Grab a group of best your girlfriends and hit the theater because Hollywood is delivering all the best scares this Halloween.
IT – Sept. 8
This horror-thriller is based on the insanely popular Stephen King novel of the same title. When kids begin to disappear in the small, picturesque town of Derry, Maine, a group of outcasts must face their biggest fears when they square off against a sinister, shape-shifting clown named Pennywise. Hailed by the King of Horror himself, with its earth-shattering $117.2M opening and reigning title of the highest grossing R-rated horror movie of all time, IT has set the bar for horror films for the next couple of decades. You definitely don’t want to miss this one.
Rating: R (for violence/horror, bloody images, and for language)
Director: Andy Muschietti
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Mother! – Sept. 15
A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive into their beautiful, remote home. If you’ve already seen the trailer, the set-up appears simple enough, but it’s definitely not what you think. In fact, things take a rather bizarre and terrifying turn for the worst, which I guess is to be expected from the same filmmaker who directed the mind-trip of a psychological thriller, Black Swan. Mother! stars Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer. Based on recent reviews, mother! is one of those metaphorical films you’re either going to love or really (really) hate, but if you are looking for something unsettling and controversial, it’s definitely worth a watch.
Rating: R (for strong disturbing violent content, some sexuality, nudity and language)
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Friend Request – Sept. 22 (Limited)
Okay, so here’s the deal: the premise of this film is fairly reminiscent of a certain Facebook-themed horror movie that was released 2 years ago (Unfriended, anyone?) and the reviews are not-so-shockingly…terrible. Starring Alycia Debnam Carey (The 100, Fear the Walking Dead), the film was intended to be a cautionary tale, showing the pitfalls of our excessive social media use. Laura (Carey) is a popular college student who accepts an online friend request from Marina, a social outcast. One day, Laura decides to unfriend Marina leading her to take her own life. Things begin to get weird when a disturbing video of Marina’s suicide is mysteriously uploaded to Laura’s profile and her friends start to die off one by one. If you don’t scare easily, at least you’ll get a good laugh out of it. It’s a win-win situation.
Rating: R (for horror violence, disturbing images, and language)
Director: Simon Verhoeven
Distributor: Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
Flatliners – Sept. 29
In this promising sci-fi horror, five medical students hoping to gain insight into the mysteries of the afterlife embark on a daring and potentially fatal adventure. By “flatlining,” or stopping their hearts for brief periods of time, each triggers a near-death experience. As their investigation becomes more dangerous, they are forced to confront the sins of their pasts as well as deal with the paranormal consequences of blurring the lines between the living and the dead. Originally believed to be a reboot of the 1990 cult classic, Flatliners is now being deemed a sequel, taking place nearly 30 years after Nelson Wright survived his near-death experiences. It stars critically acclaimed actresses Ellen Page (X-Men, Juno, Inception) and Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries).
Rating: PG-13 (for violence and terror, sexual content, language, thematic material, and some drug references)
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Better Watch Out – Oct. 6
If you’re into the home-invasion subgenre, then this film is sure to be your cup of tea. Starring Olivia DeJonge (The Visit), Better Watch Out is a deliciously twisted mix of our favorite holidays: Christmas and Halloween! Babysitter Ashley (DeJonge) travels to the suburban home to look after a couple’s 12-year-old son, Luke, during Christmastime. When unwelcome intruders break into the house to terrorize them, Ashley must soon learn to defend herself and the boy before it’s too late.
Rating: R (for disturbing violent content, language throughout, crude sexual references, drug and alcohol use – all involving teens)
Director: Chris Peckover
Distributor: Well Go USA Entertainment
Happy Death Day – Oct. 13
From the same guys that brought you box office heavyweights, Split and Get Out, Happy Death Day is an upcoming slasher film starring Jessica Rothe (La La Land). Rothe plays Tree Gelbman, a popular college student who is forced to relive the day of her murder which just so happens to be on her birthday (yikes) until she figures out her killer’s identity. Though the film hasn’t dropped yet, it definitely has earned brownie points for the unique killer Groundhog Day premise and for landing a Friday the 13th release date.
Rating: PG-13 (for violence/terror, crude sexual content, language, some drug material and partial nudity)
Director: Christopher Landon
Distributor: Universal Pictures
JigSaw – Oct. 27
The SAW franchise returns with a new horror-thriller that picks up a decade after the death of the infamous JigSaw killer. Police are now investigating a new series of murders that just so happen to match the original killer’s modus operandi. Could it be a copycat or has JigSaw come back from the dead? From the looks of the trailer (and the increasing level of brutality throughout the SAW franchise), there will be no holding back on this one. Proceed with caution.
Rating: R (for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, and for language)
Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Distributor: Lionsgate Films