Jordan Peele’s follow up to his critically-acclaimed debut feature, Get Out has a lot of similarities to Lewis Carroll’s second outing with Alice as he not only puts a mirror up to American society and not only forces us to watch the horror as it unfolds but physically flips our perspective without us realising in an effective twist moment.
That’s not where there the similarity ends, as we also have some twins, a red queen, and placed is as pawns in our own game of chess. Only the colours are so blurred, it’s hard to know which side we should be on. We certainly should know and definitely root for our protagonists, but what if it’s revealed that we’ve been championing for the wrong side? Do we still pledge our allegiance?
Peele craftily weaves in all these images to subject his picture with pop culture images and references ranging from The Shining to The Lost Boys to C.H.U.D. and Michael Jackson and N.W.A. It’s a style that works in this instance as film and music have so shaped our worlds that we have become embedded in these Arts and in some cases schooled by them.
Essentially a home invasion turned country invasion, Us takes the audience on a journey where a family must unite in a bloody tale of survival, but in a world that is so fractured and broken, how can we truly know who to trust and survive without hiding behind the masks that protect us? Can we really join hands across the globe and save humanity from itself by building a wall of protest, or will it merely be viewed as an art installation with no real impact at all? Peele seems quite happy to leave that question unanswered.
The Diagnosis:
Peele is starting to make his mark on the film circuit with his second psychological horror and although it isn’t quite as impactful as Get Out, Us still offers an enjoyable, powerful punch.
What does this mean to the genre as a whole? It can spell good news as the movie business see success and a money opportunity to exploit this genre to the bone.
This could mean an outpour of horrendous carbon copy movies that will grate to the bone, but it can’t be as bad as Amityville: The Awakening, Leatherface, or Jeepers Creepers 3 right?
But let’s not be too hasty on the negative-front. What does look promising is that we could very well get some fine horror films churning out over the coming years.
So with that in mind, the team stitched our collective minds together and come up with 18 of the most anticipated horror movies coming out that we would love to bring into the operating theatre and splice them wide open.
Directed by Alex Garland and starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Oscar Isaac looks off the dial.
The fact that it has been picked up by Netflix for a release some 17 days after its cinematic release has left some people scratching their heads as to whether or not this film has merit, but that’s old school thinking.
We at Surgeons see this at as a bold attempt at a streaming company to make their move onto the big arena.
If the trailer is anything to go by this film could be a massive hit and shape up the distribution method in a big way.
Cadaver
23 Aug
Some may instantly see comparisons with The Autopsy of Jane Doe with this one, but this story of a city cop fresh out of rehab, who takes up a role at the city hospital morgue, could very well be a trippy affair, where sanity is on the line.
Halloween
19 Oct
You’d be remiss to neglect this one on the list. With the return of Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle in their respective roles, alongside the creative minds of David Gordon Green and Danny McBride, can we finally see Michael Myers rampaging his way that will delight and reignite the franchise once more?
Here’s hoping.
The House With A Clock In Its Walls
21 Sep
Cate Blanchett and Jack Black lead the charge in Eli Roth’s latest feature about a young orphan and his magical uncle who go in search of a clock that could bring about the end of the world.
Could we see a return of fantasy horror on the big screen? Can Roth extend his bloody touch to go beyond the success of Green Inferno?
Whilst this has already been released in the States, the Surgeons team who are based in Australia, need to wait with eager anticipation for Elise Rainer and her team of ghost hunters to delve into the Further once more.
Early reports suggest that Lin Shaye continues to impress in her role, but that the franchise may have run its course. We’ll have to wait and see before we cast our thoughts on the latest addition to the franchise.
2015’s release of The Witch and its success may have reawakened that love of folk horror, which has been embedded in British culture with the likes of The Wicker Man, Witchfinder General, and Blood on Satan’s Claw, has some of our team intrigued by this latest offering.
Set in 1920’s Ireland, a twin brother and sister must endure a sinister presence with a strong hold over them that may result in turning them against one another with drastic circumstances.
Whether you like him or not Jason Statham has a habit of packing a punch when it comes to ‘balls to the wall, testosterone-fuelled action movies.
Now he must come face-to-face come face to face with a 70-foot shark.
“You’re gonna need a bigger air tank.”
The New Mutants
12 Apr
When Logan was released and with the success that followed, Marvel were then faced with the enterprise of a much darker world.
In steps, The New Mutants which sees Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split) and Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) among the imprisoned young mutants as they discover their new-found abilities and potential salvation.
Speaking of franchises, The Conjuringuniverse continues to expand and haunt in more delectable ways to terrify our souls with the much-anticipated return of Valak.
In this instance, Rome is our setting and Father Burke is sent to investigate the mysterious death of a nun. Burke played by Demian Bichir, who I hope is given more time to flex his acting muscles compared to his under-used performance in Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant.
Gary Dauberman from It, Annabelle:Creation, and The Conjuring 2 is back on board to write the screenplay, so expect similar twists, turns, and scares to arise.
In addition, Corin Hardy steps in to direct, who oversaw the surprisingly decent The Hallow from a few years back and has been given the vote of confidence to resurrect The Crow, starring Jason Mamoa.
The Predator
2 Aug
Becoming something of the lesser cousin to the Alien franchise, The Predator universe has never managed to really make a dent beyond its original Arnie feature, which surprises as it is ripe full of potential.
One of the original stars Shane Black is on to direct, so you could argue that there isn’t anyone closer to the source to re-capture the magic of the first film, and he has proven success with Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and Iron Man 3, but is that enough to win over fans and the many?
The additions of Oliva Munn, and Thomas Jane, who has had a something of a career comeback with Before I Wake, and 1922 of late, could very well help cement this together.
Where some were left aggrieved following the screening of It Comes At Night, (which is probably the best example of false advertising when it comes to luring your audience in – as an aside its actually a pretty decent and intense movie, just not how it was promoted) will no doubt have their needs met in this movie, which promises an intense and horrific ordeal.
John Krasinski directs and stars in his passion project alongside Emily Blunt as part of a family forced to live in silence from an unknown threat that will attack with the slightest noise.
Another example of how Netflix continue to become a force in the movie market, and another example of folk horror entering into the scene.
The Ritual stars Rafe Spall as a man with a damaged, who joins a group of friends on a camping expedition in the forest only to discover that they are not alone.
Slaughterhouse Rulez
7 Sep
Much discussion has been surrounding this project due to the re-collaboration of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) who both star in and produce this movie.
The story centres on a boarding school that unleashes all hell when a mysterious sinkhole emerges.
Cue comedy and bloody mayhem.
The first film had horror fans divided – a bit like vegemite, you either love it, or hate it. For those that fell into the former category, they can rejoice as the trio of masked psychopaths return to reek havoc on some more prey.
The cast includes Christina Hendricks (Mad Men, The Neon Demon) and Martin Henderson (The Ring, Everest) and is directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, The Other Side of the Door) but don’t let that sway you as he also helmed the magnificent F, and if he could tap the rage and anarchy unleashed in that movie, we could have a surprise hit on our hands.
Horror production giants, Blumhouse, who have been partly responsible for the rise in recent genre movies will be hoping to keep the trend going and repeat their successes of Get Out, and Happy Death Day.
Truth or Dare follows a group of friends who play a deadly version of said game when those that break the rules start a meet a grisly end.
Critically praised film director, Steven Soderbergh enters the horror arena with his usual approach to exploring different filming techniques, in this instance shooting the entire film on an iPhone camera.
The cast is also impressive with Claire Foy (The Crown), entering a mental institution and once again reality comes into question. Foy is accompanied by Juno Temple (Horns), Aimee Mullins (Stranger Things), Amy Irving (Carrie) and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project).
Venom
5 Oct
If The New Mutants is going to push the boundaires of darkness in the Marvel universe, then Venom will surely rip that apart and enter whole new level of insanity.
With Tom Hardy taking on the titular character, you can expect some hefty weight in the acting department.
It’s a project that is shrouded in secrecy at the moment and just a few screenshots that have been handed out to the media. Lets hope that it will be worth the wait.
Helen Mirren takes on the role of Lady Winchester house, heiress to the Winchester firearms, who becomes obsessed with building a house to trap ghosts with one of the most obscure architecture ever built.
From the creative minds of the Spierig Brothers (Undead, Daybreakers), this movie could be hit or miss.
Release Date:18 May Is it me or is there more hype around this movie than Prometheus? It might have something to do with the return of our beloved xenonorph and its predatorial instincts that once again see humans in a fight for survival. Prediction:With Michael Fassbender reprising his role as the ‘synthetic’ David, along with a strong cast, this looks and feels like the Alien franchise is back on form.
Amityville: the Awakening
Release Date:30 Jun tbc This marks the 18th entry into the Amityville franchise, which by my reckoning makes this the most in aseries. This time the story focuses on Belle and her twin siblings, one of whom is comatose until strange paranormal occurrences awaken him. Prediction:With the movie changing hands through the selling of Miramax plus poor preview screenings have seen this movie delayed on several occasions. If this movie does see the light of day, I expect that it will be yet another poor addition to the franchise posing the question why bother returning to it at all.
Annabelle 2
Release Date:10 Aug The sequel to TheConjuring spin-off that sees the possessed doll wreak havoc on an orphanage. Prediction:Another weak entry. The plot line seems farcical.
Release Date:17 Mar Think of this as Battle Royale set in a high-rise building as 80 participants are told by an unknown voice that they must play a game of kill or be killed. Prediction:Brought to the screens by the visionary mind of Australia’s Greg McLean (Wolf Creek, The Darkness) this could be a pleasant surprise albeit using familiar territory. Expect a gruesome battle of survival to occur.
Release Date:13 Jan tbc The concept behind this movie sees three college students find themselves stalked by an entity that can take control of your mind simply if you think or say his name. Prediction:Sounds like a shit version of The Candyman. Shitty title, shitty premise doesn’t bold well in my opinion, but hey, I’m happy to be proven wrong.
Chucky 7
Release Date: Dec Not much is known about this movie yet other than writer of the all six instalments and director of the last two, Don Mancini has resurrected the killer doll for another on-screen outing. Prediction: If this heralds the right kind of comedy this could be the best version since Bride of Chucky.
A Cure For Wellness
Release Date:16 Mar When a young executive goes to retrieve his CEO from a wellness centre, he finds himself spiralling into a world of secrets where his own sanity is tested. Prediction: Director Gore Verbinski can be a bit hit be miss and if we’re honest more miss of late. Judging by the trailer though, this could well be a return to form and perhaps one of the better horror movies of 2017.
The Dark Tower
Release Date:27 Jul The science fantasy western horror book series from the mind of Stephen King gets the movie treatment. The film in this instance has been described as a ‘quasi-sequel’ to the books. Prediction:With a lot of big names producing this movie and the likes of Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey taking the leads there is a lot of high expectations on this being a success. I for one feel that they won’t be disappointed. A hit that will likely bring more from the universe in further outings.
Release Date:28 Sep Again not much has been announced around the details of this movie other than it being a sequel to the 90’s classic with Kiefer Sutherland set to reprise his role of Dr Nelson Wright. Prediction:This movie sits on the precipice of success or failure. With Ellen Page attached I have a feeling this could be better than your average flick and could take this franchise into bold new territory and reawaken a tinge of nostalgia. “Today’s a great day to die.”
Friday the 13th
Release Date:13 Oct Another reboot is on the horizon marking this as the 13th instalment. Not much else has been announced other than it being delayed til later in the year. Prediction:This needs to be delivered with the right blend of humour and horror in order for Jason to truly terrorise the screens again. I so want this to be a success but I feel like this might be the final nail in Jason’s coffin.
Release Date:24 Feb A horror satire from the insatiably brilliant mind if Jordan Peele sees Chris, an African-American man, try to escape from an estate where its black residents go missing. Prediction:The comedy horror hit of the year.
Release Date:30 Oct The latest chapter of supernatural horror franchise continues this time with James Wan’s previous partner in horror, Leigh Whannel at the helm. Prediction:Better than the previous outing but not a par on the original.
