Horror movies

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24599379

The Tormented, which was shot in Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley, has now been released on Prime Video.

The 84-minute feature film follows a widow and her friends that travel to a sacred land, before horrific visions and living nightmares begin to torment the group with their pasts.

Written and directed by Isaac Lawrence, 25, a filmmaker from Southampton, the movie premiered at Harbour Lights Picturehouse in August 2024.

The turn of the year saw the film reach a worldwide audience after it was released on Amazon Prime, which has more than 13 million subscribers in the UK alone.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Isaac, who was inspired by the Silent Hill game series – which sees the main character lose their daughter in an eerie fictional town – when making the film.

Scott Derrickson’s The Gorge is a thrilling blend of science fiction, horror, and action, wrapped in a high-stakes romance that pits two elite snipers against an unspeakable nightmare. With an intriguing premise, pulse-pounding action, and a chilling sense of mystery, the film delivers an engaging experience, even if it occasionally stumbles under the weight of its ambition. Anchored by strong performances from Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, The Gorge weaves together military suspense, monstrous horrors, and a forbidden love story into an intense cinematic experience.

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Focus Features’ Nosferatu begins streaming exclusively on Peacock on February 21st. Peacock will also stream the film’s never-before-seen-in-theaters extended cut. Released on Christmas 2024, Robert Eggers’ adaptation brought in $176.5 million. It stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe.

In the long history of exploitation and horror movies, the fairer sex tends to get a raw deal when it comes to preserving their privates. But, as audiences found out this week, that’s changing with anti-heroines like Maxine Minx. Attempting to account for every woman’s wounded whispering eye would be an exercise in futility. What about the man-meat mutilation? How often do we get to see some gnards gnashed?

There’s a perverse pleasure that comes with seeing the family jewels dethroned—and it feels less exploitative since, y’know, women’s continued subjugation under the patriarchy. We’re rooting for the rump-splitter removal. And at the same time as women continue to fight for equality, men’s junk continues to get jettisoned more and more frequently in the horror genre.

For this list, we’re not looking at simple kicks to the groins—no, we want to see true damage. Give us your chain saws, sledgehammers, guns, and high heels yearning to wreck the D. Now, considering I lack the proper appendages to rate these on a proper pain scale, I’ve instead included whether I deem the destruction warranted.

This one starts very strong. Mindy Vogel (Krsy Fox), a single mother, is summoned to her basement by the ringing of a bell. A barely glimpsed monster with a lugubrious but threatening voice demands that she feed him. They engage in a dialogue from which we infer this is something of a long-term dynamic, with the grim beast nibbling from her arm on a regular basis. She tells him she’ll need to go to the hospital if this carries on much longer; the abusive relationship parallels are not accidental. This monster is dangerous, but he’s also a parasite, standing in contrast to the horror genre’s typical one-munch-and-you’re-done type beast.

Unfortunately, from this point on the drama sags. Fox’s performance is top-notch, but there are a number of plot points that don’t really stack up. That might not matter in a loopier story-world, but Little Bites is a horror movie where everything is fairly grounded, other than the actual creature.

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The flaws are a shame because the casting is fabulous, including Crampton (Re-Animator), Chaz Bono (American Horror Story), and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Luckily, despite the narrative issues, the tension picks up again as the film oozes towards its climax. What could have been a real contender with a few relatively minor tweaks is still a serviceable morsel for those with the right kind of appetite.

Trailer

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24155872

A24 is getting set to unleash their fantastical nightmare Death of a Unicorn in theaters on March 28, 2025, and the film has received its official rating from the MPA this week.

Death of a Unicorn is rated “R” for “strong violent content, gore, language and some drug use.”

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Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd lead the cast of A24’s dark comedy.

In Death of a Unicorn, “A father (Rudd) and daughter (Ortega) accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss (Richard Grant) seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties.”

Trailer

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24148722

Hammer Films, arguably the biggest name in British genre filmmaking, is busy making a new horror feature – its first since 2023’s Doctor Jekyll. Called Ithaqua, it’s a period piece with a solid cast including Luke Hemsworth and Kevin Durand.

Shooting is currently underway in Canada, with the iconic studio releasing a number of behind-the-scenes images from the production on its Instagram feed.

Rather disappointingly, however, a separate post includes a teaser poster which bears all the hallmarks of being generated using a piece of AI software like Midjourney. We’ve contacted Hammer Films to find out whether or not it is indeed AI-generated and will update this post if and when we get a response.

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As for the film itself, it stars Luke Hemsworth, Kevin Durand, Craig Lauzon and Michael Pitt and is co-written, directed and produced by Casey Walker. If the synopsis is anything to go by, it sounds like we’re in for something harsh and gritty, like The Revenant but with a supernatural creature in the place of a hungry bear. Here’s the official description:

Set in the brutal wilderness of 1800s Canada, the fur trade is in decline and a remote outpost is starving. A mercenary fights to unite the survivors against the cold, the hunger… and something far worse. A dark force is watching. Waiting. And those who fall into its grasp are cursed with an insatiable hunger for flesh.

Originally, Ryan Gosling was attached to star in the 2025 Wolf Man remake, and the plot was much different. This direction could have tied into an increasingly popular horror subgenre, namely one with a lot of marketing cache with younger viewers. Add in what could have been a far more impressive werewolf design, and the unmade film makes the finished product an even bigger silver bullet to the genre.

Work on the movie that became 2025's Wolf Man began in 2020, with the movie first coming together around a major Hollywood star. The initial version of the Wolf Man remake was set to star Ryan Gosling, with the film apparently being something of a passion project for him. He still ended up being credited as one of the movie's producers, but the werewolf movie that came out in January 2025 was a lot different from what was hinted at five years beforehand.

Though exact details were scarce and somewhat subject to scrutiny (especially given that the abandoned iteration was so different from what was made), industry rumblings noted that Gosling's Wolf Man movie would have had him as a newscaster who reports on the very murders he commits in his lupine form. Comparisons were drawn to movies such as Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal, among other films, and it all sounded vastly removed from the usual tropes of the genre.

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Some horror movie fans who've heard about the plans for the Wolf Man remake have compared it to a horror genre that's risen to prominence in recent years. Considered by some as being an offshoot of the "found footage" horror genre that rose to prominence through The Blair Witch Project, analog horror is known for its grainy, eerie visuals reminiscent of home videos. The subject matter can be mundane or overly supernatural, with the main horror aspects manifesting in the somber tone and ironic lack of jump scares.

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Easily one of the worst parts of the new Wolf Man movie was the title monster. The werewolf design in Wolf Man 2025 is now notorious for how uncharacteristic it is, barely resembling anything particularly canine in aesthetic. It looked far different from both the versions of the character played by Lon Chaney Jr. and Benicio del Toro, with the latter in particular being obviously wolf-like. Not only was the Christopher Abbot Wolf Man not wolf-like enough, but the overall design was simply a letdown, as he gave more of a diseased mountain man vibe.

The movie itself was hard to take seriously given how ridiculous the title creature looked, and even though it was meant to be evocative of the body horror in David Cronenberg's remake of The Fly, it ended up falling completely flat. Now, an unused sculpt has been revealed of how the Wolf Man would have looked in Ryan Gosling's version of the movie. This design is far more effective, actually resembling a humanoid wolf while also homaging the Lon Chaney version. There was also just enough emotion in this version that suggested the story of the unmade movie, similarly suggesting that this werewolf retained a bit of his human personality and intelligence.

“..so weird, so wildly unhinged, that [you’ll] walk out of the theater grinning like a lunatic”

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/23954026

Last month, Boyle told Empire that he was going to be directing the trilogy capper, and claimed that it wouldn’t be shot “until audiences respond to the first film.” Judging by the record-breaking reaction to the trailer, I don’t believe Boyle/Garland will have much of a problem completing their trilogy.

In fact, it actually looks like it’s now on the fast track as a recent listing has “28 Years Later: Part 3” starting production on March 31, 2025. The entire trilogy will have been shot and completed by the time Boyle starts to do press on the first one in June.

Welcome to Horror Explorer, a curated column showcasing the month’s best movies, series, books and everything else spooky worth checking out. I’m William Earl, the editor of Variety.com and the publication’s resident horror enthusiast. Please drop me a line at wearl@variety.com if there’s something I should check out for next month’s missive.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/31252800

For everyone who wants to see a 104 minutes long version of Peter Jackson's early masterpiece. Most versions are around 90 minutes long.

The trailer for the film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story The Monkey has apparently been banned by multiple TV networks for its excessive displays of violence and bloodshed.

A gory promotional video for the upcoming movie, which was helmed by Longlegs director Osgood Perkins and is set to be released in cinemas on 21 February, was turned down by four broadcasters, according to its distributor NEON.

In an Instagram post, the indie production company shared redacted screenshots of emails that they had received from four “major TV networks”, with all of the companies declining to feature the trailer.

“We submitted a TV spot for THE MONKEY to the four major TV networks,” the caption read. “It did not go well.”

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The film has already received the seal of approval from King himself, who hailed The Monkey as “bats*** insane”.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/23290322

After Rose Byrne’s stress-inducing motherhood-is-hell panic attack If I Had Legs I’d Kick You premiered, 70s-set folk horror Rabbit Trap is providing yet more confirmation to Sundance attendees that children should be avoided. In writer-director Bryn Chainey’s patchy feature debut, his lead couple might not have a child of their own, but a mysterious local stranger would certainly disagree, forcing himself into their household, whether they like it or not.

For a while they do, sound recordist Darcy (Dev Patel) and alternative musician Daphne (Rosy McEwen), charmed and intrigued by the nameless kid (Jade Croot), an unusual and self-possessed boy eager to teach them more about the area. They moved to a remote Welsh cottage from London, both transfixed by the many sounds of nature, hoping it might lead to creative inspiration. Chainey is as fascinated as they are and it’s immediately easy to see why, the film’s ASMR immersion into the specific squishes, gusts and crunches of the countryside around them proving to be entirely transporting.

It doesn’t take long for us to suspect something sinister might be at play, even before the kid starts teaching them about the fine line between the real world and those of the fairies (cue grim flashbacks to last year’s hokey horror The Watchers) and how one should be careful not to disturb the Tylwyth Teg, mythological creatures from Welsh folklore. Delivering them a dead rabbit is also not the best sign.

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Chainey is certainly skilled at distracting us, drowning his film in atmosphere and mood to offset the devolving half-baked hokum of his plot. But after being urged to listen closer, to try and hear for something more, we’re left with nothing. It’s a trap we can easily wriggle out of.

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IMDb

In recent years, Black horror has undergone a remarkable renaissance, driven by the visionary work of filmmakers like Jordan Peele and Nia DaCosta.

While the genre often uses horror as a lens to explore the historical experiences of Black Americans—racism, slavery, and social politics—it is far from a modern invention. Its origins stretch back to the 1920s, long before its surge in popularity during the Blaxploitation era of the 1970s. Over the years, key figures have emerged in Black horror, including trailblazing actors like Duane Jones of Night of the Living Dead. However, for decades, Black creatives behind the camera were lamentably scarce. This raises an intriguing question: what was the first horror film directed by a Black filmmaker?

Amazingly, the first horror movie made by a Black director came out in 1922 during the silent era. During that period, Oscar Micheaux – an author, director, and producer who is regarded as the first African-American feature filmmaker – made his first foray into horror with The Dungeon.

It tells the story of a Black woman who is forced to marry a corrupt politician who has made a secret deal with white power brokers to support segregation in exchange for political influence. She calls him out on this and, in return, is thrown in a subterranean dungeon her husband used to murder his previous wives.

Unfortunately, nobody can watch The Dungeon today because all prints have been lost to history.

cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/21132778

cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/21132777

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/23100347

Cineverse has announced that “The Toxic Avenger,” a darkly comedic reimagining of Troma Entertainment’s 1984 cult classic of the same name, is headed to theaters in 2025.

Directed by Macon Blair (“I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore”) and starring Peter Dinklage, “The Toxic Avenger” reboot will premiere as an unrated wide release later this year.

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In this new chapter of the franchise created by Lloyd Kaufman and Troma Entertainment, Dinklage stars as downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze, who, after a freak accident, transforms into a mutant vigilante known as Toxie. “Armed with his signature mop, the unlikely hero battles freaks, gangsters and corrupt CEOs while trying to save his relationship with his son. The story channels the subversive gonzo energy of the original ‘Toxic Avenger’ while delivering a fresh, contemporary twist,” reads the official synopsis.

Along with Dinklage, the film stars Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay, Julia Davis and Taylour Paige.

After tackling vampires with Nosferatu, filmmaker Robert Eggers is taking on another horror creature genre in his own inimitable style.

Eggers has co-written Werwulf, a werewolf horror project that he will direct as his next feature.

Focus Features, Universal’s art house division which released and financed Nosferatu, is back in business with the filmmaker for Werwulf. The company has dated the thriller for a North America release on Christmas Day, 2026. The parties are hoping for more holiday greetings as Nosferatu was also released on Christmas Day and went on to become an improbable hit.

Eggers wrote Werwulf with Sjón, who co-wrote heady Viking saga The Northman with the filmmaker. While details are scarce, sources say the story is set in 13th century England. The script also features dialogue that was true to the time period and has translations and annotations for those uninitiated in Old English.

For the bulk of the 2010s, Blumhouse was synonymous with horror. Sinister, The Purge, Paranormal Activity, and Insidious all captured the zeitgeist thanks to their catchy concepts, many of which have since been turned into larger franchises.

Arguably their most impressive moment was the one-two punch of Get Out and Split, released just a month a part, earning over half a billion on a combined budget of just $13.5 million. It was Jason Blum’s very own Barbenheimer.

That brings us to 2025, with Blumhouse’s new $25 million Wolf Man reboot opening to an anemic $12 million over the four-day holiday weekend.

The three day tally was lower than last year’s Night Swim, and barely above Imaginary. Largely expected to take first place, it instead wound up behind both Christmas holdover Mufasa, as well as the new buddy comedy One of Them Days.

What does this mean for Blumhouse?