This week is absolutely jam-packed with fresh horrors on the big screen and the smaller screen, but the highlight is of course the box office return of the Evil Dead franchise.
Can you believe it’s been TEN YEARS since Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead?!
Here’s all the new horror releasingApril 18 – April 23, 2023!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
Drawing comparisons toNight of the Living DeadandThe Thing,SCREAMBOXOriginalShifted is NOW STREAMING. The ambitious indie horror tale finds a group of neighbors trapped by murderous creatures with a serial killer hidden among them.
Shiftedis written and directed byAdrian Konstant, based on a story by Konstant and producer Jason T. Green.Michael Wurtz, Derek Lackenbauer, Victoria Dunsmore, Brian Otto, Alyssa Anne Blasak, Zach Parsons, Jenna Gagliardi, Alyssa Schermel, andSean Reystar.
As murderous creatures ravage the outside, a group of neighbors take refuge in an isolated house. Their relief is short-lived as a sinister secret hides within those walls, and they become the prey of a serial killer hidden among them. As supplies dwindle and paranoia grows, they are left to wonder who will survive when the world has Shifted.
“Our home is our place of safety,” says Bloody Disgusting’s Brad Miska. “InShifted, what Adrian Konstant does so well is to sew mistrust within that refuge. When there’s no escape from danger and you don’t know who to trust, how do you keep going? I can’t wait for our SCREAMBOX viewers to answer this question when they stream Shifted this month.”
Also available today, Gravitas Ventures has released the latest film from Tennessee-based filmmaker Jason Lockridge, director of Succuba and Down Bad: Life In The Hood.
A grieving wife summons a dark spirit with an insatiable desire for revenge in The Reaper Man, which was released onto Digital outlets today.
Jessica Jai Johnson (“The Stix”), K.J. Baker (“Nashville”), Kenon Walker (100 Lives), and Jeff Halton (Hongo) star in The Reaper Man.
Described as “Tedmeets Terrifier,” 4DigitalMedia has released the Thai horror-comedy Night of the Killer Bears on VOD today, the film directed by Kanpong Banjongpinit.
In the horror-comedy, “After not seeing each other for a long time, five teenage friends living in the city of Bangkok go on a vacation together, staying at a quiet resort isolated from the city. Things take a dark turn when it’s revealed each of them have hidden secrets; and unbeknownst to the group, there is someone observing them.
“When one of them ends up brutally murdered, paranoia and distrust surrounds the group, motivating each remaining member to accuse each other of being the murderer or considering the possibility that the real murderer is the unseen presence observing them, and that they all are in danger.”
Sananthachat Thanapatpisal, Patchata Jan-Ngern, Khemanit JamikornandChanagun Ap*rnsutinanstar.
From writer/director Brandon Scullion, Indican Pictures released the indie horror movie The New Hands on VOD today as well, which draws inspiration from Edward Scissorhands.
In the film, “When Bram Victor is dumped by his girlfriend he is convinced it’s because of his ugly hands. Mangled, unattractive, he becomes convinced that a pair of new hands will bring her back. What to do? Since he is a serial killer – assemble a new set of hands from beautiful victims and win back the girl of his dreams!”
Horror icon Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp) stars in The New Hands alongside Sally Kirkland, Lexi Graboski, and Stephen Wu.
From directorDamián Szifron, Vertical’s To Catch a Killer is headed to theaters on Friday, April 21, and the film carries strong Silence of the Lambsvibes.
In fact, the press release describesShailene Woodley‘s main character as a “modern-day Clarice Starling,” of course the heroine played by Jodie Foster in the 1991 horror classic.
InTo Catch a Killer, “A modern-day Clarice Starling, Eleanor (Shailene Woodley) is a young police investigator wrestling with the demons of her past when she is recruited by the FBI’s chief investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) to help profile and track the work of a disturbed individual. As the police and FBI launch a nationwide manhunt, they are thwarted at every turn by the individual’s unprecedented behavior. Given her tortured psyche, Eleanor may be the only person who can understand the mind of their assailant and bring him to justice.”
Ben MendelsohnandJovan Adepoalso star.
Damián SzifronandJonathan Wakehamwrote the script.
The biggest new release for the week is of course fifth franchise installment Evil Dead Rise, directed by Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground) and earning rave reviews.
Meagan Navarro writes in herEvil Dead Risereview for BD, “Evil Dead Riseis an absolute crowd pleaser that’s best enjoyed with a rowdy crowd of fellow fans.”
Gabrielle Echols (Reminiscence),Morgan Davies(The End) andNell Fisher(Splendid Isolation) star alongsideAlyssa SutherlandandLily Sullivan.
Here’s the official plot synopsis forEvil Dead Rise…
“In the fifthEvil Deadfilm,aroad-weary Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids on her own in a cramped L.A apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.”
Sam Raimi,Bruce CampbellandRobert Tapertare producingEvil Dead Rise. According to Campbell, the three have been “very involved” in the project every step of the way.
Another adaptation of a classic H.G. Wells tale is headed our way, with Vertical Entertainment unleashing War of the Worlds: The Attack in select theaters on Friday, April 21.
“War of the Worlds: The Attackfollows three young astronomers tracking a meteorite that crashes into earth who discover they are at the epicentre of a Martian invasion. A soldier helps the trio and they end up in London where they must find a way to save mankind.”
Alhaji Fofana,Lara Lemon,Sam Gittins, andLeo Staarstar.
DirectorJunaid Syedpreviews, “The idea was to create a modernized version ofWar of the Worldswhile honoring and trying to stay as close to the original story as possible.
Syed continues, “It has nostalgic elements for the grown-ups and, at the same time, fresh storylines making it relatable for the younger audiences.”
A new creature feature from New Zealand filmmakerScott Walker(The Frozen Ground), The Tank is also coming to select theaters on April 21, followed by Digital on April 25.
Set in the 1970s,The Tankis a story about a young family who awakens a horde of creatures. Academy Award winning special effects supervisor and creative directorRichard Taylorand his teamat Peter Jackson’s VFX studioWeta Workshopcreated the creature effects.
In the upcoming creature feature, “After mysteriously inheriting an abandoned coastal property, Ben and his family accidentally unleash an ancient, long-dormant creature that terrorized the entire region—including his own ancestors—for generations.”
Luciane Buchanan, Matt Whelan, Zara Nausbaum, Regina Hegemann, Jack Barry, andHolly Sherveystar.Scott Walker wrote and directedThe Tank.
Watch the trailer below for a sneak-peek at Weta’s latest creature creations!
Up next fromOneFox Productions isBury the Bride, the new horror movie from musician/director Spider One(Allegoria). It’s coming exclusively to Tubi on Saturday, April 22.
“Bride-to-be June’s bachelorette getaway turns deadly when her blood-thirsty fiancé and his backwoods friends show up to crash the party. What follows becomes a living nightmare of unholy proportions as June, her sister Sadie and their closest friends fight for their lives, and avenge the ones who don’t make it through the night.”
Krsy Fox (Allegoria),Scout Taylor-Compton(Halloween, Halloween II),Dylan Rourke,Lyndsi LaRose,Chaz Bono(American Horror Story) andCameron Cowperthwaite(Dahmer) star.
The film was written byKrsy Foxand Spider One. OneFox Productions (Krsy Fox & Spider One) produced along with Chaz Bono, Ian Hoge and Andy Patch.
On the small screen this week, don’t miss “Mrs. Davis” (April 20), “Dead Ringers” (April 21), the return of “The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs” (April 21), and the premiere of the second season of “From” (April 23). And while it’s not strictly a horror movie, Ari Aster’s latest filmBeau Is Afraid releases in more theaters this coming Friday.
And don’t forget, the video game Dead Island 2 will also be unleashed on Friday!
