Another year of scares is upon us – the good kind, the on-screen, non-viral kind. A new year means a new year of horror movies, and 2022 has lots to offer. Luca Guadagnino, Scott Derrickson, and David Slade are among the directors trying their hands at literary adaptation, with Gary Dauberman taking on one of Stephen King’s favorite texts. Sundance promises some ghoulish original films by new directors, and loads of franchises are taking another stab at it, from “Evil Dead” to “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Consider this list your guide to the creepiest stuff crawling down the pipeline.
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“The Black Phone”
Another collaboration between “Sinister” director Scott Derrickson and star Ethan Hawke? Say no more. Derrickson’s latest centers on a clever 13-year-old boy who is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, he discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to him.
Release date: June 24 via Universal.
“Bodies Bodies Bodies”
Lee Pace! Rachel Sennott! A24! SLASHER! A script originating from “Cat Person” author Kristen Roupenian! All that plus Dutch director Halina Reijn at the helm are more than enough to make this one of the buzziest horror releases of the year. Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova and Pete Davidson also star.
Release date: TBD via A24.
“Bones and All”
Luca Guadagnino making a cannibal movie with Timothée Chalamet shortly after that Armie Hammer scandal is either incredibly canny or wildly tasteless – and, knowing this director, it might be both. Either way, we’re listening. This one centers on a teenage cannibal who learns how to survive on the margins of society. This adaptation of the eponymous novel by Camille DeAngelis also stars Taylor Russell (as the lead), Mark Rylance, Michael Stuhlbarg, André Holland, Jessica Harper, Chloë Sevigny, and David Gordon Green.
Release date: TBD, but shooting wrapped last summer, so keep an eye on this year’s festivals.
“Crimes of the Future”
The daddy of sci-fi horror, David Cronenberg, is back! Welcome to the not-so-distant future, in which humankind is learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings. This evolution moves humans beyond their natural state and into a metamorphosis, which alters their biological makeup.“Crimes of the Future” is a remake of his 1970 film of the same name, which was only 63 minutes long and completely silent save for a voiceover track. This iteration looks to be a bit more polished, courtesy of the CBC and Neon. Cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, and Scott Speedman.
Release date: TBD via Neon.
“Dark Harvest”
New David Slade (“Hard Candy”) horror is always celebration-worthy, and with two newcomers, Casey Likes and E’myri Crutchfield, in the lead roles, this is shaping up to be a refreshing new spooky tale in a sea of franchise films. This one centers on a legendary monster called October Boy who terrorizes residents in a small Midwestern town when he rises from the cornfields every Halloween with his butcher knife and makes his way toward those who are brave enough to confront him. Elizabeth Reaser, Jeremy Davies and Luke Kirby also star.
Release date: September 9 via United Artists Releasing.