By Corina Mendoza
2019 will definitely be the year for horror movies. Producers all over the world are going for more terrifying narratives that will give viewers so many sleepless nights. Perhaps this new focus on horror movies has something to do with the fact that horror productions in the past years have been decreasing in quality, leaving viewers wanting to go back to the golden days of the genre.
Think about it, in the past decade, only a few stories and franchises like James Wan’s Insidious (2010) and The Conjuring (2013) have managed to convince most fans, but not with the same eagerness as films like The Exorcist (1973) or Psycho (1960). So, for those picky and really strict fans, this year promises a lot with some movies even claiming to become instant classics. Here are some of the most promising:
Read more: 10 Nightmare-Inducing Horror Movies Based On True Stories
Us
(Dir. Jordan Peele)
Plot: A family, led by Lupita Nyong’o, goes on a road trip in an attempt to find some peace in their agitated lives. However, as it tends to happen when traveling, things never go as planned. It all changes when the beach, which represented for them a place for relaxation and fun, suddenly gets filled with strange characters threatening their lives.
About the director: We’re talking about Jordan Peele, the man who gave us one of the best horror films of the past decades, the highly acclaimed Get Out (2017). According to him, though the concept of Us is completely different to his debut film, though it still deals with racism in America.
Release date: It was released on March 22, so if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing a real gem.
Pet Sematary
(Dir. Kevin Kölsch & Dennis Widmyer)
Plot: This is a new remake of the adaptation of one of Stephen King’s most successful classics. According to the producers, this movie attempts a more faithful adaptation of the original text while keeping the eerie and sinister atmosphere of the 1989 movie.
About the directors: This powerful filmmaker duo debuted with Starry Eyes, a movie in which an aspiring actress gets involved in a satanic cult.
Release date: April 5
Midsommar
(Dir. Ari Aster)
Plot: Music festivals are always the best place to make new friends, discover new places, and take a look at where society is going. For locals, it’s also a great chance to go hunting for unwary tourists… literally. This films tells the story of a couple who, instead of having the trip of their dreams at a huge music festival, end up finding hell.
About the director: If you were one of the millions who got permanently disturbed with last year’s Hereditary, you might wanna skip this one, because Aster is back with his second movie as director. You might expect some extreme violence and the purest and subtlest horror. Just remember that Hereditary was named the scariest movie of all times, so…. watch it at your own risk.
Release date: July 3
The Lighthouse
(Dir. Robert Eggers)
Plot: Lighthouses have some eeriness that provoke curiosity and horror. Now imagine that with this director’s choice of presenting a dark story in black and white. In this lighthouse, Robert Pattinson and William Dafoe encounter a macabre situation right in the middle of an abandoned beach. Both actors have claimed this was one of the hardest films they’ve ever made.
About the director: Eggers is the one and only creator of the disturbing film The Witch. This time, he decided to work on the original script as well as the direction, so this film will actually be a window to his most sinister film vision in what’s being called the next Nosferatu.
Release date: TBA
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In the Tall Grass
(Dir. Vincenzo Natali)
Plot: Two brothers travel the solitary highways of Kansas until they hear someone screaming for help from a meadow. Without thinking too much, they decide to help, but they get lost in the green immensity of the meadow while the screams become louder and more desperate. In case you haven’t figured out the plot, this is also an adaptation from a Stephen King story we’ll be able to see soon on Netflix’s repertoire.
About the director: Some of Natali’s most famous works are Cube, Splice, and Hustle, which makes him the perfect filmmaker for a scary adaptation of the Master of Horror. He also collaborated in the film Paris, je t’aime with a short. Can you guess which one?
Release date: TBA
Ma
(Dir. Tate Taylor)
Plot: In the horror genre, it would seem that teenagers are easy prey to torture and kill, and it looks like Octavia Spencer thinks the same when her character decides to go after a group of teenagers. This happens when the group gets involved with Ma, a strange woman who offers them everything that’s forbidden. What they don’t know is the price they need to pay to get it.
About the director: We’ve already seen Taylor’s work in the highly acclaimed The Help and The Girl on the Train. This time, he’s showing us his most sinister and sadistic side.
Release date: May 31
Jacob’s Ladder
(Dir. David M. Rosenthal)
Plot: This is a remake of the cult film with the same name that caused a huge controversy in the nineties. It’s a disturbing film that tells the story of a Vietnam War veteran who suffers from hallucinations. The story takes you into his dark world, as he tries to survive PTSD and his own despair. According to the producers, we should expect a slight change in the plot by the end of the movie.
About the director: He’s given us movies like The Perfect Guy, A Single Shot, and How It Ends. This one, though, will be his darkest and most complex film.
Release date: TBA
BrightBurn
(Dir. David Yarovesky)
Plot: Superman is one of DC’s most popular heroes. He’s kind, introverted, and like every other superhero, he came to our planet to save humanity. This argument is as known as the fact that the Earth is round, but in this film, that premise is turned around to reflect an alternative universe in which the superhero becomes the most fearsome character in history. You won’t see the red-cape hero the same way.
About the director: He’s a relatively young filmmaker who has shown the world his talents with the movie The Hive. We hope his new and fresh vision gives us one of the most sinister films of the year.
Release date: May 24
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The Lodge
(Dir. Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala)
Plot: A woman gets trapped with her fiance’s children in a cabin in a remote village. After trying so hard to bond with her soon-to-be stepchildren, she finally gets somewhere, but a series of strange situations threaten to kill their vibe, and well, them.
About the directors: Do you remember the disturbing Goodnight Mommy? Well, these Swedish filmmakers were responsible for it too. After taking a break, they’re finally back with this new production that seems just as scary.
Release date: TBA
Dr. Sleep
(Dir. Mike Flanagan)
Plot: If you love The Shining you might want to take a look at this sequel. Here Dany is already forty years old and has inherited pretty much all the toxic traits his father had. He’s bad tempered, an alcoholic, and has a constant battle with frustration. On top of that, his peculiar gift has started to fade, making him even more frustrated.
About the director: Mike Flanagan has already taken some of Stephen King’s classics not to mention the massive success of his Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House. Perhaps of all filmmakers out there, he’s the best one to give the classic Kubrick film its sequel.
Release date: November 8
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These ten films have been exciting horror fans since they were announced, but they’re definitely not the only ones that will be released this year. There are about 20 more movie releases to feed the genre might not be making that much noise out there, but still look great. So, get ready to be seriously scared, because this year promises a new golden age for horror movies.
Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
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