Movies
The Darkest Hour 3D
“While the lush 3D location shots of a desolate Moscow are admittedly stunning, the forgettable characters and paint-by-the-numbers plot threaten to burn the entire film out of your brain mere seconds after you’ve left the theater.”
Other than its Russian setting, there’s nothing terribly original about The Darkest Hour. Directed by Chris Gorak (Right at Your Door) using 3-D technology developed by effects house Bazelevs, the resulting $40 million alien infestation movie was bumped from its original August release date to Christmas Day in a possible attempt to leech gift cards from those teens who have already seen Ghost Protocol. And while the lush 3D location shots of a desolate Moscow are admittedly stunning, the forgettable characters and paint-by-the-numbers plot threaten to burn the entire film out of your brain mere seconds after you’ve left the theater. Remove the sporadic alien attacks and The Darkest Hour suddenly feels like a Sunday night slideshow of your parents’ summer tour of the Motherland.
After being duped out of a deal by a douchey Russian businessman, a pair of American software designers drown their sorrows in a Moscow night club. When the city is attacked by orange puffs of light, the computer nerds hole up in the club’s basement with a few other survivors. Emerging onto the empty streets of Moscow a few days later, the group begins a city-wide search for safety, while occasionally fighting the orange puffs of alien light that threaten their very existence.
Emile Hirsch serves as the provisional leader of this ragtag group of characters; the bland leading the bland, if you will. And really, the lack of intriguing characters wouldn’t matter so much if this action movie had more…action. But screenwriter John Spaihts (Prometheus) forces us to spend A LOT of time with these jackasses. They talk, plan, shout, hide, run, and then talk some more, and it‘s all as generic as a bowl of soup kitchen chowder. The Darkest Hour could learn a thing or two from Attack the Block, a movie that knows how to use a diverting cast of characters to gloss over a moderate budget. Note to future screenwriters: if your characters suck, nobody will care if they die.
But even if it had strong characters and a memorable story, an alien action flick like The Darkest Hour simply won’t work without a well-conceived creature at its center. And even in 3D, orange puffs of alien light just don’t cut it. We watched alien rays disintegrate humans into ash in War of the Worlds, we watched dumb-ass characters flee extravagant CG effects in last year’s Skyline. At this point, we’ve seen all that The Darkest Hour has to offer before even walking into the theater.
July may not be as densely packed with horror releases as May, but it brings one of the year’s most anticipated titles along with a few new surprises and a long-awaited return of a visionary director.
It’s also the month of sharks. July marks the return of Shark Week, and horror is following suit accordingly with new shark horror.
Here are five new horror movies releasing in July 2026.
Lockbox – In Theaters July 3
The Last Exorcism director Daniel Stamm and Dark Castle Entertainment are back with Lockbox, adapting Soren Narnia‘s Knifepoint Horror Podcast story “Winthrop” by Emmy-winning playwright Justin Yoffe.
Lou Taylor Pucci (Touch Me, Evil Dead), Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Hill House, Gerald’s Game, The Fall of the House of Usher) and Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, Backrooms) star.
In Lockbox, “Seeking peace after her mother’s death, Ellen retreats to a rural town and takes in her severely traumatized cousin Winthrop. Their fragile domestic balance shatters when an erratic neighbor warns that Winthrop is dangerous. As strange phenomena escalate, Ellen must put everything on the line to defend Winthrop from a dangerous otherworldly entity determined to track him down.”
Watch the official trailer for Lockbox below.
Evil Dead Burn – In Theaters July 10
After shattering nerves with spider creature feature Infested, director Sébastien Vaniček will unleash Deadite carnage in what might be a continuation of Evil Dead Rise. The filmmaker co-wrote the screenplay with Florent Bernard.
Evil Dead Burn is said to “unleash the franchise’s most savage and terrifying ride to date, blazing onto big screens with an all-new chapter of carnage and demonic mayhem.”
Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, and Hunter Doohan lead the cast of the brand new Evil Dead movie alongside Luciane Buchanan, Errol Shand and Maude Davey.
In the film, “After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home. As one by one they are transformed into Deadites—turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell—she comes to discover that the vows she took in life… live on even in death.”
Watch the official trailer for Evil Dead Burn below.
The Bay – In Theaters and on VOD July 17
Thanks to Jaws, July belongs to shark horror and the next shark attack horror movie swimming our way this summer features an animatronic shark that’s been created by SFX and animatronics company Bischoff’s.
“I’m delighted with the scale and performances we’ve delivered onscreen,” writer/director Phil Volken said. “The Bay’s going to completely immerse and terrify audiences worldwide!”
Francesca Eastwood (M.F.A., Clawfoot), Alexander Wraith, Dani Oliveros, and Ta’imua star.
In The Bay, “When their tour boat sinks in a shark sanctuary, two best friends must fight for survival to escape the shark-infested waters.”
Watch the official trailer for The Bay below.
Pinocchio Unstrung – In Theaters July 24
The “Poohniverse” continues to expand, this time with a gory reimagining of a certain little wooden puppet. Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey) writes and directs the fifth entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe, following Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, and Bambi: The Reckoning.
Richard Brake (Barbarian) stars in Pinocchio Unstrung as the obsessive Geppetto, with horror icon Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) as the voice of Cricket.
Pinocchio is voiced by Jude Evan Lloyd and brought to life via a practical animatronic created by Todd Masters (“Tales from the Crypt,” Slither). Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, Jack Art Gray, and Peter De Souza-Feighoney round out the horror movie’s cast.
Pinocchio Unstrung unfolds “inside an elite London prep school. Created by Geppetto and influenced by a sinister Cricket, Pinocchio launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy like his brother, one piece at a time…”
Watch the official trailer for Pinocchio Unstrung below.
Her Private Hell – In Theaters July 24
The Neon Demon director Nicolas Winding Refn gives his visionary spin on giallo film with his first feature in a decade, co-written with Esti Giordani (“Vida”). Pino Donaggio (Carrie, Don’t Look Now) composed the score. Expect vibrant style here.
Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), Charles Melton (“Riverdale”), Kristine Froseth (How to Blow Up a Pipeline), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), and Diego Calva (Babylon) star.
The ensemble also includes Dougray Scott (Hitman), Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Shin Ultraman).
In the film, “when a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity, a troubled young woman searches for her father. Her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from Hell.”
Watch the official teaser for Her Private Hell below.
Which of these July 2026 horror movies are you most excited for?
Other new nightmares this month include the psychological thriller Night Nurse releasing in select theaters on July 10 and dark fable Nightborn debuting on Shudder on July 31. Throwback horror Dead Media arrives in theaters on July 16 ahead of its Digital release on July 28, while Kathryn Newton kickstarts July with YA shark horror The Devil’s Mouth on Prime Video.
You must be logged in to post a comment.