MONTH IN REVIEW: AUGUST 2024

It's not always easy to keep track of the world of horror day-to-day. So here's a round up of what's happened last month and a glimpse of what we can expect in the coming weeks...

August’s horror releases gave us a pretty clear snapshot of where the genre stands at the moment. We got a mix of quirky originals, a legacy sequel, a remake, and a rather questionable Netflix offering. Let’s begin with the biggest release of the month: Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus. It raked in just under $300 million at the box office, practically ensuring a sequel. With a 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems to have resonated well with audiences too. While Alvarez’s version packs more action than Ridley Scott’s recent Alien films, it still suffers from the baggage of previous instalments. No one needed the ‘get away from her, you bitch line’ did they, let’s be honest. Hopefully any sequel will eschew some of the fan service and double down on the action instead. Lionsgate’s remake of The Crow, on the other hand, hasn’t fared as well. Fans of the 1994 cult classic starring Brandon Lee were hesitant from the get-go, and it shows—Rupert Sanders’ version fell out of the U.S. box office top ten by its second week and has yet to reach the $20 million mark. It marks a bad month for Lionsgate who also saw Borderlands flop in spectacular fashion too. For those who did make the effort to go and see The Crow, most will have left unsatisfied. It’s not terrible. Just pointless and quite dull.

I’ll tell you what film isn’t dull though – Tilman Singer’s absolutely bonkers Cuckoo, a film that more than lives up to its name. It’s imperfect but wonderfully weird, with Dan Stevens stealing the show with perhaps his most over-the-top and campy role to date. Although it won’t make much of a profit, it’s just cool to see a glut of films released theatrically that aren’t afraid to shake things up a little. Now, M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap also falls into this category. It’s whacky and a bit all over the place and quite bad in parts but again, at least it’s offering something a little different from most predictable studio horrors. Josh Hartnett is still as cool as ever and looks to be enjoying himself, you just wish old M. Night didn’t focus so much of the film on his daughter’s dance/singing segments. We’re here for some intrigue and tension, not pop music! Netflix closed out the month with The Deliverance, a supernatural horror starring Andra Day and Glenn Close. While Close’s performance is delightfully wild, the film itself, despite a frantic final 10 minutes, delivers very few scares. And if the rumored $60 million Netflix paid for it is true, that’s pretty nuts.

With summer officially over (boo!) and spooky season upon us, September’s horror lineup promises more variety. Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated and one of the first to reach audiences this month (6th). Like The Crow, the original is an absolute cult favourite. But the difference here is that this isn’t a remake, it’s a sequel. One where the OG director (Burton) and leading man (Keaton) are back and that’s always going to sit better with fans. Early critical reviews are quite positive too. Also released on the 6th on Shudder is The Demon Disorder; an Australian body horror which marks the debut feature of veteran Special FX whizz Steven Boyle. John Noble’s in it, so it’s worth watching for that fact alone.

Like The Crow, no one really asked for a remake of the 2022 Danish sleeper hit Speak No Evil, yet we have been given one anyway. I get why Blumhouse have decided to make it (lots of people don’t ‘do’ subtitles for some reason) and the inclusion of James McAvoy means it probably won’t be bad but I don’t know, it’s a tough one to get enthused about. The fact it’s an American remake means that the tone might not be quite as bleak too, which would only further enrage fans of the original. Let’s wait and see. AI horror is something that has been on the rise (M3gan, AfrAId) and on the 13th we get the chance to see Megan Fox as a super-hot domestic robot that becomes self-aware in Subversive. I mean, that’s not going to end well, is it? A week later and The Substance is released in cinemas nationwide. The trailers look a bit intense and the critics have been lapping it up with some saying it’s Demi Moore’s best ever performance. Hopefully the hype won’t do it a disservice when it does get a general release.

Oddity finally gets a release (on Shudder) on the 27th. This is a film that has also received some rave reviews from those who have seen it on the festival circuit. Director Damien Mc Carthy’s previously directed Caveat (2020), which was a bit of a nerve jangler and from all accounts we could be in for something even more unsettling. For those who don’t know what it’s about, it centres on a blind medium who visits the house where her sister was murdered a year ago. It sounds like it’s got everything too. Psychics, mental institutions, remote country houses, wooden mannequins…

On the same day, Alexandre Aja’s Never Let Go is released at cinemas. The trailers make it look like someone blended A Quiet Place with Birdbox – and it’s got Halle Berry in it too. We’re quite looking forward to that one. And finally, also on the 27th, the Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A is released on Paramount Plus. Rosemary’s Baby feels like a film that thankfully hasn’t been spoiled too much by additional franchise entries so we’re intrigued to see this. The supremely talented Julia Garner (Ozark) leads the cast whilst it’s helmed by Natalie Ericka James, whose also directed perhaps the best film of Frightfest 2020, Relic.

Speaking of Frightfest, August was also notable for the UK’s premiere horror festival, which wrapped up on August 26. Highlights included Bookworm, a surprisingly sweet horror adventure starring Elijah Wood; Shelby Oaks, a chilling true crime-inspired docudrama; Test Screening, an 80s nostalgia-fueled mix of body horror and sci-fi; and Strange Darling, a thrilling serial killer flick filled with unexpected twists. There are plenty more worth mentioning but, you know, we can’t be here all day.

There was quite a lot happening in the world of horror in terms of news. We’re getting a new chapter in the Wolf Creek saga, with John Jarrett returning for a third movie. It’s not entirely clear if this follows on from the other two or is some kind of reboot. The latter would seem a bit of an odd choice if you ask me. Speaking of actors reprising roles, Sigoruney Weaver got us all excited by saying that she would consider returning for a new Alien movie: 'How much does the public really need or want another Ripley movie? I don't really sit around and think about it, but if it came up, I would consider it. It has come up a bunch of times, but I'm also busy doing other things. Ripley has earned her rest.' Sure, it doesn’t sound as if she’s chomping at the bit but neither was Jamie Lee Curtis and look how that turned out. Well not great if you’re talking about the quality of the latest Halloween trilogy but hey, she was up for it at least!

And we’re not done yet with the whole ‘stars open to returning to film franchises they starred in’ news! Brandy has said she may appear in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer movie. She was probably the best thing in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer so that would be cool. Plus, Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr are also set to make a return. Yay, reunion!

A new Jurassic World film is on the horizon—Jurassic World: Rebirth—though fans hoping for more dinosaur action might be disappointed by its pharma-plot. If the previous trilogy taught us anything, it’s that most of us didn’t sign up for the DNA/pharma stuff. More T-Rex and less of that please. Meanwhile, Greg McLean, director of Wolf Creek, is working on The First Exorcist, a biblical-era exorcism movie that could offer a fresh take on a tired subgenre.

In more lighthearted news, Paul Rudd and Jack Black are reportedly in talks to star in an Anaconda remake—except, this time, it’s a meta take about friends trying to recreate their favorite childhood movie. Tom Gormican will direct with Brad Fuller producing. But guys, please don’t invite Jon Voight back to the party…

A24’s Friday 13th inspired Crystal Lake series has confirmed a new showrunner; Brad Caleb Kane. The series was announced nearly two years ago but has been in a bit of disarray, with previous showrunner Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) leaving the project earlier this year. Kane, who also worked on the IT prequel mini-series Welcome to Derry, will also act as writer and executive producer. A24 getting involved with the slasher genre eh? This one should be interesting…Speaking of things that were announced back in 2022, Netflix’s animated Ghostbusters series has finally been given the green light. Plot details are under wraps but it looks as if it is going to be tied in with the latest iterations of the franchise, rather than the originals. Which makes it all sound a little less exciting if we’re honest.

Finally, Longlegs, the highest-grossing indie of the year, passed the $100 million mark at the box office—a huge win for dark, subversive films in mainstream cinema. Long may it continue.

Trailer wise, there were a handful released last month worth mentioning. Out Come the Wolves does nothing for the reputation of wolves as harmless, cuddly dogs. The Front Room, directed by Sam and Max Eggers (brothers of Robert!) looks to be a heady combination of A24, racial themes and creepy old women. Now, Die Alone looks like it could be fun. Firstly, it’s directed by Lowell Dean, who brought us the absurd WolfCop (2014) and secondly it stars Carrie Ann Moss and Frank Grillo. Plot wise, it’s about zombies or survivalism or something, but who really cares? Did you hear me when I said Frank Grillo is in it?! Finally, more thriller than horror perhaps, but the trailer for Amber Alert looks pretty tasty. Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams star as a couple of car-poolers who think the car ahead of them fits the description of a vehicle involved in a child abduction. Cue high tension and car chases!

So, that was August—quite a busy month for horror! With September’s diverse releases and Halloween on the horizon, there’s plenty more to look forward to. I’ll be gearing up for October’s 31-day horror movie challenge and can’t wait to dive in! I’ll be doing the Nightmare on Film Street challenge but there are several others out there to choose from. Get involved, you’ve still got three weeks to plan your schedule!