Two of the most talked-about horror films of the year will be available to stream this month, and another is now available to rent. This is great news for those of us in hot climates (for me, it’s Florida), who just want to hunker down watching movies in the AC this summer.
Bring Her Back (July 1 VOD) – Danny and Michael Philippou’s follow up to their 2022 feature debut Talk to Me released in theaters in May. Emotionally, it hit even harder than Talk to Me, and was successful at the box office and with critics.
Step-siblings Andy and Piper (who is blind) are sent to a foster home after their father dies suddenly, with Andy planning to care for his sister when he turns 18 in just a few months. At first, their foster mom Laura seems pretty cool (if a little strange), but soon enough, Andy begins to suspect she has sinister intentions towards Piper.
Laura’s own daughter Cathy died, and she also cares for her mute nephew Oliver, but something is definitely off here, and Andy is on a mission to find out what. Bring Her Back is a hard watch at times, because it takes a deep dive into grief and trauma. It’s powered by the strong performances of the cast, particularly Sally Hawkins’s portrayal of Laura, who is trying desperately to get her daughter back.
Sinners – (July 4 on HBO Max) – Sinners exceeded its box office expectations when it opened in April of this year. Audiences and critics both loved it, and it ended up grossing over $48 million on its opening weekend.
It’s the 1930s, and twins Smoke and Stack Moore return home to Clarksdale, Mississippi after working for the Chicago Mafia. Using stolen money, they open their own juke joint, and stock it with flavorful characters such as the twins’ cousin Sammie, an extremely talented guitarist.
On the juke joint’s opening night, chaos ensues when vampires are drawn there by Sammie’s musical performance, and Smoke and Stack, along with their friends are soon fighting for their lives.
Drop – (July 11 on Peacock) – Drop was written and directed by Christopher Landon, who also brought us Happy Death Day, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse and Freaky. Some critics have referred to Drop as a “Hitchcockian” thriller, and it did very well in theaters.
The story deals with a woman named Violet, who has decided to start dating again after her abusive husband dies. When she meets a photographer named Henry through a dating app, Violet asks her sister to babysit so she can meet Henry for dinner.
What starts out as a pleasant date goes off the rails after Violet starts receiving drops on her phone – drops that quickly grow menacing in nature. The anonymous user even tells Violet to check her security camera, where she sees a man attack her sister/babysitter and lock her son Toby in his bedroom. Eventually, the user instructs her to poison Henry, and threatens to kill Toby if she refuses.
What’s a single mom to do in a situation like this? Violet has to figure out what is going on before it’s too late, and Henry attempts to help.