Must-See Horror Titles Coming To Netflix In December
As November winds to a close and with December right around the corner, Netflix has officially [...]
Dreamcatcher - Available 12/1
This year might go down as one of the biggest for Stephen King, with a variety of adaptations of his works making their way to screens both big and small. In case you can't get enough of the author, this 2003 film might help hold you over until next year's Castle Rock TV series.
As a group of friends heads to Maine for their annual hunting trip, they realize that this trip won't be like any of the others, as it's interrupted by an unexpected visitor who has bizarre symptoms of a strange disease. Unfortunately, this illness can't be cured by anything you could purchase at a pharmacy, as he's actually been infected by an alien invader. Luckily, the friends were bestowed with telepathic abilities when they were kids and might be able to escape the invasion before the government eradicates the whole area.
Between highly-acclaimed adaptations like IT, Gerald's Game and 1922, contemporary King fans might forget how good we currently have it. Dreamcatcher might not be one of the most successful adaptations of his work, but, if nothing else, reminds us how strong of a year it's been for his stories that have gotten the live-action treatment.
prevnextBright - Available 12/22
From Suicide Squad director David Ayer comes this blend of fantasy, horror and thriller, which debuts exclusively on Netflix.
In an alternate reality, humans co-exist with a variety of fantasy creatures, like orcs, fairies and elves. One human LAPD officer (Will Smith) goes out on patrol with his orc partner (Joel Edgerton) and they discover a wand capable of immense power. What starts as an average night ends in a potential confrontation with a darkness long thought to have been eradicated, potentially threatening the entire world's existence.
Given the elaborate blend of a variety of elements, Bright is sure to be an ambitious project which could end up being highly entertaining or a massive disaster. Either way, Ayer's direction is sure to make for a compelling film that sounds like it could recreate the successes of his previous cop-thriller, End of Watch.
prevnextCreep 2 - 12/23
The original Creep seemingly came out of nowhere to deliver not only a terrifying but hilarious horror story about a man who was either a horrifying murderer or socially awkward outcast desperate for a friend.
The original film's antagonist (Mark Duplass) is back, this time referring to himself as "Aaron," who places an ad on Craigslist that offers an encounter similar to Interview With the Vampire. Aspiring filmmaker Sara (Desiree Akhavan) heeds the call and Aaron quickly divulges to her that he's a serial killer. Aaron goes on to explain what drove him to be a serial killer, which would frighten most people, but Sara sticks around either because she doesn't take him seriously or because she truly wants to see what this supposed murderer has to say for himself.
Creep 2 doesn't have the mystery factor that the first film had, but the film goes into much more dramatic and compelling story beats to tell its story. As we shared in our review of the film, "The Creep films have helped give audiences one of the most eerily emotional killers of the decade, in addition to creating a feeling under our skins that will always make us think twice before responding to an ad on Craigslist."
prevnextYoung Frankenstein - Leaving 12/1
While Young Frankenstein might not strike fear into the hearts of viewers, it's a loving send-up of the original story that is one of the all-time best horror parodies.
Gene Wilder plays Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who hopes to correct the public's perception of his family's legacy. When he inherits his ancestor's castle and discovers the notes that created the original reanimated monster, Frederick believes he can create a more successful monster that won't terrorize villagers, and hilarity ensues.
Given that, earlier this year, fans laughed at the latest update to the Universal Monsters with the Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy, Young Frankenstein gives audiences a chance to laugh at something intentionally hilarious.
prevnextNightcrawler - Leaving 12/10
More of an unconventional thriller than a straightforward genre film, the horror in Nightcrawler focuses more on someone's dissipating humanity than a killer on the loose.
Two things that audiences learn early on about Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is that he is ambitious and will stop at nothing to achieve success. Upon his discovery that documenting crime scenes can prove a lucrative career, Lou steals a bike to trade for a camera to embark on his new career. His efforts pay off, as a local news station takes note of his compelling footage, which pushes Lou to sacrifice all of his sympathies towards his fellow man in order to get compelling footage.
The directorial debut of Dan Gilroy features one of the best performances of Gyllenhaal's career while also showing a side of Los Angeles never quite put to film. As our culture commits themselves to documenting everything on social media and detaching ourselves from the real world, Nightcrawler serves as a cautionary tale about what could happen if you allow yourself to detach too far.
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