5 horror movies to shock you into spring
New frontiers in space horror and a new movie from the 'Talk to Me' creators highlight the upcoming horror season
Not content to give you anxiety only in the bleak depths of winter, studios keep rolling out horror movies this spring. Some of them, including these five chillers, might even make fans wish it were still cold enough to hide under the blankets.
'Ash'
In "Ash," musical artist and director Flying Lotus looks to give space horror a style infusion with the story of Riya (Eiza Gonzalez), who wakes up with amnesia on a strange planet to find the crewmates on her space station murdered. When Brion (Aaron Paul) appears, claiming to have answered her distress call, she must figure out what is real and what is not and who killed the crew. The trippy trailer is "packed with short bursts of ominous imagery and shots of a surreal sci-fi planetscape," said Polygon. (in theaters March 21)
'The Rule of Jenny Pen'
In Shudder's "The Rule of Jenny Pen," Geoffrey Rush plays Stefan, who lands in a nursing home after a stroke. He grows increasingly concerned about the behavior of Dave (John Lithgow), a patient who uses the titular doll to torment residents. The film is a "creepy puppet movie that's also a meditation on aging, death and the fear that comes from losing control of your body," said The AV Club. (March 28, Shudder)
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'The Woman in the Yard'
Holed up in a rural farmhouse after her husband is killed in a car accident and seriously injured herself, Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) has to figure out how to care for her two children. One afternoon, a strange woman, clad in black, appears sitting on a chair in the yard, and she moves closer and closer to the house. The trailer is "pretty damn unsettling," said Fangoria. (in theaters March 28)
'Until Dawn'
Director David F. Sandberg brings the time-loop subgenre to horror with a video game adaptation about friends returning to the rural area where Clover's (Ella Rubin) sister disappeared a year earlier. They then become hunted and wake to relive their murders again and again. The trailer "delivers a monster mash of time-loop terror," said Bloody Disgusting (in theaters April 25)
'Bring Her Back'
Brothers Danny and Michael Philippou stormed the horror scene in 2023 with "Talk to Me," their parable about teenagers who allow themselves to be possessed by a demon and then upload the footage to social media. In May, they return with "Bring Her Back." The plot outline is vague but revolves around foster children who "uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother," said Deadline. (in theaters May 30)
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
David Faris is a professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of "It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics." He's a frequent contributor to Newsweek and Slate, and his work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Republic and The Nation, among others.
-
Hilarious comedians to see on tour this winterThe Week Recommends Get some laughs from Nate Bargatze, Josh Johnson and more
-
A January deadline could bring the pain all over againToday’s Big Question A January deadline could bring the pain all over again
-
Political cartoons for December 23Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include an eye on CBS, cracking the middle class, and Donald Trump's name on everything
-
The 8 best drama movies of 2025the week recommends Nuclear war, dictatorship and the summer of 2020 highlight the most important and memorable films of 2025
-
Critics’ choice: The year’s top 10 moviesFeature ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘It Was Just an Accident’ stand out
-
Oscars jump to YouTube after decades at ABCSpeed Read The awards show will be broadcast worldwide on YouTube starting in 2029
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Film reviews: ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘Is This Thing On?’Feature A born grifter chases his table tennis dreams and a dad turns to stand-up to fight off heartbreak
-
The real tragedy that inspired ‘Hamlet,’ the life of a pingpong prodigy and the third ‘Avatar’ adventure in December moviesThe Week Recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
-
Film reviews: ‘The Secret Agent’ and ‘Zootopia 2’Feature A Brazilian man living in a brutal era seeks answers and survival and Judy and Nick fight again for animal justice
