2018 HORROR PREVIEW

Unlike some other film genres, 2017 was another pretty good one for horror fans. “IT” busted box-offices all around the world to become one of the biggest horror movies ever. “Get Out” was one of the best reviewed films (regardless of genre) in ages, and is on track to win a bundle of industry awards. And lower-budget fun films like “Happy Death Day” quietly made a whole heap of money and profit for studios like Blumhouse.

Happily, 2018 looks to be just as lively and as interesting to horror fans as the previous year. So here are our picks for the ones that we’re looking forward to catching during the next 12 months. Of course, there will always be sleeper hits and currently unannounced movies that will do the shizzle. It’s also wise to remember that some of these projected dates will change as we circle the sun (and some look extremely suspect). But check them out, and share your views with us on Facebook and the usual communication links, letting us know which films you’re particularly gasping to see next year.

In a rough order of release date we have;

The Shape of Water

Due 16th February (UK) / Already on limited release in the US

You could be forgiven that this film has been out for months, given the amount of attention that it has received on the festival circuit, and the award nominations. Thanks to the ridiculous distribution delays that occur for some films, we Brits still have another couple of months before we slap eyes on it. (NB: At least we get Bond and Marvel films first). Guillermo del Toro’s romantic monster movie has been pretty much universally acclaimed and is a creature feature by way of Mills and Boon.

In the 1960’s a mute and lonely female cleaner (a reportedly phenomenal turn by Sally Hawkins) encounters an aquatic humanoid in a secret government facility, and falls in love with him. Basically it’s del Toro’s love letter to the Universal monster films and a lot more mature and respectful to that era than “The Mummy”. It’s “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”, if Julie Adams had been a bit more liberal and consensually attracted to the Gill Man. All of that aside, we’ve heard nothing but good words about the movie and the entire cast (including Doug Jones as the creature and Michael Shannon as the real “monster”) are apparently fantastic. We look forward to (finally) seeing it.

Insidious: The Last Key

Due 12th January (UK) / 4th January (US)

Here’s the first franchise movie of the year. “Insidious” was great, “Insidious: Chapter Two” was a little disappointing, but “Insidious: Chapter Three” was a surprisingly good prequel. So it stands to reason that this third sequel (once known predictably as “Insidious: Chapter Four”) will concentrate on Lin Shaye’s parapsychologist again (Elise Rainier). We’re kind of lost in the twists of the franchise timeline now (it was definitely a mistake to kill her character off in the first film!), but we believe that this is set after Chapter Three, but before parts 1 & 2.