“I Saw the TV Glow”
Jane Schoenbrun became one to watch with their debut, the quietly eerie creepypasta film “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.” It tracks that A24 has already scooped up their star-studded second narrative feature, “I Saw the TV Glow,” which follows two teenagers who become untethered from reality after the mysterious cancellation of their favorite TV show. It’s difficult to imagine a flashier cast, especially if you are a media-obsessed lesbian in your 20s: Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”) joins Justice Smith (“The Get Down”), Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”), Helena Howard (“The Wilds,” “Madeline’s Madeline”), Amber Benson (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Lindsey Jordan, AKA indie rocker Snail Mail, and — we kid you not — Phoebe Bridgers. Emma Stone and Dave McCary are producing the film under their Fruit Tree banner, and it just wrapped shooting in August, so look out for it this festival season. And if you want to brush up on your Schoenbrun in the meantime, we highly recommend their 2018 Slenderman documentary, “A Self-Induced Hallucination.”
Release date: TBD via A24.
“Infinity Pool”
Brandon Cronenberg is carrying on the family body-horror legacy with his own unique panache. “Infinity Pool,” a study in depravity starring Alexander Skarsgård and budding scream queen Mia Goth, marks his second film with Neon and his second Sundance premiere. Skarsgård plays novelist James, who uncovers a world of depravity while on vacation with his wife, Em (Cleopatra Coleman, “Dopesick”). After a fatal accident, another couple, Gabi (Goth) and Al (Jalil Lespert, “Human Resources”), introduce James to “a perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism.” Cronenberg’s Sundance debut, “Possessor,” was a hair-raising, body-swapping good time, and “Infinity Pool” looks like it’ll kick things up yet another notch. Festivalgoers must be 18 to attend its screenings, and the film apparently contains “graphic depiction of animal abuse, sexual violence, and other subject matter that could be offensive to some viewers.” So if you’re looking for something to see with Grandma, there you go.
Release date: Premieres January 22 at Sundance, then hits theaters on January 27 via Neon.
“Insidious: Fear The Dark”
The fifth installment in the “Insidious” franchise lands this year, and marks the directorial debut of the franchise’s star, Patrick Wilson. Wilson also reprises his role as Josh Lambert in “Fear the Dark,” which is intended as a direct sequel to “Insidious” and “Insidious: Chapter 2.” Rose Byrne and Ty Simpkins will also return as Josh’s wife, Renai, and son, Dalton. Set ten years after the first two films, “Fear the Dark” follows Dalton to college, where the demons of his past suddenly return to haunt his family. “Insidious” was definitely at its best with those first two films, so we’re hoping for a return to form.
Release date: July 7 via Sony.
“The Last Voyage Of The Demeter”
Dracula has featured in countless horror films over the years, sure, but what about a film based on just one chapter from Bram Stoker’s original novel? “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” directed by André Øvredal (“The Autopsy of Jane Doe,” “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”) adapts “The Captain’s Log,” a chapter of “Dracula” that details the strange fate of those aboard a Russian schooner. Commissioned to carry private cargo, the seamen are stalked nightly by a terrifying presence. Liam Cunningham (“Game of Thrones”) stars as the ship’s captain, with David Dastmalchian (“Dune,” “The Suicide Squad”) as his first mate, Aisling Franciosi (“The Nightingale”) as a stowaway, and Corey Hawkins (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”) as a doctor onboard the ship. Creature actor Javier Botet (“Slender Man,” “Mama”) plays Dracula.
Release date: August 11 via Universal.
“The Meg 2: The Trench”
Jason Statham may be an action movie staple, but giant sharks are a horror movie staple, and we’re excited about this trashy sequel, so on the list, it goes. Statham stars alongside Sienna Guillory (“A Banquet”), Cliff Curtis (reprising his role as Mac) and Page Kennedy (reprising his role as DJ). The plot is under wraps, but per the novelist whose work inspired both films, Steve Alten, this script by “The Meg” trio Dean Georgaris Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber has a darker, potentially R-rated tone. Per the novel, the trench in question is the Marianas Trench, where Jonas’s wife discovers a Kronosaurus attacking passing sea vessels. Meanwhile, Jonas tries to wrangle an escaped megalodon. “Free Fire” director Ben Wheatley is at the helm, with Harry Gregson Williams (“The Last Duel”) composing another score for the franchise.
Release date: August 4 via Warner Bros.
