16 Anticipated Horror Movies of 2016

Read our full review HERE.

There’s not much to say about this one. Earlier this year I called You Are Not Alone “the most lifelike and terrifying slasher in years”, and I stand by that claim. It’s a film that should be viewed alone for maximum impact, and I can’t wait for you all to have the opportunity to do exactly that. We should (hopefully) have release details in the near future, stay tuned. This isn’t one to be missed.

Plot: Natalie is a college graduate visiting her hometown over the 4th of July. The night she arrives, she is stalked by a sociopathic killer.

Read our full review HERE.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but people have an unusual fascination with creepy-ass clowns. Badoet grabbed our attention earlier in 2015 with one of the most popular horror trailers of the year, and now that we’ve seen the film – we can assure you that it lives up to the hype. It’s a foreign entry into the clown space that feels remarkably classic and modern at the same time. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but take my word for it, and be on the lookout for this one to hit U.S. platforms in 2016.

Plot: Tragedy strikes a close-knit Jakarta apartment complex when three children are found misteriously dead. Suspecting foul play, three tenants decide to investigate: DONALD (Daniel Topan), a smart college senior with a temper; FAREL (Christoffer Nelwan), Donald’s socially awkward yet kind-hearted cousin, and KAYLA (Aurelie Moeremans), Donald’s tomboy college mate. The entity responsible for the heinous deaths is revealed after our heroes find drawings of a clown made by all the victims. They seek to stop it. 

Read our full review HERE.

Australian director Sean Byrne has been heralded for his 2009 film The Loved Ones, and genre fans have been dying of anticipation for his next project. The Devil’s Candy is currently the ONLY film to be given a perfect 10 here on Modern Horrors, so that has to mean something, right? This one plays on real-life fears and reel-life tropes to create a terrifying, suspenseful tale that resonates deeply. Definitely keep your ears open on release info regarding this one later in 2016. It’s worth the wait.

Plot: Metal music, wet paint, and family are the passions of Jesse, a struggling painter who lives a happy life with his wife, Astrid, and their preteen daughter, Zooey. And things look even brighter when Jesse and Astrid are able to put in a bid on their dream home – a huge property in rural Texas with a barn big enough for a proper art studio – after the price is driven down due to the home’s mysterious past. After the trio moves in, Jesse’s work starts taking on a new, considerably darker flavour – and things get even more ominous when Ray, the hulking, clearly unbalanced son of the deceased former owners, appears on the doorstep one night, clutching a red electric guitar and asking to “return home.” It soon becomes clear that Ray and Jesse are both being influenced by the same satanic forces, and that Jesse’s family won’t be safe until they find a way to quiet the Devil himself.

Regression has garnered mixed reviews before its slated February, 2016 release date, but we’re not ready to write it off just yet. Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, and some implied weird cult shit all from the man that brought us THE OTHERS – how could you not be at least slightly pumped for that?

Plot: A father is accused of a crime he has no memory of committing.

One of the biggest icons in horror returns, but this time its from the minds of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury. You know, the guys that brought us INSIDE, LIVID, and AMONG THE LIVING. If that doesn’t get your motor running, I’m not sure what will. Sure, maybe the pre-prequel thing is a little weird, but I’m not about to let that get in my way of yearning for this one. Leatherface is expected to hit cinemas in September of 2016.

Plot: Prequel about teenage Leatherface who escapes from a mental hospital with three other inmates, kidnaps a young nurse and takes her on a road trip from hell. Along the way, they are pursued by an equally deranged lawman out for revenge.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the original film, but I definitely realize that I’m in the minority in that regard. Don’t get me wrong, it had some decent suspense and some of the best sound design in horror – so here’s to hoping they build upon those successes in the sequel which is slated for release on December 2nd, 2016.

Plot: The Strangers 2 follows a family of four who have been evicted from their home due to the economy, and are paid a visit by the same three strangers from the first film.

Somewhere down the line, James Wan became the king of modern theatrical horror. He basically birthed an entire subgenre with the Saw franchise and then delivered a new-age poltergeist with the Insidious series. Before announcing his departure from the horror genre for greener pastures, Wan released The Conjuring to much success. There was no question that there would be a sequel, but we wondered if Wan would be attached. Well, he is – and not only is his “return” to horror based around the Enfield Poltergeist, but it appears to touch on the Amityville murders as well. I don’t know about you, but I’m pumped.

Plot: The Conjuring 2 is based on the real life events that took place in the 1970’s in a suburb in London, England. Single mother Margaret Hodgson and her four children (who ranged from 7 to 13) were plagued by intense Poltergeist activity.

This has to be one of the most bizarre/beautiful looking indie films of the upcoming year. I honestly don’t know much about it. I just know that it has raven dudes walking around in cloaks along with a LOT of eye plucking. What more do you need? If you haven’t seen the trailer – check it out – This should be a good one.

Plot: Andrew Alburn, a homeless veteran suffering from PTSD, is plagued by flashbacks of a traumatic event he witnessed while serving in the armed forces. He travels to a retreat in the remote Scottish Highlands hoping to overcome his fear of ravens, the dark creatures that populate his visions, but, in this bleak wilderness, his nightmares manifest into an enemy more powerful than he could ever have imagined. He must battle these monstrous entities as well as his own inner demons in order to keep his life, and reclaim his sanity.

Okay, so this definitely isn’t for everybody- but I couldn’t possibly be more excited for Bunny the Killer Thing. We don’t have a solid release date just yet, but it’s coming from our friends at Artsploitation sometime in the first half of 2016. It’s a killer bunny with a one word vocabulary. Oh, and it has a massive… just watch the trailer.

Plot:The bloody hilarious spoof follows a group of young adults who head to a remote cabin for a winter weekend. But soon they are confronted a half man, half creature who is after anything that resembles female genitals. Blood is shed and bras are shredded as Mr. Bunny wreaks havoc on the unsuspecting vacationers. Equal parts camp, gore, and comedy,Bunny has been described as, “Goofy, irreverent, and delightfully perverted”.

Remember that James Wan guy? Well he’s sticking around horror after all, but maybe just as a producer. One of his more anticipated projects is coming from internet-sensation short film director David F. Sandberg. I’m sure you’ve seen his “Light Out” short film before, but on July 22, 2016 – we’ll be getting the feature film adaptation in theaters from Mr. Wan and Sandberg. I have high hopes.

Plot: The story centers on a supernatural entity attacking a family, with one of the members required to step up to protect them from a threat that can be seen only when the lights go out.

Now I’m notorious for thumbing my nose at horror films that are based on true stories, but I’m also equally guilty of being a fan boy of Nordic cinema. Don Films is really trying to create a dilemma for me here. Thankfully the story of Bodom only uses the events of the Lake Bodom murders, where in June 1960, four teenagers went on a camping trip in which only one survived, as a backdrop. Bodom has been talked about since 2014, so the 2016 release date will be a welcome sight to many fans who have been waiting with bated breath.

Plot: Every camper’s worst nightmare came true at Lake Bodom in 1960 when four teenagers were stabbed to death while sleeping in their tent. As the years passed and the case grew cold, the unsolved mystery turned into an urban legend, a creepy campfire story passed from generation to generation. Now, a group of teenagers arrives at the same campsite, hoping to solve the murder by reconstructing it minute by minute. As night falls, turns out not all of them are there to play. Tonight… it’s girls against boys. Let the killing games begin.

The last 3 times I finished a Rob Zombie film, I whispered to myself; “Never again…”. But somehow, some way, Zombie has my attention once again with his bat-shit crazy circus horror titled 31. It’s set to premiere at Sundance in 2016 – so here’s to hoping rob can wipe away his recent indiscretions and come back swinging.

Plot: Five people are kidnapped on the days leading up to Halloween and held hostage in a place called Murder World. While trapped, they must play a violent game called 31 where the mission is to survive 12 hours against a gang of evil clowns.

Check out our review HERE.

In a lake of unnaturally cold, calm stillness, February shows us the decaying, decrepit hand of death reaching out to grab our ankles like a steel vise. It’s a chilling and unforgettable film that will stay with you after the credits have rolled. You have to watch this one as soon as it’s released in 2016.

Plot: Set at an all girls boarding school, February tells the story of two women bound together by a series of sinister events.

Mickey Keating has been on my radar since 2013’s RITUAL. It received mixed reviews, but I found it to have an indefinable quality that I still find it difficult to place. Then he released POD, which I felt was an absolute masterclass at building tension and confusion – but again, it received mixed reviews. Later that same year (2015), he released DARLING. This time, Keating was met with almost universal praise in the festival scene. Now he’s set to release Carnage Park at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and I couldn’t be more excited. Here’s to hoping we actually get to keep this guy in our genre.

Plot: Part crime caper gone awry, part survival horror film, this 1970s set thriller depicts a harrowing fight for survival after a pair of wannabe crooks botch a bank heist and flee into the desert, where they inexplicably stumble upon Carnage Park, a remote stretch of wilderness occupied by a psychotic ex-military sniper.

Elija Wood’s SPECTREVISION has released a wide range of genre films. From abysmal to incredible, there’s no doubt that the team is on the hunt for unique films. Nowhere is that more apparent than their upcoming release The Greasy Strangler. This is coming to us from the guy that did the “G is for Grandpa” segment from ABC’s of Death 2 – and that was FUCKED. So hell yeah i want to see what Jim Hosking can do in his feature film debut.

Plot:A sexy woman takes the tour, it begins a competition between father and son for her love. It also signals the arrival of an oily strangler who stalks the streets at night.

A lot of people have written this one off already… or at least they act like they have. Truth is, there is a TON of interest around the”re-imagining” of Martyrs. That much is apparent in the traffic that it pulls in. What remains to be seen is how fans of the original will react – and perhaps even more interesting – is how mainstream audiences that know nothing of the original will receive the film. We got our eyes on the 2016 Martyrs earlier this month, and while I found it absolutely impossible to avoid comparisons to the original – there is a thrilling feature to be found here once you cut through all of your nostalgia. Our full review will post in the coming days – so be on the lookout.

Plot: A woman and her childhood friend seek out revenge on those who victimized and abused them.