I love movie nights. And the only thing I love more than movie nights...is horror movie nights. With the start of 2020, we have all been blessed with a new round of horror movies that will grace the big screen this year. Not too long ago I watched the new The Grudge (2020) movie with some friends in theaters. And while that movie did not make this list (disappointing, but not surprised), I did get to see a ton of trailers for movies I am excited about. In fact, after about the third one my friend stopped me mid-sentence saying, "I get it. You want to see them all. Now just eat some popcorn and hush." So hopeful you will be more excited than she was about my top (in no real order) horror picks coming out in 2020.
The Turning
As someone who has worked as a nanny for two young children myself, this horror movie hits a little close to home. In The Turning, Mackenzie Davis portrays a young woman hired to watch after two children at a sprawling estate. However, what should be coloring books and hide-and-go-seek soon turns into something more sinister when ghostly hands and creepy statues begin making appearances. Offhanded and somewhat threatening comments by the two children don't help matters as well. The film also stars Finn Wolfhard in his element--known for his work in the It movies and Stranger Things as young Miles, one of Davis' wards. With a talented cast and creepy trailer, this movie is looking to be a good one.
Release Date: January 24th
Brahms: The Boy II
Four years later, Brahm returns with a new set of innocents to become his caretakers. In this new movie, an unsuspecting family moves into the Heelshire Mansion where their son finds the broken doll buried in the woods. Terror soon spreads as Brahm's influence takes over. Though not the only deadly doll on the list, 2016's The Boy stood out because of it's lack of supernatural in horror. With that plot twist gone, it will be interesting to see where director William Bell takes the story and how he will keep it from being just another horror sequel. I actually saw the first film in theaters for a movie date, which may have some influence on it being included in this list. Regardless, I'd recommend renting out the first film before heading over to the big screen in late February.
Release Date: February 21st
Antlers
The trailers for this movie seem to show too much and too little all at once. We catch brief glimpses of what I can only guess is the movie's main monster, including one at the very end where it appears to be fully evolved into its final grotesque form. Other than that, we can only guess what is going on as Jeremy T. Thomas' character moves through dark, often bloody scenes seemingly aware of what is to come. Keri Russell also stars as a teacher who along with her police brother (played by Jesse Plemons) attempts to understand and help her young student. The film is based on a short story "The Quiet Boy" by Nick Antosca which is a chilling read, and with the film being produced by Guillermo Del Toro, I have no doubt this will be a good one.
Release Date: April 17th
The Woman in the Window
Full Disclosure: I've read the book. But that doesn't mean The Woman in the Window won't have me shocked by the end of it. More of a psychological thriller than a horror film, it still makes the list as one isn't quite sure whether the villain lives across the street or in the mind of Amy Adam's agoraphobic character. A bloody woman screaming for help and a dark figure dragging a knife along a banister are glimpses that stick out from the trailer, whether they are real or not. All the while, Adam's lead can only watch in horror as she is trapped within her home, with no one believing her because of her condition. Director Joe Wright--with projects such as Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Atonement (2007)--should have no problem capturing the twisted female perspective that made the book such a success.
Release Date: May 15th
The Lodge
Yet another movie on our list that includes a child actor from the It franchise (seeing a bit of a pattern here), The Lodge stars Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, and Lia McHugh as a woman and her begrudging new step-children who are stuck alone in a winter cabin after her husband gets caught up with work. The familial tension is far from their only problem though as past secrets come to light, and haunt them all. Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, the minds behind Goodnight Mommy (2015), direct. From what I can tell in the trailer, cult families play some role, reminding me of the movieThe Veil (2016) which I quite enjoyed on Netflix. Regardless, looks like a perfect scary movie for your Valentine's Day date.
Release Date: February 7th
The Invisible Man
While including this in the list, I do have one criticism going into this movie. I feel that far too much is shown in the trailer. It is more than obvious that Elizabeth Moss' abusive ex-boyfriend Adrian has indeed somehow made himself visible, what with them showing various secondary characters being thrown around by unseen forces. It appears that scenes from the final fight are included in the trailer as well, leaving me with the idea that I've watched the entire movie all in two and a half minutes. But with such a star cast (Elizabeth Moss and Oliver Jackson-Cohen feuding ex-couple) and Blumhouse producing, it is hard to imagine this movie flopping, even with its connection to the less-than-stellar Universal's Dark Universe
Release Date: February 28th
A Quiet Place: Part Two
Okay so I know I said these were in no real order, I definitely saved this one for a last for a reason. A sequel to 2018's A Quiet Place, we now follow the family as they continue to navigate their way through a silent world, made all the more difficult by having a not-so-silent newborn to watch after. The original movie is my favorite in the horror genre, if not just in general. It introduced a new format of storytelling and had compelling characters with genuine chemistry that helped carry the film when sound couldn't. Sadly, John Kransinski will be playing a larger role in the production department this time around, but the rest of the cast including actress and wife Emily Blunt will continue to steal the show. I am more than excited to to see how they will expand the world and the background first established in the last movie. It also appears that the creatures will not be the family's only enemies as they encounter new characters.
Release Date: March 20th
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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