The 5 Most Anticipated Horror Movies Coming Out This Year

‘Nope’ (July 22)

Nope is a science fiction horror film written, directed, and co-produced by Jordan Peele, director of the chilling film, Get Out and the psychological thriller, Us. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun. Promo for this movie has been careful not to reveal too much, making fans even more excited to see it this summer. A dark, swirling cloud spotted in the trailer suggests that there is some type of evil, otherworldly presence wreaking havoc on the farm where Nope takes place. The description for the movie reads ‘Caretakers at a California horse ranch encounter a mysterious force that affects human and animal behavior.’

Related: ‘Nope’ Filmmaker Jordan Peele Calls the Movie a “Spectacle” and “The Great American UFO Story”

The most recent trailer did confirm one thing for certain, the movie will feature a big, shiny UFO. It is unclear exactly what will be piloting the spacecraft, but Peele has said that Nope is “the great American UFO story.” According to Peele, the film will be a spectacle that fans should see in IMAX for the best experience possible.

‘Smile’ (September 30)

Smile is a psychological horror written and directed by Parker Finn based on his 2020 short film Laura Hasn’t Slept. After witnessing a strange, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) finds her mind beginning to turn on her. She starts experiencing a series of unexplainable terrifying occurrences. As fear begins to take over her life, she finds that she must confront her troubling past to survive.

One trailer shows a woman passing by a hospital room where a man sits, completely still, with an unnaturally wide smile. The man appears unresponsive as the frightening grin seems to spread to more people. Smile looks like it’s going to be an unnerving start to the Halloween season.

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ (September 23)

Harry Styles and Florence Pugh play husband and wife in this psychological suspense thriller from director Olivia Wilde. Don’t Worry Darling is set in the 1950s in a seemingly perfect utopian village that is created and paid for by the mysterious company Jack (Styles) works for. The company is called “The Victory Project” and all that is revealed about it so far is that its mission is to “change the world.” Alice (Pugh) is worried that their true goal is far more sinister.

The trailer shows several quick snippets of the psychological horror viewers can expect from the film. One of the women is seen standing on top of a building, looking like she’s about to jump, and the same character is also seen smashing her head against a mirror. Someone is being dragged away, and Alice’s reflection turns to look at her. She is also seen being chased and grabbed by people wearing all red. The movie seems to be dissecting the traditional housewife role, and how much you may not know about your spouse.

‘Dark Harvest’ (September 9)

Based on a 2007 novel of the same name by Norman Partridge, Dark Harvest is set in a small Midwestern village on Halloween, 1963. “October Boy” is a creature that surfaces from the cornfields each year on Halloween and heads to town with a butcher knife. The townspeople then hunt him down in an annual event named the “Run” and whoever kills him, wins a prize. Women are forbidden from participating and have to stay inside during the hunt.

The winner of the Run receives the ability to leave the village – which they otherwise could not do- and his family is given a new home, car, and a year with no bills. Winners are idolized, but the rest of the town doesn’t truly know what happens to each year’s winner.

‘Halloween Ends’ (October 14)

Michael Myers and Laurie Strode square up for one final fight in the last chapter of this reboot trilogy. The upcoming slasher film will star Jamie-Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie in the thirteenth installment of the Halloween franchise. James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle star as Michael Myers, the masked murderer who carried out a horrific massacre on Halloween in 1978 and returns to Haddonfield yet again for another killing spree.

Before the release of the 2018 film Halloween, one of the film’s writers’, Danny McBride confirmed that he and director David Gordon Green originally intended that the next two films would be shot back-to-back. They decided to wait and see the audience’s reaction to the first film. This will be the final installment in a franchise with eight installments spanning from 1978-2002, two remakes by Rob Zombie in 2009 & 2009, and three new remakes.

Next: 13 Great Horror Movies to Watch on Halloween That Aren’t ‘Halloween’