This year has been a particularly stellar one for the horror genre. With original films such as Jordan Peele’s, “Get Out,” Daniel Espinosa’s, “Life” and Trey Edward Shults’s “It Comes at Night,” it is refreshing to see multiple fresh concepts in the horror genre. However, this October is looking to be filled with numerous reboots, origin stories and sequels. Films of this nature often beg the question: “Will it hold up to the original?”
In theaters Oct. 20, “Leatherface” tells the origin story of the Ed Gein-inspired, titular chainsaw-wielding killer in an R-rated slasher. Leatherface is shown as a teenager, raised in a family of inbreds with cannibalistic tendencies, who after escaping a mental hospital, is let loose on the town and all of the citizens in it. Being the eighth installment in the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” series, it will be interesting to see if this film has any creative scares to offer. Either way, if you are into a bloody, gory experience, there is no doubt that this film will deliver on that.
If you viewed the film, “Groundhog Day,” then you can expect to understand the theme to the upcoming motion picture, “Happy Death Day.” This horror flick follows a college student’s repeated attempts to survive the duration of her birthday. As mentioned earlier, there is a catch: if she dies, the day will repeat itself without fail. This may seem like an easy task to do — avoid death for just one day — however, she is being constantly pursued by a masked murderer. This movie appears to capitalize on many innovative murders of the same unfortunate girl, which will prove to be frightening and gruesome. Christopher Landon’s, “Happy Death Day,” comes to theaters on Friday the 13th.
It wouldn’t be October without another sequel to “Chucky.” “Cult of Chucky,” is the seventh attempt to once again terrorize the audience with the murderous doll that comes to life. This horror icon finds himself in a mental hospital where victims of past movies seek to be rehabilitated from the trauma he has brought unto them. After the astounding success of the recent movie, “Annabelle: Creation,” which also revolves around a demonic doll, there is another opportunity to notice if Chucky’s formula will work again. We will observe if the saying, “You can’t kill a classic,” is as immortal as Chucky himself. “Cult of Chucky” arrives in theaters on Oct. 20.
The dynamic duo of mystery and horror unite in the film, “The Snowman.” This movie takes place in a town that has had its first major snowfall of the year, and not by coincidence. A murderer begins his malicious acts against the citizens, and as the name of the film may imply, the murderer has a calling card. The Snowman Killer dismembers his victims and uses their body parts as a substitute for pieces on a snowman. Michael Fassbender makes his second appearance in the horror genre this year, playing the detective in charge of exposing the Snowman Killer before it’s too late. “The Snowman” enters theaters Oct. 20.
Surprisingly enough, “Saw” receives another sequel this month. In 2010, “Saw 3D” released in theaters, claiming it would be the final chapter in the Saw franchise. “Jigsaw,” will be coming to theaters on Oct. 27 as the eighth and final installment of the franchise. It has been seven years since the last Saw movie, and it seems they aim to innovate as well as venture to give the fans of “Saw” the conclusion they want. “Jigsaw” will continue the story 10 years after the original Jigsaw killer died, however, people are still coming up missing or dead. This film intends to play on a mystery element as well as the classic gore of “Saw.”
This October has numerous horror films to see just in time for the Halloween season. However, if none of these movies are of interest, you can never go wrong with the classics.
