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Summer movie season is here and horror films dominate the release calendar.
It’s already been a good year for horror films, with Night Swim defying poor reviews to rake in millions at the box office, while Sydney Sweeney’s daughter-in-law sexploitation film Immaculate impressed genre stalwarts.
There have also been a number of independent horror hits this year, including the low-budget slasher In A Violent Nature and the supernatural Late Night with the Devil.
DailyMail.com spoke to critics of JoBlo.com and filmmaker Robbie Banfitch to get their picks for the scariest movies of this summer.
Cuckoo (August 9)
Euphoria star Hunter Schafer plays a terrified teenager in the chilling film Cuckoo.
Described as an ‘intense and original thriller’ by JoBlo.com Horror Critic Tyler Nichols’ Cuckoo has become one of the most anticipated films of the season thanks to an excellent advertising campaign.
Starring Euphoria actress Hunter Schafer, Cuckoo follows 17-year-old Gretchen (played by Schafer), who reluctantly goes to live with her father in the idyllic German Alps.
She is soon haunted by strange noises and visions, and it isn’t long before she discovers a shocking secret involving her family.
“Going into it knowing as little as possible seems to be the best option. All you have to know is that Hunter Shafer looks absolutely phenomenal in the lead role,” Nichols said.
Alien: Romulus (August 16)
The legendary Alien franchise is back with the chilling Alien: Romulus
The Alien franchise is back for the first time since 2017’s polarizing Alien: Covenant with the chilling Alien: Romulus.
Directed by Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe), the seventh installment in the franchise is set between the first two films and follows a group of young space colonists who face a deadly xenomorph while scavenging an abandoned space station.
“Álvarez has promised something half Alien, half Aliens with his next installment and it appears to be the franchise’s first true return to its roots in decades,” Nichols said.
‘Hopefully the Prometheus movies can be erased from memory and Alien: Romulus can help make space scary again.’
Fear (August 30)
Following the massive box office success of M3GAN, Blumhouse Productions is releasing another AI thriller with Afraid
Following the massive box office success of M3GAN, Blumhouse Productions is releasing another AI thriller with Afraid.
Starring John Cho and Katherine Waterston, Afraid follows a family who are terrorized by a smart home device that develops self-awareness.
“The idea of AI in the home is a terrifying prospect,” Nichols said.
“This is sure to be both stimulating and disturbing. Let’s hope it looks less like M3GAN.”
MaXXXine (July 3)
MaXXXine, starring It-girl Mia Goth, has turned out to be the sexiest movie of the summer season
Arguably the hottest horror movie of the season is MaXXXine, starring Mia Goth as ’80s porn star Maxine Minx.
MaXXXine is the third installment in director Ti West’s X-rated film series, which began with X, set in 1979, and was followed by Pearl, set in 1918.
According Horror News from JoBlo.com Writer Cody Hamman and Pearl “should have earned Goth an Oscar nomination.”
‘MaXXXine takes us back to the 80s, the Night Stalker is terrorizing Los Angeles, Goth is surrounded by an incredible supporting cast and horror fans’ expectations are high,’ he said.
Long legs (July 12)
Nicholas Cage’s performance in Longlegs has made this one of the most talked about films of the year.
The only horror film this season that rivals MaXXXine’s hype is Longlegs, which has captured the zeitgeist thanks to a surprising marketing campaign and a noteworthy performance from Nicholas Cage.
“The marketing for this Osgood Perkins film has been so intriguingly strange and cryptic that at this point we’re just anxious to see if the movie can live up to it,” Hamman said.
‘Longlegs looks promising, with It Follows heroine Maika Monroe playing an FBI agent on the trail of a serial killer played by Nicolas Cage, who has been described as a “possessed Geppetto”!
Critics have already dubbed Longlegs the scariest movie of 2024, and it currently sits at an impressive 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Trap (August 2)
Josh Hartnett is back on the big screen, this time playing a serial killer in M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap.
Not to be outdone by the more eye-catching MaXXXine and Longlegs, M. Night Shyamalan’s serial killer thriller Trap is being touted as a possible comeback for the erratic director.
“M. Night Shyamalan has his hits and misses, but this thriller has a great premise,” Hamman explained.
“Josh Hartnett plays a father who takes his young daughter to a concert, only to discover that the police have set up a serial killer at the venue,” he continued.
‘The problem is that Hartnett is the serial killer!’
With Hartnett’s secret identity intentionally revealed in the trailer, fans are already wondering if Trap will feature another of Shyamalan’s signature twists toward the end of the film.
The Front Room (September 6)
R&B singer Brandy Norwood has landed a career-making comeback role on A24’s The Front Room
One film that’s shaping up to be a surprise hit of the season is A24’s The Front Room.
Starring R&B singer Brandy, The Front Room follows newly pregnant Belinda as she confronts a mother-in-law from hell who is not only a raging racist but may also be possessed by the Holy Spirit.
“Horror fans are beyond excited to see Brandy’s return to the big screen, especially in such a big, A24-style way,” said Robbie Banfitch, who was behind the 2022 indie horror sensation The Outwaters.
“We’ve been wanting to do this since I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. For what it’s worth, if she’s not part of that reboot we’ll be in revolt,” he added.
Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch (TBA)
Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch is one of the most unconventional horror films to be released this season.
One of the lesser-known horror films that’s making waves this summer is Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch.
Firewatch is the latest installment in director Dutch Marich’s found footage series about missing persons cases in the American wilderness.
While the films have yet to reach a mainstream audience, they have developed a cult following among horror enthusiasts in recent years.
“Dutch Marich’s High Desert films are found footage or mockumentaries, those rare ones that seem genuinely authentic,” Banfitch said.
‘Part 3 is my favourite so far, and the lead, Marco Antonio Parra, is heartbreaking. The film is emotional, disturbing and suspenseful.’
Strange Darling (September 22)
Strange Darling has been wowing critics in recent months, earning an impressive 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Banfitch also singled out the stylish cat-and-mouse thriller Strange Darling, calling it “magnificent and unique.”
Strange Darling has wowed critics in recent months, earning an impressive 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
This unconventional film follows a one-night stand that turns into a chase for a serial killer, but features many twists and turns that defy the conventions of the genre.
Banfitch is currently working on his next film The Tinsman Road. His short story Summer Night is also available in Bury Your Gays: An Anthology of Tragic Queer Horror, which is in bookstores now.
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