Dread Central’s Most Anticipated Horror Movies of Summer 2022
Summer is practically upon us. That means the heat and humidity (at least here on the East Coast) will drive us either to theaters or keep us inside to watch movies. And thankfully this summer there are plenty of films coming out in theaters and across streaming platforms to occupy our melting brains. Here at Dread Central, we compiled a list of our most anticipated films for the coming summer months. From Alex Garland’s latest film Men to Jordan Peele’s newest outing Nope, this summer is shaping up to be a banner season for the genre.
Men
Release date: May 20 (in theaters)
In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Harper (Jessie Buckley) retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to have found a place to heal. But someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her. What begins as simmering dread becomes a fully-formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears.
Watcher
Release date: June 3 (in theaters)
Julia joins her husband when he relocates to his family’s native Romania for a new job. Having recently abandoned her acting career, she finds herself frequently alone and unoccupied. One night, people-watching from her picture window, she spots a vague figure in an adjacent building, who seems to be looking back at her. Soon after, while alone at a local movie theater, Julia’s sense of being watched intensifies. She becomes certain she’s being followed—could it be the same unknown neighbor? Meanwhile, a serial killer known as The Spider stalks the city. Read our review out of Sundance.
Crimes of the Future
Release Date: June 10 (in theaters)
As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), a celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements, which is when a mysterious group is revealed… Their mission: to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase of human evolution.
The Righteous
Release Date: June 10 (ARROW)
The Righteous tells the story of Frederic (Henry Czerny) a grieving man struggling with his faith. He helps an injured young man, Aaron Smith (Mark O’Brien) who stumbles onto his property one night, claiming to be lost in the woods. Frederic and his wife (Mimi Kuzyk) invite the man to stay for the night. But Frederic soon begins to have doubts about this enigmatic stranger’s story and his motives for being there. When Aaron asks Frederic to commit an unspeakable deed, it becomes clear that the man is not who he seems, and has been sent to test the very limits of Frederic’s existence.
The Black Phone
Release Date: June 24 (in theaters)
Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney. Read our review out of Fantasic Fest.
Press Play
Release Date: June 24 (theaters, digital, and On Demand)
Laura (Clara Rugaard) and Harrison (Lewis Pullman) have a picture-perfect romance built on the foundation of a shared love of music. After a deadly accident, Laura is given the chance to save the love of her life when she discovers that their mixtape can transport her back in time. Featuring a moving soundtrack with songs by Japanese Breakfast, Father John Misty, Dayglow, and more, Press Play reminds you that love can always be replayed.
The Passenger
Release Date: in theaters June 3, On Demand and DVD June 28
A group of strangers sharing a ride have their trip interrupted when the driver hits a woman hiking in the dark of night. They decide to help her, but quickly learn that something is wrong and that they shouldn’t have let her in at all.
Neon Lights
Release Date: July 12, 2022 (digital and On Demand)
Guests begin disappearing in an off-grid location, during a family reunion of misfit siblings and their offspring.
She Will
Release Date: July 15 (digital and On Demand)
She Will is a gothic fairy tale about Veronica Ghent (Alice Krige) who after a double mastectomy, goes to a healing retreat in rural Scotland with her young nurse Desi (Kota Eberhardt). She discovers that the process of such surgery opens up questions about her very existence. This leads her to question and confront past traumas. The two develop an unlikely bond as mysterious forces give Veronica the power to enact revenge within her dreams.
Nope
Release Date: July 22 (in theaters)
The film reunites Peele with Daniel Kaluuya, who is joined by Keke Palmer and Oscar nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Hypochondriac
Release Date: In theaters July 29, on digital and On Demand August 4
Will, a young Hispanic gay potter, is one gregarious guy. His boss is terrible, but he’s got a great boyfriend and a great job. Unfortunately, behind that veneer is a dark past of violence and mental illness that he is desperate to keep hidden. When his bipolar mother comes out of the woodwork after ten years of silence, he begins exhibiting unexplainable symptoms and spirals into an obsession, determined to solve this mystery of his own. Read our review out of SXSW.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Release Date: August 5 (in theaters)
When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game goes awry in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong.
Resurrection
Release Date: August 5 (theaters, digital, and On Demand)
Margaret’s life is in order. She is capable, disciplined, and successful. Soon, her teenage daughter, who Margaret raised by herself, will be going off to a fine university, just as Margaret had intended. Everything is under control. That is, until David returns, carrying with him the horrors of Margaret’s past. Read our review out of Sundance.
Categorized:News
