Happy 2019!

With 2018 behind us, let’s look at some of the horror films dropping in 2019.

US

Slated for release on March 15, this is probably the year’s most anticipated horror film, especially after the success of 2017’s Get Out, which earned Jordan Peele an Oscar. While Get Out had some comedic beats, especially in the first half, US looks more like a straight-up horror film, with echoes of The Strangers and Funny Games, at least judging from the trailer.

 

 

 

A few weeks ago, it was reported that Peele had US star Lupita Nyong’o watch a list of horror films to prepare for her role. This list only adds to the excitement and features pretty diverse selections, everything from Let the Right One In to The Birds.

Pet Cemetery

The last few years have featured a serious resurgence of interest and fandom in Stephen King, both on the big and small screens, so it’s no surprise that one of King’s most popular novels is getting another adaptation. The latest  is directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer and written by Jeff Buhler. It stars Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, and John Lithgow. The trailer looks promising, and the film will be out in April.

 

The Prodigy

I’m unsure what to think about this film. Based on the trailer, it looks like it could be decent. Director Nicholas McCarthy does have experience in the horror genre. He was a writer for 2012’s The Pact and 2014’s At the Devil’s Door, and he directed a segment for 2016’s horror anthology Holidays. Maybe The Prodigy will be another solid entry into the creepy kid subgenre of horror,  a la The Omen. Who knows, but we’ll see once the film drops in February.

 

The Curse of La Llorona

This is another film that I think has potential. This supernatural horror film, directed by Michael Chaves,  is based on a Mexican folk tale about a legendary ghost called La Llorona. The film will be released in April.

It: Chapter 2

While I wasn’t a huge fan of the first installment of this remake, the second chapter is supposed to be darker and will feature members of the Loser’s Club all grown up, battling Pennywise one last time. I predict this will be the highest-grossing horror film of 2019. It comes out in early September. No trailer has been released yet.

The Lighthouse

Directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch), The Lighthouse is currently in post-production and was shot in black and white 35 mm. The film stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. Not much is listed on the IMDB page, other than this brief synopsis: “The story of an aging lighthouse keeper named Old who lives in early 20th-century Maine.” The Witch was one of the most atmospheric horror films of the last several years, so I’m excited to see Eggers’ latest effort, which will also be distributed by A24 films.

The Nightingale This film is currently making its round at the festivals, and I’m including it because it’s by The Babadook’s director Jennifer Kent. Here is the synopsis, “Set in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.”

I am sure there will be several films that make my year-end of list for 2019 that currently aren’t gaining much attention. Who heard of Revenge, Terrified, or Apostle a year ago?

TV:

In terms of TV, Shudder has green lighted Greg Nicotero’s (executive producer of “The Walking Dead”) reboot of Creepshow.  Nicotero promises the show will honor the legacy of Stephen King and George A. Romero’s original film. We’ll see. Speaking of Shudder, one of the highlights of 2018 for horror fans was the return of Joe Bob Briggs, who hosted three horror movie marathons dubbed “The Last Drive-in” for the streaming service. In 2019, he’ll be hosting a regular series. Long live Joe Bob!

Meanwhile, Jordan Peele is hosting a rebooted version of “The Twilight Zone” for CBS.  AMC has renewed the criminally underrated “The Terror” for a second season, though the new season won’t have anything to do with Dan Simmon’s novel. Season 2 will be set during WWII. Lastly, let’s hope that “Channel Zero” has at least one new season this year. Based on Creepy Pasta stories, “Channel Zero” is one of the most innovative horror television shows in years.

Happy New Year, and please feel free to comment about your predictions, hopes, or horror movies for 2019!