Halloween is coming, and while the big horror releases have been teasing us for months,
August saw a wave of trailers for low-profile horror movies that haven't yet caught the
public eye.
From a psychotic RV to sadistic dance instructors to a haunted pizza parlor, fear is going to
come in all flavors this year.
Even if you aren't a horror fan, you'll find a lot of other types of films to get excited
about in the coming months, so here's a roundup of all the new movie trailers from August
that'll blow you away.
The Toybox
Combining the isolated desert setting of The Hills Have Eyes with the innate horror of
a family road trip, The Toybox is a movie that asks the all-important question: What
if your RV was evil?
"Everything in this camper's going to die."
Silly?
Sure.
But it's also the perfect horror villain.
What are you going to do run away from it?
It's a car.
It'll catch you.
And when you're alone in the desert with nobody around for miles, anything with wheels is
guaranteed to have the last laugh.
Denise Richards and Mischa Barton headline The Toybox, which revs into theaters on September
18th.
Await Further Instructions
There are disastrous family reunions, and then there's whatever's happening in the trailer
for Await Further Instructions, a sci-fi horror film about a family that wakes up to find
all their windows and doors blocked by a strange black shield.
Their only clue about what's going on is a sinister message on the TV telling them to
await further instructions.
From indie production label Dark Sky Films, the company behind recent genre films such
as Mohawk, It Stains the Sands Red, and the masterpiece Birdemic, Await Further Instructions
looks like that rare low-budget film that uses every last dollar to deliver a sleek,
stylish experience.
You can take a look when it hits theaters in early October.
Bad Times at the El Royale
August's stylish trailer for Bad Times at the El Royale does a great job of building
the excitement for what looks like one of the best movies of the year.
The trailer introduces the main characters and offers a few tantalizing glimpses of the
madness going down at the El Royale, a seedy hotel on the border of Nevada and California
where the fates of seven strangers will come to a head.
Writer and director Drew Goddard took on his first feature film in 2012 with Cabin in the
Woods, and this has the looks of yet another genre classic in the making.
Get ready for good times at the theater when Bad Times at the El Royale checks in on October
12th.
First Man
There's a lot of talent pouring into Universal's upcoming historical drama First Man.
Written by Josh Singer of Spotlight, directed by Damien Chazelle of La-La Land, and produced
by Steven Spielberg, First Man tells the riveting story of Apollo 11, the mission which saw
Neil Armstrong become the first man to set foot on the lunar surface.
Ryan Gosling steps into the space boots as Armstrong, leading an amazing cast that includes
Claire Foy and Corey Stoll.
The film will focus on the years leading up to the historic moon landing and how the mounting
pressure took a toll on Armstrong's family life.
Check it out when First Man lands in theaters on October 12th.
Air Strike
You'll get at least one chance to take a break from the all horror in late October with Air
Strike, a World War II action thriller starring Adrien Brody and Bruce Willis.
Based on the true story of the Japanese bombing of a Chinese town in 1941, Air Strike isn't
afraid to take that momentous historical tragedy and turn it into a CGI action fest.
"Sir, please allow us to go kick some ass"
So yeah, Air Strike doesn't look like it's on track to win any awards, but there are
probably enough explosions here to make for a fun time at the movies.
Look for it in theaters on October 26th
Suspiria
Out of all the horror movies hitting theaters this fall, who knew that the one about a ballet
school would look like one of the scariest?
And yet that seems to be the case with Suspiria, an upcoming horror thriller produced by Amazon
Studios.
This remake of the classic 1977 film takes place at a dance academy where a new student
begins to suspect that something sinister is going on behind the curtains.
Judging by the trailer, Suspiria is banking on a steep dive into psychological terror
and plenty of supernatural imagery to deliver the chills.
Take a look when it hits select theaters on October 26th.
A Private War
Based on a true story, A Private War chronicles the life of foreign correspondent Marie Colvin,
who spent most of her career covering armed conflicts around the world one of which ultimately
took her life.
Rosamund Pike stars as Colvin, with Jamie Dornan and Stanley Tucci co-starring.
Expect plenty of hard-hitting drama when A Private War hits theaters in limited release
on November 2nd, followed by a widespread release on November 16th.
Outlaw King
Most people probably know Robert the Bruce as the guy in the chainmail hoodie who betrayed
William Wallace in Braveheart, but there's a lot more to this Scottish hero than handsome
goatees and internal conflict.
Netflix's upcoming Outlaw King follows Robert on his bloody path from enemy of the crown
to King of Scots and his war against England for Scottish independence.
Chris Pine stars as Robert the Bruce, and by the looks of the trailer, Outlaw King will
favor historical accuracy over fictionalized drama.
Outlaw King will enjoy a limited theatrical release on November 9th before streaming on
Netflix.
Slice
No doubt about it 2018 is a serious year for serious horror movies, which is why a good
horror comedy like Slice is such a welcome change of pace.
This A24 production centers on a pizza place that also happens to be a gateway to hell,
and a werewolf that's picking off the delivery staff.
It's up to Astrid, played by Zazie Beetz, to track down the werewolf and stop the legions
of hell from taking over the town.
"Looks like I'm going on a wolf hunt tonight."
Slice is set to be released in Fall 2018.
Heretiks
Nuns are the perfect vehicle for horror.
With their suspicious black-and-white habits and their easy access to creepy church basements,
nuns and terror are the cinematic peanut butter and jelly.
You don't even have to try, and you still get a good sandwich.
And Heretiks is delivering the goods with a nun-based creepfest straight out of your
nightmares.
This movie has nuns in all the shadows, and shadows in every corner.
Is it a little convenient that Heretiks is coming out right alongside Warner Bros.' high-profile
chapel chiller The Nun?
Probably, but it still looks like it'll hit all the right notes for a fun, late-night
horror flick.
Heretiks still doesn't have a specific release date, so fingers crossed it doesn't...sneak
up on us.
Check it out sometime in 2018.