Horror Movies Preview: Scary Films Hitting Theaters in 2016

Natalie Dormer in The Forest
Natalie Dormer stars in ‘The Forest’ (Photo Credit : James Dittiger / Gramercy Pictures)

What can fans of the horror genre expect from movies released in 2016? Underworld, Purge, Conjuring, The Ring, and Amityville Horror will all have prequels or sequels heading to theaters this year along with films featuring zombies, ghosts, and other scary beasties that go bump in the night. Here’s a preview of what horror fans can look forward to throughout 2016:

Horror Movie Preview

31 (TBD) starring Sheri Moon Zombie, Malcolm McDowell, Judy Geeson, Lew Temple, Judy Carr, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, and Jeff Daniel Phillips
The Plot: On October 30, 1975, five carnival workers were kidnapped and held hostage until the following night (Halloween), where they are put in a compound. They’re told that they are there to take part in a game named “31” where the goal is to survive past the next 12 hours. This is made difficult by the fact that they are not alone; a violent gang of evil clowns are there and stalking their every move.

Amityville: The Awakening (Apr 15, 2016) starring Bella Thorne, Cameron Monaghan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Taylor Spreitler
The Plot: Belle (Bella Thorne), her little sister, and her comatose twin brother (Cameron Monaghan) move into a new house with their single mother Joan in order to save money to help pay for her brother’s expensive healthcare. But when strange phenomena begin to occur in the house including the miraculous recovery of her brother, Belle begins to suspect her Mother isn’t telling her everything and soon realizes they just moved into the infamous Amityville house.

Before I Wake Movie Trailer
Kate Bosworth stars in ‘Before I Wake’

Before I Wake (Apr 8, 2016) starring Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Annabeth Gish, Dash Mihok, and Jacob Tremblay
The Plot: Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) decide to take in a sweet and loving 8-year-old boy, Cody. Unbeknownst to them, Cody is terrified of falling asleep. At first, they assume his previous unstable homes caused his aversion to sleep, but soon discover why: Cody’s dreams manifest in reality as he sleeps. In one moment they experience the incredible wonder of Cody’s imagination, and in the next, the horrific nature of his night terrors. To save their new family, Jessie and Mark embark on a dangerous hunt to uncover the truth behind Cody’s nightmares.


The Boy (Jan 22, 2016) starring Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Jim Norton, Diana Hardcastle, Ben Robson, and James Russell
The Plot: Greta (Lauren Cohan) is a young American woman who takes a job as a nanny in a remote English village, only to discover that the family’s 8-year-old is a life-sized doll that the parents care for just like a real boy, as a way to cope with the death of their actual son 20 years prior. After violating a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing and inexplicable events bring Greta’s worst nightmare to life, leading her to believe that the doll is actually alive.

Cell (TBD) starring John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman, and Stacy Keach
The Plot: When a powerful signal is broadcast across mobile networks worldwide, cell phone users’ minds are instantly and dangerously re-programmed. Heading north through New England in search of his wife and son, Clay Riddell (Cusack) is joined by a group of survivors hoping to fend off the bloodthirsty and hyper-connected “phoners.”

The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist (June 10, 2016) starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O’Connor, Madison Wolfe, Lauren Esposito, Patrick McAuley, Benjamin Haigh, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Simon Delaney, Franka Potente, and Simon McBurney
The Plot: Reprising their roles, Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, star as Lorraine and Ed Warren, who, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.

A Cure for Wellness (Sep 23, 2016) starring Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth, and Celia Imrie
The Plot: The movie follows a worker who is sent to rescue his boss from a European “wellness spa soon” and realizes that he’s trapped and discovers that the facility has a more sinister purpose than just serving the healthy needs of it patients.

Delirium (Sep 30, 2016) starring Topher Grace, Genesis Rodriguez, Patricia Clarkson, and Callan Mulvey
The Plot: A man inherits his family’s mansion and comes to believe it’s haunted.

The Forest (Jan 8, 2016) starring Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Eoin Macken, and Yukiyoshi Ozama
The Plot: Rising with terrifying grandeur at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, the legendary real-life Aokigahara Forest is the suspense-filled setting of the supernatural thriller. A young American woman, Sara (Natalie Dormer), journeys there in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. In the company of expatriate Aiden (Taylor Kinney), Sara enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.” Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them. These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.

The Labyrinth (Oct 18, 2016) starring James Franco, Josh Peck, Jim Parrack, and Jason Ritter
The Plot: An alcoholic father is given a final chance to redeem himself by a mysterious barkeep. A Mandroid (part man, part android) desperately searches for energy before his battery power dies. A new homeowner stumbles upon the secrets of the universe in his very own basement. The stories within The Labyrinth are sure to provoke, inspire and entertain audiences.

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