Entertainment
Though we're currently in the swampiest of Dog Days, relief will soon come — no, not with cooler climes (thanks, global warming) — but with the air conditioned dark of a movie theater. There are plenty to see this summer, but if you want an extra layer of chill, check out these 11 scary fall 2018 movies that'll have you shivering in your chunky-knit sweater.
There's the usual bout of questionable remakes, including the highly anticipated Susperia; whether it stands on its own or does injustice to the original, its mere existence has everyone hyped to talk about it on either side of the divide. The latest entries in the Predator and Halloween franchises, meanwhile make an appearance, but far more interesting are the slate of actually-new attempts at scaring the living daylights out of audiences. Black-metal '80s-set Mandy looks like a blood-saturated fever dream, complete with monsters and satanic cults, while The Nun offers a slower, spookier take on high-gothic horror with a religious tinge. Both Assassination Nation and late-season Anna and the Apocalypse offer unblinking genre mash-ups audacious enough to admire.
So get ready to feel shivers down your spine as the leaves slowly tumble from trees; this fall is all about terror.
1
'Mandy'
From the director of Beyond The Black Rainbow comes this over-the-top horror film starring Nicholas Cage. Red (Cage) and Mandy's idyllic existence is shattered by a sadistic occult cult's attack; when they're finished, the only thing Red has left is a thirst for vengeance. A 100 percent heavy metal movie right down to the fonts, it's a perfect start to fall's horror season.
In theaters September 14.
2
'The Nun'
After a cloistered Romanian nun takes her own life, a priest with a past and a nearly-envowed novitiate are sent by the Vatican to investigate her order. The supernatural secrets they're hiding threaten to endanger not only their lives, but their souls.
In theaters September 7.
3
'The Predator'
After a suburban kid triggers a calling signal, the universe's most lethal stalkers are on their way back to Earth's happy hunting grounds, this time amped up with the DNA of other alien species. It's up to a science teacher and group of ex-soldiers to stop them before humanity's slaughtered.
In theaters September 14.
4
'Patient Zero'
A mutated form of rabies turns most of the world into hyperintelligent monsters called "The Infected" One uninfected man has the ability to communicate with them, and working with a virologist and army Colonel, races to track down the first infected ("patient zero") to find a cure.
In theaters September 14.
5
'Assassination Nation'
An unholy combination of Unfriended and The Purge franchise, this story of a town (Salem, a little on-the-nose) gone wild after a massive data hack has four girlfriends band together to stay alive. The town hunts down whoever it was that spilled everyone's darkest secrets.
In theaters September 21.
6
'Hell Fest'
From the editor of Get Out and the Paranormal Activity franchise, who also directed the most recent Ghost Dimension, comes this slasher about a costumed killer murdering patrons at a horror theme park. Though whether it's all part of the park experience is part of the unnerving question.
In theaters September 28.
7
'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween'
Look, the sequel to Goosebumps is unlikely to scare even the meekest of filmgoers, but if you have some love for R.L. Stine (or some kids under 12 you need to keep busy), this story of two boys who unleash an evil ventriloquist's dummy who plans to cause the Monster Apocalypse with the help of other monsters should be a fun time.
In theaters October 12.
8
'Halloween'
David Gordon Green and Danny McBride, the team behind Eastbound And Down, co-wrote this direct sequel to the original Halloween that ignores the multiverse of sequels between. Neither Green or McBride are known for their horror chops, but OG director and horror master John Carpenter's overseeing the entire affair, and Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode.
In theaters October 19.
9
'Suspiria'
Instead of making his own horror movie, Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino decided to "remake" one of horror's high-style, low-logic classics. Ostensibly it'll feature the same elements: an isolated dance academy in Germany, performance pressure and paranoia, and of course, witches, but only time will tell if Guadagnino will top giallo maestro Dario Argento at his own game or veer on his own for something original.
In theaters November 2.
10
'Overlord'
This J.J. Abrams film was rumored to be the fourth Cloverfield film, but it's a standalone period piece, instead. When a group of paratroopers infiltrate an enemy village, they realize the Nazis are up to more than their governments suspected.
In theaters November 9.
11
'Anna And The Apocalypse'
This extremely ambitious "high school zombie musical" mills laughs from the incongruity of an upbeat all-singing, all-dancing apocalypse. For fans of High School Musical who are already sick of holiday cheer, or those who want their undead to step up with a little more seasonal razzle-dazzle, this is one to check out.
In theaters November 30.
Fortunately this season's bumper crop is over-the-top fright untethered to the numerous real-life horrors unfolding in our country, a perfect distraction just before election season.
