We have already taken a quick look at the most exciting horrors coming out so far in 2013, and I am sure you will agree there is some mighty fine stuff on the first twenty films in my list. However, it is about to get better, much better as I take a look at what I believe are the absolute essential horrors not to be missed coming out in 2013.
Granted it is still early days, and I expect to see many more films announced over the coming months, but for now, the following ten films are, in my opinion, the absolute muse-see horror films of 2013. The following ten films simply cannot be missed by any fan of the genre, they represent what is great, cutting edge, exciting and controversial about horror, and on the evidence of what we know about them, they represent the very best horror has to offer (so far) in 2013. I hope you agree with my choices, and more importantly, I hope you are planning on seeing them! Enjoy!
10- The Conjuring: Released 19th July in UK cinemas
Director: James Wan
(no trailer available)
Insidious director James Wan returns to the haunted house horror stuff with a film based on real life paranormal investigators, The Warrens. Early word on the film is that it is sensational, and with Wan in charge, I have no doubts that The Conjuring is set to be one of the biggest haunted house horrors of the year. With a superb cast including the gorgeous Vera Farmiga, and Patrick Wilson making his second appearance for the director, all signs thus far are very positive for this. We hope, and beg for a trailer soon!
Synopsis:
The film centres on a a husband and wife team (Wilson, Farmiga) of demonologists and psychic investigators who enter the most horrifying case of their career, spirits in a Rhode Island farmhouse. Livingston and Taylor will play a couple who move with their kids to the farmhouse and begin to be haunted.”
“The Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in 1952 and later opened the Occult Museum. They are the authors of numerous books about the paranormal and their own private investigations into various hauntings. They claimed to have investigated over 10,000 hauntings during their career, and the Warrens were among the very first investigators in the controversial Amityville haunting.
The Warrens were responsible for training several paranormal investigating demonologists including Dave Considine, the late Lou Gentile, and their nephew John Zaffis.
“This one plays scarier because it’s more grounded,” said Wan, while comparing The Conjuring to Insidious. “I tried to ground it as much as possible because the realism makes it creepier.” (More info)
9- The Bay: Released 1st March in UK cinemas
Director: Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson, director of Sphere and Sleepers, enters the found footage genre of horror, and it looks good. The Bay has already been released in the US, and reviews have been nothing short of exceptional, with many claiming it is one of the best found footage horrors ever. The trailers and clips we have seen so far have worked brilliantly to build the suspense around the films plot of a virus infecting a seaside town. I truly believe this will push found footage into new territories, and breath life into a slowly dying genre.
Synopsis:
Two million fish washed ashore. One thousand blackbirds dropped from the sky. On July 4, 2009 a deadly menace swept through the quaint seaside town of Claridge, Maryland, but the harrowing story of what happened that Independence Day has never been told–until now. From Oscar(R)-winning director Barry Levinson and the producers of Paranormal Activity and Insidious comes this nerve-shredding tale of a small town plunged into absolute terror. The authorities believed they had buried the truth about the tragedy that claimed over 700 human lives. Now, three years later, a reporter has emerged with footage revealing the cover-up and an unimaginable killer: a mysterious parasitic outbreak. Told from the perspective of those who were there and saw what happened, The Bay unfolds over 24 hours though people’s iPhones, Androids, 911 calls, webcams, and whatever else could be used to document the nightmare in Claridge. (More info)
8- World War Z: Released 21st June 2013 in UK cinemas
Director: Marc Foster
World War Z had a hugely troublesome production the director and star Brad Pitt are no longer talking, there were re-writes, much of the last third needed re-shooting and the film went seriously over budget, and we haven’t even mentioned the delays and six month release date shuffle. However, with all the trouble, the finished product does look stunning, and when the first trailer landed last month, fans were finally able to see just what Foster had managed to do with the story, and it looks very impressive indeed. Time will tell if the trailer has got us all excited for nothing, but whether World War Z turns out to be classic, or a complete mess, it is guaranteed to be one of the biggest films of the year.
Synopsis:
The story is said to revolve around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Enos plays Gerry’s wife Karen Lane; Kertesz is his comrade in arms, Segen. The plot is a bit interesting because the Max Brooks best-selling novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War which the movie is based on, dealt with the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Hopefully this approach will work for the film. (More info)
(no trailer available)
7- The Profane Exhibit: Released TBC
Directors: Uwe Boll, Ruggero Deodato, Coffin Joe, Nacho Vigalondo, Ryan Nicholson, Richard Stanley plus others
The first of two horror anthologies in the top ten, The Profane Exhibit has been at the top of my must-see list for what feels like forever. The collection of short films is very nearly complete, which means a trailer just might land in the next few months, and I don’t think I will be able to contain my excitement when it lands. Producers David Bond and Manda Manuel have brought together some of the worlds most dangerous and twisted directors, and each director provides a short film which will go into the depths of depravity and violence. Once this anthology does finally land, there will be many, even the most hardened of horror fans, who will be left shaken by this.
Synopsis:
Deep within the underbelly of Paris, there is a club which is the home of a secret, wicked society. At first it resembles an ordinary fetish or goth nightclub, but hidden within the cavernous building are many hidden rooms. One of which is known as “The Room of Souls,” a private gathering place of the world’s richest and most evil people. Their host is the elegant yet frightening Madame Sabatier. For their amusement, each member takes a turn and spins a true tale of their depravity: A good wife learns that her husband goes out at night to abduct and murder young women; A botched suicide attempt leads to a drug induced dream; A girl is believed to be possessed by a demon and her overly religious parents enlist the help of a corrupt reverend who has his own sinister plans; We are invited inside the deranged mind of a respected surgeon as he takes us on a guided tour of life, death, and everything in between; A young street prostitute crosses paths with a charismatic flesh trader and is forced to take an unspeakable journey of sex, violence, and murder; A nun is abducted off the streets of Rome and held captive for over a year turning her into a feral, murderous creature to be unleashed on society; A chance encounter on a fateful bus ride for an unsuspecting girl who dreams of riches and fame is her undoing; A man picks up a woman in a nightclub and soon finds himself at the mercy of a cult of women who believe consumption of their sacrifice will bring them to their highest form of female dominance; An unflinching look into darkest Africa where human life is traded for fortune and the most unspeakable atrocities are committed. It truly is a profane world, and this is THE PROFANE EXHIBIT. There are no boundaries. (More info)
6- The ABC’s of Death: Released TBC
Directors: various
The second horror anthology is a mammoth project that very recently delivered its first, totally insane red-band trailer. This was quickly followed up with an equally impressive green-band trailer, and The ABC’s of Death has finally been noticed by the horror community. In the works for quite sometime, the massive project see’s 26 of the worlds finest up and coming horror directors each delivering a short film, and each short film is based on a different letter of the alphabet. The UK’s very own Lee Hardcastle won a competition for an unknown director to take the letter ‘T’. The horror is a guaranteed crowd pleaser due to the sheer volume of different directing styles involved, it is definitely the biggest horror of the year in terms of people involved, and I have no doubts it will deliver, and become a true horror classic.
Synopsis:
Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. The ABC’s OF DEATH is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death. (More info)
(no trailer available)
5- Insidious: Chapter Two – Released TBC
Director: James Wan
Come on, how can anyone not be excited about going back to The Further! Insidious gave horror a welcome kick up the arse last year, and left many horror fans absolutely terrified. Granted it was not to everyone’s taste, but those who did like it, REALLY liked it. Insidious made being scared fun again, and Wan has brought back the cast, writers and producers of the first film to hopefully replicate what made the first film so much fun. With any luck, Wan’s Insidious: Chapter Two will be bigger, more fun and most importantly scarier than the first film!
Synopsis:
No official synopsis has been released, but it will be a continuation of the events of the first film. (More info)
4- The Lords of Salem: Released TBC
Director: Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie returns to directing after Halloween 2 in 2009, and his return is no less than epic. Fans have been eager to see their first proper glimpse of Zombie’s classic styled new horror, and the trailer landed two months ago and horror fans went crazy. The film, which brings together one of the finest collection of horror actors ever assembled, screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September to huge acclaim, and now the film is gearing up for a general release in 2013. I love Zombie’s style, and judging by the trailer, he goes all out here for a real, proper authentic look and atmosphere, with a horror that harks back to the good old days of witchcraft, curses and all things nasty. Being a Zombie film, expect a huge amount of violence too, but it is the incredible style on show in the trailer that has really won me over so far, this is going to be huge!
Synopsis:
Heidi, a blonde rock chick, DJs at a local radio station and, together with the two Hermans (Whitey and Munster), forms part of the “Big H Radio Team”.
A mysterious wooden box containing a vinyl record arrives for Heidi, “a gift from the Lords”. She assumes it’s a rock band on a mission to spread their word. As Heidi and Whitey play the Lords’ record, it starts to play backwards, and Heidi experiences a flashback to a past trauma.
Later Whitey plays the Lords’ record, dubbing them the Lords of Salem, and to his surprise, the record plays normally and is a massive hit with listeners.
The arrival of another wooden box from the Lords presents the Big H Team with free tickets, posters and records to host a gig in Salem. Soon Heidi and her cohorts find that the gig is far from the rock spectacle they’re expecting: The original Lords of Salem are returning, and they’re out for BLOOD. (More info)
3- Evil Dead: Released 19th April in UK cinemas
Director: Fede Alvarez
Who says remakes can’t be good eh? With original Evil Dead director Sam Raimi, and star Bruce Campbell both playing a part in this remake, Evil Dead is likely to be one insane horror film. Campbell has been praising this film, and telling fans that this remake is made with one purpose: to upset and scare the shit out of its audience. Judging by the truly awesome trailer, everyone involved has made good on that promise. Fans never wanted a remake, but it would seem everyone has now come around to the fact that this is not a remake as such, more a re-invention of the story with a hell of a lot more violence. This just might be the most violent film of the year, it certainly looks totally horrific from the trailer, and isn’t that what horror is all about, being upset, disgusted and shocked? Evil Dead will most certainly do that!
Synopsis:
In the much anticipated remake of the 1981 cult-hit horror film, five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival. (More info)
2- Pacific Rim: Released 12th July in UK cinemas
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
OK, so not a full on horror as such, but God dammit it has giant robots fighting giant monsters in it, so hell yeah it deserves to be in this list! Everyone’s favourite director, Guillermo Del Toro has promised something very special with Pacific Rim, and my word he has done it. The trailer landed just a few days ago, and now it is all anyone is talking about. Seeing a 300 foot tall monster take down the Golden Gate Bridge, or watching a robot the size of a skyscraper stalking through the city is just too good to be true, and while the idea seemed near impossible in the beginning, the trailer says otherwise. Del Toro has pulled it off, and not only that but he has done it with style, and has also cast Idris “we are cancelling the apocalypse!!” Elba in the lead role. Words cannot describe my excitement for this soon to be masterpiece.
Synopsis:
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes – a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) – who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse. (More info)
1- Maniac: Released 15th March in UK cinemas
Director: Franck Khalfoun
When Maniac was first announced, with Elijah Wood in the lead as serial killer Frank, I can’t say I was too keen on the idea. Wood, to be fair, is an exceptional actor but it wasn’t until the arty, sadistic and totally unnerving first trailer (above) turned up that I began to really take notice of this remake. Then I had the ‘pleasure’ of seeing it at this years Fright Fest, and that is why it is at the top of my must-see films of 2013. This is a seriously good horror, but I must stress it is NOT for those who are easily upset, or don’t like the site of blood. Maniac is as dark, gritty and disturbing as they come, and I have not felt so shaken and physically and mentally battered since Eden Lake, or saying that Irreversible. Maniac left me rattled, shocked, upset, and it is a landmark achievement in horror. Filming completely from the point of view of the killer, you have to endure and bare witness to every kill, and it is tough going, maybe too tough for some, but those who like their horror with balls and some originality and invention will love it. It just might be too arty for some, but my word this is one hell of a tour de force, and Wood proves he is a seriously talented, cold and scary individual who plays his part a little too well. Savage but brilliant!
Synopsis:
Just when the streets seemed safe, a serial killer with a fetish for scalps is back and on the hunt.
Frank is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin store, but his life changes when young artist Anna appears asking for his help with her new exhibition. As their friendship develops and Frank’s obsession escalates, it becomes clear that she has unleashed a long-repressed compulsion to stalk and kill.
A 21st century Jack the Ripper set in present-day LA, MANIAC is a re-boot of the cult film considered by many to be the most suspenseful slasher movie ever made – an intimate, visually daring, psychologically complex and profoundly horrific trip into the downward spiralling nightmare of a killer and his victims. (More info)
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