If you are a self-proclaimed professional horror movie critic like myself, you are in the right place. The horror genre seems to love recycling successful movies and making them into an entire franchise. Most of the time, the return of cult classics to the big screen brings excitement and anticipation to horror fans.
Not all of these flicks are remakes or sequels, but I did include some because of their bold promises.
Because we often see horror films being remade, there are also plots that are repetitively recycled. Lucky for us, 2018 has a horror movie forecast filled with fresh and interesting ideas. With movies like 2015’s “It Follows” and 2016’s “The Witch” bringing original and groundbreaking ideas to the big screen, directors seem to be taking note and creating horrific masterpieces.
From the return of Michael Myers to modern monsters, here is your list of must-see scary films for the year.
1. “A Quiet Place”
Director: John Krasinski
This film, starring real-life couple John Krasinski (“The Office”) and Emily Blunt (“The Girl On The Train”), seems to promise all the ingredients for a kick-ass horror movie. A fresh storyline with your classic family of four protecting themselves from an ambiguous and horrific entity. Judging by the trailer, this film is sure to be packed with state-of-the-art jump scares - mostly because the focus of this film is silence.
2. "Halloween"
Director: David Gordon Green
"Halloween" was the first movie I saw that not only sparked my love for the horror genre but also introduced me to what a quality film is. The franchise has endured plenty of sequels and remakes (I’m talking to you, Rob Zombie), but this future release has potential. Starring the original “Halloween” actors Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie Strode) and Nick Castle (Michael Myers), the film will act as a sequel to the original. Castle said the film will be similar to the first, which has all “Halloween” fans giddy.
3. “Unsane”
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring Claire Foy, this film's storyline features a woman being held against her will in a mental institution. The twist? Soderbergh shoots the film on an iPhone. No really, the whole thing. I’m curious to see if the iPhone footage will turn this psychological thriller into something amazing.
4. “Slenderman”
Director: Sylvain White
I consider myself to have pretty thick skin when it comes to being genuinely afraid, but I found my eyes wide and my heart racing by the end of this trailer. It is due to the real-life story behind this film. If you are not familiar with Slenderman, he is an online mythical character that was the motive behind a real-life 2014 attempted murder of a 12-year-old. It will be interesting to see how White takes on the urban legend in this highly-anticipated 2018 film.
5. “Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare”
Director: Jeff Wadlow.
If this film didn’t star Lucy Hale ("Pretty Little Liars") or Tyler Posey ("Teen Wolf") and wasn’t directed by the producer of great horror flicks (“The Purge” and “Get Out”), then I would probably turn my cheek because of the seemingly mundane concept. A scary movie where a group of teens plays "Truth or Dare?" Yawn. But this film is promising, and the trailer can back me up on this.
There you have it. Five films to scare you silly in 2018.
