As many of you may know, January is typically the dumping ground for horror films. Typically a slower month for the box office with the exception of the Oscar nominees that get an extra push, studios take January as their opportunity to get rid of some lesser-quality films for a quick buck. This is especially true for any studio that has a horror film collecting dust on the shelf. Films like The Devil Inside, Devil’s Due and many others get released in this awful month for horror-thirsty moviegoers to spend their money on. This January has already seen the release of the sub-par The Forest and the perfectly average The Boy, but it’s not alway bad! Sometimes (rarely), a good horror movie gets released in January. Here are 10 well-regarded horror films that had the misfortune of seeing a January release.
***SPOILERS for some of the films to follow***
The Stepfather (January 23, 1987)
It’s hard to believe that this cult classic was released in January, and almost 30 years ago! Terry O’Quinn gives a career-defining performance as the titular parent, who is actually a serial killer who moves from family to family and changes his identity after murdering each one. It may be possible that January wasn’t known as the “Dump Month” in 1987, and this film would be a prime example why.
