Putting aside all of our feelings about 2016, it was an awesome year for horror films. The Neon Demon did not disappoint, Lights Out was adequately spooky and getting to see John Goodman shake his rump in 10 Cloverfield Lane made all of my dreams come true.
2017, however, has some pretty great horror flicks making their debuts. Below is a list of seven of my most anticipated horror films:
7. Insidious: Chapter 4 (October 20, 2017)
Over the summer we were graced with a teaser trailer for Insidious Chapter 4. It features Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye), who we recognize as the psychic/medium from the three previous films in the franchise. The IMDB page for the film doesn’t feature any other familiar faces. No plot information has been revealed yet, but my guess is it’s a prequel about one of Elise Rainer’s paranormal problems.
This chapter of the series will be directed by Adam Robitel, who is known for The Taking of Deborah Logan – which was a pretty great horror film so I have high hopes for him.
6. Annabelle 2 (August 11, 2017)
Generally, I am not a big fan of haunted doll flicks. If not done correctly they can be extremely tacky. I was surprised by Annabelle when I saw it in 2014, it handled the possessed doll scenario very well. Annabelle didn’t chase people around with kitchen knives and swear at them, in fact, we never even saw her move.
Annabelle 2 will be a prequel to the first film. From the trailer, it looks to be about how Annabelle was created.
5. Amityville: The Awakening (June 30, 2017)
The Amityville story has been remade countless times. It’s got the classic “based off a true story” hook that draws us in time and time again. Although the remakes rarely meet the level of the original 1979 Amityville Horror (which is one of the best horror movies ever in my opinion), as a fan of the story I watch them no matter what.
This film has the basic Amityville plot as far as I can tell. A family moves into a new home unaware of the history of bloody massacres that have taken place there.
Now this movie trailer first came out in 2015, and the film keeps getting delayed. It has a release date right now, but who knows?
4. Get Out (February 24, 2017)
I am kind of confused about what this movie is going to be, the trailer makes it seem like a horror movie… but it’s written and directed by Jordan Peele. Perhaps he’s trying to break out of comedy?
This may also be an interesting social piece he is working on as it deals with a lot of issues with race we’re experiencing right now. Either way, I love horror and I love comedy and I love Jordan Peele so I’m pumped.
3. Rings (February 3, 2017)
Remember VHS tapes?
Well, the newest addition to The Ring family ditches the clunky tapes and goes digital, which is probably the easiest way to get people to watch the tape. It still follows the same old tale as the originals – watch the video, get a call, die seven days later.
Even though this film may not be anything new and original, I’m still excited for it for nostalgic purposes. Plus, I think with new video making tools it will be even freakier to watch.
2. IT (September 8, 2017)
The original IT (1990) is one of my favorite films of all time (even though it’s a miniseries, but whatever). Everything with it was perfect, the Losers Club was cast perfectly and Tim Curry was the perfect Pennywise. It’s a fantastic coming of age story, really.
I am wary of the remake but I do feel like it could be scarier now in 2017 than in 1990. Clown movies are a difficult thing to pull off and the original did great. I’m eager to see how this one does.
Plus the new Pennywise is definite nightmare fuel.
1. A Cure For Wellness
I am more excited about this movie than any other movie in any genre. It looks weird. And the cinematography looks spectacular. And I’m anticipating some serious plot twists.
The film is going to be about a company executive who goes to a ‘Wellness Center’ to get the CEO of the company after he checked into the center. And of course, things aren’t what they seem.
The marketing campaign for this movie is intense. If you go to Take the Cure's YouTube channel there are some pretty creepy 'relaxation' cures for you to test out (it's just marketing the film, don't take it too seriously).
