The 25 Most Anticipated Horror Movies Of 2021 / The Playlist - Part 2 "“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
“Morbius”
There’s going to be a Jared Leto-led vampire superhero movie whether we like it or not, so we might as well embrace it. Leto plays the titular Michael Morbius, a villain from Marvel’s ‘Spider-Man‘ comics who contracts vampirism after trying to cure his own rare blood disease. Swedish director Daniel Espinosa (“Life,” “Child 44”) and screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless (“The Last Witch Hunter,” “Dracula Untold”), no strangers to pulpy subject matter, are sure to bring some solid mainstream horror energy to the film. This is another part of Sony’s plans for a larger Spider-Man cinematic universe, after the so-bad-it’s-fabulous “Venom,” so we’ll be fascinated to see how it does. At the very least, it’s not every day you see the superhero and horror genres get in bed together.
Release Date: Recently delayed to October 8.
“Old”
Though its plot is a mystery, we’d be insane to keep M. Night Shyamalan off this list. The thriller auteur’s next feature, “Old,” is the first film outside of his “Unbreakable” trilogy since 2015’s “The Visit.” The script, also by Shyamalan, is an adaptation of Frederik Peeters’ graphic novel “Sandcastle,” about a group of people trapped in a cove who suddenly realize they are growing older at a rapid pace. The film stars Gael Garc*a Bernal, Vicky Krieps, and Ken Leung, but we’re just as excited about its young talent: Thomasin McKenzie, “Hereditary” star Alex Wolff, and “Sharp Objects” scene-stealer Eliza Scanlen are in the cast as well. Shyamalan is notoriously hit or miss, with his last two features “Split” and “Glass” occupying opposite sides of the critical continuum, but this cast and premise have us dying – pun very much intended – to learn more.
Release Date: July 23
“A Quiet Place Part II”
John Krasinski rocked the box office with his debut feature, the inventive horror film “A Quiet Place.” Now, its hotly anticipated sequel, “A Quiet Place Part II,” is set to premiere this spring after being delayed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Part II” takes place shortly after the events of the first film, as mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt) leads her children, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe), through a world occupied by monsters after the destruction of their home and the death of their father (John Krasinski). Cillian Murphy (“28 Days Later”) and Djimon Hounsou (“Captain Marvel”) will join the cast as two mysterious outsiders. The first film was particularly notable for its use of ASL, a necessity both for the deaf Regan and for the family as they strove not to attract any of the noise-sensitive monsters. Those themes will continue in the second film as Regan takes on a bigger role. We can’t wait for this one to finally tiptoe into theaters.
Release Date: April 23
“Run Sweetheart Run”
One of several Blumhouse holdovers from 2020, “Run Sweetheart Run” is set to debut on Amazon Prime streaming later this year. The film, inspired by events from director Shana Feste’s own life, is a survive-the-night horror centered on a single mother who winds up on a treacherous blind date. Ella Balinska (“Charlie’s Angels”) stars as lead Cherie, with Pilou Asbæk (“Game of Thrones,” “Woodshock”) as her formidable foe. This marks a notable departure for Feste, who also wrote the script and is best known for films like “Boundaries” and “Country Strong.” With Blumhouse’s indie horror cred behind it and a provocative Sundance 2020 debut, this one could really go either way, but its premise, inspired by films like “Get Out” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” has us intrigued enough to tune in.
Release Date: TBD
“There’s Someone Inside Your House”
Netflix has been cornering the market on teen-friendly original content for years now, but they’ve yet to really go in on a straightforward teen scream. That’s about to change with “There’s Someone Inside Your House,” based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins. The film centers on a group of Nebraska high schoolers being stalked by a killer intent on revealing their secrets. With “Creep” and “Creep 2” director Patrick Brice at the helm and “Shazam!” writer Henry Gayden behind the script, this could really be one to look out for. Sydney Park (“The Walking Dead”) and Theodore Pellerin (“Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” “Boy Erased”) lead the cast.
Release Date: February, date TBA
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
Fede Álvarez is trying to pull a David Gordon Green by producing “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper’s game-changing 1974 slasher of the same name. “Tejano” David Blue Garcia is set to direct a script by Chris Thomas Devlin (“Cobweb”), uniting two relative newcomers for their most ambitious project yet. What’s most exciting about this project, however, is that the cast is led by “Eighth Grade” star Elsie Fisher, who we would watch in a three-hour-long Peloton ad, much less a major horror homage. If the film, which is currently in post-production, wraps in time for its projected 2021 release, this could be her next live-action feature role after “Eighth Grade.” And what an incredible transition that would be.
Release Date: TBD
“The Vigil”
“The Vigil” wowed audiences at TIFF 2019. Told in both Yiddish and English, this chilling dybbuk tale follows a young man tasked with keeping vigil over a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community, only to be hunted by a malevolent spirit. This marks Menashe Lustig’s return to the big screen after he stunned critics in Joshua Z. Weinstein’s 2017 drama “Menashe,” and a breakout role for Dave Davis. The two are backed up by a stellar cast of newcomers and character actors, including Fred Melamed and Lynn Cohen, and conveyed in stunning visuals from “The Eyes of My Mother” cinematographer Zach Kuperstein. We can’t wait to get our hands on this once it’s finally released in the U.S., courtesy of IFC Midnight.
Release Date: February 26
“Wendell and Wild”
It’s been twelve long, long years since Henry Selick brought his stop-motion animation genius to the big screen – he last left us with Laika’s first opus, “Coraline,” in 2009. This year, the “The Nightmare Before Christmas” director will finally return with “Wendell and Wild,” billed as a “stop-motion animated dark fantasy comedy horror film” co-written by and starring Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key. Key and Peele play two demon brothers facing off against a nun and her two teen goth henchmen. Produced in part under Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, the film is slated for a release this year via Netflix, and will reunite Selick with “Coraline” composer Bruno Coulais for the score. Hopefully “Wendell and Wild” will also take a few Oscar-qualifying turns on the big screen, because it would be a shame to miss seeing all that painstaking handiwork up close.
Release Date: TBD
“Willy’s Wonderland”
One actor currently selecting some of the best roles of his career is, oddly enough, Nicolas Cage. In the last few years, he’s starred in “Color Out of Space” and “Mandy,” two genre-defying knockouts that perfectly showcased his oddball appeal. Now he’s set to star in the low-budget horror-comedy “Willy’s Wonderland” from the relatively unknown director Kevin Lewis, who hasn’t made a film in 15 years, and writer G.O. Parsons, whose only other screenwriting credit is an episode of “Shark Week.” (Yes, the TV documentary special about sharks.) The plot seems to borrow from the cult horror game “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” following a night-shift janitor as he and a group of teens try to survive the night in a family entertainment center overrun by evil animatronics. This could either go horribly wrong or be absolutely fantastic, and we can’t wait to find out which.
Release Date: February 12"
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