Ah, Summer. The season of sunscreen, beaches, and terrifying movies, right? Wait a minute . . . Though you may not associate sunshine with scares, there's no better escape from a hot day than a cool movie theatre, and the summertime always delivers some of the year's most hair-raising flicks [1]. Rather than telling ghost stories around the campfire (or suffering from yet another sunburn), grab your crew and get ready to see 2019's scary-as-f*ck film offerings on the big screen. We apologise in advance if you get so freaked you drop your popcorn.
Related:
The Intruder
- The scoop: In this loose remake of 2003's Cold Creek Manor, Michael Ealy and Meagan Good star as a couple who buys a house in Napa Valley, only to realise its previous owner (Dennis Quaid) is not quite ready to say goodbye to it yet . . . and he's not afraid to use deadly means to get the house back.
- Release date: May 3
Brightburn
- The scoop: Starring Elizabeth Banks and David Denman, this James Gunn-produced superhero horror film tells the story of a couple who adopt a baby from another world. Though they try to raise the boy to use his superpowers for good, they can't help him fight the evil within that threatens to come out. If you haven't seen the seriously eerie trailer [3] yet, get on it.
- Release date: May 27
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- The scoop: In this sequel to 2014's Godzilla (and the 35th film in the Godzilla franchise), members of a crypto-zoological agency deal with not just Godzilla, but Mothra, Rodan, and the three-headed King Ghidorah as well as they all face off in the ultimate battle for mythical beast supremacy. The trailer [4] looks epic, but nothing is quite as epic as the flick's stacked cast [5].
- Release date: May 31
Ma
- The scoop: What could be better than a middle-aged woman who lets teenagers throw parties at her house (especially when that woman is Octavia Spencer)? But like most things, if it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is, and you better believe that Sue Ann's hospitality takes a weird turn. Tate Taylor (who previously worked with Spencer for The Help) is directing, and the trailer [6] alone might just give you nightmares.
- Release date: May 31
The Dead Don't Die
- The scoop: When zombies terrorize a small town, three police officers and a bizarre morgue expert decide to work together to take the undead army down. Jim Jarmusch directed this zombie comedy, and when we say that we've never seen so many A-list actors in one horror movie cast [7], we're not kidding. Just see how many you can spot in the trailer [8].
- Release date: June 14
Child's Play
- The scoop: There have been a ton of sequels, but after years of uncertainty, a full-on reboot is finally happening [9], with a plot that sounds similar to the 1988 original about a single mother, her son, and the worst present ever: a killer doll. Lars Klevberg is directing, and Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza and Atlanta's Brian Tyree Henry will costar. Be sure to watch the trailer [10] for some goosebumps.
- Release date: June 21
47 Meters Down: Uncaged
- The scoop: In this sequel to 2017's 47 Meters Down (previously titled The Next Chapter), four teenage divers exploring the ruins of an underwater city suddenly discover that they aren't alone in the caves, and their fun adventure quickly turns into a deep sea nightmare. Get ready to see lots of sharp teeth and to develop a renewed fear of the ocean, and — to prepare yourself —you can watch the original film [11] on Netflix now.
- Release date: June 28
Annabelle Comes Home
- The scoop: This flick serves as a sequel to 2014's Annabelle and 2017's Annabelle: Creation, with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprising their roles [12] as demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. In the third instalment, the Warrens will attempt to control the possessed doll by locking her away behind sacred glass, but unfortunately, a priest's holy blessing is not going to be enough to keep Annabelle imprisoned. Apparently, this one is so scary that even the cast got freaked out [13] while filming.
- Release date: June 28
Midsommar
- The scoop: In this freaky American-Swedish horror film directed by Hereditary's Ari Aster, a couple vacationing in an idyllic-seeming Swedish village find themselves feeling increasingly uneasy as cult-like behaviour becomes noticeable among the townspeople. Check out the trailer [14] to see how quickly the holiday goes awry when animal carcasses and blood smears start to appear.
- Release date: July 3
The New Mutants
- The scoop: Based on the Marvel comic team of heroes, the film is going to be the first instalment in a trilogy with a star-studded cast that includes Game of Thrones's Maisie Williams, Split's Anya Taylor-Joy, and Stranger Things [15] star Charlie Heaton, among others. It's been a long time coming, but this Summer, we'll finally we'll get to see these teenage mutants attempt to understand and master their superpowers while stuck in a secret facility.
- Release date: Aug. 2
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
- The scoop: Based on Alvin Schwartz's terrifying three-book series, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, this film will follow a teen girl haunted by her mother's disappearance on Halloween [16] as she and her friends attempt to solve the mystery surrounding the sudden, gruesome deaths in their small town. The Shape of Water director Guillermo del Toro is producing the project, so you know it's going to be good — just watch the trailer [17].
- Release date: Aug. 9