“The Deep House”
“The Deep House” is the next horror feature from French co-directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, who also wrote the script. Though Maury and Bustillo directed the 2017 “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” addition “Leatherface,” they are perhaps best known for their brutal 2007 feature “Inside,” about a woman who attacks a pregnant woman in an attempt to steal her unborn baby. In “The Deep House,” James Jagger (“Vinyl,” “Bit”) and Camille Rowe play a hip couple who journey to France to investigate an underwater haunted house for their YouTube channel. If you, too, are curious enough to know what a haunted house looks like when taking place at the bottom of a lake, you should add this one to your list. Filming wrapped last summer, and the film is expected to see daylight sometime this year.
Release Date: TBD
“Don’t Breathe 2”
The Blind Man is back this summer. “Don’t Breathe” and “Evil Dead” co-writer Rodo Sayagues will make his directorial debut with “Don’t Breathe 2,” which finds another group of criminals facing off against The Blind Man after they kidnap his new “daughter.” The original film’s director and co-writer Fede Álvarez co-wrote the film with Sayagues, and Stephen Lang is reprising his role as The Blind Man. “Don’t Breathe” was heralded for its economy and ingenuity, as Álvarez used a claustrophobic house set and the villain’s blindness to maximum effect. Composer Roque Baños and cinematographer Pedro Luque are also returning to the franchise for the sequel. The film is expected in August, courtesy of Sony.
Release Date: August 13
“False Positive”
If “an A24/Hulu horror film à la ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ co-written by and starring ‘Broad City’ lead Ilana Glazer” wasn’t on your 2021 bingo card, tough luck. Not much is known about the film’s plot yet, aside from the “Rosemary’s Baby” reference, but that backing, along with the unusual directorial choice of John Lee (“Pee-wee’s Big Holiday”), is more than enough to color us intrigued. Glazer is joined by an all-star cast, including Justin Theroux, Sophia Bush, Pierce Brosnan, and Josh Hamilton. Throw in “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, and we’re practically drooling.
Release Date: TBD
“The Forever Purge”
After nearly a decade of low-budget success, Blumhouse is finally purging “The Purge.” The franchise’s fifth film, “The Forever Purge,” will put an end to the anarchistic series, set in a dystopian America where all crime is allowed ([spooky voice] including murder) for one night each year. “The Forever Purge” acts as a direct sequel to the franchise’s third film, “The Purge: Election Year,” which debuted in 2016, and stars Josh Lucas, Ana de la Reguera (“Army of the Dead,” “Narcos”), Leven Rambin (“Mank,” “Gone”) and Will Patton (“Minari,” “Falling Skies”). Everardo Gout makes his “Purge” debut as the director, with a script from franchise creator James DeMonaco. Catch it this summer, and prepare to mourn the end of an era.
Release Date: July 9
“Halloween Kills”
“Pineapple Express” director shocked and delighted audiences with his very deft handling of 2018’s “Halloween,” a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s horror classic of the same name. Now, much like Michael Myers, Green is back for more. “Halloween Kills” takes place immediately after the events of “Halloween” (2018), as final girl Laurie Strode enlists her family and other allies to hunt down the escaped Myers. Jamie Lee Curtis naturally reprises her role as the survivalist Laurie, and Kitty Greer returns as her estranged daughter. Danny McBride returns as a co-writer on the film, with Scott Teems joining him and Gordon on the script. This marks the second film in Green’s “Halloween” trilogy, slated to end in October 2022 with “Halloween Ends.”
Release Date: October 15
“In the Earth”
For better or for worse, Ben Wheatley is on everybody’s mind after last year’s “Rebecca” reboot, so it will be interesting to see him get back to his horror roots at Sundance this year with “In the Earth.” This sci-fi horror set “as a deadly virus ravages the world” (zoinks!) follows a scientist and a scout as they rely on the expertise of a stranger to find their way out of a treacherous forest. “In the Earth” marks a tone shift from his regular genre fare like the woefully underappreciated shoot-’em-up “Free Fire,” with dusky cinematography from newcomer Nick Gillespie and a score by Clint Mansell. The film reunites Wheatley with Hayley Squires (“Happy New Year, Colin Burstead”) and also stars Joel Fry (“Yesterday”), Ellora Torchia (“Midsommar”), and Reece Shearsmith. Neon has already picked up distribution, so this one will probably hit theaters soon after the fest.
Release Date: Makes its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
“Last Night in Soho”
Four words: Edgar. Wright. Horror. Movie. The director certainly knows and reveres the genre – this is the man who launched a career off of “Shaun of the Dead,” after all – “Last Night in Soho” marks his first straightforward chiller. Set in 1960s London, the film, co-written by Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (“1917”) follows an aspiring fashion designer (Anya Taylor-Joy) who ecstatically meets her idol – before everything begins to fall apart. “The Crown” and “Doctor Who” star Matt Smith plays the protagonist’s love interest, but we’re most excited to see Thomasin McKenzie, who was absolutely stunning as a lead in Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” cast as some kind of she-beast. After watching Wright pull off-street racing, superhero, and buddy cop films, we’re not even a little bit worried about how this tone shift will go. The only thing we want to know is who will be on the soundtrack.
Release Date: April 23
“Malignant”
Though its plot is being kept under wraps, “Malignant” earns a spot on this list thanks to director James Wan, who will use the film to return to the horror genre for the first time since 2016’s “The Conjuring 2.” The film is also based on an original story by Wan, who’s had story credits on some of his most successful films, including “Saw,” “Insidious: Chapter 2,” and “The Nun.” (“Hell Fest” and “The Nun 2” screenwriter Akela Cooper penned the script.) “Malignant” stars Annabelle Wallis, Jake Abel, George Young, and Maddie Hasson, with a score by “Insidious” and “The Conjuring” composer Joseph Bishara. Warner Bros. had originally planned to release the film last year, but pushed it to year thanks to COVID-19. That means it will also premiere on HBO Max – excellent news for us horror nerds not yet ready to return to cinemas.
Release Date: TBD
“The Manor”
“The Manor,” one of Blumhouse’s many 2021 offerings, takes place in an unexpected but aptly creepy locale: a nursing home. It follows protagonist Judith (Barbara Hershey) as she attempts to convince those around her that she does not need assisted living in an attempt to escape a supernatural force in the home. This is the second feature from Belgian director Axelle Carolyn, whose first film, the acclaimed 2013 horror “Soulmate,” shocked the British Board of Film Classification due to its graphic depiction of suicide. “The Manor” will be one of the films rounding out Blumhouse and Amazon Prime’s second slate of “Welcome to the Blumhouse” features, alongside “Black as Night” by Maritte Lee Go, “Madres” by Ryan Zaragoza, and “Bingo” by Gigi Saul Guerrero. “Bingo” also follows an endangered group of senior citizens – though it doesn’t have elder scream queen Barbara Hershey as its lead.
Release Date: TBD
