Horror Movies That Will Blow Everyone Away In 2018

Hollywood lined up plenty of high-profile horror projects in 2017, from a revival of the Saw franchise to a very creepy-looking take on Stephen King's It — but even after that banner year, fans don't need to worry that the genre's tapped out; instead, the movie industry's major players have ensured that there are plenty  of quality scares on tap for 2018. In fact, the year's horror calendar got off to an early start, and there's no end in sight — after looking over the movie release schedule for 2018, we've come to the inescapable conclusion that filmgoers have a wealth of fright to choose from during these 12 months. From fact-based stories to supernatural action and the chilling reemergence of at least one classic character, the future looks very dark indeed — in the best possible way. Here's a look at the horror movies that will blow everyone away in 2018.

Jeremy Saulnier has quickly established a reputation as a purveyor of mercilessly tense films punctuated with bursts of shocking violence, and his fans have been waiting anxiously to see what color he'd take on next after the one-two gut punches of Blue Ruin and Green Room. True to form, the director has chosen to keep us off-balance by not only ditching the naming convention, but also by releasing his new thriller Hold the Dark directly to Netflix.

Penned by reliable collaborator Macon Blair (whose excellent debut directorial feature I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore likewise found a home on the streaming giant), Hold the Dark is adapted from William Giraldi's 2014 novel, and tells the story of a wildlife expert who gets into more than he bargained for when he's summoned to Alaska to investigate the killing of three local children by a wolf. Blair will of course make an appearance onscreen, with Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood) and Riley Keough (Logan Lucky) also having joined the cast. Saulnier's fans won't need any coaxing, but for the uninitiated in need of a nerve-jangling thriller, Hold the Dark is virtually guaranteed to satisfy when it drops on Netflix this year. 

Remakes and reboots of classic horror franchises haven't exactly been cinematic gold in recent years, with dead-on-arrival revivals of the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises leaving fans and producers alike wondering where the stories have left to go. With yet another Nightmare reboot struggling to get off the ground and a planned second Friday re-imagining also canceled, fans could be forgiven for not getting too excited about the prospect of a new Halloween—but they should be, for one key reason.

Eastbound & Down star Danny McBride and producer David Gordon Green came together to work on the concept for the new film, which they pitched directly to original director/co-writer John Carpenter. Carpenter's reaction, posted to his Facebook page, was enough to get any fan's heart racing: "WOW. They get it. I think you're gonna dig it." For further proof, Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie Strode) and Nick Castle (Michael Myers) are reprising their roles from the original. Castle has said that the filmmakers "honor the tradition of the original movie" and that "everyone who is a fan, of the original especially, should look forward to it."

McBride has explained to CinemaBlend that the new film won't be a remake or a reboot, but will instead serve as a sequel to the first film: "(I)t's gonna continue the story of Michael Myers in a really grounded way. And for our mythology, we're focusing mainly (on) the first two movies and what that sets up." Miramax will release the Blumhouse production on October 19, 2018, just in time for the scariest night of the year.

Dario Argento's 1977 masterpiece Suspiria is an exercise in pure, nightmarish atmosphere, which may be the reason it's avoided the remake treatment for four decades. But Italian director Luca Guadagnino (the man behind Sundance darling Call Me By Your Name) has taken his best shot—his modern re-imagining of Suspiria wrapped filming in March of this year, and if the lengthy post-production and interesting cast are any indication, we could be getting a fever dream for the ages.

Dakota Johnson stars opposite Chloë Grace Moretz, Mia Goth (A Cure For Wellness) and Tilda Swinton, lending her otherworldly presence. Also appearing in a small role will be the original film's star Jessica Harper, and none other than Radiohead's Thom Yorke will attempt to outdo the original's classic score. Much has been made of the fact that no remake can possibly match the bizarre color palette and singular tone of the original, but Guadagnino seems quite confident in his approach. Speaking with Variety, he said, "It's a movie about guilt, and it's about motherhood. It has no primary colors in its color palette... [it's] winter-ish, evil, and really dark."

Few filmmakers have the ability to get under one's skin quite like Lars Von Trier, he of Nymphomaniac, Antichrist and numerous other such provocations. For his next trick, Von Trier has recruited Matt Dillon and previous collaborator Uma Thurman for The House That Jack Built, the story of the development of serial killer Jack (Dillon) throughout his career in the 1970's. 

Von Trier has gone on record warning potential viewers that Jack may be his most brutal film to date, which is really saying something: "There were so many people we sent the script to, who said they would do anything to work with me, except this script," he said during a press conference at Cannes. "And then there were two [Dillon and Thurman], who said yes and I asked, 'Are you sure?' And they said, 'Yeah yeah yeah.' I think we should make a little test of their reading abilities." The film's official synopsis states that it will be told from the point of view of Jack, who views each of his murders as a work of art and take ever greater risks in pursuit of the ultimate artwork. If you're not among the faint of heart or weak of stomach, The House That Jack Built is shaping up to be a late-season treat; distributor IFC Films has slated it for release on November 29.

1978's Piranha has the distinction of being hands-down the best Jaws ripoff in a sea of them (no pun intended), and it also launched the career of director Joe Dante in much the same way that its less-loved sequel gave a boost to future Hollywood titan James Cameron. The modern reboot series, which began with Piranha 3D in 2010, has nobly carried on the tradition of delivering maximum cheese along with copious amounts of gore and nudity, so we're pleased to report that the next installment—titled Piranha JPN: Teeth of the Piranha—is currently in production in Japan.

As always, the seemingly ageless Roger Corman will be an executive producer, but no further cast and crew details are available yet. According to Dread Central, the fish are undergoing a bit of a redesign due to the locale, looking like more of a hybrid of piranha and tuna—the joke being that since many Japanese people are so fond of eating that particular fish, the fish ought to get a chance to return the favor. Nobody ever accused Roger Corman of being too subtle.

The Weinstein Company has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons, and prominent subsidiary Dimension Films hasn't escaped mention amid allegations of years of sexual impropriety by co-founder Harvey Weinstein. A fair amount of turmoil at Dimension is one factor affecting the release date of Polaroid, a supernatural thriller originally slated for a Thanksgiving 2017 release, but which has now been pushed back to an unspecified date in 2018—hopefully sooner than later, because it looks absolutely bonkers.

First-time feature director Lars Klevberg adapts from his own short film, telling the story of a teenage loner who discovers an old Polaroid camera in a mysterious store. The budding vintage photo enthusiast soon finds that anybody she takes a picture of is in line for a horrific death at the hands of some malevolent force. While the premise might seem a touch familiar—or, specifically, like a mashup of The Ring and Final Destination—Klevberg's short won Best Short and Best Cinematography awards at the prestigious Los Angeles Horror Competition, and all signs in the trailer point to a stylishly shot and creepy flick.  

The creative team of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods are gearing up for a breakout year in 2018. Their script for the forthcoming A Quiet Place has generated massive amounts of buzz, and Haunt—which the duo will also direct—sounds every bit as creepy as that highly anticipated project. The official synopsis: "On Halloween, a group of friends encounter an 'extreme' haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. The night turns deadly as they come to the horrifying realization that some nightmares are real."

The Bold Type star Katie Stevens (who is also starring in the forthcoming chiller Polaroid) leads, opposite Will Brittain (Kong: Skull Island) and Andrew Caldwell (M.F.A.). Eli Roth is among the film's producers, so it's safe to say that a fair amount of shocking gore will be on tap. No release date has yet been announced.

Fresh off his critically acclaimed turn as Winston Churchill in the historical drama Darkest Hour, Gary Oldman will return to genre films with Mary, a supernatural thriller from American Horror Story cinematographer and director Michael Goi. Goi will direct from an original screenplay by The Shallows scribe Anthony Jaswinski, who seems to be on a singular mission to make us all terrified of the ocean.

Oldman stars as the patriarch of a family looking to start a charter boat business—but their first investment, the titular vessel, holds dark secrets that only reveal themselves on isolated waters. Owen Teague (who had a brief but memorable turn as Patrick Hockstetter in 2017's It) and Stefanie Scott (Insidious: Chapter 3) co-star along with veteran actress Emily Mortimer. No release date has been announced, but the presence of Oldman alone—not to mention a creepy and original premise—make this a flick worth looking out for.

Blumhouse is at it again with Seven in Heaven, which was shot last summer in Ontario, Canada. The story concerns a pair of teens who, while playing the titular game, discover that their closet happens to be a gateway to an alternate reality. But the gateway doesn't stay open forever, and the pair must navigate unknown perils to make it home before they're stuck.

Actor/director Chris Eigeman is helming the flick, which will feature Travis Tope (Independence Day: Resurgence) and Haley Ramm (Red State, X-Men: The Last Stand) as its two leads. Little information is available at this time, but there's little doubt Blumhouse is capable of making good on this mind-bender of a premise.

Yet another mysterious Blumhouse project, Sweetheart went into production after the House of Blum acquired writer/director JD Dillard's previous film, Sleight, after its Sundance debut. The horror thriller will star Dope and The Flash actress Kiersey Clemons along with Emory Cohen (War Machine), and while the studio is keeping mum about the plot, Dillard himself spilled a few details in an interview with Slashfilm.

He describes the film as being light on dialogue—the script is only 68 pages—and as being "a pure exercise in tone and terror" with a heavy survival horror vibe. He also just barely holds himself back from revealing some sort of unique device—something he describes as a "plus one"—that he can't say anything about until the film's promotional materials appear. With no release date yet announced, we'll just have to wait and see what he means, unless someone can pry it out of him sooner.

Hilary Duff may not be the most obvious choice for the lead role in a psychological horror film, unless it's this one. Duff has signed on to portray the lead in The Haunting of Sharon Tate, in all likelihood due to her rather unsettling similarity to the late Tate, who was the most famous victim of Charles Manson's murderous "family." The film portrays Tate as tormented by visions of her own demise in the weeks leading up to her murder, and is based on remarks that she allegedly made in an interview a year before her death. 

Tate's family has taken slight issue with this, but the filmmakers aren't exactly presenting their work as factual, and it could be an interesting opportunity for Duff to show off her acting chops. It's the debut feature for writer/director Daniel Farrands, who has helmed several well-received horror documentaries (including the essential Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th), and the supporting cast includes Lydia Hearst (#Horror), the daughter of famed kidnap-victim-turned-terrorist Patty Hearst. Currently in post-production, The Haunting of Sharon Tate will hit theaters sometime this year.

Author Shirley Jackson only published six full-length novels (alongside a slew of short stories, including The Lottery, which you probably read in high school) before her death in 1965, but her influence reaches far and wide. Stephen King has often cited her work as an inspiration for himself and many of his contemporaries, and her final novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle is widely regarded as her masterpiece. Her surreal, atmospheric writing style is seen by some as defying adaptation — but the one currently in the works boasts a sterling cast and crew, and just might emerge as this year's sleeper horror hit.

The story follows a pair of sisters who may or may not have played a role in the poisoning of their entire family, who must use supernatural means to protect themselves from suspicious townspeople. Scream queen Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story, The Nun) appears in a lead role, along with Sebastian Stan (best known for his role as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and the great Willem Dafoe. At the helm is Stacie Passon, directing her second feature (after 2013's Concussion) from a script she co-wrote with Mark Kruger, who has done solid work in television on shows like The 4400 and Teen Wolf. Here's hoping they've cracked the code of adapting Jackson to the screen; a certain Master of Horror will be watching, and he's not known for gentle criticism.

Production house A24 has offered up a diverse slate of interesting films over the last five years, but they're beginning to develop a reputation as having a nose for a great horror script. Recent efforts such as It Comes At Night, Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Hereditary have all hit the critical sweet spot — but the forthcoming Slice, starring Chance the Rapper in his feature film debut, represents a bit of a departure for the studio with its horror-comedy feel and utterly insane-sounding plot.

Chance finds himself caught up in a string of murders of pizza delivery drivers, who are being targeted for unknown reasons by assailants who might be drug dealers — but then, they might also be werewolves. The film's secretive marketing has done little to fill out the plot's details, instead playing up its comedic slasher-movie vibe and Chance's affable onscreen presence. Writer/director Austin Vesely, who has previously worked with Chance on numerous music videos, makes his feature film debut; the supporting cast includes comedian Paul Scheer (The Disaster Artist) and Zazie Beetz, whose star is on the rise thanks to her recurring role on the TV series Atlanta and her recent high-profile supporting gig as Domino in Deadpool 2.