Johnny Sibilly (“Hacks”), Alexis Louder (Violent Night), Trace Lysette (“Transparent”), AJ Bowen (You’re Next), and Scott Poythress (I Trapped The Devil) have signed on to star, Deadline reports.

The movie follows the contrasting lives of two overnight security guards at a private university whose grip on reality begins to unravel after the appearance of a mute figure who returns each night without explanation.

Horace Gold, Melissa Macedo, Michelle Macedo, and Jennifer Blair round out the cast. Simon Waskow (Cuckoo) will compose the score.

Lobo, Rowan Russell, Alex Dandino, Bruno Corbin, and Logan Taylor are producing under Restricted Pictures, alongside David Hopwood, Michael Dwyer, and Corey Moosa of A Group of Ferrets.

The post Johnny Sibilly, AJ Bowen to Star in Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Night After Night’ from ‘I Trapped the Devil’ Director appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

That’s why this week’s streaming picks are dedicated to feel-bad, bleak holiday horror movies that don’t care at all about warm fuzzy feels or happily ever afters!

These five horror movies capture Scrooge’s “Bah Humbug” sentiments for the holidays, delivering bleak downers and grim explorations of humanity’s dark side instead.

As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

A Christmas Tale – Tubi

Before Paco Plaza helmed international horror hits, including the [REC] franchise and Netflix’s Veronica, he directed an Amblin-like kids story that turns grim with the made-for-TV movie A Christmas Tale, as part of Six Films to Keep You Awake. The 1985-set story follows five twelve-year-old friends playing together in the woods when they come across a pit with an unconscious woman dressed as Santa Claus trapped at the bottom. The bored friends are split on whether to help or use her for gain, leading to grisly horror for all. It’s a mean little tale that separates the naughty from the nice. And there are a lot of naughty characters in this morality tale. The film is also available to stream on Pluto TV, but only in Spanish (without English subtitles).

I Trapped the Devil – AMC+, Shudder

Writer/director Josh Lobo’s Christmas film is a haunting, slow burn portrait of grief and familial guilt. When Steve’s brother and sister-in-law unexpectedly show up at his door to celebrate the holidays, they’re alarmed to discover he has a man locked in his basement. Steve insists he’s captured the devil. Paranoia and psychological terror are carried deftly on the shoulders of its three leads; this is brooding yuletide horror at its best.

Inside – Tubi

Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s debut begins with a tragedy, plunging its pregnant lead character into a depression and kickstarting an intense, visceral bid for survival over Christmas. It’s a ruthless entry in home invasion horror that doles out punishment and pain, a peak of New French Extremity. Béatrice Dalle’s La Femme makes for a bone-chilling villainess that ensures there’s no shortage of Christmas reds splattered all over the home. The excess of bloodshed is about the only prominent reference to the holidays in this grim holiday shocker, but you’ll be too busy holding your breath from the relentless tension to notice.

The Lodge – Kanopy

A family weekend getaway to their remote family lodge for Christmas becomes a harrowing voyage into madness when soon-to-be stepmom Grace (Riley Keough), still deep in recovery from a traumatic upbringing, is left alone to take care of hostile step-children Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh). Just as the resentful kids seem to be making peace with Grace, a blizzard blows through, and the power cuts off, trapping them all in freezing isolation with Grace’s dark past. Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala infuse holiday horror with their brand of moody, atmospheric bleakness that snuffs out any possibility of a Merry Christmas here.

Silent Night (2021) – AMC+, Netflix

Writer/Director Camille Griffin’s feature debut, Silent Night, begins as a typical family comedy centered around the stresses of the holidays. A large family attempts to celebrate Christmas while navigating personal conflicts, secrets, and usual holiday stressors. But it quickly becomes clear that there’s something sinister bubbling just beneath the surface of the yuletide festivities, something far more grim than any familial skeletons lurking in the closet. Griffin’s debut boasts a tremendous ensemble cast that leans into holiday cheer before delivering a bleak sucker punch reveal that shoves Silent Night firmly into genre territory. It builds to a somber finale, though not entirely without hope.

The post Five Bleak Holiday Horror Movies to Stream This Week appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Forget about holiday cheer; these holiday horror movies – in order from somber to soul-crushing (and skin-crawling)- will make you give thanks that you’re not in the protagonists’ shoes.

The 12 Days of Creepmas continues on Bloody Disgusting, this time with 4 grim Christmas horror movies that will leave you feeling hopeless for the unhappiest of holidays.

Keep track of the 12 Days of Creepmas here.

XX

This anthology features four segments of horror, but only the first is holiday-related. Jovanka Vuckovic’s “The Box,” based on Jack Ketchum’s short story of the same name, sees a family stricken by an unexplained illness after taking a peek at a stranger’s present on the train. Christmas is bleak for this family. If you’re looking to feel bad about the holidays in the briefest period of time possible, then XX is for you.

I Trapped the Devil

Writer/director Josh Lobo’s Christmas film is a haunting portrayal of grief and familial guilt. When Steve’s brother and sister-in-law unexpectedly show up at his door to celebrate the holidays, they’re alarmed to discover he has a man locked in his basement. Steve insists he’s captured the devil. Paranoia and psychological terror are carried deftly on the shoulders of its three leads; this is brooding yuletide horror at its best. I Trapped the Devil is a slow-burn tale of paranoia and familial obligation that does crawl out of the gate but crescendos in one satisfying ending. It may be small scaled in terms of setting and characters, but Lobo’s debut is ambitious in effort with an ability to craft effective tension and pose challenging questions.

Calvaire

The holidays goes from rough to downright bleak for poor entertainer Marc Stevens. While traveling to a Christmas gig, his van breaks down in the middle of nowhere and leaves him vulnerable to strange backwoods residents- emphasis on vulnerable. Fabrice du Welz’s psychological horror movie spends the bulk of its runtime breaking Marc down physically and mentally. The unflinching holiday horror prolongs the discomforting torture, building up to a Christmas dinner submerged in pure insanity. Calvaire takes the extended dinner scene from Texas Chain Saw Massacre and makes a full-feature meal out of it, with a dash of Deliverance thrown in for good measure.

Sheitan

Translated as Satan, Sheitan follows a group of friends who spend Christmas Eve partying at a club. They run into a shepherd who’s prepared a night of pure insanity and Satan worshipping. Things get disturbing. If you’re not in a particularly festive mood, Sheitan is the perfect holiday horror pick for you. Expect it to put the “creep” in Creepmas. Truly. Vincent Cassel is no stranger to turning in violent performances in unsettling, taboo-breaking horror movies, like Irréversible, but his utterly unhinged portrayal of Joseph is the type of skin-crawling stuff that’ll inspire you to put on a Hallmark movie afterwards. 

The post 4 Grim Christmas Horror Movies for the Unhappiest Holidays [12 Days of Creepmas] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

These are the best of the bunch, along with a hidden holiday title not included in their roundup!

A Christmas Carol (2019)

Pick just about any adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Christmas ghost story and it could apply to horror. The BBC’s A Christmas Carol miniseries nudges it further into horror with a foreboding atmosphere, witchcraft, and a slew of menacing ghosts and haunted memories. Guy Pearce stars as Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser visited by a trio of Christmas ghosts to change his selfish ways or else. In a much grimmer telling of the Dickens classic, expect Scrooge to get scared straight in a much more menacing form.

Pooka!

Director Nacho Vigalondo’s holiday entry of Hulu’s Into the Dark anthology series introduced a playful new holiday horror mascot, Pooka. Unemployed actor Wilson Clowes (Nyasha Hatendi) accepts a job to don the furry Pooka suit and portray the holiday’s hottest new toy to earn a buck. It sparks a rapid mental deterioration in the process. Wilson develops two personas: one as himself and another as Pooka. Mischief turns sinister, and a body count ensues. There’s far more than meets the eye to this twisty little tale.

Pooka Lives!

Juan of the Dead director Alejandro Brugués takes the reins on this sequel, putting Pooka at the center of a viral Creepypasta slasher. The eponymous Pooka gets a beefy makeover, and the sequel leans further into dark comedy. It’s bolstered by a cast known for comedic chops, including Rachel Bloom, Wil Wheaton, Jonah Ray, and Alicia Day. Malcolm Barrett stars.

I Trapped the Devil

Writer/director Josh Lobo’s Christmas film is a haunting portrayal of grief and familial guilt. When Steve’s brother and sister-in-law unexpectedly show up at his door to celebrate the holidays, they’re alarmed to discover he has a man locked in his basement. Steve insists he’s captured the devil. Paranoia and psychological terror are carried deftly on the shoulders of its three leads; this is brooding yuletide horror at its best.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

A holiday horror story that hearkens back to Santa’s darker roots, this Finnish fantasy horror follows Pietari, a boy whose belief in Santa is the very thing that will save everyone when an archaeological dig unearths the real thing. Too bad the real thing is the stuff of nightmares. Filthy elves galore, reindeer, gingerbread, and one monstrous version of Santa bring the yuletide fun and chaos. If you’re looking for a charming holiday horror movie that goes big on holiday motifs and iconography, albeit in a twisted way, this pick is for you. 

The Lodge

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s follow-up to Goodnight Mommy carries over the theme of children misbehaving. A family trip to the remote family lodge for Christmas becomes a harrowing voyage into potential madness when soon-to-be stepmom Grace (Riley Keough) is left alone to take care of step-children Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh). When the children seem to be making peace with Grace, a blizzard knocks the power out, trapping them all with Grace’s dark past. Moody and atmospheric, The Lodge is bleak horror. Nothing about this holiday horror movie is merry or bright.

New Year, New You

Sophia Takal’s season one episode of Into the Dark brings tension and violence to New Year’s Eve. A New Year’s Eve party among old friends begins as a benign trip down memory lane but soon turns deadly as old grudges resurface. Suki Waterhouse and Carly Chaikin take cattiness to a new, lethal level as frenemies.

XX

This anthology features four segments of horror, but only the first is holiday-related. Jovanka Vuckovic’s “The Box,” based on Jack Ketchum’s short story of the same name, sees a family stricken by an unexplained illness after taking a peek at a stranger’s present on the train. Christmas is bleak for this family.

The post 8 Holiday Horror Movies to Stream on Hulu This Month! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

For horror fans, this is the time of the year to watch as many holiday horror movies as possible, and with so many to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Do you revisit all your favorites that you’ve already seen countless times, or do you seek out new gems to add to the rotation? Perhaps a wintry mix of both?

If you’re looking to expand your holiday horror horizons beyond the tried and true staples, like Black Christmas or Gremlins (they’re covered too), we’ve compiled a massive guide to help. What exactly does that mean? Any horror movie that fully embraces the holiday iconography and is set around (or on) Christmas earns a spot, whether naughty or nice.

With over 120 holiday genre titles on this list, well, there’s a lot to unwrap.

So, let’s get straight to it!

A Cadaver Christmas

When the cadaver lab at a university creates a horde of zombies on Christmas Eve, thanks to a nutty professor, the campus’s janitor enlists a bunch of town locals to help him save Christmas. A splatstick indie horror-comedy, A Cadaver Christmas aims to paint the snow red.

A Christmas Horror Story

This horror anthology set on Christmas Eve connects five seasonally themed tales of terror via a radio DJ (William Shatner). High school students investigating a holiday suicide, a son behaving eerily after the family obtains their Christmas tree, another family stalked and terrorized by Krampus, and poor Santa Claus battling zombie elves at the North Pole all put the ho-ho-ho in holiday horror.

A Christmas Tale (2005)

Part of Spanish television series Films to Keep You Awake, Paco Plaza (Veronica, REC) centered his feature-length episode around Christmas. Set in 1985, a group of kids spending their holiday at a coastal village stumble across a woman dressed in a Santa suit trapped in a pit. When they discover the woman is an infamous thief, they decide to keep her trapped and torture her in the hopes she shares where she hid her loot. They realize the error of their ways after the woman frees herself and seeks bloody revenge.

Alien Raiders

A few days before Christmas, shoppers and employees are wrapping up before closing time at a small-town store when masked gunmen burst in, kill a few people and take the rest hostage. They’re not robbers, though, but rogue scientists trying to determine which of the remaining hostages are aliens in disguise. This one’s a low-budget sci-fi horror flick in the vein of The Thing, but at Christmas.

All the Creatures Were Stirring

An awkward first date on Christmas Eve at a bizarre theater unveils multiple tales of yuletide horror all centered around the holiday. Segments about white elephant gift exchanges at the office, last minute holiday shopping and demons, a vengeful Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and more offer up different twists on holiday horror.

All Through the House

A deranged masked killer dressed as Santa comes to town to wreak havoc and pile up a hefty body count. The blood flows free and the killer leaves a trail of corpses in his wake as he merrily slaughters his way to the town’s most infamous home.

American Exorcist

Paranormal investigator Georgette Dubois investigates reported paranormal activity in a skyscraper on Christmas Eve. Naturally, she finds far more than she bargained for when she becomes trapped by evil on the top floor. Bill Moseley stars.

Anna and the Apocalypse

High school just got a lot tougher for Anna and her friends when a zombie apocalypse threatens her small town. They’ll have to band together to fight, slash, and sing their way through a horde of the undead to reach their loved ones. Yes, this is a high school musical, but for all the Christmas cheer there’s an equal amount of bleakness and bloodshed.

Another WolfCop

The stockings were hung from the, uh, wolf cock with cheer in this holiday set follow up to B-movie romp WolfCop. Alcoholic officer Lou Garou, now far more comfortable in his werewolf skin, and his partner Tina team up to save their town from an evil businessman that seduces the residents with beer and hockey.

ATM

After leaving their office Christmas party, three co-workers find themselves trapped in an ATM booth late at night due to a stalking hooded figure outside. Their fight for survival in the cat-and-mouse game with the serial killer is compounded by the winter conditions.

Await Further Instructions

Christmas day gets weird when a family finds themselves trapped inside their home by a mysterious substance outside. The only clue is a TV message that tells them to “Stay indoors and await further instructions.” Holidays are hell as it is, but paranoia escalates into violence.

Babes in Toyland (1934)

Also known as March of the Wooden Soldiers, this yuletide children’s fantasy film isn’t horror, but some of these characters offer up pure nightmare fuel. Set in a Nursery Rhyme town, an evil landlord tries to marry Little Bo Peep when her mom can’t pay the mortgage. When Laurel and Hardy try to save the day, the landlord unleashes his Bogeyman.

Batman Returns

I know, I know. This is a superhero movie. But it’s directed by Tim Burton, who can’t help but create a lush Gothic atmosphere for Gotham. Set over Christmas, Batman takes on the Penguin (a very horror-centric approach to the character), an evil businessman, and a love/hate battle with Catwoman. The eerie look of the circus gang, the cold set pieces, the sadistic villains; all with Burton’s unique, macabre aesthetic. It’s genre adjacent enough for horror fans to embrace, anyway.

Bikini Bloodbath Christmas

The third entry in the Bikini Bloodbath series that parodies ‘80s slashers sees Jenny and Sharon once again stalked by a killer chef. This time, it’s during Christmas. Debbie Rochon reprises her role as the volleyball coach, Miss Johnson.

Better Watch Out

The suburbs just got a whole lot weirder with this mean Christmas twist on home invasion horror. A babysitter must defend herself and her ward from intruders, but nothing is remotely what it seems. Remember that scene in Home Alone where Kevin McCallister swung paint cans from the upstairs railing to thwart his intruders? Look for writer/director Chris Peckover to take it to the next level.

Black Christmas (1974)

During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger. A seminal holiday horror staple; look for obscene phone calls, Margot Kidder to steal all of her scenes, and one eerie killer.

Black Christmas (2006)

In the first remake of the 1974 classic, Billy gets a backstory. On Christmas Eve, an escaped maniac returns to his childhood home, which is now a sorority house, and begins to murder the sorority sisters one by one. It’s a much bloodier affair this go ‘round.

Black Christmas (2019)

In the newest remake, the formula gets a major shakeup. A group of female students are stalked by a stranger during their Christmas break. That is until the young sorority pledges discover that the killer is part of an underground college conspiracy.

The Blackout (2009)

Residents of an apartment building find themselves trapped inside during city-wide blackouts and tremors on Christmas Eve. When something monstrous hatches in the building’s basement, the residents find they’ll have to band together to survive.

Blood Beat (1983)

A young woman decides to accompany her boyfriend when he heads home to rural Wisconsin for Christmas. Probably not a great call, because they have to then contend with a woman possessed by the spirit of a Japanese samurai warrior in this weird sort of holiday slasher. Oh, the ‘80s.

Body (2015)

Holly, Cali and Mel are celebrating the holidays together on Christmas Eve. Cali convinces the friends to head out for a night of fun at her uncle’s mansion, deserted for Christmas. After hours of enjoying the place, it quickly becomes clear that Cali lied. This expansive home doesn’t belong to her family at all, and the night goes catastrophically awry with deadly consequences.

Caesar and Otto’s Deadly Xmas

In the fifth entry in the Caesar and Otto series, Caesar and his half-brother Otto take on the role of Santa and his elf. When a fellow store Santa develops a serious grudge against the pair, the body count starts piling up. Look for appearances by horror vets Linnea Quigley, Felissa Rose, Brinke Stevens, Lloyd Kaufman and more.

Calvaire

Marc is a traveling entertainer on his way home for Christmas when his van breaks down near a backwater town. A town that just so happens to have some very peculiar residents. Marc’s holiday is about to get very depraved and uncomfortable.

Cannibal Claus

A disgruntled mall Santa finds himself without a job on Christmas Eve, so he does what any cannibal does; head out onto the town to find himself some victims to chop up for Christmas BBQ.

The Children (2008)

A relaxing Christmas vacation among friends and family turns into a terrifying fight for survival when a sickness begins spreading among the children. It turns them into homicidal maniacs with grisly designs on their parents.

Christmas Blood

After a 13-year reign of terror on Christmas in Norway, a psychopath is finally caught and kept in solitary for years. That is, until he breaks out and sets his sights on a new little town over the holidays. A group of friends celebrating in that fateful village find themselves on this killer Santa’s naughty list.

Christmas Cruelty!

A killer Santa strikes again in Norway in this holiday horror slasher. It follows both the group of unwitting survivors and the killer as he plots his invasion and murder schemes. Over Christmas, of course.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Also known as La Nuit du Reveillon, this French holiday thriller sees a group of friends gathered for dinner on Christmas Eve. They all seem to lead happy, successful lives until a masked stranger arrives to take them hostage and force them to confess their dark secrets and lies.

Christmas Evil

After a traumatic childhood experience over learning the truth about Santa Claus, a toy factory employee suffers a nervous breakdown. As a result, he dons a Santa suit and embarks on a killing spree.

Christmas Presence

A group of friends gather for the holiday season at a remote lodge, but one of the friends goes missing. The truth behind why the lodge was booked for the holiday comes to light, and chaos ensues. Deadly chaos.

The Christmas Season Massacre

As a child, Tommy was gifted an eye-patch on Christmas as a token of humiliation inflicted by his school bullies. He snapped. Tommy spent years slaying all of his tormentors, until only six remained. Those six decide to band together and attempt to turn the tables in this SOV horror movie.

Christmas Slay

A trio of college friends head to the idyllic Mistletoe Lodge in the Scottish Highlands, but their festive plans are interrupted by a psycho in a Santa suit.

Christmas With the Dead

Calvin seeks to fulfill a promise made to his wife, correct his mistakes, and make it the best Christmas ever. He refuses to let a horde of the undead or the fact that it’s June get in his way. Calvin teams up with a zombie slayer to make his holiday dreams a reality.

The Conjuring 2

Ed and Lorraine Warren head to the London suburb of Enfield to make one struggling family’s holiday bright and merry. Or rather, they’re helping a struggling mother and her four children contend with a seriously menacing supernatural presence in their home. Christmas isn’t as prominent in this one, but it does make its presence known.

The Curse of the Cat People

The sequel to 1942’s Cat People is a very different beast from its predecessor. It’s a yuletide ghost story that follows the young daughter of Oliver and Alice. She’s lonely and friendless, and finds herself befriending her father’s deceased first wife, Irena.

Darkest Night

A family gathers for a reunion and marriage announcement on Christmas Day at an isolated mansion in the Philippine mountains only to encounter a series of bizarre, horrifying, and demonic events. By way of found footage, that is.

The Day of the Beast

A Catholic priest discovers that the Antichrist will be born on Christmas Eve, and so he sets about committing a series of sins in an effort to thwart the birth. He enlists a heavy metal aficionado and an Italian occult expert to aid his quest. Are we all doomed this Christmas? Alex de la Iglesia brings the blasphemous humor.

Dead by Christmas

Christmas Past rears its ugly head when a group of former orphans are reunited for the holidays. Stalking and mayhem ensues.

Dead End

For the first time in 20 years, Frank decides to take a shortcut on his way to his in-laws for Christmas. He and his family wind up getting lost in the middle of nowhere, but that’s not even the worst of it. Things get pretty spooky on Christmas Eve, but there’s also some humor to match.

Dead of Night (1945)

This British horror anthology tells multiple tales of terror, but only one relates to the holiday. “The Christmas Party” spins a chilling story of a ghostly encounter during a children’s Christmas gathering.

Deadly Games

Also known as Game Over and Dial Code Santa Claus, this French horror thriller follows a lonely but resourceful young boy obsessed with Rambo as he’s left alone with his grandfather on Christmas Eve. When a psycho dressed as Santa Claus breaks into his mansion, the boy pulls out all the stops to save himself and his grandpa.

Deadly Little Christmas

An eight-year-old boy slaughters his entire family on Christmas day. He’s locked away in an asylum for fifteen years, until he breaks out with plans to start anew. Now that he’s much older, his Christmas massacre plans are much grander.

Deathcember

A new holiday horror anthology that collects 24 short films from 24 international directors with wide-ranging style. It takes a look at the dark side of the festive season. These shorts are linked by animated segments revolving around the Advent calendar.

Deep Red

Dario Argento’s giallo masterpiece. In it, a jazz pianist and a journalist are pulled into a complex web of mystery and death after the jazz pianist witnesses the brutal murder of a psychic. For the most part, Deep Red isn’t a Christmas horror movie, but the holiday is particularly meaningful to the killer- especially in flashbacks.

Dismembering Christmas

A large group of high school kids decide to spend the holidays together at a remote winter lake house. It wouldn’t be holiday horror if they weren’t stalked and killed by a psycho, and so they are.

The Dorm That Dripped Blood

Instead of going home for Christmas, a group of college students volunteers to stay behind to help clear out a dorm for imminent renovations. They find themselves stalked and gruesomely murdered by an unknown assailant. Sometimes going home for the holidays is the better option.

Don’t Open Till Christmas

One serious Christmas grinch is slaying anyone dressed as Santa over the holiday season. The Scotland Yard have their hands full trying to crack the case before Christmas is canceled.

The Elf (2017)

Nick, who witnessed a murder as a child, inherits an old toy shop as an adult. In it he finds an elf doll locked away inside an old chest alongside a list with his family’s names on it. It turns out that the doll is an evil conduit that unleashes a killing spree once freed.

Elves (1989)

A woman discovers that she is the focus of an evil Nazi experiment involving selective breeding and summoned elves, a bizarre attempt to create a race of super elf men. She’s trapped with friends inside a department store with an evil elf on the loose, and only Santa can stop it. If you’re looking for utterly weird ‘80s Christmas horror, add this to the list.

Elves (2018)

The sequel to 2017’s The Elf, and this time there are multiple elves unleashed from old chests. Each elf represents one of the seven deadly sins, and only a woman named Clover can save Christmas.

Feeders 2: Slay Bells

The sequel to Feeders gets into the holiday spirit. Aliens invade Earth over the Christmas holidays, and it’s up to Santa Claus and his elves to save the world.

Follow

A man receives an early Christmas present from his girlfriend and blacks out shortly after. When he wakes up, he finds a gun in his hand and his girlfriend dead. Christmas has just become a waking nightmare.

The Gingerdead Man

After a serial killer is executed by electric chair, his ashes are sent to his mother, a witch. She mixes them into a gingerbread mix, which is then baked into a cookie, and voila. The killer is reborn in gingerbread cookie form to continue his killing spree once more. Gary Busey plays the killer.

Good Tidings

A homeless war vet with an unsavory past is forced to lean into that past when he and his friends are targeted by a trio of psychos in Santa suits on Christmas day.

Gremlins

When a dad brings his son a mysterious new pet for Christmas, the son wastes no time breaking three vital rules in the pet’s care. He unleashes a horde of dangerous and mischievous green minions that threaten to destroy Christmas and the entire town. A holiday classic.

Hide & Seek

Hailing from India, this holiday horror sees five former friends abducted and held captive in a mall by a person dressed as Santa. That person demands they play a deadly game of hide-and-seek.

Holiday Hell

On Christmas Eve, a shopkeeper regales a last-minute shopper with four tales of terror based on items in his shop. Jeffrey Combs plays the shopkeeper in this anthology, and the segments each take aim at a different holiday, including Hanukkah.

Holidays

A horror anthology that features eight segments, each representing a different holiday. The second to last segment, “Christmas,” revolves around the holiday’s hottest gift item- virtual reality glasses. Things get deadly, but perhaps not in the way you’d expect.

Home for the Holidays (1972)

Four sisters have been estranged from their wealthy father for years after their mother committed suicide. Ailing in health, he summons them home for Christmas, but it comes with a proposition. He asks his daughters to kill his new wife, who he suspects is poisoning him.

I Trapped the Devil

Matt and his wife Karen show up unannounced at the home of his estranged brother Steve to celebrate the holidays. They’re worried about Steve’s paranoid mental state, but they become downright horrified when they discover he has a man locked in his basement. A man Steve is adamant is the devil.

I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday

After an apocalypse, a mother struggles to keep her 8-year-old son alive in their bomb shelter. It’s the holidays; does this bleak landscape offer any Christmas miracles for the pair?

Infinite Santa 8000

A thousand years after war, greed, and famine destroyed the human race, only mutants, robots, and scum are left to fend for themselves. It’s a kill or be killed situation. Including Santa Claus. Infinite Santa 8000 is an animated feature film with a motion comic aesthetic.

Inside (2007)

Still reeling from the loss of her husband, a very pregnant woman is tormented in her home by a strange woman determined to claim her unborn baby. It’s set on Christmas, though the holiday’s presence is minimal.

Inside (2016)

A remake of the 2007 French film, with an identical plot setup; a pregnant woman is stalked by a stranger obsessed with her unborn baby.

Jack Frost (1997)

A freak accident involving a genetic research truck exposes a serial killer to chemicals. Those chemicals cause the killer to dissolve and fuse with snow, turning him into a homicidal snowman hellbent on revenge.

Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman

Killer snowman Jack Frost is back to attack! This time he’s taking on Christmas at a tropical beach resort. Wacky hijinks ensue.

Jaws: The Revenge

Shark revenge is personal in this Christmas-set sequel. Chief Brody’s widow believes that her family is deliberately being targeted by another shark in search of revenge.

Killer Christmas

Six friends decide to explore an abandoned hotel near a Christmas tree lot. It turns out to be a horrible decision, when they find themselves stalked and murdered by a psycho in a Santa mask.

Krampus (2015)

When Max’s dysfunctional family won’t stop fighting and nothing goes as planned, he turns his back on Christmas and accidentally summons Krampus. All hell breaks loose as Krampus and his horde of minions punish Max and his family.

Krampus: The Christmas Devil

As an adult, Jeremy is a police officer still desperate to solve the mystery of his kidnapping as a child. When other children begin to go missing, Jeremy discovers that his kidnapper is none other than Krampus, and it’s up to him to stop the ancient creature from claiming any more victims.

Krampus: The Reckoning

Zoe is a strange little girl with an imaginary friend named Krampus. Only he’s not so imaginary after all; Krampus seeks to punish all the naughty residents of Zoe’s small town.

Krampus 2: The Devil Returns

A sequel to Krampus: The Christmas Devil. Five years after the murder of his wife and disappearance of his daughter, former police offer Jeremy is brought back to hunt Krampus. He learns shocking truths along the way, in his bid to save Christmas.

Krampus Origins

During WWI, a group of soldiers find an artifact that contains the spirit of Krampus. Naturally, they send it to an orphanage, and the orphans accidentally summon Krampus.

Krampus Unleashed

The Christmas demon has been awakened once again thanks to a group of treasure hunters. It turns out that centuries of slumber have left Krampus seriously hungry for blood.

Lake Alice

Ryan decides to accompany his girlfriend on her family trip to their cabin in the woods for the holidays. He’s seeking approval from her father, but instead, the trip turns into a fight for survival when both a blizzard and a killer show up.

Last Stop on the Night Train

Also known as Night Train Murders, this one borrows heavily from The Last House on the Left and The Virgin Springs. The plot sees two girls on an overnight train to Italy for Christmas get brutalized by a trio of criminals. Those criminals unwittingly wind up at the girls’ parents’ home.

The Lodge

A stepmom-to-be tries to bond with her fiancé’s two children over Christmas at the family’s remote lodge. Just when it seems as though icy relations between the trio will thaw, the power goes out and strange things start happening. Sadly, this eerie release was bumped back from November of this year to February 2020, but it’s close enough that it’s going on this list.

Lucky Stiff (1988)

After being left at the altar by his fiancée, a jilted loser is invited by a beautiful woman to celebrate Christmas with her family. Little does he know that her family are cannibals and he’s intended to be Christmas dinner. This horror-comedy was directed by Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins.

The Melancholy Fantastic

A slow-burn Christmas tale for the arthouse crowd, this one is a yuletide portrait of grief and loneliness told through the perspective of an isolated girl and her life-sized doll.

Mercy Christmas

Like Lucky Stiff, this horror-comedy follows an unwitting fellow that meets the woman of his dreams. He’s elated when she invites him over to her family’s for Christmas dinner; but he soon learns that he’s on the menu. With a name like Michael Briskett, he’s the main course.

Mother Krampus

Based on the Alpine legend of Frau Perchta, the Christmas Witch. For the 12 days before Christmas, children of a small town went missing. When it happened again, the locals hung a woman they believed to be the killer, and before dying she placed a curse so that Frau Perchta would avenge her death. This Christmas, both children and adult alike are in mortal danger.

Mother Krampus 2: Slay Ride

Four women are completing their mandatory community service over Christmas, which entails making visits to the elderly. On their final stop of the night, a cheery old woman invites them inside for the evening. But this is Mother Krampus 2, and things aren’t what they seem.

Mrs. Claus

A sorority house with a nefarious past is hosting a Christmas party for college co-eds. They find themselves stalked and slayed by a killer, but this time the killer is dressed as Mrs. Claus.

The Munsters’ Scary Little Christmas

Poor little Eddie Munster has the blues, and his family is determined to get him into the holiday spirit in this Munsters Christmas special. The feature film is loaded with all the Christmas feels and Munster gags you could ever want.

Nekrotronic

This horror-comedy centers around a man that discovers he’s of a lineage of demon hunters, which proves vital in the modern world where demons have taken over the internet. The epic battle of good versus evil happens to take place over Christmas time.

Night of the Comet

It’s Christmas time in the Valley when a comet passes by, wiping out most of humanity. It leaves two sisters battling against zombies, ruthless scientists, and more. A fun ‘80s classic that doesn’t hang its plot on the holiday, but the iconography is present enough throughout that it definitely counts.

The Night of the Hunter

A terrifying Southern gothic, fairy tale noir film that sees Robert Mitchum as a ruthless killer who terrorizes two young children for the location of hidden money after murdering their mother. Christmas only factors into the plot at the tail end, but it’s worth seeking out.

Night Visitors (1987)

The Whitmore family home is decked out in Christmas décor and all prepped and ready for the holidays. Their holiday cheer is threatened by the arrival of a bizarre gang that takes over the home and forces the family to participate in weird rituals to appease their leader.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

After another successful Halloween, Jack Skellington is looking to shake things up. Upon discovering Christmas Town, he decides to bring Christmas to Halloween Town. It doesn’t just confuse the residents; it threatens to ruin Christmas for everyone. Tim Burton nails Gothic Christmas once again.

Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas

Stoners Nixon and Hogan have to help Santa deliver presents on Christmas after Santa accidentally toked some bad weed. Weed that turned him into a zombie.

Once Upon a Time at Christmas

In the twelve days leading up to Christmas, a psychotic Santa and Mrs. Claus go on a murder spree in a small town.

One Hell of a Christmas

Carlitos is released from prison around Christmas after serving hard time. He intends to turn a new leaf and set an example for his son, but his friend involves him in a stolen claw scheme and demonic forces will do anything to get it back.

P2

Workaholic Angela finds herself the lone employee working late at the office on Christmas Eve. When she finally attempts to leave to visit family, an unhinged security guard holds her captive in the parking garage. Co-written by Alexandre Aja and directed by Franck Khalfoun (2012’s Maniac).

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

A family moves into a new house and discovers a video camera and a box of tapes in the garage. When they look through the camera’s lens, they begin to see the paranormal activity happening around them – including the re-emergence of young Kristi and Katie. This not-quite final entry in the popular found footage series happens to take place at Christmas.

Pastorela

Agent Jesus Juarez has always played the Devil in his town’s Nativity Play (Pastorela). This Christmas, the new pastor has recast the part, angering Juarez, and the two men engage in a battle between good and evil.

The Path (2012)

A chess player invites his estranged wife and son to travel with him to a remote cabin in the woods for Christmas. He grows jealous when he thinks his wife is interested in the handyman. He invites that man over for Christmas Eve, and things spiral out of control thanks to a paranoid mind.

Pooka!

An actor lands a seasonal job as a plush, life-sized version of the holiday’s hottest toy. The more he wears the suit, the more he seems to lose track of time. The Pooka suit seems to be taking over his persona. This is the third entry in Hulu’s Into the Dark series.

Psycho Santa

On the drive to a Christmas gathering, a man taunts his wife about a local urban legend of a psychotic Santa. It turns out to be true, and their holiday party becomes a bloodbath.

Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys

This Puppet Master and Demonic Toys crossover event takes place on Christmas Eve. A group of evil toymakers seek to use Andre Toulon’s formula to give life to killer toys; luckily Toulon’s nephew is there with the puppets to stop the sinister plot.

Rabid (1977)

An experimental surgery post-accident leaves Rose with an insatiable thirst for blood. Her victims become crazed zombies, causing a city-wide epidemic in this David Cronenberg favorite. Though the holiday connection is minimal, a memorable scene takes place at a mall with Santa.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

On Christmas Eve, an archaeological dig on a Northern Finland mountaintop unearths Santa Claus. Only this Santa is an ancient yuletide nightmare. When local children begin to disappear, it’s up to young Pietari to save the day. This Christmas, everyone will believe in Santa.

Red Christmas (2016)

Christmas past comes back to terrorize a mother who simply wants a nice Christmas with her family. Instead, she finds herself doing whatever she can to stop the figure from destroying them all.

Santa Claus (1959)

Featured in the fifth season of Mystery Science Theater 3000, this oddball film sees the devil Pitch attempting to ruin Christmas. Santa has to team up with Merlin the Magician to save the day.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Featured on both Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Elvira’s Movie Macabre, Santa Claus and two children are kidnapped by Martians and brought back to Mars. The group teach the Martians the joy of the holiday.

Santa Claus versus the Zombies

A suburban family finds themselves barricaded in their homes with couple of elves and an actor who may, or may not, be the real Santa Claus after a zombie outbreak. The president and his advisers concoct a plan to save them all.

Santa Claws (1996)

After a man finds his mom having sex with a Santa, he snaps and kills them both. Years later he’s convinced that he’s Santa and begins stalking the object of his latest obsession; a horror movie star named Raven (Debbie Rochon).

Santa’s Slay

Once upon a time, Santa was an evil demon who made a bet with an angel and lost. As a result, he was forced to become the benign Christmas toy giver he’s associated with. When that bet is off, he returns to his evil ways and the body count starts piling up.

Saint

On the full moon of December 5, the murderous evil spirit St. Nicholas comes to town to unleash terror and mayhem along with his zombie-like Black Peters. From Dick Maas, the mind behind Amsterdamned.

Secret Santa (2015)

A group of college kids stressed over their exams plan an alcohol-infused party with a Secret Santa gift exchange. It’s all fun and games until a killer shows up for some yuletide terror.

Secret Santa (2018)

A dysfunctional family gathering for Christmas turns into a gruesome nightmare when someone spikes the punch with a mysterious drug. It renders them crazed and homicidal. This one is from Jason Goes to Hell’s Adam Marcus.

Scrooged

Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a cynical, selfish TV executive haunted by the spirits of Christmas past, present, and future in this ‘80s retelling of A Christmas Carol. Sure, it’s a comedy, but some of those ghosts can be pretty spooky. As well as Frank’s dead mentor Lew. A festive gateway horror movie, perhaps?

Sheitan

Translated as Satan, Sheitan follows a group of friends that decide to spend Christmas Eve partying at a club. They run into a shepherd that’s prepared a night of pure insanity and Satan worshipping. Things get disturbing.

Sick for Toys

Roy is a self-identified nice guy tired of coming in last. It prompts him to accept a Christmas dinner invitation by the beautiful and strange Emilia. If you’ve been reading along, then at this point in the list it should come as no surprise that this mysterious dinner won’t end well.

Silent Night

A very, very loose remake, or reimagining, of Silent Night, Deadly Night. A killer dressed as Santa embarks on a murder spree on Christmas Eve, leaving the police scrambling to catch him.

Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)

When a man inherits a mansion, he returns home to sell it. In the process, he discovers harrowing truths about the mansion’s history. It unsettles the locals and sparks horrific consequences.

Silent Night, Bloody Night: The Homecoming

A low budget reimagining/remake of 1972’s Silent Night, Bloody Night.

Silent Night Bloody Night 2: Revival

A direct sequel to 1972’s Silent Night, Bloody Night. A pair of siblings head home to pay respects to a deceased loved one and stumble upon the journal of Jeffrey Butler. Once more the dark secrets are unearthed.

Silent Night, Deadly Night

After his grandpa tells him that Santa punishes the naughty, Little Billy witnesses his parents being murdered by someone dressed as Santa. It does a real number on his psyche. Fresh out of the orphanage at 18, Billy picks up the Santa slaying mantle to punish those he deems naughty. One of horror’s requisite holiday staples.

Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2

“Garbage day!” It turns out that Billy’s murderous ways traumatized his younger brother Ricky. After Billy’s death, Ricky decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps to become a serial killer as well.

Silent Night Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out

Ricky (Bill Moseley!) awakens from a six-year coma after being kept alive by a mad doctor that experimented with ESP. As a result, Ricky targets a clairvoyant blind woman that’s on her way to grandma’s house for Christmas. The death toll rises in his wake.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation

A strange case of a woman leaping from her apartment building in flames has a reporter investigating. She gets caught up in a witch coven’s plot that intends to make her their Christmas sacrifice.

Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker

An older toymaker and his son make and deliver toys that are designed to kill their owners. Meanwhile, a boy witnesses his father getting slain by one of these toys and falls mute. His mother is desperate to get to the bottom of it.

Silent Night, Zombie Night

In the days leading up to Christmas, Los Angeles is stricken with a plague that turns its residents into the walking dead. A Police Officer becomes trapped with his partner and his estranged wife.

Slay Belles

On Christmas Eve, a trio of cosplayers cross paths with the evil Krampus. To save the world, they team up with Santa (Barry Bostwick), a biker.

Sole Survivor

The lone survivor of a plane crash is dealing with a serious case of survivor’s guilt. Haunted feelings of unworthiness become literal when the dead come to collect her. Essentially a reworking of Carnival of Souls, this chiller is set over Christmas.

Stalled

Poor maintenance worker W.C. finds himself trapped in a stall in the women’s restroom during a zombie outbreak. On Christmas Eve, no less.

Tales from the Crypt (1972)

This horror anthology kicks off with a yuletide tale, “…And All Through the House.” A woman has just murdered her own husband when a psycho Santa comes along. She can’t exactly call the police, and so things escalate from there. Based on an E.C. Comics story, this tale was also redone for the Tales from the Crypt TV show.

To All a Good Night (1980)

Surprise, surprise, this Christmas slasher sees a group of teens stalked by a maniac dressed as Santa at a holiday party.

The Traveler

Val Kilmer stars as Mr. Nobody, a mysterious man that walks into a police department on Christmas Eve to confess to multiple murders. Of course, his plans are more complicated than that, and the six deputies on duty learn he’s a vengeful killer with a past that threatens them all.

Trees 2: The Root of All Evil

The plot of this movie picks up where its predecessor, Trees, left off. Ranger Cody now has a fear of trees. When killer Christmas trees invade the town of Hazelville, no one believes him.

Two Front Teeth

A tabloid reporter is determined to uncover a Christmas conspiracy involving a flight taken down by a creature with a red nose. His investigation has put him on Santa’s naughty list, and the big guy sends his undead elves to keep the reporter from the truth.

Ugly Sweater Party

An ugly sweater party gets bloody when an evil Christmas sweater possesses its wearer and renders them homicidal. This one stars Sean Whalen and Felissa Rose.

While She Was Out

Out shopping late on Christmas Eve, a woman leaves a note on a double-parked vehicle in the mall parking lot. The owner of that vehicle and his three friends don’t take kindly to the note and decide killing her is the best recourse.

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?

Hansel and Gretel gets a holiday makeover. Shelley Winters plays a demented widow that lures children to her mansion under the pretense of an annual Christmas party. She intends to keep one of the little girls. Things get weird.

Wind Chill

Two college kids share a ride home for the holiday break. The car breaks down on an isolated road, and they’re preyed upon and haunted by the ghosts of those who died there. This one stars Emily Blunt.

XX

This anthology features four segments of horror, but only the first is holiday-related. Jovanka Vuckovic’s “The Box,” based on Jack Ketchum’s short story of the same name, sees a family stricken by an unexplained illness after taking a peek at a stranger’s present on the train. Christmas is bleak for this family.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on December 20, 2019.

The post Bloody Disgusting’s Massive Guide to Over 120 Christmas Horror Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Timed perfectly for the holidays, IFC has made the film available to rent for .99 cents on iTunes and Bloody Disgusting is celebrating with an exclusive look at some brand new art created by Dru Phillips (Nightstream Film Festival).

Starring AJ Bowen (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Signal), Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), Chris Sullivan (Stranger Things), Scott Poythress (The Signal), and Susan Burke (Southbound), the Christmas-set psychological horror focuses on a man’s descent into paranoia, after he traps what he believes to be the devil in his basement. The film reminds me of the classic “Twilight Zone” episode “The Howling Man”.

“Christmas is supposed to be a time for peace and joyful family reunions. But when Matt (Bowen) and his wife Karen (Burke) show up unannounced at the home of his estranged brother Steve (Poythress) to celebrate the holidays, they are instead greeted with a horrifying surprise: trapped in the basement is a man. But not just any man. Steve believes that his hostage is none other than the devil himself. As shock and skepticism turn to fear and paranoia, Matt and Karen find themselves facing a terrifying quandary: is Steve dangerously unhinged? Or could the mysterious stranger really be evil incarnate? Either way, the stage is set for a true Christmas from hell.”

Lobo produced alongside Spence Nicholson, Rowan Russell and Scott Weinberg.

The post Christmas-Set ‘I Trapped the Devil’ Gets Fresh Art Poster [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Other Year’s Lists: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020

I had to pinch myself to prove I was awake. I feel slightly repetitive in saying this but, god damn, what another amazing year for horror!

It wasn’t always like this, and the constant suffering of us horror fans used to be very real. It used to be a struggle to put together a top ten list, and a trip to the theater would typically yield less than pleasing results. In fact, most of the gems would find their way onto video store shelves thanks to companies like Lionsgate or Dimension Films. However, the last few years have been good to us – really, really good to us. It’s been so fruitful that there’s been heavy discourse as to the different kind of horror that exists. Which subgenre are you supporting? It’s become slightly contentious between the fan that enjoys arthouse horror and ones that want to see ultraviolence and blood splattered across the screen. Truth is, no other genre casts a net as wide as horror and even films like Joker – like it or not – are “horror adjacent”. This shouldn’t be causing a divide, and instead should bring us closer together.

There is so much fucking content out there that we should be celebrating the fact that there’s a little something for everyone. Shit, I counted 30+ movies that I wanted to write about on this list. While they weren’t all “top ten worthy”, I found something in each that I enjoyed. That’s a lot of films in a single year.

And with that, it was incredibly difficult to narrow this list down. While I could shuffle the following in various ways, and could have even made vastly different selections, these are the ten that spoke to me the most.

Honorable Mentions:

Independent filmmakers delivered in spades this year and it killed me to leave these off my top ten. Adam Egypt Mortimer announced himself with the hallucinogenic Jacob’s Ladder-esque Daniel Isn’t Real; producer Ant Timpson’s directorial debut Come to Daddy was a surefire crowd-pleaser that’s as shocking as it is funny; Josh Lobo made his mark on the horror scene with his micro I Trapped the Devil, a moody, dark and colorful modern spin on the “Twilight Zone” episode “The Howling Man”; Babadook director Jennifer Kent returned with The Nightingale, a brutal, shocking and heartbreaking revenge tale that I wasn’t and will never be prepared for; and then there was Jordan Downey’s impressive micro-indie The Head Hunter, a gorgeous do-it-yourself period horror covered in grit and grime that features impressive practical monster effects and nonstop tension perpetuated by minimal dialogue and an outstanding performance by Christopher Rygh.

And then there was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, finally a movie about a man living in an attic done right. A family wanting a taste of the good life get themselves twisted in a web of lies that boil into a shocking and violent finale. While this is easily one of the best films of the year, it felt too horror *adjacent* for inclusion on the following list.

10. Escape Room (d. Adam Robitel; Columbia Pictures)

Adam Robitel directed the first surprise of the year, a thoroughly entertaining thriller that can only be described as Saw meets Final Destination. Cashing in on the popularity of escape rooms, the film boasts stunning set design that offers up both eye candy and scares.

The only major issue I had is the paradoxical conundrum of exposition, though it’s a necessary evil in a film like this.

Escape Room set the stage for the beginning of a franchise and I welcome that with open arms. There are more stories to tell thanks to this new horror film that’s rich in ideas and mythology. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

9. The Perfection (d. Richard Shepard; Miramax/Netflix)

The aptly-titled The Perfection quietly screened under the radar at last year’s Fantastic Fest to a handful of rave reviews. Netflix quickly snatched it up and dropped it on unsuspecting horror fans this past May. Those unaware of its existence were slapped awake by a string of shocking and unexpected sequences that will be talked about for years to come.

The Perfection actually nears horror perfection as it does everything in its power to surprise even the most seasoned viewer – just when you think you’ve got a grasp on the narrative, director Richard Shepard throws another curveball.

Shepard is unrelenting and delivers more than a handful of unapologetic haymakers that all lead up to one final shot that will be burned into your brain for the rest of your life.

8. Bliss (d. Joe Begos; Dark Sky Films)

I saw Bliss a long time ago but it has truly resonated with me. Easily my favorite work of Joe Begos and his motley crew, the film is a fucking gnarly, gross, and extremely ultraviolent trip – it’s maybe even one of the bloodiest vampire movies ever made?

The film is equally gorgeous, carrying a colorful homage to Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer and Bill Lustig’s Maniac. And all eyes on Dora Madison‘s captivating performance as a struggling artist, which carries heavy subtext about the pressures of working in today’s Hollywood.

Bliss is straight-up punk rock, the kind of do-it-yourself indie horror goodness that horror fans are continually begging for. I suspect it’s going to become a cult classic. Don’t sleep on this hallucinogenic trip and take some Bliss with all your friends.

7. Lords of Chaos (d. Jonas Åkerlund; Gunpowder & Sky)

Lords of Chaos is the most insane metal story you’ve probably never heard. Jonas Åkerlund’s film tells the true story of a teenager’s quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the early 1990s that results in a very violent outcome.

Ignoring the lack of authentic accents, Rory Culkin and Emory Cohen put on stellar performances as two remarkably unlikable teenagers who push each other to nasty extremes from church burnings to murder.

There isn’t an ounce of fun in Lords of Chaos, which is nothing short of a bleak and mortifying movie that’s impossibly hard to watch. Ironically, it’s a must-see and one of the most chaotic and disturbing stories I’ve ever watched unfold. While it’s easily one of the best genre movies of the year, it’s also one I hope to never see again.

6. Climax (d. Gaspar Noé; A24)

Gaspar Noe’s Climax plays out like an experimental film that’s essentially a transgressive hallucinatory nightmare.

In the film, a dance troupe is drugged with LSD and have the worst night of their lives. Infused with nonstop energy, Climax digresses from high octane fun to insanity and unadulterated madness. It’s the equivalent to getting the “spins” and trying to keep one foot on the floor, while also talking yourself down from uncontrollable madness.

Climax is anything but a slog with Noe’s single-shot camerawork injecting enormous energy into an already chaotic turn of events, highlighted by stunning cinematography and an energized score by Daft Punk and Aphex Twin. This is one helluva “good” trip.

Up Next: My Top 5 Horror Films of the Year

The post Brad Picks the Best Horror Films of 2019! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Starring AJ Bowen (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Signal), Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), Chris Sullivan (Stranger Things), Scott Poythress (The Signal), and Susan Burke (Southbound), the Christmas-set psychological horror focuses on a man’s descent into paranoia, after he traps what he believes to be the devil in his basement. The film reminds me of the classic “Twilight Zone” episode “The Howling Man”, which you’ll get a glimpse of in the trailer.

The following exclusive art, created by Candice Tripp (The Wind, RAW, and the Arrow’s Donnie Darko release), perfectly encapsulates the paranoia and claustrophobia that bleeds through all of I Trapped the Devil. If you haven’t seen the film yet, the holidays are upon us and this could end up becoming one of your favorite Christmas-themed horror movies.

The post ‘I Trapped the Devil’ Sales Art Brings the Horror Home for the Holidays [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Nearly all studio released films have proven extremely divisive so far, though the returns have been healthy regardless. But there’s far more to horror than theatrical releases, and there’s no shortage of limited and indie releases that are delivering the goods. While the decade is looking to close out strong with Crawl, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, It Chapter Two, Doctor Sleep, and more, beginning with Midsommar, we look back at the best horror 2019 has unleashed so far.

Happy Death Day 2U

Christopher Landon’s follow up to Happy Death Day took a step back from the inventive slasher setup to expand the mythology behind the time loops in an epic love letter to the ‘80s. Of course, that departure from more traditional horror meant this sequel wasn’t quite as universally embraced as its predecessor, but it delivered on what was most important: more Tree Gelbman. Jessica Rothe once again stole the show and ran as Tree’s emotional journey brought the laughs and tears in equal measure.

The Hole in the Ground

Between The Prodigy, Pet Sematary, and Brightburn, the year might belong to the creepy kid. But so far, the best of the bunch is Irish creeper The Hole in the Ground. After moving to the countryside, a single mother begins to worry her son might not be her son anymore after he disappears into the forest with a mysterious sinkhole and returns hours later. More than just interesting folklore, The Hole in the Ground delivers on unnerving atmosphere.

Climax

Arguably Gaspar Noé’s most accessible film to date, Climax is both a visual feast and an extremely uncomfortable watch. A group of dancers gather in a remote, empty school building to dance the night away, but it all goes horrifically awry when someone spikes the punch with LSD. Under a neon haze, the dancers most hellish nightmares become reality as Noé breaks taboo after taboo with ease. It’s depraved.

Us

Jordan Peele’s highly anticipated follow up to Get Out brought doppelganger horror back into the spotlight. A fun summer vacation for the Wilson family turns into a terrifying fight for survival when their doppelgangers show up to claim their lives as their own. Peele balances the humor with the scares, but above all Us boasts a captivating, immeasurably talented cast. Lupita Nyong’o’s dual performance as Adelaide Wilson/Red is both heartbreaking and chilling, ensuring our wrath at her inevitable Oscar exclusion, but Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex are all equally exceptional.

Knife + Heart

Set in the Paris summer of 1979, Vanessa Paradis starts as Anne, a producer of low budget gay porn. When her lover, who happens to also be her film editor, leaves her, she strikes out to make her most ambitious film yet in attempt to win her back. The only problem is that a masked killer is picking off her cast and crew one by one in the most brutal fashion. Yann Gonzalez’ film is a gorgeous giallo through and through, complete with all the familiar trademarks and tropes. The masked killer is unsettling, and those kills are downright vicious. If you love giallo movies, this one is not to be missed.

Piercing

Based on the novel of the same name by Ryu Murakami (author of Audition), Piercing presents another twisted love story of sorts. Facing the stresses of dealing with a newborn, family man Reed (Christopher Abbott) checks himself into a hotel on business. But he’s really plotting to murder an escort that he’s ordered to his room. Reed didn’t factor Jackie (Mia Wasikowska) into his plans, though, and a violent cat and mouse game ensues. Directed by Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother, Grudge), this is a stylish chamber piece unafraid to get weird and bloody.

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror

From D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation to the future of horror, this documentary catalogs the history of black horror adapted from Robin R. Means Coleman’s nonfiction novel. Assembling a slew of horror directors, actors, critics, and scholars, Horror Noire takes aim at black representation in horror through thoughtful analysis, passion, and humor. This engaging crash course will leave you wanting to learn more.

St. Agatha

Director Darren Lynn Bousman revives nunsploitation horror with 1950s set St. Agatha. A young pregnant woman (fittingly named Mary) is accepted into an isolated home for unwed mothers run by nuns. The clues that something is seriously amiss with the home begins in subtle fashion, but eventually crescendos into utter perverse madness. Bousman established himself with the Saw series, and his trademark use of suspense and violence carry over well here. It’s torture and terror aplenty in St. Agatha; these nuns mean business.

Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse

Hagazussa manages to make The Witch look like an action-packed thrill ride in terms of pacing. So, clearly it won’t be for everyone. But for those who don’t mind slow-burn horror, this 15th century European character study depicts a brutal life of isolation, paranoia, and superstition. And it’s easily one of the most gorgeous looking films of the year. Perhaps most impressive of all is that this is writer/director Lukas Feigelfeld’s student thesis film. What a debut.

Editor’s Note: Alongside Doppelgänger Releasing, Bloody Disgusting released Hagazussa earlier this year. 

I Trapped the Devil

Writer/director Josh Lobo’s Christmas set film is a haunting portrayal of grief and familial guilt. When Steve’s brother and sister-in-law unexpectedly show up at his door to celebrate the holidays, they’re alarmed to discover he has a man locked in his basement. One that he insists is actually the devil. Paranoia and psychological terror carried deftly on the shoulders of its three leads, this is brooding yuletide horror at its best.

The Perfection

This Netflix gem feels more like a few different subgenres rolled into one twisty horror thriller, and that unpredictability makes for a wild ride. The setup is simple; former music prodigy Charlotte (Get Out’s Allison Williams) returns to her past school and befriends new star pupil Elizabeth (Logan Browning), and it sends both down a path of shocking destruction. A little bit Martyrs, Oldboy, and more, The Perfection is another one of 2019’s pleasant surprises.

Child’s Play

“This is for Tupac!” The biggest surprise of the year, so far, is just how much fun the reboot that no one wanted turned out to be. It’s Amblin Entertainment meets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. While hardly perfect, the E.T.-like take on the killer doll and the ultra-elaborate death sequences made a strong case as to why we go to the movies for horror; it’s a crowd-pleasing good time. It’s also so very different from the original franchise that it seems as though there’s plenty of room for both. Now bring on Don Mancini’s Child’s Play TV series!

Annabelle Comes Home

Keeping with that same sense of fun that Child’s Play unboxed a week prior, this third entry in the Annabelle series feels like a spooky trip in a carnival haunted house in the best possible way. What began as a tedious spin-off movie has since transformed into a perfect companion series to the heart and scares of The Conjuring. Mckenna Grace carries the torch well as Judith Warren, and we don’t even mind that this sequel unleashes a hole cadre of potential spinoff entities. I’d sign up for a Ferryman movie.

Midsommar

Though technically released in the second half of the year, it’s so close we’re counting it anyway. Ari Aster’s highly anticipated follow up to Hereditary is no doubt another polarizing entry, but it’s one hell of a head trip no matter how you come out of this 2.5 hour journey. It’ll be difficult to imagine any one can top the riveting performance of Florence Pugh, either, as lead protagonist Dani. For the men that journey to that remote village in Sweden, this film plays like a familiar entry in folk horror. But for Dani, it’s every bit the twisted fairy tale Aster promised. From head trauma to insidious rituals, and a whole lot of humor too, Midsommar makes for a surprisingly cathartic time at the movies.

The post The Best Horror Movies Released in the First Half of 2019! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In this exclusive clip, A.J. Bowen (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Signal) has a panicked conversation with Southbound’s Susan Burke in which he reveals that Scott Poythress (The Signal) has a man trapped in the basement. Upon exiting, they all exchange awkward glances.

Meagan reviewed the film for Bloody, calling it “a slow-burn tale of paranoia and familial obligation that does crawl out of the gate but crescendos in one satisfying ending.”

The film reminded us both of the classic “Twilight Zone” episode “The Howling Man”, which you’ll get a glimpse of in the trailer.

Lobo produced alongside Spence Nicholson, Rowan Russell and Scott Weinberg.

The post ‘I Trapped the Devil’ Clip: A Panicked A.J. Bowen Finds Out a Man is Trapped in the Basement [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

If you thought this year started out slowly, at least in terms of horror at the box office, that’s about to change in a massive way. The summer slate is stacked. From indie surprises to major titans, highly anticipated sequels, revered childhood favorites brought to life, and even a three-way battle between iconic creepy dolls, this summer has it all.

Here’s a guide to help you prepare.

Body at Brighton Rock – April 26

Director Roxanne Benjamin’s (Southbound, XX) feature debut sees an inexperienced state park employee in over her head when she’s forced to spend the night guarding a dead body on a remote mountain trail. Things get intense. Read our review, or our interview with Benjamin for more details.

I Trapped the Devil – April 26

Get a head start on your holiday horror with this yuletide chamber piece. Starring A.J. Bowen, Scott Poythress, and Susan Burke, a well-intentioned family gathering for Christmas turns into a paranoid conundrum when estranged brother Steve reveals he’s trapped what he believes to be the devil in his basement. Is it really the devil, or is Steve losing his grip? Writer/director Josh Lobo’s debut is steeped in ambiguity and atmosphere (our review).

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile – May 3 (Netflix)

Zac Efron stars as Ted Bundy and Lily Collins as Liz Kendall, this Netflix film follows the infamous crimes of Ted Bundy but through the eyes of his long-time girlfriend. Based on Kendall’s book The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, our own Meredith Borders reviewed the film out of Sundance, saying it’s “a pretty good time, but should it be?”

I’ll Take Your Dead – May 3

The latest by Chad Archibald (Bite, The Drownsman) follows William, a man whose rural farm home has become a dumping ground of dead bodies for the local mob. It’s so frequent that his daughter is convinced some of the bodies are haunting their home. William’s quiet life of making bodies disappear is unraveled when the latest victim dropped off isn’t quite as dead as everyone initially believed. Look for this one on VOD.

The Intruder – May 3

Meagan Good and Michael Ealy star as the young married couple who buy a new home but are horrified to discover the former owner can’t seem to let it go. Dennis Quaid looks to ham it up as the unhinged former owner, Charlie. The Intruder is directed by Deon Taylor (Chain Letter) and written by David Loughery (Nurse 3D).

The Convent – May 3

A period horror film set in the 17th century, the plot sees a young woman spared from execution and sent to a convent to repent instead. There she discovers things aren’t quite as they should be; something evil lurks within. Directed by Paul Hyett (Howl), look for horror vets Michael Ironside (Scanners) and Clare Higgins (Hellraiser). The Convent will be available on VOD.

BrightBurn – May 24

In a twisted alternative to Superman’s origin story, writers Brian and Mark Gunn ask, “What if the alien boy who crash landed on Earth wasn’t a hero, but evil?” Produced by James Gunn and directed by David Yarovesky (The Hive), BrightBurn takes the creepy kid trope to whole new supercharged levels. Elizabeth Banks stars as Tori, the adoptive mother of this particular evil child.

The Perfection – May 24 (Netflix)

Troubled music prodigy Charlotte (Get Out’s Allison Williams) seeks out star pupil Elizabeth (Logan Browning) at her former school, sending both down a path of shocking consequences. Our own Trace Thurman gave it a perfect score out of Fantastic Fest, saying “It’s all at once a horror film, a comedy, a revenge thriller, a character study, a trashy grindhouse flick and so much more.” And that’s all you need to know. Skip the trailers and go in blind.

Godzilla: King of Monsters – May 31

It’s going to be an epic battle among titans in the latest film by Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat, Krampus). And a beautiful one at that. A group of humans face off against Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. Godzilla stars Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Charles Dance, Kyle Chandler, Bradley Whitford, Ziyi Zhang, and more.

Ma – May 31

At first glance, Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) seems like the cool adult who befriends a group of teens and lets them use part of her home as a hangout/party zone. But Sue Ann’s behavior grows increasingly more bizarre, making them question whether they’ve let someone dangerous into their lives. This psychological thriller by Blumhouse looks to bring the crazy.

The Dead Don’t Die – June 14

From the mind of Jim Jarmusch (Only Lovers Left Alive) comes a new zombie comedy. This one centers on the town of Centerville, who finds them dealing with a zombie horde when the dead start rising from their graves. The Dead Don’t Die boasts an all-star cast featuring talent like Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Danny Glover, Iggy Pop, and many more.

Head Count – June 14

A weekend trip to Joshua Tree turns deadly when a group of friends unwittingly summon an evil presence that mimics their appearance to hide among them and complete a lethal ritual. The feature debut by Elle Callahan (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Krampus). Look for this one in theaters and on digital.

Child’s Play – June 21

The basic setup of this reboot is the same; a mother gives her son a doll for his birthday, unaware that the doll has homicidal tendencies. The similarities seem to end there, though, as Andy Barclay is much older and this iteration of Chucky is very high-tech (and voiced by Mark Hamill). Directed by Lars Klevberg (Polaroid), Child’s Play stars Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, and Tim Matheson.

Nightmare Cinema – June 21

Five strangers come together at a weird little theater run by The Projectionist (Mickey Rourke), who shows them their deepest fears via film. This horror anthology is the brainchild of horror master Mick Garris, and features five segments directed by horror’s best: Garris, Joe Dante, David Slade, Ryuhei Kitamura, and Alejandro Brugues.

Them That Follow – June 21

Set deep in the Appalachia mountains, this Gothic thriller features Oscar winner Olivia Colman. It follows members of an isolated community of Pentecostal snake handlers led by Pastor Lemuel (Walton Goggins) who risk their lives to attest themselves before God. Lemuel’s daughter (Alice Englert) harbors a secret that threatens to tear the community apart.

Annabelle Comes Home – June 28

In the third entry of this creepy doll’s spinoff series, Annabelle is let loose over one unholy night of terror while Ed and Lorraine Warren have left their 10-year-old daughter Judy home with a babysitter. Think Night at the Museum, but horror. While Annabelle may be the star, look for her to introduce new entities from the Warrens’ artifact room with spinoff potential of their own.

Midsommar – July 3

In Ari Aster’s highly anticipated follow up to Hereditary, Midsommar sees a woman reluctantly joining her boyfriend on a summer trip where things take a dark turn quickly. What Hereditary did for tragedy, look for Midsommar to do with breakups. Aster has described this one as “A Wizard of Oz for perverts,” so, we can expect madness ahead.

Crawl – July 12

The very premise indicates there will be every bit of the brutality we’ve come to expect from Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D). Kaya Scoledario stars as Haley, a young woman trapped in a flooding house full of alligators while trying to save her father during a Category 5 hurricane.

Brahms: The Boy II – July 26

Brahms is back, this time to make friends with a young boy after his family moves onto the Heelshire estate. Director William Brent Bell and writer Stacey Menear return from the first film. Katie Holmes stars, but look for The Witch’s Ralph Ineson as well. Given the third act twist from the first one, it’ll be interesting to see how this sequel will play out.

The New Mutants – August 2?

Included in Disney’s presentation at CinemaCon, all signs point to The New Mutants finally getting a release. But we’ve been down this road many times before, so we won’t hold our breath. Do we even care at this point? This horror spin on Marvel fare sees five young mutants discovering their powers while being held at a facility against their will. It stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Heaton.

The Nightingale – August 2

Jennifer Kent’s (The Babadook) sophomore feature Set in Tasmania in 1825, and follows a 21-year-old Irish female convict (Aisling Franciosi) who witnesses the brutal murder of her husband and baby by her soldier master and his cronies. Unable to find justice, she decides to claim revenge on her own. Our own Meredith Borders called it shockingly violent out of Sundance, saying, “Some of it is so mind-breakingly brutal that viewers will want to look away.”

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – August 9

Producer Guillermo del Toro and director André Øvredal aim to bring the beloved children’s horror books by Alvin Schwartz and illustrator Stephen Gammell to life this summer. The plot sees a group of young teens banding together to solve the mystery behind sudden, surprise deaths plaguing their town. Look for some of the books’ most popular characters and stories to be made a nightmarish reality, like the Big Toe.

47 Meters Down: Uncaged – August 16

What’s summer without a killer shark movie? Thankfully Johannes Roberts brings the summer horror staple back to the bring screen with a sequel to his sleeper hit 47 Meters Down. This time the plot sees four teens diving in a ruined underwater city only to find that they’ve entered the territory of the deadliest shark species, deep in the labyrinth of submerged cave tunnels.

It: Chapter Two – September 6

The Losers Club gang have all grown up and forgotten about that fateful summer that saw them battle with one terrifying evil beneath the town of Derry. Until a phone call brings them back to fight It once more, 27 years later. More Pennywise and more Losers Club? Yes, please.

What films are you most excited to see?

The post Bloody Disgusting’s Summer 2019 Horror Movie Preview! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Matt (A.J. Bowen) and his wife Karen (Susan Burke) show up unannounced at the home of Matt’s estranged brother Steve (Scott Poythress) to celebrate Christmas. The holiday is supposed to be a joyful time for family and reunions, after all. Instead, they’re greeted with an anxious Steve and signs that his mental state might be unraveling. Though the house and yard are aglow with Christmas lights, the windows are boarded, bullet casings are found in the driveway, and Steve’s skittish behavior isn’t like the brother Matt remembered. But when Steve reveals that he’s trapped the Devil in his basement, Matt and Karen find themselves in a serious moral dilemma. Is Steve mentally ill or is there something far more sinister afoot?

Writer/director Josh Lobo’s feature debut is one steeped in ambiguity and psychological tension. The glow of Christmas lights become far more sinister here. Much rests on the shoulders of this very small cast, confined to one location as tensions mount. Lobo revels in keeping easy answers out of reach, opting instead to really ramp up the uncertainty. The more we get to know Steve, the less we’re sure of who might be locked away in the basement. He’s plagued by weird phone calls, but we never hear who’s on the other line. Through the white noise of his older television we get glimpses of a woman, but Lobo isn’t interested in providing too much background on her either. He gives just enough for the viewer to piece together the clues, but keeps his focus on the atmosphere and palpable dread.

It’s a quiet movie sparse in dialogue, but the quiet moments are filled with captivating performances by Poythress, Bowen, and Burke. Bowen and Poythress are able to build a heartfelt sibling camaraderie with a lengthy history all without uttering a word. Burke’s growing concern and desire to protect her husband from his brother’s mania is written all over her face. The nonverbal performances in I Trapped the Devil are vital to selling this conceit, and the cast more than delivers. Even when we’re not entirely sure who to believe, we still care.

The deliberate pacing in this mood piece of mounting tension will likely be off-putting to those that like their horror faster paced with less vagueness. For those that don’t mind ambiguity, this yuletide thriller has a lot to offer. I Trapped the Devil is a slow-burn tale of paranoia and familial obligation that does crawl out of the gate but crescendos in one satisfying ending. It may be small scaled in terms of setting and characters, but Lobo’s debut is ambitious in effort with an ability to craft effective tension and pose challenging questions.

I Trapped the Devil releases in theaters and VOD on April 26, 2019.

The post [Review] ‘I Trapped the Devil’ Brings Satanic Paranoia to Yuletide Thriller appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Starring AJ Bowen (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Signal), Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), Chris Sullivan (Stranger Things), Scott Poythress (The Signal), and Susan Burke (Southbound), the Christmas-set psychological horror focuses on a man’s descent into paranoia, after he traps what he believes to be the devil in his basement. The film reminds me of the classic “Twilight Zone” episode “The Howling Man”, which you’ll get a glimpse of in the trailer.

“Christmas is supposed to be a time for peace and joyful family reunions. But when Matt (Bowen) and his wife Karen (Burke) show up unannounced at the home of his estranged brother Steve (Poythress) to celebrate the holidays, they are instead greeted with a horrifying surprise: trapped in the basement is a man. But not just any man. Steve believes that his hostage is none other than the devil himself. As shock and skepticism turn to fear and paranoia, Matt and Karen find themselves facing a terrifying quandary: is Steve dangerously unhinged? Or could the mysterious stranger really be evil incarnate? Either way, the stage is set for a true Christmas from hell.”

Lobo produced alongside Spence Nicholson, Rowan Russell and Scott Weinberg.

The post New ‘I Trapped the Devil’ Photo Show Scott Poythress Protecting His Prize appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Starring AJ Bowen (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Signal), Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), Chris Sullivan (Stranger Things), Scott Poythress (The Signal), and Susan Burke (Southbound), the Christmas-set psychological horror focuses on a man’s descent into paranoia, after he traps what he believes to be the devil in his basement. The film reminds me of the classic “Twilight Zone” episode “The Howling Man”, which you’ll get a glimpse of in the trailer.

“Christmas is supposed to be a time for peace and joyful family reunions. But when Matt (Bowen) and his wife Karen (Burke) show up unannounced at the home of his estranged brother Steve (Poythress) to celebrate the holidays, they are instead greeted with a horrifying surprise: trapped in the basement is a man. But not just any man. Steve believes that his hostage is none other than the devil himself. As shock and skepticism turn to fear and paranoia, Matt and Karen find themselves facing a terrifying quandary: is Steve dangerously unhinged? Or could the mysterious stranger really be evil incarnate? Either way, the stage is set for a true Christmas from hell.”

Lobo produced alongside Spence Nicholson, Rowan Russell and Scott Weinberg.

While the film opens in theaters and on VOD on April 26th, those who wish to see it prior to opening can screen it at the Chattanooga Film Festival, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, Motor City Nightmares, and the Phoenix Film Festival.

The post Trailer for ‘I Trapped the Devil’ is a Christmastime Nightmare appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Starring AJ Bowen (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Signal), Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), Chris Sullivan (Stranger Things), Scott Poythress (The Signal), and Susan Burke (Southbound), the Christmas-set psychological horror focuses on a man’s descent into paranoia, after he traps what he believes to be the devil in his basement. The film reminds me of the classic “Twilight Zone” episode “The Howling Man”. The poster keeps evil locked away (and boasts a quote from yours truly).

“Christmas is supposed to be a time for peace and joyful family reunions. But when Matt (Bowen) and his wife Karen (Burke) show up unannounced at the home of his estranged brother Steve (Poythress) to celebrate the holidays, they are instead greeted with a horrifying surprise: trapped in the basement is a man. But not just any man. Steve believes that his hostage is none other than the devil himself. As shock and skepticism turn to fear and paranoia, Matt and Karen find themselves facing a terrifying quandary: is Steve dangerously unhinged? Or could the mysterious stranger really be evil incarnate? Either way, the stage is set for a true Christmas from hell.”

Lobo produced alongside Spence Nicholson, Rowan Russell and Scott Weinberg.

While the film opens in theaters and on VOD on April 26th, those who wish to see it prior to opening can screen it at the Chattanooga Film Festival, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, Motor City Nightmares, and the Phoenix Film Festival.

The post ‘I Trapped the Devil’ Poster Keeps Evil Locked Away [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Starring AJ Bowen (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Signal), Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), Chris Sullivan (Stranger Things), Scott Poythress (The Signal), and Susan Burke (Southbound), the Christmas-set “Twilight Zone”-esque psychological horror focuses on man’s descent into paranoia, after he traps what he believes to be the devil in his basement.

Lobo produced alongside Spence Nicholson, Rowan Russell and Scott Weinberg.

The plan is to release it in limited theaters and on VOD platforms April 26, 2019.

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