A 2020 Look at a New Year in Horror

Well it’s a brand new year and rather than making more bad eyesight puns, let’s get a head start on the lineup of horror movies for 2020. I usually get the annual preview out sometime in April but when a reboot of The Grudge is released on January 3, it feels wrong to wait. So let’s just jump into it.

January

There is a lot going on in January starting with Midnight Kiss. This holiday episode of Hulu’s Into the Dark was technically released in 2019 just in time for New Year’s Eve. It is about finding a special someone to kiss at midnight. In this episode a group of gay friends gather together on New Year’s Eve as they do every year, except this year a sadistic killer is on the loose. There is nothing new or original about this plot except that nearly all of the characters are gay - and to be fair, the characters were really good. However, I found this episode to be the most sexually explicit of the series - bordering on soft porn. It isn’t for everybody and it was too much for me. Explicit sexuality isn’t unique to this horror film, it is actually a little too common in the slasher genre. In this case it seemed like the hooded killer was more of an excuse to move through close-ups of couples enjoying each other instead of telling a good horror story. I was glad I watched this one alone - it would have been awkward to see this with any sort of company.

Next up is the aforementioned reboot of The Grudge which is produced by the great Sam Raimi. There is a debate about whether this is a remake, a reboot, or a sequel. According to the producers, it is none of them; rather a new chapter that brings the rage to U.S. soil. Critics weren’t just critical - they were brutal. I went into this film expecting a Sam Raimi version of the original and to a large extent, that part delivered. I would like to see a review from somebody who really loves Raimi’s off-balancing horror style to see how they think it played into this film. And the cars. There has to be something about all of those old cars. So I’ll leave it at that for now and wait to see if some of my Raimi questions are answered.

Underwater is an Alien-under-the-sea movie that has taken a long and tortuous path to the theaters. Kristen Stewart stars in this film that should have released in 2017 but was delayed first by a studio merger, and then a scandal involving her co-star that led to speculation that including disgraced comedian T.J. Miller in the movie would affect box office sales. Underwater did poorly on opening weekend and that might just have to do with a weak plot, lack of originality, and some fierce competition not typical for January.

Three more films will give you an excuse to come in from the cold for a few hours as January draws to a close. Finn Wolfhard, our hero from Stranger Things, stars in The Turning which is a modern-day adaptation of the Henry James’ 1898 horror novella, The Turn of the Screw. If you are a fan of this classic, stick around because a second adaptation is scheduled to appear later in the year as the much anticipated follow-up to The Haunting of Hill House.

Fans of H.P. Lovecraft or Mandy should appreciate Color out of Space. Nicholas Cage stars in this film based on Lovecraft’s works with what looks like the same type of cinematography that drove me nuts in the award-winning Mandy. I will probably wait until somebody strongly recommends this film before investing my time, but that’s just me. The last film scheduled for release in January is Gretel & Hansel - a dark fairy tale that is true to its original story. Oz Perkins directs this film which stars Sophia Lillis, the ginger-haired heroine from the Loser’s Club.

February

February is brought to us by Blumhouse productions who is responsible for three of the four movies slated for release during the most romantic of seasons. First up is Hulu’s February installment of Into the Dark. My Valentine follows a pop singer whose identity is stolen by her ex-boyfriend and manager, and is then passed on to his new girlfriend. Executive produced by man who directed Sinister, look for this episode to premiere on February 7. Fantasy Island opens on Valentine’s Day but don’t let the romance of the day fool you This film does not have the series of happy endings that its television version was famous for. And a special shout out for the movie poster artwork.

My personal pick for February is The Invisible Man. Elizabeth Moss stars as a woman who is set to inherit a shit load of money if she can only convince the estate that she is not crazy. Not as easy as it sounds when you are being terrorized by a dead man.

And finally, who doesn’t love a scary doll movie? If you stumbled across The Boy on streaming media and found yourself enjoying the film in spite of its disturbing theme and pedestrian jump scares, then you’ll want to come back for a second round in Brahms: The Boy II. The writer and director return to the mansion with a new family starring Katie Holmes. When her son finds the doll buried in the back yard, he decides to make friends with it. I know, normal people might just leave it be or better yet, toss it out. But what the hell, clean it up, sit it at the dinner table - what could possibly go wrong?

March

I found three horror films on March’s playbill. A teaser trailer for A Quiet Place II has been out for a while showing only the surviving family silently tiptoeing through their post-apocalyptic nightmare. A full trailer has just been released, though, and it looks like we’re finally going to get the back story. I pretty much avoid sequels because they always suck so ever the optimist, my fingers are crossed.

Saint Maud is due out just in time for the Easter season which seems appropriate for a film about a nurse who recently converted to Catholicism and is fearful of being possessed by the soul of a patient. It is rumored to have a shocking ending with some early, positive scores from Rotten Tomatoes if that is your barometer. Truth: I am a sucker for a shocking ending.

The third film on tap for this month would be the March episode of Into the Dark. This time last year, Hulu had released titles of the holiday-themed episodes well in advance so I am not totally confident the series will continue. Even Wikipedia was silent on its status.

April

As the weather warms up for spring we have The New Mutants making its third or fourth appearance on this preview. I lost track. The movie poster has been updated and the trailer looks like this horror installment of the X-Men might just finally happen this time. If not, I have high hopes for Ant3bellum’s March release because I saw the trailer in theaters. Okay, I saw the trailer for The New Mutants in theaters, too, so maybe that isn’t a good indicator. Jordan Peele is on a roll with his third horror film in as many years with Ant3bellum, a story of a successful author trapped in an American pre-Civil War nightmare reality.

And break out your finest camo because Antlers just may be the fix you need as you wait for the season opener. Deer season that is. I don’t see enough of Keri Russell in film but now that it looks like The Americans has finished its six-season run there is hope. The last film scheduled for April is Run Sweetheart Run. I couldn’t find much on this film that sounds like more thriller than horror - but then isn’t that the great debate? “A young woman tries to make it home after a blind date turns violent” is the only summary I could find. Described as a feminist horror film, it is scheduled for preview at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

May

As always, things get a little sketchy when Memorial Day approaches. The only film listed for release in May is the “untitled Saw project.” This ninth installment of The Saw series finally received a name and Saw fans can look forward to The Organ Donor around May 15.

June

June brings us a reboot of The Candyman. This will be Jordan Peele’s fourth horror film - and his second offering of 2020. I really loved the original, hated the sequels. I am really interested to see what Mr. Peele does here especially since I expect a social platform to be at the forefront of the screenplay.

July

I want to hate the idea of another Ghostbusters film. I admit I did not see the disastrous 2016 remake (not my words) because nothing - and mean nothing - about the promotional campaign appealed to me even when I received it free in a Vudu bundle. To be fair, I couldn’t even watch Ghostbusters II a second time, such is my bias towards sequels. But Ghostbusters: Afterlife doesn’t look like just another reboot. Or sequel. Or whatever overused term we are going with this year. See, they are teasing me with Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts - everybody we loved from the original film. (And, sadly, the sequel.) This powerhouse team is joined by a couple of my favorite young actors, Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard, and I have to admit that I am all in. Hopefully, I am satiated enough by the performance to ignore a new Purge film making a predictable appearance around Independence Day. I haven’t been able to stomach any of the Purge sequels even though the original is one of my guilty pleasures. I couldn’t track down reliable plot information for the untitled Purge sequel so as soon as somebody I trust gives me a “must watch” recommendation, I’ll do it. Promise.

August

Three films are slated to give you an excuse to take refuge from the summer heat. The Empty Man cites a demon-summoning plot that is based on the comic book series. Escape Room 2 is another sequel in what is shaping up to be a record year for sequels. And from the genius of James Wan, Malignant. There is virtually no other information available for the August line-up. Not surprising this early in the season.

September

There is only one movie I need to see to celebrate the preseason and that is The Conjuring 3. This is the third film in the Conjuring universe that is based on a Warren investigation and if you’re calling me out right about now, the Annabelle movies are not in that category. We can debate that another time.

The investigation behind The Devil Made Me Do It represents the first time in U.S. history that demonic possession was used as a defense to murder in the court system. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are back as Ed and Lorraine Warren. James Wan does not direct this film but do not despair; he is a producer and co-developer of the story so at this early stage, the secret sauce behind the Conjuring films appears to be intact.

The preseason ends with a film directed by Edgar Wright, the man who brought is Shaun of the Dead. Last Night in Soho stars Anya Taylor-Joy who is stunning in The Witch, Split, and Glass. What little information that is available puts time travel at the center of the plot but nothing to provide a clue as to whether the director’s comedy horror roots will come into play.

October

I think I’ll spend October imagining a Halloween without snow this year rather than venturing to the box office for the ongoing saga of Michael Myers. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as the grown-up if not aged Laurie Strode in Halloween Kills but this time she is joined by equally grown-up versions of Lindsey Wallace and Tommy Doyle. You probably won’t recognize Kyle Richards who played little Lindsey Wallace in the 1978 original. Anthony Michael Hall stands in for big Tommy Doyle, a perfectly acceptable substitute in my book. I can see myself getting sucked into this sequel, and expecting more than it is is likely to deliver. But it’s Halloween and Halloween is magical so anything is possible. Unless it snows.

Look for The Night House opening at the beginning of October. A woman discovers her dead husband’s dark past. That’s pretty much all we know except that Rebecca Hall (The Prestige) is cast in the lead role.

November/December

There are no horror movies listed for release in November or December. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any. Netflix is dropping new stuff all the time plus there is a long list of movies on the menu this year without release dates.

 Release Dates TBA

Army of the Dead is a zombie-themed film due out late in the year. It is a Netflix original as is The Haunting of Bly Manor, the long awaited follow up to The Haunting of Hill House. As mentioned earlier, this is a different take on the same classic story told in the January release of The Turning.

Do Not Reply, The Rental, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, False Positive, Random Acts of Violence, R.L. Stein’s adaptation of Fear Street, and a reboot of the Wrong Turn series, The Foundation, round out the list of “maybes” for 2020.

If my math is correct, we are looking at 35 new horror films in 2020. And if my math is correct, ten of those are reboots, remakes, or sequels. This is my fourth consecutive year looking ahead at upcoming horror movies and I haven’t really tracked remakes and sequels, so 2020 feels like a record but I can’t back that up. Coincidentally, I had 35 movies on last year’s preview but if Into the Dark has a full season, 2020 will beat that easily. And that, my horror-loving friends, is a beautiful thing.

Hopefully this helps with your horror movie planning. Have a happy, prosperous, and spooky New Year.