We lost an hour to daylight savings time as spring inches nearer and as the weather warms up, it means slasher summer is almost here. But this spring will feature plenty of new horror movies to tide us over until then, a perfect prelude for what's to come.
In April, the long-awaited Until Dawn adaptation makes its debut along with Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's latest collaboration, plus Christopher Landon's acclaimed new movie Drop. Here are seven horror films you don't want to miss this April.
Until Dawn
- Director: David F. Sandberg
- Writers: Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman
- Cast: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A'zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell, and Peter Stormare
- In theaters, April 25
Based on the 2015 video game of the same name, Until Dawn attempts to expand the source material with a new story, setting, and characters. Fans of the game are mixed as to whether they appreciate that the movie is ditching the source's storyline in favor of something different.
One of the key components of the game is its choice system, wherein the player makes critical decisions that decide who lives and dies. The filmmakers are trying to mimic that effect with a Cabin of the Woods-style film that sees the characters stuck in a time loop, repeatedly murdered in different, gruesome ways by various monsters and nightmare scenarios. Their only means of escaping the loop are to survive until dawn.
Hell of a Summer
- Writers/Directors: Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk
- Cast: Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard, Pardis Saremi, Rosebud Baker, and Adam Pally
- In theaters, April 4
Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard makes his feature directorial debut alongside his co-director, co-writer, and co-star Billy Bryk in Neon's comedic slasher movie. Paying homage to the '80s summer slashers of the past, Hell of a Summer follows a camp counselor who cannot let go of his glory days from Camp Pineway. Still a counselor in his 20s, he finds it hard to bond with his teenage coworkers. But that turns out to be the least of his problems when a masked killer strikes.
Drop
- Director: Christopher Landon
- Writers: Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach
- Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan, Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks, and Travis Nelson
- In theaters, April 11
Director Christopher Landon, the man behind hit comedy-horror movies like Happy Death Day and Freaky, returns with his latest film, the story of a widowed mother terrorized by an anonymous caller. Drop debuted to excellent reviews at this year's South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW), with critics praising the movie as a fast-paced thrill ride that will give you serious anxiety from start to finish. It has been favorably compared to movies like Phone Booth and Red Eye.
Sinners
- Writer/Director: Ryan Coogler
- Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, and Delroy Lindo
- In theaters, April 18
Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack in this period horror film from director and writer Ryan Coogler. The trailer already gives away that this is a movie about vampires threatening a small town in the south. The brothers are hoping to make a fresh start for themselves in their hometown, only to discover the place has been infiltrated by terrifying monsters hungry for blood.
Screamboat
- Director: Steven LaMorte
- Writer: Matthew Garcia-Dunn and Steven LaMorte
- Cast: David Howard Thornton, Allison Pittel, Amy Schumacher, Jesse Posey, Kailey Hyman, Jesse Kove, and Jarlath Conroy
- In theaters, April 2
If you're not burnt out on public domain horror movies yet, then Screamboat might be right up your alley. To give this one credit, it does look a little better than some of the other Steamboat Willie movies out there and it helps that Terrifier star David Howard Thornton is playing the villainous mutated version of Mickey Mouse. Taking place on a late-night ferry ride, the passengers find themselves in a fight for their lives against a mischievous killer rodent.
The Ugly Stepsister
- Director/Writer: Emilie Blichfeldt
- Cast: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth, and Malte Gårdinger
- In theaters, April 18
Hailed as this year's The Substance, The Ugly Stepsister is a dark body horror film and a twisted re-imagining of the classic Cinderella story. During its Sundance premiere earlier this year, someone reportedly vomited during the screening because of scenes featuring the protagonist undergoing horrific cosmetic procedures (one word: tapeworms) as part of her desire to outshine her stepsister and attract the prince. Shudder acquired the streaming rights to this movie, so it will be available to stream sometime later this year.