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)
Subscribe to 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 an associate 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 is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.
-
How will the new tax deductions on auto loans work?
the explainer Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited
-
Is Trump actually going to prosecute Obama for 'treason'?
Today's Big Question Or is this just a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal?
-
5 best movie sequels of all time
The Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
-
5 best movie sequels of all time
The Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
-
Film reviews: Eddington and Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
Feature A New Mexico border town goes berserk and civil war through a child's eyes
-
The best TV shows based on movies
The Week Recommends A handful of shows avoid derivative storytelling and craft bold narrative expansions
-
Film reviews: Superman and Sorry, Baby
Feature A hero returns, in surprising earnest, and a woman navigates life after a tragedy
-
The best film prequels of all time
The Week Recommends Balancing new information with what the audience already knows is a perilous tightrope
-
'Immigrant' Superman film raises hackles on the right
TALKING POINT Director James Gunn's comments about the iconic superhero's origins and values have rankled conservatives who embrace the Trump administration's strict anti-immigrant agenda
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
Film reviews: F1: The Movie, 28 Years Later, and Familiar Touch
Feature An aging race car driver gets one last chance, a kid struggles to survive in this '28 Days Later' update, and a woman with dementia adjusts to her new life