were relentlessly stalked by a terrifying evil.
The Amityville horror is one of those stories that has been told numerous times and again, despite the original and Melissa George remake, most of them have failed to hit the mark. So why not have another go?! Well, director Casey La Scala is doing exactly that. Plot details are thin on the ground but you know the drill. Guy kills family, people move in and are haunted by ghosts and demons and shit.
The Pale Door
(Aaron B. Koontz)
After a train robbery goes bad, two brothers leading a gang of cowboys must survive the night in a ghost town inhabited by a coven of witches.
Horror and western are two genres that feel like they could be a match made in heaven and yet we've not seen too many attempts – this is despite titles such as The Wind, The Burrowers and Bone Tomahawk all knocking out of the park. “It’s 3:10 To Yuma meets The Descent, but doused, and then set on fire with psychological horror,” teases Koontz. Sounds good to us.
Spell
(Director: Mark Tonderai)
A father survives a plane crash in rural Appalachia, but becomes suspicious of the elderly couple who take him in to nurse him back to health with the ancient remedies.
Ok so this is something of an unknown quantity but the plot sounds a bit like The Visit, but without the black comedy. And that's good enough for us.
The Crooked Man
(Director: Unknown)
A spin-off of The Conjuring franchise, it focuses on a character from an English nursery rhyme called "There Was a Crooked Man".
The Crooked Man featured in The Conjuring Part II and although there were plans to release an immediate spin-off, he was bumped for another villain from the same film – and The Nun was made instead. This one is in early pre-production (hence why a Director hasn't been attached yet) – but it's still very possible we'll get to see the Crooked Man on the big screen later this year.
Peninsular (Train to Busan 2)
(Director: Sang-ho Yeon)
Sequel to the 2016 South Korean zombie film.
Although there is an American remake already in the works for Sang-ho Yeon's fantastic Train to Busan, we're more excited by the Korean sequel which is currently in production. If it's anything like the original we are in for a hell of a ride.
Wrong Turn: The Foundation
(Director: Mike P. Nelson)
Friends hiking the Appalachian Trail are confronted by 'The Foundation', a community of people who have lived in the mountains for hundreds of years.
Wheras The Purge started as a franchise that got better as it went on, the exact opposite can be said for the Wrong Turn franchise. After a really enjoyable first movie, each sequel was worse than the one before it. But now we get a chance to wipe the slate clean! Let's hope they return it to its backwoods survivalist roots and not the infuriatin bullshit we all had to endure in the later movies.
The Night House
(Director: David Bruckner)
A widow begins to uncover her recently deceased husband's disturbing secrets.
David Bruckner is one of the rising names in horror so it'll be fascinating to see his latest feature which began principle photography in Spring last year. Rebecca Hall has been cast as the lead so there's another reason to get excited.
Godzilla vs Kong
(Director: Adam Wingard)
As the gigantic Kong meets the unstoppable Godzilla, the world watches to see which one of them will become King of the Monsters.
The fourth film in Legendary's Monsterverse franchise will see the mighty ape go up against the giant lizard in what is surely to be an action packed spectacle. Adam Wingard is directing too – a name familiar with genre fans for his work on You're Next and Blair Witch. Definitely one to see on the big screen.
The Witches
(Director: Robert Zemeckis)
Based on Roald Dahl's 1983 classic book 'The Witches', the story tells the scary, funny and imaginative tale of a seven year old boy who has a run in with some real life witches!
The 1990 Nicolas Roeg adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel is one of those that messed a few kids up back in the day. That scene where Angelica Huston peels off her witch face is the stuff of nightmares. A thirty year gap feels like long enough to attempt a modern take on it – and a cast that includes Octavia Spencer, Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci makes it even more appealing!
