Audiences were spoilt for choice in 2023 with a plethora of fantastic horror fare. And, as per the norm, Hollywood blockbusters were far from the only be-all and end-all when it came to horror hits with a plethora of sleeper indie hits creeping out of nowhere and squeezing the absolute most out of their limited budgets, with a number of these receiving much deserved limited theatrical releases. (You can read our top 10 horror movies of 2023 here).
Despite last year having been rife with some of the most groundbreaking horror films we’ve seen of late, we enter the new year with all kinds of excitement and anticipation as a whole host of forthcoming sui generis-sounding films are slated for release this year, so we decided to include a break-down of our most anticipated shockers for 2024.
First up is Shudders incoming original movie from music-video and commercial director Josh Forbes‘ (Contracted: Phase II) Destroy All Neighbors.
Helmed by Forbes from an original script written by Mike Benner (“Bob’s Burgers”), Jared Logan (“The Late Late Show with James Corden”), and Charles Pieper, the film stars Jonah Ray Rodrigues (Mystery Science Theater 3000) and Alex Winter (The Lost Boys, Bill and Ted franchise) – who also produce.
According to the official synopsis this twisted splatter-comedy revolves around neurotic, self-absorbed musician William Brown (Rodrigues) who is determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus but gets a bad case of creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad (Winter). Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William’s accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla.
RELEASE DATE: soming to Shudder January 12.
Australian writing/directing duo Colin and Cameron Cairnes (100 Bloody Acres, Scare Campaign) are back with what looks set to be their best horror pic yet, Late Night With the Devil which will star David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad, Dune).
Set in 1977, the film centers on Jack Delroy who hosts a late-night talk show known as “Night Owls,” a favorite amongst every insomiac suffering soul in the United States. However, a year after the tragic death of his wife, Jack’s conviction falters and ratings take a hit. To turn the situation around, he plans a Halloween night special that no one will forget, not realizing that he is about to bring evil into every home in America. unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.
Horror author Stephen King was provided with an advance screener of the film, and called it “absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Your results may vary, as they say, but I urge you to watch it when you can.” What more do you need to hear?
RELEASE DATE: While there is no set release date yet, Late Night With the Devil will play theatrically for an exclusive period before streaming on Shudder.
Moscas (Flies), the second feature film by Basque filmmaker Aritz Moreno won audiences over in a big when when it recently competed in the Official Selection at the Sitges Film Festival last year.
Written by Javier Gullón based on the novel “Que de lejos parecen moscas” by Kike Ferrari, this gritty thriller, brimming with suspense, follows Mr. Machi, a businessman with a passion for luxury, easy money and women. A loathsome person who exploits his power and position, but who suddenly finds himself in dire straits: one morning, in broad daylight, he gets a flat tire. But the real surprise arrives when he discovers a mangled corpse of a stranger in the trunk of his car.
Someone has set him up. And so begins a desperate attempt to get rid of the body, discover who the stranger is and who is behind it all: One of the many enemies he has made over the years, from his own wife to co-workers, bodyguards or even politicians. It could be any of the people he has trampled on over the years to clamber up the ladder or to consolidate his power, because for Luis Machi, people are so worthless that from a distance they all look like flies to him.
RELEASE DATE: Final date yet to be confirmed
Chris Stuckmann’s directorial debut and first feature, Shelby Oaks, is set and filmed in Ohio in association with Paper Street Pictures, working from an original script also written by Stuckman.
This horror film stands high in our most anticipated list as it combines traditional features with one of our favourite subgenres (when done right): found footage. The film centers around missing paranormal investigators (the Paranormal Paranoids), the dark legacy they uncovered, and the chilling ramifications of their investigation as Mia searches for her missing sister Riley, the lead paranormal investigator, 12 years later.
As Mia uncovers new leads related to Riley’s disappearance, she discovers evidence of a hidden supernatural evil dating back to her and Riley’s childhood.
RELEASE DATE: Shelby Oaks is set to have screenings in Austin, Texas; Cleveland, Ohio; Los Angeles, California and New York City, New York.
One of the most recent animal attacks movies we loved was Adam MacDonald’s Backcountry starring Missy Peregrym so you can imagine how excited we were when we heard that the two were joining forces again for new feature.
Following a similar-sounding narrative to the previous film, Out Come the Wolves takes place at a cabin deep in the wilderness where a weekend of hunting turns to mayhem and a fight for survival when a pack of wolves attack a man, his female best friend and her fiance.
This is a film I’ve been anticipating since 2015 when I reviewed Backcountry (here) and closed the article saying, “For a small-budgeted film, Backcountry is an immense directorial debut and MacDonald’s follow up, Wolf at the Door, couldn’t come sooner, if it were up to me,” which I’m guessing was the working title back then.
RELEASE DATE: Slated for a late 2024 release
From the producers of IT and Barbarian, directed by Alberto Corredor and adapted from the eponymous 2017 festival favourite short film, Baghead stars Freya Allen (“The Witcher”) and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse).
The film centres on a young woman (Allen) who, following the death of her father, inherits a run-down pub and discovers a dark secret within its basement – Baghead – a shapeshifting creature that will let you speak to lost loved ones, but not without consequence.
The cast is rounded out with Ruby Barker (“Bridgerton”), Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake), Saffron Burrows (“You“) and Julika Jenkins (“Dark”).
RELEASE DATE: January 26 theatrical release
Damien Leone’s Terrifier 2 became a sleeper smash hit last year, grossing $10.6 million in North America and another $5 million internationally off a budget of just $250,000, and deservedly so, so of course we can’t wait to see where Leone takes the hugely popular franchise in a third instalment.
Not a great deal is know about the film just yet except that both David Howard Thornton and Lauren LaVera will reprise their roles as Art the Clown and Sienna respectively in a story in which Art plans to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Leone has also said that various big studios showed interest in financing the third entry based on the success of Terrifier 2, even without a full script. However, he turned them all down because he is certain that they would never let him film the opening scene alone, which he describes as “very controversial”.
RELEASE DATE: Scheduled to be released theatrically on October 25, 2024.
Despite not being the biggest fans of the most recent entry in The Strangers franchise, The Strangers: Prey At Night, we are still just as excited as ever to get to see Renny Harlin’s The Strangers: Chapter 1 this year which will form the first part of a new trilogy, especially after hearing the director say, “My mother instilled the love of movies in me through the world of Hitchcock and other masters of suspense and horror. My breakthrough to Hollywood happened with the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4. It is only fitting that I get to return to my favorite genre with the incredibly well-written trilogy of The Strangers. The characters and the storyline are all grounded in reality and offer me an endless tapestry of haunting visuals in bringing these movies alive.”
This new instalment film will follow Maya (Madeleine Petsch) as she drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers. Lionsgate plans from there to expanding the story in new and unexpected ways with its sequels.
We also recently spoke with one of the actresses from the film, Ema Horvath (here), who revealed what she could about the film.
RELEASE DATE: Scheduled to have a theatrical release on May 17, 2024
We can’t even find words to describe our anticipation for Fede Alvarez’ standalone take on the Alien franchise.
Details on the plot are virtually zilch but what has been revealed is that this entry will take place somewhere between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986).
Whilst Alien: Romulus was originally scheduled to be released on Hulu, thankfully, it was later switched to a theatrical release by 20th Century Studios.
RELEASE DATE: August 16 theatrical release
Directed by Arkasha Stevenson (“Brand New Cherry Flavor”, “Channel Zero”), and written by Stevenson, Tim Smith and Keith Thomas, from a story by Ben Jacoby, we’re confident this prequel to The Omen will be get everything right that 2023’s reboot of another cult classic horror, The Exorcist: Believer got wrong.
Serving as a prequel to 1976’s The Omen, The First Omen follows an American woman assigned to work in a church in Rome only to uncover a sinister plot to bring about the birth of an Antichrist.
RELEASE DATE: Set to release theatrically on April 5th, 2024
