MONTH IN REVIEW: JULY 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 been happening this month and a glimpse of what we can expect in the coming weeks...

Where last month was a little frantic on the horror front, July has been a bit more sedate. Three horror releases hit the big screen and although they all performed well critically (all scoring over 70% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences were not quite so enthused. First up was MaXXXine, the final part of Ti West’s X film trilogy. Fans of X (2021) and Pearl (2022) have been eagerly awaiting this for a year and the retro style trailers only added to fan anticipation. We didn’t quite get the explosive finale that we were hoping for, however. More noir crime thriller than horror, the film looks and sounds great, and Goth is as good as you’d expect but the plot and characters just felt a little flat this time round. Although it’s still recommended, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t a little disappointed. In a Violent Nature was another film that had been getting a lot of good word of mouth, predominantly due to some early festival screenings. This is one of those films that is going to get a reaction from most people that see it. I think it will appeal to genre fans more than mainstream audiences as it really does feel like an attempt at an elevated slasher. I referred to it as an ‘anti-slasher’ in my review because its attempts at subverting genre tropes can come across as a perceived disdain for the genre and its audience. I personally don’t think it is trying to troll us in any way, even if those extended scenes of its masked killer traipsing through woodland do test our patience somewhat. Some of it works and some of it doesn’t but the film should be applauded for at least trying to do something different with the slasher genre. Those who are tired of legacy sequels and all the baggage that come with it might find In a Violent Nature is quite refreshing.

Last and by no means least, July also saw the release of Osgood Perkins' Longlegs – a film that has been generating a lot of hype. As well all know, hype may get bums on seats, but it also raises expectation levels. Phrases such as ‘scariest movie of the last twenty years’ were thrown around before its release and when audiences finally got to see a trailer, it really did look like it might be as terrifying as early critic reviews were suggesting. But that hype may have harmed the movie a little because although there is a lot to admire about Longlegs, it isn’t as terrifying as some may have liked it to be. Perkins didn’t really have anything to do with the film's creepy (and hugely successful) marketing however and I am just not sure that he was even trying to make a film that scared the shit out the audience all the time. I think in a few years it will probably be considered a bit of a classic though and in terms of the Nic Cage debate, we thought he was genuinely unsettling as the eponymous villain. (Oh there she is! The almost birthday giiirl!) Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Kill is also worth mentioning quickly because although it isn’t a horror film per se, there is enough violence and brutality for it to at least be considered adjacent!

In terms of the box office numbers, things have been relatively good. MaXXXine has taken just under $20m worldwide, which is more than both Pearl and X. That’s not a bad return for a film that reportedly cost a couple of million quid to make. In a Violent Nature has had a limited theatrical run but has still turned over $4.5m worldwide but it’s Longlegs that’s the standout. It’s still playing in cinemas and has taken just under $70m worldwide. Not too shabby for a film that genuinely feels a bit too dark and offbeat to have had that level of appeal!. It’s been one of the surprise hits of the summer! But hey, that’s what good marketing can do! Again, Neon have stated that the film cost less than $10m to produce so it looks like all three films have been successes both critically and financially. Yay for horror!

With regards to other releases, there wasn’t too much else about. Lords of Misrule hit Shudder and lauded Korean horror Sleep officially got a theatrical release, although a very limited one here in the UK. It’s playing at some select cinemas in August however so we will be reviewing it this month instead.

In terms of the month ahead, we have a clutch of films that were at the cinema earlier in the year coming to DVD and streaming; The First Omen, The Strangers: Chapter 1, Tarot, Night Swim and Sting will all be available. There’s also the hilariously titled Slotherhouse, which will be released on DVD on the 12th. We haven’t seen it yet but from all accounts it’s a lot of fun (how can a film about a killer sloth NOT be?!) Then we have three cinema releases; a sequel, a remake and an original. It’s the first one that is going to cause the biggest stir. It’s been a while since we had a decent Alien film. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant have their fans but neither come close to the original two films in either tone or quality. There’s a lot of pressure on director Fede Alvarez to deliver the goods and we’re quietly confident that Alien: Romulus is going to be a crowd pleaser. One thing’s for sure, even with a big budget, it’s still going to make a heap of money. That’s out on the 16th and then a week later, we get Rupert Sanders' reboot of The Crow, which feels a bit like a remake that nobody has asked for. The original is such a cult favourite and there’s a good chance that films legacy will weigh heavily on this new iteration. The 23rd also sees the release of Cuckoo – a film whose release has already been pushed back several times. A bit like Longlegs, this film has a bit of hype around it due to an ambiguous trailer and smart marketing. An 81% score on Rotten Tomatoes from those critics lucky enough to see it at festivals raises hopes somewhat too. For a list of all August’s releases, click here.

News wise, there’s not been too much happening but a few things worth mentioning. Firstly, despite it only being released very recently, it has been confirmed that In a Violent Nature is to get a sequel. Feels like a bit of a gamble as half the people who have seen it won’t be interested in a follow up but if they keep the budget small, then it could be a clever move and potentially start a brand-new slasher franchise. Talking of slasher franchises, Neve Campbell told Entertainment Tonight that Scream VII will go back to its roots and that Sidney Prescott will be the main player once again. Which let’s face it, is good news right? Especially after the way the whole series looked to be on its knees just a matter of months ago. Blumhouse announced that M3gan 2 had officially begun production and filming is underway in New Zealand. The release date has been pushed back a little too – to May 16th next year. And Marcus Dunstan, director of The Collector (2009) and The Collection (2012) raised hopes that a third film in the franchise, The Collected, was back in development. Legal matters have meant that there’s been a huge delay in getting the movie off the ground and Dunstan also said that they weren’t rushing into anything. So we probably will get to see the masked psychopath return (the Collector, not Dunstan) but we may have to wait a couple of years. Finally, Pigeon Shrine Frightfest announced a killer line-up for anyone lucky enough to get to London later this month. The festival opens with Broken Bird and also includes titles such as Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, Mickey Keating’s Invader and Elric Kane’s The Dead Thing. Plus about 60 others! Tickets can be booked at www.frightfest.co.uk.

July also saw the release of a few trailers that should pique your interest hopefully. Although only a teaser, the fact we’re getting a new Hell House LLC film (Called Lineage) will delight fans of the found-footage series. Afraid stars David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) and is about a sinister AI home security device. What’s not to love there eh? And we also had a trailer drop for Netflix’s new horror The Deliverance – which was a film that created a huge bidding war between production houses. It premieres at the end of the month too so there’s not too long to wait either.

Finally, I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of Final Cut, the newly released card game from the guys at The Evolution of Horror podcast, for my birthday. It’s beautiful to look at, easy to learn and highly addictive. Highly recommended and if you’re interested, the game is available via the EOH website.