Best Horror Movies Of 2018 So Far (And More We’re Dying To See)

Best horror movies of 2018

Horror movies always see a revival period when things in the real world take a dark turn. And if we can be certain of one thing in Hollywood, it’s that horror's making a huge comeback right now. Some of the best films in general over the last several years have fallen into the genre. And one of them (Get Out) even saw Oscar gold at this year's Academy Awards. So horror isn’t just for Halloween season anymore. Because this year, all year is Halloween season. So here are the best horror movies of 2018 so far. And we'll tell you which ones we’re looking forward to watching in the next eight months too.

Mom and Dad (January 19th)

The Premise: A mass hysteria of unknown origins causes parents to turn violently on their children.

Why You Need to See It: It’s basically a zombie movie, starring Nicolas Cage. And we all know that anything starring Nicolas Cage is worth watching, even if he spends a good five minutes screaming about bees in it.

Hellraiser: Judgment (February 3rd)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The Premise: Three detectives investigating a series of murders cross paths with the denizens of Hell.

Why You Need to See It: It’s unfortunate that Doug Bradley turned down the opportunity to reprise the role of Pinhead, but you shouldn’t assume this direct-to-video flick is going to be as dog shit awful as 2011’s Revelations. Judgment features an entirely new faction of Hell called the Stygian Inquisition, which — unlike the sadomasochistic Cenobites — just deals in straight punishment.

Unsane (March 23rd)

The Premise: A woman is involuntarily committed to a mental institution, where she becomes convinced her stalker has found her.

Why You Need to See It: Steven Soderbergh is more known for action than anything else, but what he has done, he’s always done well. Unsane is one of those films that’ll keep you wondering if the main character truly is crazy or just the unfortunate victim of neglecting to read the fine print.

The Endless (April 6th)

The Premise: Two brothers revisit the UFO death cult they fled from a decade earlier, only to discover an impossible truth.

Why You Need to See It: It’ll make you question everything you know about cults and extraterrestrials. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead have managed to craft a pretty mind-blowing story for only $1M, which is basically unheard of in Hollywood these days.

Annihilation (February 23rd)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The Premise: A biologist joins a secret military expedition into a zone where the laws of nature don’t apply.

Why You Need to See It: Annihilation is written and directed by the same guy who did Ex Machina, and it definitely has a similar vibe. It also has giant, genetically deformed grizzly bears that make human screaming noises, just in case you never want to sleep again.

A Quiet Place (April 6th)

The Premise: A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.

Why You Need to See It: A Quiet Place is like the horror mashup of Alien and No Country for Old Men. Because it’s mostly silent, the film is also heavily reliant on cinematography and the actual skill of its actors, as opposed to typical horror jump scares.

Cold Hell (January 19th)

The Premise: A life-and-death struggle ensues after a young woman witnesses a murder committed by a serial killer.

Why You Need to See It: Because it’s straight-up batshit insanity for an hour and a half. Özge Dogruol, the film’s would-be victim, turns the tables on her pursuer in the most brutal way imaginable, bringing whole new meaning to the term “girl power.”

Winchester (February 2nd)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The Premise: Firearm heiress Sarah Winchester is haunted by spirits inside her San Jose mansion.

Why You Need to See It: It’s based on a true story, sort of. Regardless of whether or not you believe in ghosts, Sarah Winchester sure did, and she was convinced that continuous construction was the only way to appease them. The Winchester Mystery House is an actual place that you can visit, complete with extra doors and stairs that lead to nowhere.

The Strangers: Prey at Night (March 9th)

The Premise: A family of four is stalked and hunted by masked psychopaths in a deserted trailer park.

Why You Need to See It: Solely because of its 2008 predecessor. The Strangers was one of the first films we got in the new era of stalked at home horror, and it’s one of the most underrated as well. We don’t know that a sequel 10 years later is absolutely necessary, but that isn’t going to stop us from seeing it.

You Were Never Really Here (April 6th)

The Premise: A traumatized veteran who tracks down missing girls for a living uncovers a conspiracy when one of this jobs spins out of control.

Why You Need to See It: It’s being touted as this generation’s Taxi Driver, which is enough of a sell to get us to drop the cash to see it in theaters. But also Joaquin Phoenix.

Marrowbone (April 13th)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The Premise: Four siblings take refuge in a haunted house after the death of their mother.

Why You Need to See It: It’s the directorial debut of Sergio G. Sánchez, who wrote The Orphanage and The Impossible. It may not be any new twist on the haunted house genre, but its cast (Jonathan from Stranger Things!) and cinematography make it worth the watch.

Ghost Stories (April 20th)

The Premise: A professor’s skepticism is put to the test when he receives a file of three chilling, inexplicable paranormal cases.

Why You Need to See It: Its anthology format will remind you of some of the best of 1980s horror (Creepshow certainly comes to mind). It’s kind of a modern take on the classic ghost story, so while it may feel nostalgic, it’s still fun as hell to sit through.

Bad Samaritan (May 4th)

The Premise: A pair of burglars find a woman being held captive in the house they try to rob.

Why You Need to See It: David Tennant. We’ve already seen what he can do as a Doctor and a serial killer with mind control powers. But in Bad Samaritan, he ventures into truly creepy territory, and we are 100% here for it.

Hereditary (June 8th)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The Premise: When the matriarch of the Graham family dies, her daughter Annie suspects a presence was left behind, which has a bizarre focus on her teenage granddaughter, Charlie.

Why You Need to See It: Is it a film about possession? Ghosts? Actual mental illness? It’s probably about all three — and more — but it’s also about creepy AF miniature dolls, and we don’t think there’s anything more horrifying on the goddam planet.

The First Purge (July 4th)

The Premise: To lower the crime rate, the New Founding Fathers of America test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community.

Why You Need to See It: Say what you will, but The Purge franchise has been entertaining AF. This prequel film builds on the current state of racial tension in the country and kind of makes you wonder if an actual Purge Night isn’t too far into our future.

Slender Man (August 24th)

The Premise: Five teenage girls in a small town perform a ritual to summon the Slender Man, a horrifying entity responsible for the disappearance of countless children.

Why You Need to See It: Slender Man is one of the first creepypastas the internet created, and the cult-like fandom that’s resulted from it is something else entirely. It was only a matter of time before we got a movie based on this particular story, although the fact that this one is also loosely based on an actual attempted murder makes it even more noteworthy.

The Nun (September 7th)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The Premise: A priest named Father Burke is sent to Rome to investigate the mysterious death of a nun.

Why You Need to See It: If you’re familiar at all with any of The Conjuring films, then you’ll recognize the nun as the f—ing creepiest character in the entire franchise. Now’s our opportunity to find out how she came to be — guarantee we’ll be sneaking rosaries into the theater along with our store-bought candy.

The Predator (September 14th)

The Premise: Military veterans encounter a Predator ship in a suburban neighborhood.

Why You Need to See It: We’re in this one not only for the 1980s nostalgia, but also mostly for the cast. With Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, and 11-year-old Jacob Tremblay on board, it’s basically a who’s who of current Hollywood. Plus a badass warrior alien looking to wreak a little havoc on Earth.

Halloween (October 19th)

The Premise: Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers.

Why You Need to See It: 1978’s Halloween is basically responsible for Jamie Lee Curtis’ career, and she isn’t one of those actors who’s too good to recognize her roots in film history. It’s the franchise that will quite literally never die, and we are so okay with that.

The House That Jack Built (November 29th)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The Premise: A depiction of the murders that create a serial killer over a 12 year period.

Why You Need to See It: It’s a Lars von Trier film, and if there’s anything we know about Lars von Trier, it’s that the guy is not afraid to go against the grain. Hopefully, we’ll be spared from any violent sexual torture this time around, although that’s probably just wishful thinking.