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The Top 10 Horror Films We Can’t Wait To See in 2017

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This year was an awesome one for horror. Will 2017 be even better?

The end of the year is a time to look both backwards and forwards, reflecting on the best that the year gave us and looking ahead to all that awaits in the twelve months to come. As a movie fan, a new year is particularity exciting because there’s always so much to look forward to on screens both big and small. And 2017, particularly for the horror genre, is damn sure no exception.

Today we wanted to shine the spotlight on ten horror movies we cannot wait to see in 2017, but before we begin, a quick note. You won’t see upcoming films such as Leatherface, the so-called Chucky 7, or the new Halloween reboot on the list, and that’s simply because we currently have no idea when they’re actually going to come out. So please don’t yell at us for “forgetting” them!

Oh and these are ordered by release date, rather than level of excitement.

Get it? Got it? Good. Let’s begin!

M. Night Shyamalan's SPLIT, courtesy of Universal Pictures

1) SPLIT January 20th

A big horror movie is going to be hitting the big screen nearly every single week of January, the month kicking off with Underworld: Blood Wars and ending with Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Nestled in-between those two franchise films is M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller Split, which stars James McAvoy as a man with 24 different personalities inside of him. Shyamalan proved with The Visit that he can still craft a compelling horror story, so we’re excited about this one. It feels safe to expect a great performance from McAvoy and of course, some kind of twist. Cause duh.

GET OUT

2) GET OUT – February 24th

Comedian Jordan Peele heads into the horror genre next year with directorial debut Get Out, and if the trailer is any indication, it’s set to be the most timely horror movie released in 2017. The film, which looks to be laced with social commentary, stars Daniel Kaluuya as a black man who visits his white girlfriend’s family estate and discovers a sinister reason behind the invitation. Horror movies have never shied away from tackling cultural issues and making topical statements about the real world, and we’re happy to see Peele bringing that to the genre next year.

THE BELKO EXPERIMENT via Universal Pictures

3) THE BELKO EXPERIMENT – March 17th

A trailer or plot wasn’t even required to get me excited about The Belko Experiment, and that’s because of the two creative forces behind the “Office Space meets Battle Royale” horror flick. Written by James Gunn (Dawn of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy) and directed by Greg McLean (Wolf Creek), Belko is set in a high-rise corporate office and centers on a group of employees who have been tasked with killing their co-workers or, well, being killed themselves. Joe Lipsett already reviewed the film for BD, calling it a “cocktail of murder and laughs.” Yes please.

covenant

4) ALIEN: COVENANT – May 19th

Personally speaking, there’s no movie I’m more excited about in 2017 than Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant, which looks to be way more of a direct Alien prequel than the Prometheus sequel it was originally billed as. Michael Fassbender reprises the role of android David in the new franchise installment, set on an uncharted planet that’s infested with familiar-looking monsters. Early footage was recently shown off to the press and the reactions have indicated that Covenant will be dark, terrifying, and incredibly violent. Say no more. My ticket is already bought.

THE MUMMY 2017

5) THE MUMMY – June 9th

Universal’s rebooted monsters universe kicks off this coming summer with the Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy, and at this moment in time, we have our doubts about how much of a horror movie it will be. Judging by the trailer, it looks like Universal is rebooting their iconic monster movies as blockbuster action flicks, but we’re willing to give this one a chance before rushing to judgement. If nothing more, Sofia Boutella looks totally badass as the film’s female mummy, and I suppose it’s nice to see so much money and star-power being pumped into monster movies.

Here’s hoping they’re, ya know, at least sort of horror films.

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Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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