Five frightening film festival flicks to look out for in 2018
By Wesley Lara
5) Halloween
Directed by David Gordon Green
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis
Release Date: Oct. 19, 2018
More from 1428 Elm
- Shudder Original Terrified: Poltergeist or Dimensional Beings?
- Godzilla Minus One makes the King of the Monsters terrifying again
- A Creature Was Stirring scares up yuletide frights
- Unwrapping the Unhappy Holidays collection on Shudder
- Holiday Horror viewing guide: 20+ movies to stream this Christmas
Easily the most unlikely festival film on this list, it’s also the one with the most hype and for good reason. The original Halloween is still touted as one of the most influential horror films in history, popularizing the slasher film genre and bringing about loads of copycats and horror films that made a mark on their own while still paying homage to the John Carpenter classic. Even franchises like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street (the name we at 1428 Elm pay homage to here) owe their success to the formula of Halloween. So if there’s any type of horror remake that understandably gets met with sharp caution, it’s this gem.
The Rob Zombie remakes are infamous for their deviation away from the source material into more of an…abstract story, which has been met with appreciative, yet harsh criticism. This is why director, David Gordon Green, and fellow screenwriter/actor, Danny McBride, approached the return of Michael Myers with as much respect paid to the original as possible. A continuation of the first two films, this Halloween sees Michael Myers break out of the mental institution he is transferred to, allowing him to wreak havoc in Laurie Strode’s small town once again. But this time, Laurie is prepared and waiting for him.
Despite the fact that the film is a guaranteed box office success just from name brand alone, Jason Blum and company are confident enough to have this film premiere at Toronto International Film Festival this year in its Midnight Madness section, where the film opened to stunningly positive reviews. Word of mouth has pegged this film as a return to form for the franchise, focusing on the psychological aspect behind the film’s bloody carnage: the fear of paranoia. So now, with loads of hype behind it AND positive reviews from critics, Halloween has jumped to the top of most anticipated films IN GENERAL to be released this year. What better way to scare yourself than by revisiting the Shape in all his creepy glory?
dark. Next. Hereditary: A harrowing portrait of anxiety
Are there any film festival horror flicks that have caught your eye but weren’t on this list? Sound off your picks in the comments below!